Players brave floods, traffic as San Mig tops Alaska

Amid Tuesday night's heavy downpour that caused a game delay and forced several players to take interesting routes to the Big Dome, San Mig Coffee continued to roll.

With import Marqus Blakely doing what he does best all game long, the Mixers turned back the Aces 95-82 for their third straight victory in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The 6-foot-5 Blakely came two assists shy of a triple double with 22 points and 28 rebounds while his local teammates stepped up big in the absence of suspended forward Marc Pingris that gave San Mig Coffee a share of the third spot with Rain or Shine and Barako Bull.

Import Wendell McKines was the lone bright spot with 32 points and 15 rebounds for the Aces, who dropped to 3-3.

Alaska, playing sloppy that was far from its usual smooth-flowing scheme, also had to endure the ejection of head coach Luigi Trillo at the 8:28 mark of the fourth canto following two technical fouls.

To make matters worse, super rookie Calvin Abueva, who finished with just six points, had to sit out midway in the payoff period as he reportedly experiencing back spasms.

The sudden downpour caused heavy traffic going to the Big Dome, forcing several players on both teams to find alternative just to get in time.

While McKines and San Mig Coffee guard Mark Barroca took the MRT, Mixers forward Joe DeVance and Blakely reportedly had to hitch on a motorcycle.

San Mig center Yancy De Ocampo and Alaska wingman Dondon Hontiveros had to walk several kilometers along EDSA just to reach the venue.

JVee Casio, the Aces’ starting guard, arrived late in the second period and was immediately fielded midway in the second canto where the Mixers went on a big roll and never let-up.

Earlier, Rain or Shine waxed hot from start to finish, leading to a 120-93 romp against Barako Bull.

Import Arizona Reid sizzled with 34 points plus 10 rebounds and two steals while gunner Jeff Chan led five locals in double figures with 20 markers, including four triples, as the Elasto Painters rediscovered their fiery form, four days after scoring just 76 in their six-point loss against the Meralco Bolts last Friday.

Even without the services of guards Paul Lee (right elbow injury) and rookie Chris Tiu (personal reason), Rain or Shine improved to 4-3 overall, thanks to a red-hot 44-of-88 (50 percent) shooting from the field.

Import Mike Singletary led the Energy Cola 31 points and 13 rebounds but it was only Danny Seigle that managed to score in double digits with 19.
 
The Main Man: Thanks to Marqus Blakely’s relentless work, San Mig Coffee hardly felt the absence of forward Marc Pingris.

The University of Vermont standout played like a beast unleashed throughout with a 20-20 performance, highlighted by 28 rebounds, half of them offensively.

A relatively poor free throw shooter, Blakely managed to sink six of his eight made charities in the fourth from 22 tries overall that helped the Mixers kept the Aces at bay.
 
Honorable Mentions: With top gunner James Yap misfiring anew, forward Allein Maliksi and guard Mark Barroca–both coming off the bench–responded to the challenge with aplomb.

Maliksi, a former UST stalwart, pumped in 16 markers while Barroca, who donned the colors of Far Eastern U in college, banged in 15, with the two combining for four treys that proved enough to offset Yap’s anemic seven-point output.
 
 
Game Turning Point: Ahead by just 61-54, San Mig Coffee stepped on the gas and employed a suffocating defensive blanket that ignited a decisive 23-4 breakaway birding the third and fourth cantos for a whopping 26-point lead, capped by a completed PJ Simon three-point play.

A bucket by McKines snapped a near 10-minute field goal drought for the Aces and the ejection of Trillo failed to fire them up as the Mixers, with Blakely making the needed charities, kept their firm control of the match. 
 
 
They Said It:
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao: “We finally played well in a long time. Jeff got his bearings back with his outside shots for I think his best game in this conference. Everybody stepped up on both ends. Maganda rin dinipensa namin. Barako was playing well the last few games and we prepared really hard because we know this was a big game.”
 
San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone: “We talked about the character of the team fully having to shine through. James struggled a little bit today but others stepped up. That’s what we want our character to be about.”
 
San Mig Coffee import Marqus Blakely: “It’s been a test for us. It’s a team effort knowing that some people aren’t able to play. Everybody has to step up. That’s (freethrow shooting) one thing I’m continuing to deal with. I’ll just do my routine and keep on shooting.”
 
 
The scores:
First Game
Rain or Shine (120) – Reid 34, Chan 20, Uyloan 12, Rodriguez 12, Norwood 11, Arana 10, Matias 8, Cruz 7, Tang 4, Ibanes 2, Jaime 0, Belga 0, Quinahan 0.

Barako Bull (93) – Singletary 31, Seigle 19, Macapagal 9, Jensen 7, Cruz 7, Buenafe 6, Weinstein 5, Monfort 2, Intal 2, Gonzales 2, Pena 2, Villanueva 1, Marcelo 0, Bulawan 0, Pennisi 0.
Quarterscores: 27-19, 58-40, 86-64, 120-93.
 
Second Game
San Mig (95) – Blakely 22, Maliksi 16, Barroca 15, Simon 13, Yap 7, Mallari 6, Devance 6, Reavis 6, Ponferrada 2, De Ocampo 2.

Alaska (82) – McKines 32, Thoss 13, Baguio 9, Espinas 8, Abueva 6, Casio 5, Dela Cruz 4, Jazul 3, Hontiveros 2, Reyes 0.
Quarterscores: 17-22, 48-41, 74-58, 95-82.