Pivotal game three tonight: Tim-Gee exchanges fan title duel

Game today (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

8 p.m. – Petron Blaze vs San Mig Coffee

MANILA, Philippines - It took two games before Petron Blaze and San Mig Coffee debunked talks that they’re sister teams and might not go hard at each other.

In fact, coaches Time Cone and Gee Abanilla have started some verbal brickbrats that hinted at the pressure and rugged plays in the first two games, and this put another perspective to the best of seven encounter.

Their battle is expected to heat up as the Boosters and the Mixers fight for the crucial two-game-to-one advantage in their PBA Governors Cup playoff at 8 p.m. tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Petron drew first blood in the series, 100-84, Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City before San Mig Coffee got even, 100-93, in Game Two over at the Big Dome.

After both games, Abanilla complained of not getting trips to the line despite their aggressiveness at attacking the basket.

After Game Two, Abanilla also mentioned losing key players import Elijah Millsap, Junmar Fajardo and Arwind Santos one after the other on fouls.

Cone answered Abanilla’s raps on the eve of Game Three.

“Do us a favor and quit fouling Marqus (Blakely) every time to put him on the line,” said Cone.

“It was the same complaint in our Meralco (semifinal) series, but if you’re going to continue to foul Marqus as a strategy and put him on the line and put yourself in early penalty, then expect a lot of free throws (for us),” Cone also said.

“In all honesty, we’d prefer to shoot less free throws. But saying you got 31 free throws and that’s not enough, then how many do you want? We’re certainly not trying to foul anyone on their team. They shoot the free throw too well,” Cone added.

Blakely was awarded 21 free throws and San Mig Coffee a total of 55 as against Petron’s 31 in Game Two. Fifty-five freebies was the most number awarded any team in a game in the last six seasons.

The San Mig import has been a usual target of fouls all-tournament long since he’s a poor free-throw shooter. On Sunday, he missed 14 of 21 tries.

Blakely, however, got all the needed help from his local teammates as the Mixers frustrated the Boosters in their bid to establish a 2-0 lead in the series.

“We played our character defensively. We collapsed on people with Marqus being an active helper. Joe (Devance) did a tremendous job on Junmar (Fajardo) and Ping (Marc Pingris) was great on (Elijah) Millsap,” Cone said then after the game.

At 1-1, Cone expects both teams to be more focused playing Game Three.

Abanilla, on the other hand, is hopeful they can make their own turnaround in Game Three.

“The true test of character is not when you win games. We’re disappointed right now but it’s just a matter of refocusing,” he said.

Meanwhile, the season MVP race has boiled down to a fight among Best Player of the Conference winners Jayson Castro (Philippine Cup), LA Tenorio (Commissioner’s Cup) and Santos (Governors Cup).

Calvin Abueva, second to Santos in the stats race but without a BPC plum, has been relegated to the fight for the Rookie of the Year award with Fajardo, Cliff Hodge, Chris Ellis and Vic Manuel.

Castro, Tenorio, Santos, Abueva, Fajardo and Hodge are also in the running for the Mythical Selection, together with guards Cyrus Baguio, Alex Cabagnot, Mark Caguioa, Jayvee Casio, Mike Cortez, Larry Fonacier, Marcio Lassiter and Sol Mercado and centers/forwards KG Canaleta, Ranidel de Ocampo, Joe Devance, Marc Pingris, Sonny Thoss and James Yap.

Nominated for the All-Defensive Team are guards Mark Barroca, Castro, Lassiter, Gabe Norwood, Ryan Reyes, Ellis and Jireh Ibanes and centers/forwards Abueva, Beau Belga, Fajardo, Pingris, Rafi Reavis, Santos and Thoss.