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PBA: Reid hits game-winner to lift Rain or Shine past San Mig Coffee


A shot fake by Arizona Reid (L) gets Marqus Blakely into the air, leaving the basket unguarded. KC Cruz


(Updated 10:17pm) Arizona Reid came up clutch, burying a baseline jumper with 1.1 seconds left in the game to give his Rain or Shine Elasto Painters a 95-94 win over the San Mig Coffee Mixers, in the final eliminations round game of the 2014 PBA Governors Cup, Monday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

"This game didn't feel like it was a no-bearing game for the two teams," said Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao. "We want to get to the next round on a winning note."

Both teams are assured of twice-to-beat advantages in the quarterfinals, but the win decided their opponents. Boasting of a 6-3 record, good for second place, Rain or Shine will take on the Air21 Express. The 5-4 Mixers slipped to fourth, and will battle sister team San Miguel Beer.

In the other postseason matchups, top-seed Talk 'N Text faces Barako Bull Energy Cola, while surprise third placers Alaska Aces tangle against Barangay Ginebra.

"Both teams are trying to keep their players fresh," added Guiao. "Very little rest for players in the playoffs."

True enough, Blakely only played a bit less than 25 minutes, while Pingris was limited to 20. PJ Simon and James Yap logged 16 and 14 minutes, respectively, while Joe Devance settled for 15 minutes on the floor. Most of the playing time went to reserves, with Ian Sangalang leading the way, as he registered more than 30 minutes of playing time.

Reid played heavy minutes for Rain or Shine, logging in 37 minutes, but the rest of the starters clocked in less than 30 minutes each. Paul Lee played 27, while Ryan Arana and Jervy Cruz played 21 and 20 minutes, respectively.

"We just tried to be efficient with the minutes we give our players," explained Guiao. "Two weeks ago we were just trying to survive but we had a good five-game run."

Reid led his team with 39 big points, including 10 rebounds and four assists. Gabe Norwood chipped in 12 points, while Raymond Almazan registered 10 markers with six boards and three blocks.

Marc Pingris led San Mig with 15 points and three boards. Rookie Ian Sangalang had 14 points and 13 rebounds. PJ Simon scored 13, while Marqus Blakely had 10 points and 10 rebounds with four assists.

Alex Mallari tries a tough layup against Raymond Almazan's defense. KC Cruz

Up six in the final minutes after an Ian Sangalang jumper, the Elasto Painters made it interesting thanks to five straight from Reid, 89-88. Rain or Shine finally got a taste of the lead with a corner triple by Norwood, before Jervy Cruz cashed in on a pullup to make it a four-point game, 93-89.

With 57 ticks remaining, San Mig Coffee rode Marqus Blakely for an and-one play, before former Elasto Painter Ronnie Matias seized the lead for the Mixers with a putback with three seconds left, 94-93.

Following Reid’s quick score, the Mixers went to James Yap, but he was unable to put his side up one more time, in this rematch between the two sides in the 2013-14 Philippine Cup, which San Mig Coffee won in six games.

"It's very interesting. Air21 is gonna be a handful for us," shared Guiao. "They're a big team; we have problems with big teams. We're a small team. We have a small import. Asi [Taulava] and [Dominique] Sutton will be a problem. We just have to deny them touches at the low post."

RoS barely edged SMC in field goal percentage, going 40-of-90 for 44 percent, while San Mig went 36-for-85 for 42 percent. The Mixers suffered from poor shooting from beyond the arc, only hitting 4-in-14 tries for 29 percent. RoS, on the other hand, hit 10 of their 27 outside shots for a 37 percent clip.

San Mig Coffee had 19 more trips to the line, going 18-of-24 for 75 percent. RoS only had five attempts from the stripe, converitng all. Aside from owning the rebound department 58-41, the grand slam-seeking Mixers were overpowered in assists (24-14), steals (9-4), blocks (6-3), and turnovers (15-9) - AMD, GMA News


The scores:

RAIN OR SHINE 95 - Reid 39, Norwood 12, Almazan 10, Belga 8, Lee 7, Cruz 6, Chan 6, Teng 4, Arana 3, Uyloan 0, Tiu 0, Nuyles 0, Ibanes 0, Rodriguez 0

SAN MIG COFFEE 94 - Pingris 15, Sangalang 14, Simon 13, Blakely 10, Yap 8, Taha 7, Melton 7, Barroca 6, Mallari 6, Devance 4, Maliksi 2, Matias 2, Holstein 0

Quarter scoring: 34-28, 60-46, 77-73, 95-94

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