Cone hopes for healthier James in Game 3
MANILA, Philippines – For the second straight game, San Mig Coffee superstar James Yap played through pain.
If his off-court problem with his ex-wife Kris Aquino not yet enough to bother his game, Yap is also dealing with a bad back. His minutes have been managed to just 25 in the first two games of their quarterfinal series against Meralco.
“He’s okay to start the game but when he rest, his back stiffens up. We need constant management through the game,†San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone told the press following the Mixers’ 100-92 win to force a rubber match on Wednesday.
Yap has started in the first two games but was used sparingly in the second half. He is only averaging 7.5 points in the quarterfinals, a far cry from his 13.1 norm in the elims, the best among the team’s locals. But the Mixers managed to survive and tie the series at one game apiece with the emergence of their rookie point guard Alex Mallari, who was able to fill up the slack with back-to-back big games. (read related story here: http://philstar.com:8080/sports/2013/04/22/933583/mallari-proves-critics-wrong-stellar-play-playoffs)
“We’ve got two days off, and we’re hoping two days of therapy makes James a bit healthy. It’s not my choice not to play him much. If this is just a regular elims play, he won’t be playing at all,†Cone added.
If Yap is not on the floor, the two-time MVP is usually at the far end of the San Mig Coffee bench lying on his chest and getting a back massage from their team therapist.
“We’re doing the best we can and the best James can. We’re hoping to pull this off,†said a hopeful Cone.
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