James Yap of San Mig Coffee (light) vs Chris Ellis of Ginebra (dark). PBA IMAGE by Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines–Practice makes perfect—even if it hurts like hell.
Hampered by a right elbow injury that had left him in a slump since late last season, San Mig Coffee gunslinger James Yap had to ignore the pain while trying to recall his shooting touch in practice.
“I have no choice, I have to learn to make shots even with the pain,” Yap said in Filipino Wednesday night after shooting 30 points to lead the Mixers to a 110-87 Game 7 win over Barangay Ginebra and into the PLDT MyDSL Philippine Cup Finals.
“If I wait for this to heal, the tournament might be over,” he said. “This is what we play for, going to the Finals. I just have to suck this one up and help the team.”
The former two-time MVP has come alive in these playoffs, draining the go-ahead triple in a 79-76 Game 5 win and then dropping seven treys in the series-clinching win that turned the Gin Kings into a sorry Game 7 footnote in front of an all-time record 24,883 fans at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“All my efforts bore fruit,” said Yap, who turns 32 tomorrow. “I need to rest it, not really use it (elbow). But in situations like this one (the Finals), I’ll play as hard as I can. It’s a thrill playing in the Finals and I certainly won’t pass this up.”
Yap is averaging 20 points in the last three San Mig games, and the way he has been shooting —heavily bandaged right arm or not—he will be a big factor again in the best-of-seven title series against Rain or Shine.