James Yap skips practice but vows to play through the pain in Game Two By Richard Dy

San Mig star James Yap hyperextended his right knee during a loose ball scuffle with Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood late in the Game One loss to Rain or Shine on Wednesday night. Jerome Ascano

SUPERSTAR James Yap skipped San Mig Coffee’s Thursday morning practice as the team’s medical staff advised him to rest his right knee which he hurt late in a Game One loss on Wednesday night.
The two-time PBA MVP hyperextended his right knee during a loose ball scuffle with Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood late in the fourth period, a situation that alarmed Yap as he limped off the court.
“First time ko kasi makaramdam ng ganung klaseng sakit sa tuhod. Sabi sa akin (ng team staff) na ipahinga ko na lang muna,” said the former University of the East star.
Yap's knee was wrapped in ice the whole time while the rest of the Mixers went through their paces in practice.
Yap, however, vowed to play in Game Two on Friday even if he has to play through the pain, something he had done often in his nine-year PBA career that began with the same franchise that drafted him second overall.
“Kung ako lang, kahit naman may masakit basta kaya ko, practice lang ako. Ngayon kung masakit pa rin bukas (Friday), mag-pain reliever na lang ako,” said the 32-year-old.
Yap is also determined to come out stronger offensively in the second game of the best-of-seven series after finishing with 11 points on 3-of-13 shooting in the Mixers’ 91-83 loss to the Painters.
“Medyo nanggigil din kasi ako sa Game One kaya marami akong mga miss sa drive ko saka jump shot. Pero maganda din depensa sa akin. Ganun lang talaga, kailangan lang bumawi,” Yap said.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @richava

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/james-yap-skips-practice-but-vows-to-play-through-the-pain-in-game-two#.UNKo2KPOujg.twitter

REPEAT OR REVENGE

source: http://pba.inquirer.net/5901/repeat-or-vengeance

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One team is out for validation of its worthiness as a champion and the other is out for redemption.

Four months after their title clash last conference, Rain or Shine and San Mig Coffee meet in another playoff showdown with all the trimmings of a classic duel.

They battle on one side of the PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinals series with the winner advancing to the titular playoff versus the victor of the Talk n Text-Alaska Milk faceoff.

The Mixers and the Elasto Painters, the second and third best teams in the elimination round, start their semis confrontation at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Rain or Shine seeks a repeat its conquest of San Mig Coffee (then called B-Meg) last conference, ending its six-year wait for a breakthrough championship in the pro league.

San Mig Coffee, meanwhile, is out for vengeance, redemption and more respect, being a champion team itself that last hoisted a PBA trophy just at the end of the last Commissioner’s Cup.

Thus, it’s a battle of champs that both sides expect to be a tough grind.

“It’s a battle that may come down to a deciding Game Seven,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.

“It should be a great series,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.

Rain or Shine narrowly escaped with an 80-79 win in their first meeting in the elims last Oct. 24 then San Mig evened up also with a hairline of a win, 93-92, on Dec. 2.

Making their semis duel showdown more exciting is both teams playing with a complete, healthy lineup. They have great individual matchups at the backcourt and up front.

“As opposed to our championship series last conference, we feel we match up better this time around,” said Cone.

“Paul Lee’s and Chris Tiu’s additions have certainly made RoS a deeper, tougher team, but having Joe (Devance), JC (Intal) and Wes (Gonzales) available for us this time around helps even things out,” Cone added.

It’s the combo of James Yap, PJ Simon and Mark Barroca versus Lee, Tiu, Ryan Arana, Jeff Chan and Gabe Norwood at the backcourt and the gang of Devance, Marc Pingris, Rafi Reavis and Yancy de Ocampo against Beau Belga, JR Quinahan, Jervy Cruz, Larry Rodriguez and Ronnie Matias at the frontcourt.

Yap, the biggest ace on Cone’s sleeves, could be up for a tougher grind if RoS defensive specialist Jireh Ibanes is able to come back from injury. (SB)

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Bad news for James: Nemesis Ibanes passed fit in time for series against Yap and San Mig By Richard Dy

Rain or Shine defensive stopper Jireh Ibanes, back in action after being sidelined for a month by a broken hand, has a long history of animosity with San Mig star James Yap. Jerome Ascano 

BAD news for James Yap.
When San Mig Coffee starts its PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series against Rain or Shine on Wednesday, one player in the Painters camp who not only has had success stopping him but also has clearly gotten under the skin of the league's most famous player has been passed fit just in time to play in Game One.
Rain or Shine defensive ace Jireh Ibanes is set to return to action for the opener of the best-of-seven series after being sidelined for over a month by a fractured hand he suffered while going for a steal in the Painters' 71-62 win over Air21 on November 17 in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.
The former UP Fighting Maroon had missed the team’s last four games in the eliminations and the three-game quarterfinal series against Barangay Ginebra but, unfortunately for Yap, has been declared fit for the San Mig series.
The two have a long history of animosity that took roots during last season's Governors Cup Finals, which the Painters won in seven games. The bad blood came to a boil during the two teams' first meeting of the season last October 24 when Yap uncharacteristically lost his cool.
During that game, Ibanes' defensive tactics, which Yap later claimed bordered on the dirty, had the San Mig star being called for a technical for second motion in the first half, and later ejected from the game for a flagrant foul after he went after Ibanes on a fastbreak and tagged him with a hard foul.
Yap was still steaming after the ejection that instead of retreating to the dugout he went straight to the press room to watch the rest of the match on TV. The Painters won, 80-79, completing a comeback from an 18-point second-half deficit.
Painters coach Yeng Guiao said he’s confident Ibanes can bring the defensive energy they need against a power-packed Mixers roster, but he did not say exactly if he really timed - or rushed - Ibanes' return precisely for the series against Yap and the Mixers.
“I know he can defend because that has been his designation in the team, he’s our best defensive stopper and his assignment basically will be to guard James Yap and PJ Simon,” Guiao told Spin.ph.
Guiao however, is uncertain if Ibanes’ shooting stroke is back, since the 30-year-old Rain or Shine guard only resumed ball handling lately.
“Tingnan ko na lang sa game kung balik na siya sa kundisyon niya since late na rin siya humawak ng bola. I’m not so sure how he can handle the ball, though in practice, mukha namang okay. Pero siyempre, iba pa rin yung game,” said Guiao.
"Saka I’m not sure about his shooting stroke, so maybe, I’ll first give him about 15 minutes," he added.
The six-year PBA veteran averaged 23.4 minutes, producing 7.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists during his first 10 games of the conference before he got injured.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @richava

Nonito Donaire vs Jorge Arce Full Fight - December 16, 2012 REPLAY

SOURCE: http://www.trupinoytv.com/2012/12/nonito-donaire-vs-jorge-arce-full-fight.html

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SAN MIG COFFEE BOOKS SEMIS SEAT

2:09 pm | Thursday, December 13th, 2012

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Put to a test, sophomore Mark Barroca rose to the occasion and helped San Mig Coffee redeem itself from its harrowing experience in the same stage of the PBA Philippine Cup last season.

Barroca dazzled at the finish as the Mixers squeezed out a 92-87 win in overtime over the Petron Blaze Boosters and booked a berth in the Final Four before a good Thursday crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The rookie playmaker was all over the floor at endgame, coming through with one crucial play after another to personally ease Petron Blaze out of the tourney.

It was redemption for the whole team after topping the elims of the tourney last season only to bungle its twice-to-beat advantage versus eventual second placer Powerade.

There’s no stopping coach Tim Cone and his troops from moving to the next round this time.

“Talk about being put in a wringer…..just facing Petron in the quarters is tough. That’s why we really wanted it done right away. We didn’t want a second game,” said Cone.

“It was such a crucial performance by us tonight to knock them out. They had great expectation coming into the season. And getting knocked out is tough. We experienced it last year,” Cone also said.

It took the Mixers great individual effort, including that of Barroca, who curiously was doubtful for this game two days ago.

“He’s Wolverine for us. He is knocked out one moment and he heals in the next moment. On Tuesday in practice, we thought we lost him to an elbow injury. The next day, he showed up and said he’s ready to play,” said Cone.

And what a game Barroca played!

Seeing extended minutes with Jonas Villanueva downed by dengue, the former Smart Gilas mainstay proved up to the task and even emerged the team’s biggest hero with numerous key plays down the stretch.

He took a steal then set up Rafi Reavis for a play that sent the latter to the stripe. He later scored on a jumper then drained two charities to keep the Boosters at bay in OT.

The Mixers had a chance to win it right away in regulation but James Yap missed a step-back jumper off Chris Lutz in the dying seconds.

Yap nonetheless had his moments, leading all scorers with 23 markers.

Marc Pingris piled up double-double numbers with 20 points and 11 rebounds while Joe Devance and PJ Simon added 12 markers each.

The two teams figured in a battle with June Mar Fajardo, Alex Cabagnot, Marcio Lassiter and Arwind Santos leading the Petron Blaze charge.

Lassiter failed to finish the game after a bad fall with 5:51 left to play. He was taken out of the venue on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital. (SB)

source: http://pba.inquirer.net/4891/san-mig-coffee-books-semis-seat

Stand-in starter Barroca's clutch baskets aid San Mig's escape in OT thriller By Richard Dy

Petron rookie June Mar Fajardo towers for a short stab against a phalanx of San Mig players. Jerome Ascano

SAN Mig Coffee leaned on the second-half brilliance of sophomore guard Andy Mark Barroca as the Mixers pulled off a come-from-behind 92-87 overtime win against sister Petron Blaze to reach the semifinals on their PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Barroca, the 5’8” guard out of Far Eastern University who started only because of the absence of Jonas Villanueva, came through with 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and extension period as he helped engineer the Mixers’ huge comeback from an 11-point second-half deficit.
“Talk about being put on the wringer, we’re put in the wringer just with the idea of facing Petron in the quarterfinals. We just want it one and done. We don’t want to give them momentum. It’s such a crucial performance for us to knock them out,” said a relieved San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.
The Mixers can finally heave a sigh of relief after exorcising the ghost of their shock exit in this same conference last season, when as top seeds they blew a similar twice-to-beat edge against Powerade in the quarterfinals - only the third No. 1 team to bow out in the first round of the playoffs.
Cone said he was happy to see Barroca play his heart out in the quarterfinal game, hitting the big baskets that allowed the Mixers to claw back successfully from a 46-57 deficit late in the third period.
“They call Mark the Wolverine because he gets knocked out or hit but he still gets up and play. He got hit in Tuesday’s practice but next day, he just got back told me he’ll play. We were shocked,” said Cone.
“He hyperextended his elbow and we thought it might have torn ligament. He was on the ground for 10 or 15 minutes. That was Tuesday. He had a hard time getting up. We thought he’s not gonna play. But he showed up in practice. It was really gruesome if you see that, yet he just started shooting after that,” he added.
Despite struggling in the second half, James Yap managed to lead the Mixers on offense with 23 points, on top of seven rebounds and two steals.
Petron's early exit put to naught a career game by top rookie pick June Mar Fajardo, whocame away with 22 points and 15 rebounds along with three blocks in 35 minutes of play.
Alex Cabagnot added 21 while Lassiter chipped in 16 spiked with four triples before the bad fall in the fourth quarter.
The scores:
San Mig 92 - Yap 23, Pingris 20, Barroca 15, Devance 12, Simon 12, De Ocampo 4, Ramos 3, Reavis 3, Intal 0, Gonzales 0
Petron 87 - Fajardo 22, Cabagnot 21, Lassiter 16, Santos 13, Washington 8, Lutz 4, Faundo 2, Yeo 1, Lanete 0, Miranda 0, Pena 0
Quarterscores: 17-17, 39-39, 61-63, 79-79, 92-87

Follow the writer on Twitter: @richava

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/stand-in-starter-barrocas-clutch-baskets-aid-san-migs-escape-in-ot-thriller-v02

‘Coffee Prince’ sizzles as San Mig Coffee survives Petron in OT to avoid QF upset Rey Joble, InterAKTV

AKTV file/Pranz Kaeno Billones

James Yap and Marc Pingris had excellent games for San Mig Coffee, but it was Mark Barroca who hit the biggest baskets in the Mixers’ pulsating 92-87 overtime victory in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals Thursday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
With the win, the Mixers booked a seat in the tournament’s final four, avoiding the complications of a do-or-die match against the dangerous Boosters.
“Talking about being put through a wringer gives you the idea of facing Petron,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone. “Our idea was to run and gun with these guys. We don’t want a second game with this team. It was a crucial performance for us to knock them out. If we didn’t win tonight, I don’t know how we’re going to win our second game against them.”
San Mig Coffee had reason to be wary. Then known as B-MEG, the team also had twice-to-beat advantage last season against the Powerade Tigers, but were victims of an upset against a team that caught fire at the right time.
This year, the Mixers made sure they advanced.
Barroca scored the final five points of regulation for San Mig Coffee, including a three-pointer that put the Mixers up 79-76 with just 26.3 seconds left. But Arwind Santos hit a tying three-pointer less than 16 seconds later to force the extra period.
San Mig Coffee was up by a slim 87-85 margin late in overtime when Barroca hit a floater and two free throws to put the game away for the Mixers. The second-year guard, who finished with 15 points, also took a key charge during that stretch.
Yap had 23 points and seven rebounds while Pingris added 20 and 11 to lead San Mig Coffee, which trailed by as much as 10 points in the third quarter.
The loss spoiled the performance of top overall pick June Mar Fajardo, who had the best game of his career with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks.
The scores:
SAN MIG COFFEE 92 – Yap 23, Pingris 20, Barroca 15, Devance 12, Simon 12, De Ocampo 4, Ramos 3, Reavis 3, Intal 0, Gonzales 0.
PETRON 87 – Fajardo 22, Cabagnot 21, Lassiter 16, Santos 13, Washington 8, Lutz 4, Faundo 2, Yeo 1, Lanete 0, Miranda 0, Pena 0.
Quarters: 17-17, 39-39, 61-63, 79-79, 92-87

source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/coffee-prince-sizzles-as-san-mig-coffee-survives-petron-in-ot-to-avoid-qf-upset