Hot Mixers grab 2-1 buffer over Express

Mark Cardona of Air21 (dark) vs Joe Devance and Mark Barroca of San Mig Coffee (light). PHOTO BY NUKI SABIO/PBA

MANILA, Philippnes—San Mig Coffee showed its most lethal form yet Saturday night and moved within another win of gaining a crack at a third straight PBA title.

Working extra hard defensively for the second straight game, the Mixers held the Air21 Express to sporadic baskets in the final frame to pull off an 84-73 triumph and gain a 2-1 edge in their best-of-five Final Four series in the Commissioner’s Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Mixers also dominated the Express off the boards with San Mig sometimes getting three, even four attempts in one possession, frustrating Air21 no end.

James Mays scored 12 of his 15 points in the first half and was at the forefront of that relentless rebounding effort, hauling down 32 boards—six more than the Express total— with 19 of them coming off the offensive end.

Mays’ offensive rebounding total was just one shy of the all-time record held by Michael Hackett of Ginebra San Miguel and his total was the most by anyone in the last nine seasons.

It was the second straight win in the series for the Mixers, who are looking to hold all three PBA titles at the same time in two seasons, after losing the series-opener by giving up 103 points.

“It was a struggle,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone, who is looking to improve on his all-time record of 16 championships won.

His Mixers now have two cracks at wrapping this series up starting with tomorrow’s fourth game, also at the Big Dome.

Talk ‘N Text, which has gone 13-0 for the conference, including a 3-0 sweep of its series with Rain or Shine, is waiting in the wings in the championship playoffs.

Like in Game 2, the Mixers clamped down hard on the Express right from the get-go, letting just two Air21 players to come close to their average productions.

Peter June Simon then jumpstarted the San Mig offense by making his first two shots for the Mixers, who were in complete command the entire night. Then he responded with aplomb in the fourth period when the Express threatened to within four.

After Air21 had made baskets in two consecutive possessions for 69-63, the next two points that San Mig would allow were two free throws by Wesley Witherspoon for 74-65.

Mark Barroca hit the shots in the fourth that stung the Express, with his triple at the 7:21 mark shoving the Mixers to a 74-63 lead.

The scores:

SAN MIG SUPER COFFEE 84—Simon 18, Barroca 17, Mays 15, Devance 9, Pingris 7, Melton 6, Yap 6, Reavis 4, Sangalang 2, De Ocampo 0, Gaco 0, Mallari 0.

AIR21 73—Taulava 21, Witherspoon 19, Ramos 10, Yeo 6, Burtscher 5, Cardona 4, Borboran 3, Poligrates 3, Villanueva 2, Jaime 0, Menor 0, Atkins 0.

Quarters: 24-15, 49-40, 64-59, 84-73