Josh Dollard of Barako Bull (light) vs Joe Devance of San Mig Coffee (dark). PBA IMAGE by Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines — Barako Bull rode on import Josh Dollard and Willie Miller during a frantic fourth quarter run to shock San Mig Coffee, 92-90, in the 2014 PLDT Home Tvolution PBA Commissioner’s Cup Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Dollard and Miller each scored 13 points each in the final frame to anchor a 16-0 blast by the Energy and wipe the Mixers’ 78-62 buffer in the first six minutes of the payoff period.
“We made some adjustments. We tried to take them away from their comfort zone,” Barako Bull coach Bong Ramos told reporters.
The conference’s leading scorer Dollard struck again with a game-high 32 points while Miller finished with 19 points and 10 assists.
Ronjay Buenafe put the Energy on top, 92-90, with 7.9 seconds left before Philippine Cup Finals MVP Mark Barroca inexplicably missed a wide-open one-hander near the rim in the game’s final possession.
Mick Pennisi, whom Barroca blew by for the potential game-winning basket, secured the defensive rebound as time ran out.
“Just luck,” said Ramos, whose team improved to 2-4 with both of their wins coming at the expense of last conference’s finalists. “It’s an upset but we’re just lucky.”
Miller, whose lone triple of the game was his 800th of s career, attacked the basket with ease in succession early in the fourth that paved the way for Barako Bull’s charge.
“He played good tonight that’s why when I put him in I think in the third quarter I let him play until the end of the game.”
The Mixers, who suffered their first loss in four games leaving the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters as the only unbeaten team, tied the game at 90 on a PJ Simon fastbreak.
A baseline jumper by Willy Wilson knotted the count at 78 with 6:23 left but San Mig Coffee took the lead again, 84-80, on a one-hander by Joe Devance.
James Mays, who led the Mixers with 20 points and 21 rebounds, scored underneath the basket for an 88-87 edge before Dollard buried a deep 3-pointer over Mays with 1:28 to go.
San Mig Coffee outpointed Barako Bull, 31-13, in the third quarter but got outscored, 31-12, in the fourth quarter.
JC Intal scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds off-the-bench for the Energy. Dollard also had 17 boards.
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