San Mig Coffee stays alive in PBA playoffs

San Mig Coffee has stayed alive at this year’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup, as it got even with Meralco Bolts, 100-92, on Sunday night in Game Two of their best-of-three quarterfinals showdown at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City in the Philippines.
 
“We certainly haven’t won anything yet and there’s nothing to get excited about,” Coffee Mixers coach Tim Cone said of his team, which is the defending champion. “We really need to take a more businesslike approach in this series.”
 
The Mixers recovered from their 88-85 loss Friday thanks to Denzel Bowles, who registered 35 points and 14 rebounds, and to Alex Mallari, who made 16 markers to improve from his previous career-best 15 points.
 
“We didn’t do that in Game One but we did better in Game Two,” Cone said. “We also got something from James [Yap] tonight and that’s a key. He’s okay to start the game but when he rests, his back stiffens up. We need constant management through the game.”
 
Yap, a two-time MVP awardee, garnered seven points, four assists and one rebound against one turnover when tapped to play 25 minutes.
 
“We’ve got two days off, and we’re hoping two days of therapy makes James a bit healthy,” Cone said. “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.”
 
Yap has been embroiled in a legal battle with his ex-wife, presidential sister Kris Aquino, who was granted by a Makati City court a temporary protection order against him, whom she accused of sexual harassment and being an uncaring father to their 5-year-old son. He denied the charges and has hired a topnotch female lawyer to defend him. 
 
“We’re doing the best we can and the best James can,” Cone said. “We’re hoping to pull this off.”
 
Mallari and PJ Simon ably filled up the absence of Yap, who was 3-of-6 from the field.
 
But it was mainly Bowles, the reigning Best Import awardee, who led the Mixers with his offensive rebound, as they brought Eric Dawson’s near triple-double performance—23 points, 23 rebounds and eight assists—to naught.

Tropang Texters reprise win over Petron Blaze
 
For the ninth straight time, Talk ‘N’ Text advanced to the semifinals of PBA Commissioner’s Cup thanks to local talents, as it dumped Petron Blaze, 96-86, on Sunday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum, in Cubao, Quezon City.
 
“Give a lot of credit to the locals,” Talk ‘N’ Text coach Norman Black was quoted by Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) as saying after Game One. “They stepped up when Jerome was on the bench with foul trouble. They just delivered.”
 
He is referring to the 7-foot import Jerome Jordan, formerly a New York Knick in the National Basketball Association, who gave a mediocre performance last Friday. But last night he finally contributed to team effort, with his four straight points shattering the game’s 10th and last deadlock at 79 before the locals took over.
 
With its loss, Petron Blaze can only look forward to a sixth-place finish at best in the tournament while Tropang Texters (Team Texters) are just awaiting the winners in the quarterfinals match between Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine on Monday, April 22.
 
“This is a big win for us, and it’s going to be either Rain or Shine or Ginebera, so I’m going to be watching their game with a lot of interest,” Black said.
 
Thanks to locals Raniel de Ocampo, Jayson Castro and Ryan Reyes, Tropang Texters reprised their 100-93 victory in last Friday’s best-of-three series opener to be part of the last four in the 2013 PBA tourney.
 
Jordan wound up with 11 points and five rebounds before he rode the bench for most of the third period, owing to four fouls. But he helped the Texters advance in the fourth quarter, scoring six of his points and hauling down three of his boards.
 
Black said, “Jerome did deliver for us in the end with his production, rebounding in the endgame.”
 
Scoreboard:
 
Talk ‘N’ Text (Tropang Texters) 96 – De Ocampo 17, Castro16, Reyes 14, Alapag 12, Jordan 11, Dillinger 8, Al-Hussaini 7, Peek 7, Fonacier 4, Aban 0, Ferriols 0, Carey 0.
 
Petron (Blaze Boosters) 86 – Lassiter 23, Sims 17, Fajardo 15, Santos 15, Miranda 10, Cabagnot 4, Washington 2, Lutz 0, Tubid 0, Peña.

Quarterscores: 28-32, 52-56, 73-74, 96-86

 

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.