Coffee Prince has stopped Rain Or Shine’s downpour, powers San Mig to a dramatic game 6 victory over the E-Painters in route to claiming the coveted crown

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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.


Barroca came through with one big basket after the other at crunch time.
Barroca, a former Smart Gilas mainstay who came into his own in his third season with San Mig, took over when the Mixers needed a leader on the court in a thrilling game marred by a ‘partial walkout’ by Rain or Shine before more than 20,000 fans inside the historic Big Dome.

San Mig won the series 4-2 in a best-of-seven affair.

The diminutive San Mig playmaker completed three-point play off Jervy Cruz, nailed a top-of-the-key three-pointer, before adding a drive to the basket over a one-minute span to personally keep a fighting Rain or Shine side at bay, 89-83, with 1:32 to go.

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.


It wasn’t over yet when Elasto Painters sent Barroca to the line, where the third-year guard split his free throws for a 92-86 advantage with 29.4 seconds left.

Lee give life to an already dying desire of the E-Painters by drawing a foul on Pingris in the next play. He hit the first but missed the second, but Rain or Shine was able to recover possession of the ball.

Guiao, however, grabbed the ball from referee Jimmy Mariano on the inbounds, resulting in his second technical foul and ejection. Guiao will definitelly fined because of his antics.

Barroca nailed the technical free throw to seal the deal for the Mixers.


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.


The star trio of Yap, Simon, and Pingris also won their third Philippine Cup crown, putting them on par with the legendary Purefoods duo of Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codinera, who led the team to its first three All-Filipino titles.

It is also the first back-to-back titles in the 26-year history of the franchise after winning last season’s Governors’ Cup.

Dramatic Walkout

The Mixers’ championship conquest overshadowed the Elasto Painters’ dramatic ‘walkout’ just 21 seconds into the second period after what coach Yeng Guiao felt were “bad calls” against his team.

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.


Early Onslaught

San Mig Coffee took control early, scoring the first eight points of the game before opening up a 28-15 advantage on a three-pointer from James Yap late in the first period.

The Mixers were still leading, 30-17, when Guiao instructed his team to walk off the court after a foul call on Elasto Painters center JR Quinahan.

Sports5 reporter Erika Padilla was told by Guiao that the walkoff was “an expression of the team’s resentment on the calls of the refs.”

The Elasto Painters eventually returned to the court, but the delay barely dampened the play of the Mixers. Behind its energetic second unit, San Mig Coffee pushed the advantage to as much as 17 points several times in the second quarter.

But just when it looked dead in the water, Rain or Shine came alive, scoring the final 11 points of the first half to cut the San Mig Coffee lead to just six points, 49-43.

Rookie Ian Sangalang started the early onslaught that was finished by Barocca and added 15 points for  San Mig Coffee.

San Mig have five players in double figures with Joe Devance and Pingris contributing 12 points each. San Mig star guard James Yap chipped in with 10 while Peter June Simon had 9.

Paul Lee exploded again for the E-Painters with 23 points but had several turnovers that may have caused Rain Or Sine’s collapse at the end. Belga added 21 while Jervy Cruz contributed 11.

Streak-shooting Jeff Chan was silent all night and wound up with only 7 points. He missed several crucial shots that could have been big.
The scores:

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


— with reports from Spin.ph

Ed Umbao

Founder of PhilNews.xyz | co-Founder of PhilNews.ph

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