PBA: B-MEG three-point barrage forces Game 7

(Updated 9:35pm) Doing the little things paid big dividends for the B-MEG Llamados, as they overwhelmed the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters with their offense, 97-81, Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, to force a winner-take-all game on Sunday for the PBA Governor's Cup championship.

"We want to stay focused. All we did was tie the series. If we win this and lose on Sunday, we might as well lose tonight. The big one's on Sunday. It's just a step to get into the big dance," said B-MEG head coach Tim Cone after the game.

The Llamados were quicker to the ball, grabbing offensive rebounds and loose balls for extra possessions. They also had a spring in their step, going full throttle on fast breaks and on transition defense, leaving the Elasto Painters steps behind.

"It's our perennial problem, rebounding. Again we lost by 23 rebounds…We were having problems with their size and length," said Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao. "They shot well [from the] outside. They were shooting their three's a lot better."


PJ Simon was the best player of the game with 16 points and eight rebounds, but it was James Yap who top-scored for the Llamados yet again with 20 points, including back-to-back three pointers late in the game to seal the win for B-MEG.

It was a low scoring affair in the first quarter, with the two teams tied at 7-7 with 6:55 remaining, before a 6-0 run by B-MEG made it 15-9 with 2:59 remaining. A Marqus Blakely follow-up gave the Llamados its largest lead of the quarter at 19-11, before a Jamelle Cornley elbow jumper ended the period, 19-13.

At the start of the second, B-MEG leaned on its big men as Rafi Reavis and Blakely teamed up to give the Llamados a 14-point advantage, 30-16. Six straight points by Rain or Shine brought the lead down to eight, 30-22, but the combination of Mark Barroca and Jonas Villanueva strung five together to bring the lead back up to 13, 35-22. With under two minutes remaining, James Yap and PJ Simon gave B-MEG a 14-point advantage, 42-28, before Cornley hit a jumper to bring the lead down to 12 at the half.

RoS went on an 8-4 run to open the third period, as Cornley's split from the line cut the lead to eight, 46-38. B-MEG quickly quelled the run, going on a 7-0 blast, 53-38, with 6:37 remaining. The Elasto Painters slowly ate into the lead, with a couple of triples from Jireh Ibañes and Ronjay Buenfe bringing the lead down to eight yet again, 62-54, with a minute left.

With 36 seconds on the clock, Jonas Villanueva hit a three to re-establish a double digit lead, 65-54, before TY Tang hit two free throws to end the quarter, 65-56.

The crowd erupted when Marc Pingris, coming back after missing Game Five due to a sore neck, scored his first basket of the game, 67-56, but a determined RoS squad got aggressive and found themselves at the line to cut the lead to seven, 67-60. The next sequence was an exchange of treys, with Blakely, Tang, and Simon hitting three straight three-pointers, 73-63.

At the 8:40 mark, Beau Belga and Rafi Reavis figured into a little scuffle in the paint, after the RoS big man was caught flipping the ball towards his B-MEG counterpart. B-MEG team manager Alvin Patrimonio was livid at what happened, and had to be restrained by his bench.


The Elasto Painters tried to play sticky defense on the Llamados on the next sequence, but Simon managed to get a three up with one second left on the B-MEG shot clock to extend their lead, 78-65. The shot triggered a run for the Llamados, with Villanueva hitting his own trey, followed by a Mark Barroca floater to put B-MEG up, 84-65.

It wouldn't end there, as Yap hit back-to-back threes to put the Llamados up, 92-68, with 3:56 remaining. It was garbage time from then on, as the Elasto Painters closed the quarter with an 11-3 run for the final score, 97-81.

"Game 7 is a huge battle, basically an all-out war," said Cone.

"True happiness comes from winning it all. Losing 4-3 is just like losing 4-0. Game 7 is always a 50/50 game. It's not a game of adjustments, its a game of heart.

"We gotta get back to what we do best, that's defense," he concluded.

The do-or-die battle will take place Sunday at 6pm, still at the Big Dome. - AMD, GMA News


The scores:

B-MEG 97 - Yap 20, Blakely 19, Simon 16, Villanueva 11, Barroca 8, De Ocampo 8, Urbiztondo 7, Reavis 6, Pingris 2, Gaco 0, Burtscher 0.

Rain or Shine 81 - Cornley 14, Tang 13, Norwood 12, Quinahan 9, Chan 7, Buenafe 7, Ibanes 7, Belga 6, Arana 4, Cruz 2.

Quarter scoring: 19-13, 42-30, 65-56, 97-81