Second chance for Blakely

It’s not often an import gets a second chance to redeem himself in the PBA but San Mig Coffee’s Marqus Blakely has a golden opportunity to close out unfinished business in a return trip to the Governors Cup Finals this season.

Blakely, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year in the American East Conference with the University of Vermont varsity, came close to leading the Mixers, then known as B-Meg, to the Governors Cup crown last campaign. B-Meg pushed Rain Or Shine to the limit and bowed out in seven games with Blakely held to an average of 13.3 points in three of his team’s four losses. The Painters’ Jamelle Cornley walked away with Import of the Year honors as if to rub salt on Blakely’s wound.

Today, Cornley is out of the PBA, his image badly tainted after a highly-publicized row with a policeman during a drunken fit in a Quezon City hotel last March. Cornley is reportedly still in the country, playing pick-up games with anyone who’s interested and has been spotted hooping it up with Manny Pacquiao. Blakely, meanwhile, is on a mission of redemption in his second straight appearance in the Governors Cup Finals.

Game 1 of the PBA’s last Finals of the season is set at the Mall of Asia Arena tonight with San Mig Coffee battling Petron. In two previous conferences, the Finals wound up in sweeps. In the Philippine Cup, Talk ‘N’ Text blanked Rain Or Shine in a best-of-seven series and in the Commissioner’s Cup, Alaska swept Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in a best-of-five duel. It’s not likely that the Governors Cup will follow the trend as Petron and San Mig Coffee appear to be evenly matched.

A lot of history is involved in the Finals. Mixers mentor Tim Cone is chasing his 15th career championship and if he nails it, the long-time Manila resident will tie Baby Dalupan as the winningest coach in PBA history. On the other hand, Petron’s Gee Abanilla is in line to become one of only a handful of PBA coaches to win a title as a rookie tactician. Petron is shooting for its 20th title dating back to its San Miguel Beer/Royal Tru Orange years while San Mig Coffee is gunning for No. 10 from the Purefoods/B-Meg era.

* * * *

The last time both franchises faced off in the Finals was in 2000 when San Mig Coffee, then known as Purefoods, was coached by Derick Pumaren and Petron, then known as San Miguel Beer, was piloted by Joseph Uichico. The opposing imports were Purefoods’ Derrick Brown and San Miguel’s Lamont Strothers. The Beermen, bannered by season MVP Danny Ildefonso, captured the title in five games. Ildefonso is now 36 and continues to play for Petron.

This conference, Petron and San Mig Coffee have squared off only once so far with the Blaze Boosters picking up an 89-83 decision last Aug. 31. Petron import Elijah Millsap outscored Blakely, 31-25, in their mano-a-mano confrontation.

Millsap, 26, is averaging 27.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.2 turnovers compared to Blakely’s 25 points, 16.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.5 turnovers. The Petron import has a clear advantage in free throw marksmanship, hitting .773 from the line to Blakely’s woeful .448. Foul shooting has never been Blakely’s strong suit as in his last three years with the Catamounts varsity, he shot only 55 percent from the stripe. In the PBA, Blakely compensates for his free throw performance by hitting .500 from the field compared to Millsap’s .378 clip.

Although Blakely was a liability at the line, Vermont coach Mike Lonergan still called him the league’s best player. “Blakely is a phenomenal athlete,” said Lonergan. “He’s a great shot blocker, he cheats and gambles a lot (on defense) and he can handle the ball better than people think. He’s capable of a dominant game on both ends and creating so many match-up problems.” As a senior in 2009-10, Blakely averaged 17.3 points and 9.3 rebounds with Vermont advancing to the NCAA Tournament and finishing the season with a 25-10 record.

Neither Millsap nor Blakely has played in the NBA although they’ve had close calls. Millsap suited up for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette varsity for two years and ended his collegiate career with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, averaging 16.1 points and 9.5 rebounds as a senior in 2009-10.

Entering the Finals, San Mig Coffee has a 10-5 record. The Mixers opened the conference on the wrong foot and scrambled back from a 1-3 start to close out the eliminations with five straight wins. San Mig Coffee, enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage, was forced to a winner-take-all showdown by Alaska before disposing of Meralco in the best-of-five semifinals. Key contributor Allein Maliksi suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in the Alaska clincher, underwent surgery last Monday and will sit out the Finals. Without Maliksi, Cone will lean on a local nucleus made up of James Yap, Mark Barroca, Marc Pingris, Joe DeVance, Alex Mallari, P. J. Simon, Rafi Reavis and Yancy de Ocampo. Mallari, who played for Petron in the Philippine Cup before moving to the Mixers in the Commissioner’s Cup, has been a pleasant surprise for Cone with his all-court hustle. In Game 3 of the Meralco tie, he erupted for 23 points in San Mig Coffee’s 94-87 victory.

Petron’s record is 12-2, its only losses to Meralco in the conference opener and to Rain Or Shine in Game 3 of the semifinals. With Abanilla at the helm backed up by one-time ABL champion coach Todd Purves, the Blaze Boosters rolled to an 11 game winning streak and are determined to go all the way. With Jay Washington and Joseph Yeo gone, Abanilla is counting on holdovers Arwind Santos, Marcio Lassiter, Alex Cabagnot, Chris Lutz, Chico Lanete, Ronald Tubid, JuneMar Fajardo and Ildefonso with newcomers Doug Kramer and Mark Isip to make short work of the Mixers. Defense has been Petron’s trump card all conference long and it’s what Abanilla will use to shake up the Mixers.

Both squads scratched and clawed their way to the Finals. Now that they’re in the Last Dance, expect a fierce war for the ultimate prize.