The 2013-2014 PBA
Philippine Cup semifinals shifted into high gear this past weekend with
contrasting wins from Petron Blaze and San Mig Super Coffee. The Boosters caught
the Rain or Shine flat-footed in Game 3 and throttled the Painters, while the
Mixers relied on a decisive fourth quarter run to get back at the Kings and
take Game 3.
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| Marc Pingris came up big in Game 3 for the Mixers. |
This past Saturday, Petron
Blaze ran roughshod over Rain or Shine, 106-73.
Statement. That’s what
this was. The Petron Blaze Boosters had a fast start, for the second straight
game if I may add, but this time they finished the job, never letting up in
beating the Rain or Shine Elasto-Painters black and blue. Coach Gee Abanilla’s
wards started off with a 30-12 first period, and they never lifted pressure off
the gas pedal in this masterful rout. Now the series count stands at 2-1, and
the momentum is definitely on the side of the Boosters.
In stark contrast to their
scintillating fourth quarter rally in Game 2, the Painters fired mostly blanks
in this one. Usual reliables Paul Lee and Jeff Chan totaled just 5 points,
missing all of their eight combined field goals. As a team, ROS made just 37% of
its shots, and, combined with having fewer rebounds and assists and more
turnovers, it’s clear that the Painters were simply outclassed by a more
motivated rival. Coach Yeng’s wards coughed the ball up 24 times here, which
led to 33 points-off-turnovers for the Boosters. The trio of Beau Belga, Chan,
and Lee combined for half of their team’s turnover total.
Arwind “Spiderman” Santos
was at his best in Game 3, dropping a sublime double-double to lead Petron’s
decisive win. Santos drained 3 treys on his way to scoring 22 points, while
also shooting 7/7 from the line. More impressively, though, he grabbed a
season-high 18 rebounds on top of 2 assists and 2 steals. He was playing
perfect two-way ball against the Painters, and if this is any indication of how
he’ll play in the foreseeable future, then ROS better batten down the hatches.
In last night’s action
from the Big Dome, San Mig Super Coffee defeated Ginebra, 97-89, as, all of a
sudden, Mark Barroca looked like the best player in the PBA. The Coffee Prince
was absolutely amazing last night in leading the Mixers to a Game 3 win over
the Ginebra Gin Kings. The former FEU standout filled the sheet with 25 points,
8 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 10/18 form the field and a
flawless 4/4 from the line. Together with spitfire rookie guard Justin Melton,
Barroca led a decisive run early in the fourth quarter that put some needed
separation between SMC and the Kings.
I believe the worst thing
that happened to Ginebra here was Emman Monfort getting injured. With about 10
minutes to go in the fourth quarter and SMC clinging to just a 3-point lead,
Monfort tried to cover SMC big man Ian Sangalang, but the pint-sized PG stepped
on the latter’s foot. As a result, Monfort twisted his ankle and had to be
helped off the court. Not long after, the Mixers made their run and notched a
2-1 series lead. Had Monfort remained, the Kings might have been able to better
match-up with SMC’s speedy backcourt. Now, Monfort’s status is yet unclear, and
his absence would surely dampen the Kings’ future chances.
I say Marc Pingris is a
lock for the final Gilas twelve bound for Spain and a lock as the best power
forward currently playing in the PBA. He guarded pretty much everybody wearing
a Ginebra jersey in Game 3, and he was just dominant all over. Ping shot 7/13
from the floor to finish with 15 points while also grabbing a dozen rebounds,
handing out 4 dimes, and blocking 1 shot. More he did a swell job limiting
Japeth Aguilar, who shot 3/11 from the field, and shadowing Greg Slaughter in
the fourth period. Cannot wait to see him try his hand against the likes of
Anthony Petrie (AUS), Boris Diaw (FRA), Hector Hernandez (MEX) or, gulp,
Carmelo Anthony (USA) in the World Cup.
Game Recaps:
PETRON BLAZE over RAIN OR SHINE, 106-73
This time, the Petron
Blaze Boosters made sure there would be no second half collapse.
The Boosters led from
start to finish en route to a masterful 106-73 victory over the Rain or Shine
Elasto Painters in Game Three of their PLDT Home DSL Philippine Cup series on
Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.
“It really feels good to
finally get our first win this series,” said Petron coach Gee Abanilla.
The Elasto Painters still
retain a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series after seeing their 10-game
winning streak snapped by the Boosters.
Petron set the tone early,
running out to a 30-12 spread after the first quarter. The Boosters led by as
much as 29 points in the second period. They never led by less than 13 points
the rest of the way, even opening up a 31-point spread during garbage time.
It was in stark contrast
to Game Two, when Petron ran out to a big lead in the first half before losing
steam in the fourth quarter.
“We played well in the
second game, but we didn’t finish it off. We knew what to do in this game all
throughout,” said Abanilla.
Reigning PBA Most Valuable
Player Arwind Santos led the Boosters with 22 points and 18 rebounds. He even
got the goat of Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, who was thrown out of the game
late in the third quarter after flashing an obscene gesture at Santos. That
resulted in Guiao’s second technical foul of the game.
Despite a spirited effort,
Rain or Shine couldn’t sustain its run in the second half because of poor
three-point shooting. The Elasto Painters managed just 6-of-24 (25 percent)
from beyond the arc.
Alex Cabagnot helped set
the tone for Petron with 15 points and four assists, while June Mar Fajardo
once again dominated the post with 14 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and
two blocks.
Rain or Shine top guns
Paul Lee and Jeff Chan struggled, combining for just five points on 0-of-8
shooting from the field.
Game Four is set on Monday
at 8 p.m. at SMART-Araneta Coliseum, with Abanilla guardedly optimistic about
the boost his team gets from the victory.
“This win is a big lift
for us. Coming into Game Four, we’ll have more confidence,” said Abanilla.
“(But) we have to manage our emotions. We don’t want to turn it into something
outrageous.”
PET 106 – Santos 22, Cabagnot 15, Fajardo 14, Lassiter 13, Lutz 11, Kramer 8,
Ross 8, Duncil 4, Tubid 3, Taha 3, Deutchman 3, Hubalde 2, Lanete 0.
ROS 73 – Belga 14, Quinahan 10, Almazan 10, Arana 8, Norwood 8, Tiu 7, Tang 4,
Ibanes 4, Lee 4, Rodriguez 2, Cruz 1, Chan 1, Nuyles 0, Teng 0.
QS: 30-12, 59-36, 77-62, 106-73
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| Alex Cabagnot shoots over TY Tang in Game 3. |
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| Arwind Santos skies for a jam against the Painters. |
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| Raymond Almazan gets an inside stab for ROS. |
SAN MIG SUPER COFFEE over GINEBRA, 97-89
In Game Three’s battle
among basketball royalty, the Coffee Prince stood tallest against the towering
Gin Kings.
Mark Barroca scored 25
points, grabbed eight rebounds, and handed out five assists to power the San
Mig Super Coffee Mixers to a 97-89 victory over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on
Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
“We deserved a good game.
Last game was a blowout,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.
The win gave San Mig
Coffee a 2-1 series lead in their Manila Clasico semifinals series in the PLDT
Home DSL Philippine Cup.
Barroca led the way,
breaking out of a slump after averaging just six points in the first two games
of the series. Teaming with backcourt dynamo Justin Melton, Barroca helped the
Mixers open the fourth quarter on a 12-5 run for an 83-73 advantage.
Ginebra battled back,
scoring the next seven points of the game to come within three, 83-80, on a
Greg Slaughter layup with 4:29 left.
But the Mixers responded
with a fierce 10-2 run capped by a three-pointer by Barroca that sealed the
game, 93-82, with 1:55 left.
The loss spoiled the
29-point, 13-rebounds effort of 7-foot Ginebra rookie Slaughter, who was nearly
unguardable in the first three periods before slowing down in the fourth
quarter.
“Greg was awesome, he was
unbelievable,” said Cone, who assigned defensive ace Marc Pingris to check
Slaughter in the final period.
“Such a luxury to have a
guy like Ping. He can guard anybody. I haven’t seen anybody like that.”
The Mixers had a hot start
behind veterans Peter June Simon, James Yap, and Pingris, taking a 21-6 lead to
open the game.
“The guys got a lot of
character, coming out strong. I was worried we’re a little tired mentally,”
said Cone, whose team scored 19 fastbreak points against two for Ginebra.
“James, PJ, Ping, Rafi (Reavis)
and Joe (Devance) set the tone for us that got us in a confident mode.”
In the end, it was the
young guys on the floor, with Barroca and Melton being joined by another rookie
Ian Sangalang, who did a good job on struggling Ginebra star Japeth Aguilar.
“We got great
contributions down the stretch Justin and Ian,” said Cone.
Simon had 19 points for
San Mig Coffee. Marc Pingris posted 15 points and 12 rebounds, while James Yap
had 13 and nine for the Mixers, which squeaked out a 48-47 advantage off the
boards.
Mark Caguioa added 21
points, eight rebounds, and five assists for Ginebra, while LA Tenorio chipped
in 14 points. Japeth Aguilar had 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Gin Kings.
Despite the 2-1 edge, Cone
said there’s no stepping off the gas pedal against the dangerous Gin Kings.
“It’s gonna be a tough
series. We’re still not comfortable being 2-1,” said Cone, as the two teams
gear up for Game Four on Wednesday at SMART-Araneta Coliseum. “We need to be
A-plus to beat this team.”
SMC 97 – Barroca 25, Simon 19, Pingris 15, Yap 13, Devance 8, Reavis 7, Melton
6, Mallari 2, Sangalang 2, De Ocampo 0.
GIN 89 – Slaughter 29, Caguioa 21, Tenorio 14, Aguilar 12, Baracael 7, Ellis 3,
Helterbrand 2, Mamaril 1, Ababou 0, Monfort 0.
QS: 25-17, 46-47, 71-68, 97-89
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| Japeth Aguilar is currently struggling in the semis. |
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| Mark Barroca was an unstoppable dynamo for the Mixers. |
Source: Unless otherwise specified, game recaps were compressed and
compiled from InterAKTV. (Writing credit to Rey Joble)
Images: Unless otherwise specified, images are from the PBA and Sports 5.
(Photo credit to Paul Ryan Tan and Nuki Sabio)
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