GUIDE
1/5 Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Texters bring out best in San Mig, says Bowles By Richard Dy
Denzel Bowles finished with just 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting, but his key 20-foot jumper keyed San Mig's fightback from a 10-point deficit in the final quarter. Jerome Ascano
DESPITE San Mig's struggles in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Denzel Bowles said the team always finds a way to win, more so when it's against Talk ‘N Text.
“This is a game we really needed. The last game (against Barako Bull) was supposed to be a gimme game for us, but we always get up when it’s Talk ‘N Text,” Bowles said after San Mig's come-from-behind 83-82 win over the Texters on Wednesday night.
Bowles had a bad shooting night, finishing with just 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting, but his key 20-foot jump shot off Ali Peek sparked the Mixers’ endgame rally.
San Mig now holds a 2-0 edge of Talk ‘N Text in the two team’s head-to-head matchup this conference, having also scored a 90-82 win during their first meeting.
It was also the Texters who San Mig beat in last year's Finals, which went the full seven games.
Bowles, last season’s best import, said he hopes this victory would spark a revival of sorts for a team that has been anything but inconsistent in the mid-season tournament.
“We just wanted to get a win and try to stay out of the last spot (in the standings) or we’ll need to have to win twice (in the playoffs),” he added.
“This is a game we really needed. The last game (against Barako Bull) was supposed to be a gimme game for us, but we always get up when it’s Talk ‘N Text,” Bowles said after San Mig's come-from-behind 83-82 win over the Texters on Wednesday night.
Bowles had a bad shooting night, finishing with just 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting, but his key 20-foot jump shot off Ali Peek sparked the Mixers’ endgame rally.
San Mig now holds a 2-0 edge of Talk ‘N Text in the two team’s head-to-head matchup this conference, having also scored a 90-82 win during their first meeting.
It was also the Texters who San Mig beat in last year's Finals, which went the full seven games.
Bowles, last season’s best import, said he hopes this victory would spark a revival of sorts for a team that has been anything but inconsistent in the mid-season tournament.
“We just wanted to get a win and try to stay out of the last spot (in the standings) or we’ll need to have to win twice (in the playoffs),” he added.
Follow the writer on Twitter: @richava
San Mig Coffee rallies late to complete come-from-behind win over Talk ‘N Text
PBA Images/Nuki Sabio
The Mixers were trailing most of the way and needed one late push to get back on winning track.
They got exactly that in the last six minutes, shutting down the Tropang Texters while unloading a 14-2 run capped by PJ Simon’s short jumper for the final tally.
“We’ve been outworked every game this conference,” San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone said during the post game interview. “It’s been an inconsistent conference for us and the frustrating thing is we all know we have capabilities of reaching great heights, but we’re not doing it, and that frustrates us more.”
San Mig Coffee won its sixth game in 12 games despite not getting much production from James Yap, who only had three points in 26 minutes of play.
Cone explained the reason for his superstar’s struggle.
“He’s been sick the past two days. We also had Rafi Reavis who didn’t practice for 10 days while Alex Mallari didn’t return as his knee was bothering him the past few games until he couldn’t play it through when he went out in the first half. We’re not making excuses, but it’s hard to be consistent when you don’t have a healthy line up,” said Cone.
“But this one is crucial for us not just for the standings, but to get our confidence back.”
In pulling off a comeback win, the Mixers needed a big effort down the stretch, turning what looked like another disappointing loss into a dramatic victory.
“It’s a tough win. We jumped on each other. I don’t know what happened in the last two or three minutes, but we stuck on each other. We don’t expect a pretty win. We have to come out and struggle. When we won the championship last year, everything was a struggle,” added Cone.
The scores:
SAN MIG COFFEE (83) – Bowles 18, Simon 15, Devance 15, Pingris 11, Barroca 7, De Ocampo 7, Yap 3, Reavis 3, Mallari 2, Gaco 2, Alvarez 0, Najorda 0.
TALK ‘N TEXT (82) – Harvey 19, Castro 17, De Ocampo 13, Reyes 12, Al-Hussaini 8, Fonacier 5, Alapag 4, Aban 2, Carey 2, Gamalinda 0, Peek 0.
Quarters: 23-20, 40-49, 66-65, 83-82.
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