Endgame defense keys San Mig Coffee’s squeaker over Rain or Shine

MANILA, Philippines – San Mig Coffee made key stops in the closing seconds to get free from a tight situation, eking out a 93-92 decision over Rain or Shine to enhance its bid for a Top Two finish in the PBA Philippine Cup elimination round at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.

Rafi Reavis put up a good defensive stance on Beau Belga’s make-or-break attack in the last 3.3 seconds, and the Mixers eventually got back at the Elasto Painters, firming up their hold of second place with a 9-3 win-loss card.

A split in their last two games versus Globalport and Meralco allows the Mixers to clinch second spot and a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals against the seventh seed.

Moving down to 8-5, Rain or Shine forces a playoff for No. 2 if it wins its last game versus Barako Bull, and San Mig Coffee loses to both Globalport and Meralco.

“We've just got to worry about Globalport. They’ll gonna play relaxed. We've got to go out and prepare for that game. We've got to clinch our spot on Friday,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.