MARC Pingris of San Mig Coffee puts up a shot against Alaska’s Wendell McKines and Calvin Abueva (left) in last night’s game at Mall of Asia Arena that was still being played at presstime. RODEL ROTONI
PLAYING defense as if there was no tomorrow, San Mig Coffee forced Alaska to a PBA Governors’ Cup-low output in an 83-73 victory last night for the last ticket to the Final Four of the season-ending tournament at Mall of Asia Arena.
Marcus Blakely scored 30 points, had 15 rebounds and anchored the last line of the San Mig defense to great effect with four steals and a night-high five blocks as the seventh-ranked Mixers dodged the upset ax to advance opposite Meralco.
“Needless to say, that was a big load off our shoulders. In a twice-to-beat, the pressure is on the team with the disadvantage in Game 1, but once they win the first game, it’s the other team that has the pressure,” said San Mig coach Tim Cone, whose wards lost Game 1, 112-105.
The Mixers pounded out the win despite getting just two points from former two-time MVP James Yap, whose only basket came with 10:55 left which gave San Mig a 63-53 lead.
And what aided Alaska’s downfall was its woeful shooting from the stripe as the Aces were 24-of-41 for the game and a horrendous 8-of-16 in the fourth, with seven of those misses coming from import Wendell McKines.
San Mig forced the Aces to just 20 percent shooting from the field in the fourth, not allowing Alaska room for the same kind of fight-back the Aces displayed in the first game.
Meanwhile, Rain or Shine will be without Paul Lee when the Elasto Painters start their semifinal duel against Petron Blaze at Smart Araneta Coliseum tomorrow.
Team officials, after a series of tests yesterday, learned that the 6-foot point guard has a tear in his left calf muscle and will be out for at least three weeks.
But Rain or Shine is no stranger to winning without Lee, who dislocated his left shoulder in Game 2 of the championship series of the same tournament last year against San Mig Coffee. The Painters defeated the Mixers in the epic seven-game showdown.
The scores:
SAN MIG COFFEE 83—Blakely 30, Devance 12, Maliksi 10, Barroca 7, Simon 7, Mallari 6, Pingris 4, Reavis 3, Ponferrada 2, Yap 2.
ALASKA 73—McKines 24, Baguio 20, Dela Cruz 10, Thoss 6, Casio 5, Abueva 4, Jazul 3, Espinas 1, Hontiveros 0.
Quarters: 18-12, 39-35, 61-53, 83-73