2014 PBA Governors Cup Finals: GRAND SLAM for SMC!!!

Grand slam, thank you, ma'am!
(image from the Instagram account of Titan 22)

Game notes:
- The San Mig Super Coffee Mixers just did something that no franchise has ever been able to do in nearly twenty years — win a PBA Grand Slam. The last time a PBA team won all three season tournaments was way back in 1996 when the Alaska Milkmen did it behind some of the greatest Filipino players ever — Johnny Abarrientos, Bong Hawkings, and Jojo Lastimosa. Their coach? Why, it’s the same guy who coached the Mixers to their own Grand Slam — Tim Cone. Now how’s that for awesomeness?

- He isn’t part of any of the Mythical Teams this season, but James Yap proved once again why he’s one of the most feared gunners in the PBA. In the season’s final game, on the biggest stage, in front of the biggest non-Ginebra-game crowd in league history, and with the millennium’s first Grand Slam at stake, Big Game James canned 12/18 field goals, including three triples and grabbed 8 rebounds to lead San Mig Super Coffee to the promised land. If that doesn’t tell you how much of a superstar Yap is, then I don’t know what will.

- Almost forgotten amidst the din of celebration was the awesome all-around effort of SMC’s Marqus Blakely. Mr. Everything literally did everything in this game, tallying a near-triple-double of 20 points, 16 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 blocks as the Mixers pocketed their fourth title in as many conferences. He pretty much outplayed ROS’s Arizona Reid, who finished with 23 markers and 13 boards while nursing an ankle injury.

- Paul Lee had 21 points in this game, but he struggled for every single one, shooting just 5/19 from the floor. He had a couple of key misses in the dying seconds that could’ve have changed the course of the game. #sayang

Game highlights:

Game recaps by Rey Joble/InterAKTV:

SAN MIG SUPER COFFEE over RAIN OR SHINE, 92-89

The San Mig Coffee Mixers clinched a historic Grand Slam – something accomplished just four times prior in PBA history – after barely edging Rain or Shine, 92-89, in a classic do-or-die Game Five in the PLDT Home Telpad Governors’ Cup on Wednesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

San Mig Coffee clinched a fourth straight championship and completed a historic sweep of all three conferences this season to give coach Tim Cone his 18th career championship and the honor of being the only coach to win the Grand Slam twice.

James Yap posted 29 points and eight rebounds while import Marqus Blakely missed out on a triple-double with 20 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists in a tremendous showing in a high-pressure closeout game.

Joe Devance added 11 points while Yap’s fellow ‘Big Three’ members each scored 10.

Rain or Shine was led by Best Import of the Conference Arizona Reid, who was hobbled with an ankle injury but came alive to score 19 of his 23 points in the second half, and Paul Lee, who scored 21.

San Mig Coffee led by five points, 43-38, at the half with Yap scoring 14 points over the first two periods.

The Mixers then opened the third with a 14-6 run that opened up a 57-44 lead before pushing the advantage up to a whopping 16 points, 69-53, later in the period.

But the hobbling Reid finally got his game going. After scoring just four points in the first half, he scored 11 in the third quarter, including nine in a 17-4 Rain or Shine run as the Elasto Painters attacked the basket and crashed the boards late.

They cut the San Mig Coffee advantage to just three, 73-70, at the end of the third.

Rain or Shine backup Jonathan Uyloan scored on a layup at the top of the final period to bring the Elasto Painters to as close as a single point, 73-72.

But Yap came to the rescue for San Mig Coffee, hitting on a putback and a three-pointer to spark a 9-2 run that put the Mixers up by a more comfortable eight points, 82-74, with 7:10 remaining.

But the Elasto Painters were not yet done, Beau Belga and Reid led Rain or Shine as they got their running game going yet again, coming to within three, 90-87, at the last two minute mark of the contest.

Yap then hit a one-handed bank shot that Reid quickly countered on the other end.

But the final 1:30 of the game saw neither team score a basket as San Mig Coffee clinched the elusive triple crown.

Reid had a chance to send the game into overtime at the end but could not make his final shot.

SMC 92 – Yap 29, Blakely 20, Devance 11, Pingris 10, Simon 10, Barroca 6, Maliksi 4, Sangalang 2, Mallari 0, Reavis 0, Melton 0.
ROS 89 – Reid 23, Lee 21, Almazan 11, Norwood 11, Belga 7, Chan 6, Arana 4, Uyloan 2, Cruz 2, Tiu 2, Ibanes 0, Rodriguez 0.
QS: 23-16, 43-38, 73-70, 92-89.