When it rains, it pours but win Rain Or Shine were raining baskets to rally from an early 17-point lead, “The Coffee Prince” is the San Mig’s answer to the downpour.
San Mig Super Coffee Mixers started strong and even built an insurmountable lead but hold on the final frame with timely baskets from diminutive guard Mark Barroca to power San Mig to the PBA Philippine Cup championship via a dramatic 93-87 Game Six victory over Rain or Shine on Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Beau Belga matched Barroca with his own eight-point cluster, though San Mig’s energetic forward Marc Pingris preserved his teammate’s heroics with a pair of foul shots as well as a defensive play that forced Paul Lee to a turnover that all but settled the outcome of the title series.
Barroca propelled himself as one of the league’s fast-rising point guards after scoring a game-high 24 points, 18 in the second half, to go along with three rebounds and five assists.
The standout of Far Eastern University was later adjudged as the PBA Press Corps-Papa John’s Pizza Finals MVP.
Cone’s Legacy
The title conquest also moved San Mig coach Tim Cone past the legendary Virgilio `Baby’ Dalupan to become the most successful coach of the league of all time with his 16 PBA championships.
At the same time, the championship made San Mig one of the greatest All-Filipino teams with six Philippine Cup championships since joining the league in 1988.The team also won the league’s most prestigious title in 1991, 1993, 1997, 2006, and 2010.
After league commissioner Chito Salud and special assistant Willy Marcial talked with Rain or Shine team owner Raymund Yu outside the team’s dugout, Guiao and the rest of the Elasto Painters eventually returned to the court to resume action.
The ‘walkout,’ however, appeared to pump up the Elasto Painters, who battled back from several deficits as big as 17 points to pull within six, 49-43, at the half.
Rain or Shine even took the lead briefly in the third quarter and kept the game close until the fourth, where Barroca scored 14 points to seal the deal for the Mixers.
San Mig 93 – Barroca 24, Sangalang 15, Devance 12, Pingris 12, Yap 10, Simon 9, Reavis 5, Mallari 4, Melton 2.
Rain or Shine 87 – Lee 23, Belga 21, Cruz 11, Chan 7, Quinahan 6, Rodriguez 6, Arana 5, Tiu 3, Ibanes 3, Norwood 2, Almazan 0, Tang 0.
Quarterscores: 30-17, 49-43, 66-67, 93-87