Mixers get back at Aces, force rubber

Game tomorrow (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

8 p.m. – Air21 vs San Miguel Beer

MANILA, Philippines - San Mig Coffee struggled in the first three quarters but pulled through with one mighty run in the payoff period, blasting Alaska Milk, 70-65, to force a deciding Game Three in their PLDT Home TVolution PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals faceoff at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

After playing catch-up basketball for nearly the entire first 40 minutes of play, the Mixers uncorked a decisive 16-to-nothing run to turn the game around and subsequently stay in the running for a possible third straight championship.

Held to just 12 points in each of the first two quarters, the reigning Governors Cup and Philippine Cup champs fell behind by a huge 13-point deficit in this low-scoring game and were still behind at 51-57 before finding the rhythm to steal the game.

“It’s a grinded-out basketball, pure and simple,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.

“It’s a huge struggle playing against the Alaska defense. They’re defending on a championship level. It’s hard to find gaps and breaks inside their defense. It’s incredible, solid and quiet frustrating,” Cone also said.

“It’s hard to get flow and rhythm. I’m just proud of the guys they hung in there, grinding and pulling out the win,” he added. “Whether we can pull it out again, I don’t know. I hope so.”

Marc Pingris, though still recovering from a bruised rib, provided tremendous energy on both ends while Mark Barroca, Joe Devance, James Yap and James Mays delivered the key buckets in their breakthrough run that pushed San Mig Coffee ahead, 67-57, with time down to 1:17.

Pingris scored only three of his team-high 17 points in the payoff period but stood out with his hustle plays that made things happen for the Mixers. Among his brilliant efforts was holding Rob Dozier scoreless in the final canto.

“I was really hoping his bruised rib would give him a break. Ping stepped up and played big for us,” said Cone.

Mays struggled for only five points and two rebounds in the first half but also helped a lot with five points and couples of big rebounds in the fourth period. He ended up with 12 markers and 11 boards.

Rain or Shine also extended its quarters matchup with Meralco to a deciding Game Three as the Elasto Painters outfought the Bolts, 102-93, in a physical, rugged battle later in the night.

The two teams were called 30 fouls each in the match that in the end saw Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao confronting Meralco player Cliff Hodge.

“Cliff Hodge is a person who’s been hurting a lot of players. In the last play, he threw a closed fist in the face of (Raymond) Almazan,” said Guiao.

Barroca contributed 13 points, including a three-point play off Jvee Casio that finally gave SMC the upper hand at 58-57 with four minutes to go.

The Alaska bench raised a howl as Barroca appeared to commit a traveling violation before coming through with the three-point play.

Yap scored on a leaning one-hander in their next offensive thrust, and the Mixers went on a roll.

Dozier asserted himself early on as the Aces dominated the first half, sitting on a 36-24 cushion at halftime.

Dozier fired away 17 points while not a single San Mig player scored more than six in the first 24 minutes of play.

NOTES: The PBA board tackles in a meeting today requests for special concessions by new expansion ball clubs NLEX, Blackwater Sports and Team KIA in forming their lineups. NLEX, in particular, wants to directly elevate to the pros a number of its players in the PBA D-League. A curious question is whether KIA would pursue a reported wish to have boxing star Manny Pacquiao in its roster. “Tinatanong talaga nila kung pwede ba nilang paglaruin si Pacquiao,” said a PBA official.

The scores:

First Game

San Mig Coffee 70 – Pingris 17, Devance 13, Mays 12, Barroca 10, Yap 9, Simon 4, Sanggalang 2, Reavis 2, Mallari 1, Melton 0.

Alaska 65 – Dozier 22, Hontiveros 16, Baguio 7, Casio 6, Jazul 6, Abueva 4, Thoss 3, Manuel 1, Reyes 0, Dela Cruz 0, Espinas 0.

Quarterscores: 12-16; 24-36; 49-50; 70-65

Second Game

Rain or Shine 102 – Chism 26, Araña 12, Norwood 11, Cruz 10, Tang 10, Lee 8, Tiu 6, Belga 4, Ibañes 4, Rodriguez 4, Chan 3, Almazan 2, Nuyles 2, Teng 0.

Meralco 93 – Jackson 21, David 19, Salvacion 18, Wilson 9, Hodge 7, Hugnatan 6, Timberlake 4, Dillinger 4, Caram 3, Sena 2, Ildefonso 0, Guevarra 0.

Quarterscores: 22-18; 49-34; 77-66; 102-93