SAN Mig Coffee got a dose of its own medicine in the wake of Rain or Shine’s emphatic 98-72 bounce-back win in Game Three of their PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series on Christmas Day at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The loss had the Mixers trailing the Elasto Painters once again in the best-of-seven affair, 2-1.
But in the aftermath of the 26-point blowlout, San Mig Coffee stars James Yap, Marc Pingris, and Peter June Simon shared the same sentiment that officiating played a critical part in the biggest losing margin ever in a PBA Christmas Day game.
“Masama talaga ang tawagan. Tumatawag na ako ng timeout, tapos tatawagan lang ng jump ball?” lamented the 6-foot-5 Pingris, referring to a particular loose ball incident he had with Rain or Shine guard Paul Lee midway in the second period.
Yap also noted Rain or Shine defenders Jireh Ibanes and Ryan Arana stuck too close for comfort on him like holding his arms, yet failed to get the call he was expecting.
“Hinahawakan na ako, pero wala pa ring tawag. Sana lang maging maganda ang tawagan sa Game Four. Siyempre, crucial na laro na iyun,” added the two-time league MVP.
The 6-foot-2 Yap though, credited Rain or Shine’s overall defense, which was the major reason why he finished with just six points on 1-of-11 shooting from the field.
His single-digit output was a far cry from his 34-point explosion in Game 2, where he also went 7-of-13 from beyond the arc in a106-82 win by the Mixers.
Simon, who led the Mixers with 22 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting from the field, said as a team, they need to regain their aggressiveness.
“Expected naman kasi na magiging physical ang Rain or Shine, pero kailangan lang aggressive kami, saka sana, patas din lang ang tawagan pagdating ng Game Four,” said the San Mig Coffee shooting guard.
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