Mixers bounce back, deadlock title series

PJ Simon of San Mig Coffee breaks away from Ronald Tubid of Petron Blaze on a pick by Marc Pingris in last night’s Game 2 of the PBA Governors’ Cup title series at Smart Araneta Coliseum. The slippery Simon was the third corner of the Mixers’ fiery scoring triumvirate that took the fight out of the heavily favored Boosters, who prevailed in Game 1. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Playing inspired ball this time, San Mig Coffee proved in Game 2 of the PBA Governors’ Cup title series that Petron Blaze is beatable.

“After that fourth quarter of Game 1, I began to think that this (Petron) team wasn’t going to lose,” Mixers coach Tim Cone said yesterday after dominating the Boosters in a 100-93 win that leveled their best-of-seven playoffs at 1-1 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“It’s good that we were able to come out and dictate the tempo,” Cone said of the victory fashioned practically in wire-to-wire style. “That team doesn’t fall behind too often. I wanted to see them react from playing from behind.”

Best Import awardee Marqus Blakely scattered 23 points that went with 16 rebounds and six assists, and four locals drilled in 11 points or more as the Mixers played a lot harder than in Game 1 to wrest momentum heading into the third game on Wednesday.

“We needed to have our behinds spanked a little bit,” Cone said when asked how he made his wards come out of what he termed Friday night as a lackluster team effort.

“If we were missing one cylinder, we’re not going to beat this team.”

Elijah Millsap scored 31 points and had 10 rebounds for the Boosters, who lost for just the second time in their last 14 games.

The Boosters were doomed late in the game when their three best players—Millsap, June Mar Fajardo and Best Player of the Conference Arwind Santos—fouled out one after the other.

“I’m not taking anything away from San Mig, they played well,” said coach Gee Abanilla said. “But fouling out the best three players of our team damages the way we play. It just changes the complexion of our game.”

Fajardo stepped out with less than a minute remaining after shooting 16 points and snaring down 14 rebounds. Santos, meanwhile, struggled in 27 minutes by shooting just four points—his second-lowest for the season— and grabbing just one rebound, the least he had in the last two years.

Earlier, Santos bagged his second Best Player award, handily beating Petron teammates  Fajardo and Alex Cabagnot.

After topping the statistical points race, the media, players’ and PBA votes, the 6-foot-6 Santos tallied 1,202 points with the 6-foot-9 Fajardo garnering 777 and Cabagnot 558.

Santos got a perfect 39 first place votes from the media, with Fajardo garnering 38 second place nods. LA Tenorio of Barangay Ginebra and Jay Washington of Globalport rounded out the field of candidates.

Blakely won the Best Import race for the first time also in runaway fashion over Millsap. Blakely finished second to Rain or Shine’s Jamelle Cornley last season.

The scores:

SAN MIG COFFEE 100—Blakely 23, Yap 17, Simon 16, Devance 15, Pingris 11, Barroca 9, Mallari 8, Reavis 1, De Ocampo 0.

PETRON 93—Millsap 31, Cabagnot 22, Fajardo 16, Lassiter 10, Tubid 5, Santos 4, Miranda 3, Kramer 2, Lutz 0.

Quarters: 30-23, 49-44, 74-62, 100-93