PBA: 'Big game' James ties Governors' Cup Finals series

(Updated 10:29pm) James Yap hit a turnaround jumper that gave his side a two-possession lead with 15.6 seconds left, giving the B-MEG Llamados enough separation over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to even the 2012 PBA Governors' Cup Finals at one game apiece, 85-80, Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

"This was crucial for us. We had to convince ourselves that we can beat this team. They seem to be our kontrapelo," said B-MEG head coach Tim Cone.

It was a double whammy for Rain or Shine, as they lost star rookie Paul Lee with 2:24 remaining, after the heady guard aggravated his shoulder injury, while attempting a steal. Lee would end up being wheeled away in a stretcher with 15 seconds remaining.

The Llamados entered the fourth quarter with a five-point advantage, which they extended to 68-60 after a technical foul called on RoS coach Yeng Guiao, but the Elasto Painters came storming back, with Best Import of the Conference awardee Jamelle Cornely tying the game at 74-all, 5:25 left to play.


Baskets by Peter June Simon and James Yap ballooned the B-MEG advantage back up to five, 79-74, 2:42 left, and then things went from bad to worse for Rain or Shine, as star rookie Paul Lee seemingly dislocated his shoulder on a steal attempt.

A split at the line by Peter June Simon extended B-MEG's advantage to six points, but charities by the Elasto Painters had them threaten at 80-78 with 30 seconds left. However, Yap then hit his shot, for his 23rd and 24th points of the game, and Gabe Norwood missed a three on his side's end, handing this one to the Llamados.

"Ito yung kagandahan ng finals, may opportunity ka maka-adjust," said Yap after the game.

"Nung game one, nagulat kami sa physicality nila. Ngayon naka-adjust kami. Kailangan maka-adapt sa banggaan, hawakan. Finals e. Walang bibitaw dito. Kung mahina loob mo talo ka."

The Llamados raced to a 14-7 lead before Rain or Shine recovered with Pau Lee hitting a long three as part of a 9-1 run to take the lead, 16-15. A Jamelle Cornley slam and a coast-to-coast layup from Lee added to the damage, as the first quarter ended with the Elastopainters ahead, 26-21.

In the second period, RoS found themselves in trouble as Jamelle Cornley got slapped with his third foul with 8:42 remaining in the half. A pair of Jervy Cruz free throws gave the Elasto Painters their largest lead at seven however, 34-27, before back-to-back hits by Mark Barroca and Yancy De Ocampo brought the lead down yet again, 41-34.

The Llamados kept up the pressure though, with Marqus Blakely finally putting B-MEG ahead with a three with 49 seconds until halftime, 42-41. Yap then followed up Simon's miss to tack on to their lead, 44-41, before Blakely swatted away Lee's game-tying three at the buzzer.

Two consecutive baskets by Yap gave the Llamados a seven-point advantage early in the third, 50-43, but B-MEG kept at it, inflating their lead to its largest point at 11, before a 6-2 run to end the quarter had RoS down by only five, 65-60.


"I hope Paul Lee's ok. You hate to see a guy go away like that. I hope he can get back in and its not serious," said coach Cone of Lee in the post-game interview.

"I hate to see Lee out of this series," he added. "I'm not comfortable to see him out but honestly, I want to see him come back. If he doesn't play, it puts the pressure on us; it makes us heavy favorites."

B-MEG's import Marqus Blakely rebounded from a poor Game One performance that saw him shackled with fouls, posting a 26-point, 16-rebound effort. Yap added nine rebounds to his 24 markers, and PJ Simon added 16 more points.

Rain or Shine got a team-high 18 points from Cornley, plus 14 rebounds. Jeff Chan added 12 more points, though just one triple, while Lee chimed in 11 markers and seven dimes before his exit.

"We lost our best local player. I'm not sure what his status is but from the looks of it, it looks serious," said Rain or Shine mentor Yeng Guiao. "We will win this series with or without Paul. We have no excuses; we will not complain."

Guaio then added a shot at his counterpart on the other bench, saying, "Tim Cone asked help from the refs and he got a lot in this game,"

Rain or Shine got whistled for 29 fouls, which resulted in 27 free throws for B-MEG. On the other hand, the Llamados were whistled 24 times, leading to 23 charities for the Elasto Painters.

RoS also managed to set the game's pace, storming out to a 19 to 10 advantage in fast break points and doubling B-MEG's 12 turnover points. B-MEG did however shoot a better clip from downtown, 26.3 percent versus the 16 percent from Rain or Shine.

Game three is set for Friday, also at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. - AMD, GMA News


The scores:

B-MEG 85 - Blakely 26, Yap 24, Simon 16, Barroca 8, De Ocampo 6, Villanueva 2, Pingris 2, Reavis 1, Urbiztondo 0.

Rain or Shine 80 - Cornley 18, Chan 12, Lee 11, Cruz 10, Norwood 9, Buenafe 7, Ibanes 7, Belga 4, Arana 2, Tang 0, Quinahan 0.

Quarter scoring: 21-26, 44-41, 65-60, 85-80