PBA: San Mig Coffee emerges triumphant in storm-delayed game versus Alaska

(Updated 10:18pm) The San Mig Coffee Mixers defeated the Alaska Aces 95-82, Tuesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, in a PBA Governors' Cup game that saw a lot of players coming in late because of the traffic caused by the heavy afternoon downpour

As a result, tip-off for this game had to be delayed, but the Mixers had no problems once things got underway. With the win, San Mig Coffee moved up from .500 to 4-3, while last conference's champs evened their record at 3-3.

After a 1-3 start to the tourney, the San Mig Coffee Mixers, who lost to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in last year's conference Finals, have now won three in a row.

Marqus Blakely led the Mixers with 22 points but he was a bigger monster on the boards, grabbing 28 caroms while also adding eight assists. Blakely was one of the four Mixers who were late for their call time. San Mig Coffee team officials had to ask one of their people to pick up the import using a motorcycle. Blakely, however, continued to struggle from the free throw line, only making 8-of-22 attempts.

“If you told me a few days ago that we would end up having two wins without Joe [Devance] for one game and without Ping [Marc Pingris] for two game, I would have thought you were crazy,” San Mig head coach Tim Cone said. “We talked about the character of our team, how it really needs to shine through.”

The duo had to serve suspensions for their role in a brawl against some GlobalPort Batang Pier players last week.

“I don’t want to sound like I’m blaming our players for being late,” added Cone. Aside from Blakely, Mark Barroca, Joe Devance, and Yancy de Ocampo were also late. “Mark is never late for our games and he needed to take the train to get here. Joe also hitched on a motorcycle, while Yancy arrived with his pants pulled up because he waded through the flood.”

Offseason acquisition Allein Maliksi played big for the Mixers, scoring 16 points, while lateness aside, Mark Barroca added 15. PJ Simon also had a good game on offense with 13 points.

“James [Yap] struggled today but other guys stepped up,” Cone said of his primary weapon, who only scored seven points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field. “That’s what we want our character to be about, stepping up for each other. We want to play beyond ourselves.”

With usual starter Jvee Casio running late, replacement RJ Jazul stepped in to score the game's first basket with a three. Joe Devance, returning from his one-game suspension later tied the game at 3-all.
 
After Calvin Abueva checked into the game, the 2012 second overall pick made a long jumper and a fast break layup to give Alaska a 12-10 lead. Things heated up with 37 seconds left in the first as Abueva and Allein Maliksi got entangled on two occasions. Both, along with Alaska head coach Luigi Trillo, got technical fouls. PJ Simon made the technical free throw, which was quickly followed by a jumper from Mark Barroca, allowing the Mixers to inch closer at 20-17.

Wendell McKines ended the quarter with two free throws to give Alaska a five-point lead.
 
Casio made it into the game in the second quarter but he failed to get his rhythm in the game, only taking four shots.
 
“JVee is the key to that team. He is the engine that makes that team run,” Cone said of the point guard. “We were lucky he didn’t arrive until the second quarter because he wasn’t able to get his rhythm.”

Jewel Ponferrada made a surprise entry in the second quarter as he replaced Devance who missed on two defensive assignments. The rookie made a short bank shot to get the Mixers within three at 28-25.
 
A jumper from Simon at the 6:42 mark knotted the game at 30-all. James Yap then gave the Mixers their first taste of the lead with a layup on the next play. Triples from Barroca and Maliksi along with a hook from Yancy de Ocampo gave the Mixers a 40-34 lead, before Alex Mallari added a fastbreak layup for an eight-point buffer.
 
Two free throws from Maliksi at the 1:28 mark gave San Mig a double-digit lead at 46-36 but Casio quickly responded with a triple. The Mixers had to settle for a 48-41 difference at the half.
 
Barroca led San Mig Coffee with 11 points by the intermission, thanks to a 4-of-5 clip from the field. Maliksi added seven points while Simon scored six.

Alaska on the other hand was led by McKines, who also had 11 points, seven of which came from the free throw area. His counterpart, Marqus Blakely, struggled in the first half as he only scored four points. However, he hauled down 12 rebounds and gave out six assists to help his team’s cause.

Yap scored on a triple early in the third to give San Mig a 55-46 lead. However he was pulled out on the next play as he committed his fourth foul of the game.
 
Alaska had multiple attempts to storm back into the game but Maliksi's outside shooting kept them at bay. A triple from Devance re-established a double-digit lead for the Mixers at 64-54, but Baguio brought it back down to eight with two free throws.
 
Blakely added two baskets down low late in the third to give San Mig a 72-58 lead while the Aces struggled to get their offense going. The Mixers held a 74-58 lead heading into the final quarter.

Maliksi continued his hot shooting in the fourth as he started with a triple. Barroca joined the three-ball party on the next play for an 81-58 San Mig lead early in the fourth. Simon added a three-point play to break the game wide open with the Mixers holding a 26-point lead.
 
Alaska mentor Luigi Trillo was ejected at the 8:28 mark of the fourth after a no-call on what he thought was a clear traveling violation on Barroca.
 
The ejection of their coach woke up the slumbering Aces as they went on a run, capped by a three-point play from McKines to cut San Mig's lead down to 18 with still 6:57 left in the game.
 
Tempera flared again at the 6:36 mark, this time featuring McKines and Rafi Reavis, although no technical fouls were called.
 
With the time dwindling, the Aces started fouling Blakely but he made five of six free throws for a 93-73 San Mig lead with 3:31 left in the game, to seal the deal for the Mixers.

McKines finished with 32 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Aces. Sonny Thoss added 13 markers and six boards, but no other Alaska player finished with double-digit scoring.

The Mixers took advantage of 17 Aces turnovers, converting them into 16 points. - AMD, GMA News



The scores:

San Mig Coffee 95 - Blakely 22, Maliksi 16, Barroca 15, Simon 13, Yap 7, Mallari 6, Devance 6, Reavis 6, Ponferrada 2, De Ocampo 2

Alaska 82 - McKines 32, Thoss 13, Baguio 9, Espinas 8, Abueva 6, Casio 5, Dela Cruz 4, Jazul 3, Hontiveros 2, Reyes 0

Quarter scoring: 17-22, 48-41, 74-58, 95-82