SPUNKY San Mig Coffee guard Justin Melton (top) is fouled by Rain or Shine’s Chris Tiu while going for an alley-oop in Friday night’s Game 4. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
MANILA, Philippines — San Mig Coffee is a game within Philippine Basketball Association glory.
But knowing coach Yeng Guiao, his Rain or Shine Elasto Painters won’t easily fold up.
The Mixers are going for the clincher in the PLDT MyDSL PBA Philippine Cup Finals Sunday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum after surging ahead, 3-1, in their best-of-seven titular series.
“This team’s (Rain or Shine) so well coached they’re hard to shake,” said San Mig coach Tim Cone after the Mixers gutted out a 93-90 win Friday night that put them on the threshold of a back-to-back title.
“They’re not going to panic,” added Cone.
Game 4 was so tight that it could have gone either way with the Mixers getting the favorable breaks in the end.
Shooting guard Paul Lee nearly forged extra time in the closing seconds, but his potential game-tying three caromed off the rim.
“It’s a tough loss, but again we’re not giving up. We’ll come back on Sunday,” said Guiao.
The fiery mentor has faith that his Elasto Painters can pull off a mighty comeback only one team in league history had successfully accomplished in a Finals series.
Robert Jaworski’s Ginebra San Miguel did the trick in 1991, bagging the Open Conference crown against Shell after climbing from a 1-3 deficit.
Talk ‘N Text and Purefoods achieved the same feat in the semifinals with Cone losing the race-to-four against Purefoods in the 2006 Philippine Cup while coaching Alaska.
“I’m well versed that you can’t pat yourself on the back at this point, especially against a team like this,” said Cone, who steered the Mixers to the title in the import-laced Governors Cup last conference.
As of Saturday, Marc Pingris remained doubtful for San Mig after the rugged do-it-all forward got badly poked by JR Quiñahan in the right eye in Game 4.