San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone looked more relieved than happy when he faced the media after the Mixers went through the wringer to dispose of Talk ‘N’ Text in a grueling best-of-five semifinal series for a ticket to the PBA Governors Cup Finals starting Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
But there was a twinkle in Cone’s eyes as he spoke about how San Mig Coffee repulsed the Texters, 93-87, in Game 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Friday. He said he shortened his rotation because do-or-die games are what you reserve your best players like James Yap for and breaking Talk ‘N’ Text’s 2-3 spread zone was bound to happen sooner or later. Cone explained why he went with Mark Barroca instead of P. J. Simon down the stretch, pointing out the need of a ballhandler in the face of the Tropa’s backline pressure, and was sincerely gratified when told that Joe De Vance had posted his first career triple double.
Talk ‘N’ Text pushed San Mig Coffee to the brink and nearly pulled it off. From 0-2, the Texters wouldn’t surrender despite the odds and came roaring back to win two in a row to force the winner-take-all showdown. Talk ‘N’ Text worked against the low probability of success as only three teams in PBA history have recovered from 0-2 to win in eight previous best-of-five series under similar circumstances. But the Texters gave it their best shot.
Texters coach Norman Black opened Game 5 with the same starting unit that led to wins in Games 3 and 4. He sent in all his players, 14 locals plus import Paul Harris, in rotating combinations on the floor, the same thing he did to win the two previous contests. Cone also used 15 players in Game 3 but shortened his rotation to nine in Game 4, paying the price as the Texters’ bench outscored the Mixers’ relievers, 36-13.
* * * *
In the first four games, the team that had more rebounds won. The pattern was the same in Game 5. San Mig Coffee grabbed more boards, 56-47, to negate a disadvantage in turnovers with six more miscues then clinched it by executing more efficiently on every possession. The Mixers finished with more assists, 17-11, and shot a higher clip from the floor, 44.7 percent to 39.5 percent.
Cone never used Alex Mallari and Allein Maliksi in Game 5. He also didn’t use Justin Melton and Rafi Reavis in Game 4. It wasn’t a knock on their ability. Cone said he stuck to his nucleus because all conference long, he managed the minutes of his best players to preserve them for the stretch run and this was it. He said when the Finals begin, he’ll extend his rotation once more at the start then streamline as the series comes close to the climax.
Barroca had a few shaky moments in the fourth quarter. Once, he crossed over and the ball sailed back over the timeline in an unforced error. But Cone’s trust in the point guard held strong and it paid off. Barroca delivered 15 of his 17 points in the payoff period as San Mig Coffee kept its dream alive of a Grand Slam this season.
Yap was outstanding as a zone-buster and fired 25 points, including 5-of-9 triples. Not even Black’s crack stopper Ryan Reyes could hold him down. Cone exploited every mismatch on the floor particularly with De Vance posting up or drawing the double team. De Vance terrorized the Texters with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists – awesome numbers which brought a smile on Cone’s face. He said the recent recognition of De Vance as Player of the Week was richly deserved.
* * * *
Marc Pingris’ contribution can’t be overlooked. He logged the most minutes of any local in Game 5 with 39:35 and finished with a double-double, 10 points and 10 rebounds. But more than the glitter of his stats, Pingris brought out the best in his teammates with his infectious intensity. He was Cone’s No. 1 defender against anyone out there, Harris or Ranidel de Ocampo or Jayson Castro. Shifting Pingris to Castro in the late going meant Cone was prepared to gamble on Harris piling up the points while silencing the locals. The trick worked. Harris wound up with 40 points, 18 in the fourth period, but only two locals scored in twin digits, De Ocampo with 13 and Castro with 11, eight below their combined conference average of 32.8.
San Mig Coffee import Marqus Blakely had 21 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals and four blocked shots in a performance that was spiked by two triples after going 0-of-12 since the start of the conference. Blakely was outscored by Harris but did more than his share of doing the dirty work off the boards and on defense. Overall, San Mig Coffee’s poise under pressure was evident. The experience of having won the title in the last three conferences was an advantage that was hard-earned by the Mixers.
Black courageously fought until the final buzzer. He showed coaching brilliance in making key adjustments in the middle of the series to stretch it to a Game 5 but in the end, time ran out on the Texters. With that showing, you can expect the Tropa to bounce back in a big way next season.
As for the Mixers, Cone now has a shot at clinching his second Grand Slam and San Mig Coffee’s first. It will be another gut-wrenching war for sure as either Rain Or Shine or Alaska will be a formidable foe. Nothing is ever easy in winning a PBA championship and it’s that much harder when a Grand Slam is at stake.