San Mig nips Barako
Yancy De Ocampo of San Mig Coffee (right) defends against a pivoting Enrico Villanueva of Barako Bull. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Peter June Simon hit a jumper with 19.4 seconds left and Rafi Reavis swatted away the potential game-winner to seal a 92-91 San Mig Coffee win over Barako Bull last night in the PBA Philippine Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Mixers snapped a two-game slide after Reavis got away with what looked like a goal-tending call with the ball bouncing off the rim after an Enrico Villanueva shot, prompting Barako Bull coach Junnel Baculi to say that they were “robbed of a win.”
San Mig rose to 3-2 in the standings with two-time MVP James Yap coming through in the second half to score 18 of his 21 points.
After losing for the fourth time in six games, Baculi said he would first confer with team owner George Chua on what action to take. Barako Bull has 24 hours to file a protest.
Ronald Tubid led the Energy with 17 points and Villanueva, who is enjoying a rejuvenation of sorts offensively after being shipped from Barangay Ginebra, wound up with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists.
“I don’t know what the controversy is about the last shot,” San Mig coach Tim Cone said. “It’s legal, it’s a Fiba rule, he tapped the ball away from the rim. It’s a smart, intelligent play by Rafi (Reavis).”
But Baculi claims that the PBA has not advised them about the Fiba rule.
“My opinion, and this is my opinion, is that it (the shot) was counted. We were robbed of a win,” Baculi said. “My interpretation is that we don’t follow Fiba rules. In the Fiba, it’s five fouls not six, and 12 minutes not 10.
“What kind of Fiba rules did we adopt? There are a lot of players who can do that, but they don’t do that,” continued Baculi. “We are a professional league.”
Commissioner Chito Salud upheld the San Mig victory.
“Anybody can touch it (ball) in or out,” Salud said. “Once it (ball) hits the rim, anybody can touch it, that’s a legal play. You can swipe it out, you can swipe it in, that’s the rule. Is that (Reavis play) reviewable? No.”
The scores:
First Game
SAN MIG COFFEE 92—Yap 21, Simon 15, Ramos 10, Barroca 9, Gonzales 9, Pingris 9, De Ocampo 8, Devance 5, Reavis 5, Villanueva 1.
BARAKO 91—Tubid 17, Villanueva 16, Urbiztondo 14, Kramer 12, Pennisi 12, Najorda 9, Yap 5, Anthony 4, Cervantes 2, Alvarez 0, Ballesteros 0.
Quarters: 17-24, 42-48, 66-61, 92-91
