James Yap: ‘Hindi pa tapos yung series’

Rey Joble, InterAKTV · Thursday, December 27, 2012 · 10:14 pm

AKTV file photo/Paul Ryan Tan

The San Mig Coffee Mixers are staring at a 3-1 whole in their best-of-seven Philippine Cup semifinals series against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
And with Rain or Shine’s depth and rhythm, the odds are stacked highly against San Mig Coffee.
Just don’t tell that to James Yap.
“Laban lang nang laban. Hindi pa tapos yung series,” said Yap.
The San Mig Coffee superstar put up a yeoman’s effort in the Mixers’ Game Four loss, playing 40 minutes as they tried to claw back from an 18-point hole. He rebounded from a subpar output last game by leading all scorers with 20 points.
But had to bleed for every basket against the tough Rain or Shine defense, which rotated four men — Jireh Ibañes, Ryan Araña, Gabe Norwood, and Ronnie Matias — on him, limiting him to just 7-of-17 shooting.
Yap said he doesn’t mind the heavy exposure, even though he is still suffering the effects of nagging injuries.
“Balewala yung pagod at sakit. Hindi ko na iniisip yang mga yan,” said Yap. “Nagpakahirap at nagpakapagod kami makarating rito, kaya balewala na lahat yan.”
He expects more adjustments for San Mig Coffee for Game Five, where the Mixers will try to extend the series.
“Maganda yung screens na ibinibigay sa akin kaya medyo maganda laro ko kumpara last time. Pero hindi pa rin enough,” he said.

Down 3-1 again to Rain or Shine, Tim Cone sees harder climb for San Mig Coffee

Rey Joble, InterAKTV · Thursday, December 27, 2012 · 9:58 pm

AKTV file/Paolo Papa

Last season, Tim Cone and his squad were trailing 3-1 to Rain or Shine in a best-of-seven series. The team then known as the B-MEG Llamados came back to force a seventh game, where they yielded the Governors’ Cup to the Elasto Painters.
One conference later, Cone and the San Mig Coffee Mixers are in a similar hole against the same team, this time in the Philippine Cup semifinals.
“It will be harder this time,” said Cone, who seemed in no mood to speak discuss in detail his team’s 83-74 loss Thursday.
Rain or Shine dominated San Mig Coffee for the second straight game, leading by 18 points in the third quarter before a late charge by the Mixers cut the lead down.
But the Elasto Painters preserved the victory using hustle and hard work, personified by the game’s best player Ronnie Matias. The 6-foot-3 forward scored just eight points, but six of those came in the fourth quarter when the Mixers were making their rally.
He also had five rebounds, all on the offensive end, usually keeping the ball alive for Rain or Shine to take the air out of San Mig Coffee’s comeback attempt.
Before the series, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao was concerned about the rebounding battle against the Mixers. In Game Four, the Elasto Painters won the boards, 49-44. They also had 14 steals to San Mig Coffee’s seven.

Rain or Shine repulses late San Mig Coffee rally, moves one win away from finals

InterAKTV · Thursday, December 27, 2012 · 8:59 pm

PBA/Nuki Sabio

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters turned back a late charge by the San Mig Coffee Mixers to pull out an 83-74 victory over the San Mig Coffee Mixers Thursday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Game Four of their Philippine Cup semifinals series.
The win gave the Elasto Painters a 3-1 series lead, just one victory away from their first Philippine Cup finals appearance in franchise history.
There were many heroes for Rain or Shine, including Ronnie Matias, who got key baskets and offensive rebounds late in the game to help preserve the win.
“Ronnie Matias just hustled his way to become the best player of the game,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao about Matias, who finished with eight points and five rebounds. Six of those points came in the fourth quarter, when San Mig Coffee charged back from an 18-point deficit to cut the lead to just three points.
“Si Coach Yeng, sabi sa ‘min unahin muna namin yung depensa kesa sa opensa. Mananalo talaga kami sa depensa,” said Matias.
Guiao said he chewed out Matias in the locker room at halftime after several lapses in the first half while defending against San Mig Coffee superstar James Yap, who led all scorers with 20 points.
“Nakawala si James nang dalawang beses sa kanya. When he came back, he more than made up for mistakes,” said Guiao.
Rain or Shine won despite a sub-par game from Paul Lee, who scored just two points.
“Paul Lee played horribly but other guys stepped up,” said Guiao, who had five players scoring at least eight points. Gabe Norwood led Rain or Shine with 15 points, including a gorgeous reverse alley-oop slam in the second quarter off a pass by Chris Tiu.
“Any time others are not able to contribute, then others will contribute.”
Rain or Shine looked like it had the game in the bag, taking a 54-36 third quarter lead. But the Mixers came roaring back in the fourth quarter behind Yap, Peter June Simon, and Joe Devance. A three-pointer by Simon cut the lead to 77-74 with under a minute remaining in the game, but timely defensive stops allowed the Elasto Painters to score the final six points of the match, all from Tiu.
“It’s a big win for us because now we get three chances to make the finals,” said Guiao, whose team will have a chance to finish the series Saturday.
The scores:
Rain or Shine 83 — Norwood 14, Arana 13, Chan 12, Tiu 10, Matias 8, Cruz 6, Belga 6, Rodriguez 4, Quinahan 3, Ibanes 3, Lee 2, Tang 2.
San Mig Coffee 74 — Yap 20, Simon 15, Devance 14, Pingris 7, Ramos 5, Reavis 4, De Ocampo 4, Barroca 3, Gaco 2, Villanueva 0.
Quarters: 18-10, 40-32, 62-52, 83-74

Yeng Guiao wants Rain or Shine to finish series with San Mig Coffee on Saturday

InterAKTV · Thursday, December 27, 2012 · 9:21 pm

AKTV/Paolo Papa

After taking a 3-1 series lead against the San Mig Coffee Mixers in the Philippine Cup semifinals, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters have three chances to book a finals ticket.
But if it were up to coach Yeng Guiao, Rain or Shine would use just one game to eliminate the Mixers.
“Our plan is to finish it off on Saturday,” Guiao said shortly after his team’s 93-84 victory over San Mig Coffee Thursday.
“Kung kaya namin tapusin, tatapusin na namin. Habang tumatagal, mas delikado.”
The Elasto Painters were in a similar situation last season, when it faced the same team in the Governors’ Cup finals. The team then known as the B-MEG Llamados forced a Game Seven against Rain or Shine after falling behind 3-1 in the series. The Elasto Painters prevailed in the final match to take the title.
Guiao hopes there would be no such complications this time around.
“That can very well happen if we become complacent,” said Guiao. “We will make sure that we are ready mentally in the next game.”
The coach noted that Rain or Shine’s edge in depth has been wearing down San Mig Coffee.
“They’re just forced to play their key players many minutes. James Yap was forced to play 42 minutes. Peter June Simon played 34 minutes, Marc Pingris played 34 minutes,” said Guiao.
In contrast, Gabe Norwood topped Rain or Shine at just 32 minutes.
“We’re fresher, we’re sharper,” said Guiao.
The Elasto Painters won despite getting just two points from star guard Paul Lee, who shot just 1-of-7 from the field. Five players scored at least eight points for Rain or Shine to fill the void.
Guiao said the mental part is the biggest issue for the Elasto Painters, who could close out the series in Game Five on Saturday.
“Pwede pa rin mag-iba kung pababayaan, pero ‘di na namin pababayaan to,” he said.

Top Rain or Shine defender Jireh Ibañes expects James Yap to bounce back

Rey Joble, InterAKTV · Wednesday, December 26, 2012 · 4:46 pm

AKTV/Paul Ryan Tan

San Mig Coffee superstar James Yap and Rain or Shine defensive specialist have had many heated battles on the hardcourt.
Despite their history, Ibañes maintains a healthy respect for Yap — even after the Mixers’ gunner’s woeful 1-of-11 shooting performance in Game Three of their Philippine Cup semifinals series.
“Alam naman natin kung gaano siya kagaling,” said Ibañes. “I think he was just having an off night.”
Ibañes said he expects Yap to bounce back in Game Four.
“Asahan na natin yan. He’s such a good player he will get his points anytime he wants. You can’t stop him, but you can limit him,” said Ibañes.
With San Mig Coffee trailing the series, 2-1, Ibañes knows Yap will try to have a monster game to help his team even the series. Yap already did it once, scoring 34 points in Game Two to lift San Mig Coffee to a 106-82 win.
“Tingin ko kasi mas dapat paghandaan natin siya sa ganitong situation. He will do everything to get his team the win,” said Ibañes.
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao echoed his player’s sentiments.
“Kung masama laro niya nung Game Three, I expect James to play a lot better in Game Four,” said Guiao. “James will always get his points.”

Source:InterAKTV

Off-Game James: Rain or Shine effort, smarts, luck add up to Yap’s miserable performance

Rey Joble, InterAKTV · Wednesday, December 26, 2012 · 4:28 pm

AKTV/Paul Ryan Tan

It took effort and intelligence combined with a little bit of luck.
That was how Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao explained how his team was able to hold the deadly James Yap to just six points on 1-of-11 shooting on Christmas Day, allowing the Elasto Painters to cruise to a 98-72 victory in Game Three of their Philippine Cup semifinals series.
“Jireh Ibañes, Gabe Norwood and Ryan Araña really committed themselves to playing defense against James. Wala namang special formula except that these guys are intelligent enough and knows how to defend James properly. They just showed extra effort on defense in Game Three, especially after James erupted in Game Two,” said Guiao.
“We defended well. On the other hand, he was having an off night as well. Maybe the law of averages caught up with him because it’s hard to follow up a game where you played fantastic.”
Yap’s miserable performance came just a game after he sizzled for 34 points in Game Two, which the Mixers won, 106-82.
After the woeful outing, Guiao said he remains wary of Yap’s capacity to explode.
“You can’t just put anybody who’s quick enough to defend him. You need intelligent defenders to defend against an intelligent player like James Yap,” said Guiao.
“Si James, matalino siya because he knows how to use the screens properly and he has the special ability to catch off guard his defenders.”
Guiao expects Yap to continue to be a key to the series.
“San Mig Coffee knows that its best chance of winning is for James to score more, while our chances of winning is to try and stop him from producing more points.”


Source:InterAKTV

Yeng Guiao sees Rain or Shine depth wearing out San Mig Coffee

InterAKTV · Tuesday, December 25, 2012 · 8:17 pm

AKTV/Paolo Papa

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao acknowledges that San Mig Coffee may have more superstar talent, but he believes his deeper bench will end up making the different in their best-of-seven Philippine Cup semifinals series.
“The longer the series goes, we’re fresher than they are,” Guiao said shortly after his team’s masterful 98-72 victory over the Mixers at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Christmas Day.
“We have more stoppers than they have scorers.”
This seemed especially true in the case of San Mig Coffee superstar James Yap, who was held to just six points on miserable 1-of-11 shooting from the field. The Elasto Painters rotated a physical cast of defenders composed of Jireh Ibañes, Gabe Norwood, and Ryan Araña on the Mixers’ two-time Most Valuable Player, who was coming off a 34-point explosion in Game Two.
Guiao noted that San Mig Coffee’s top four players — James Yap, Peter June Simon, Marc Pingris, and Joe Devance — usually play heavy minutes, giving the Elasto Painters’ depth more value as the games pile up.
“We’re able to run more, we’re able to pressure more,” said Guiao.
The coach sees Game Four of the series, set Thursday at the same venue, as a huge key.
“Game Four should be the biggest game in the series,” he said. “I think if we can go up 3-1, we’ll have one foot in the door [of the finals].”
Guiao said he doesn’t plan to make major adjustments for the next match.
“The burden of adjustments shift to San Mig Coffee,” he said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/yeng-guiao-sees-rain-or-shine-depth-wearing-out-san-mig-coffee

Christmas Day Massacre: Rain or Shine destroys San Mig Coffee in Game Three

InterAKTV · Tuesday, December 25, 2012 · 7:58 pm

AKTV file/Paul Ryan Tan

On Christmas Day, it is better to give than to receive… especially when it comes to lopsided beatings.
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters rebounded from its worst loss of the tournament with a 98-72 rout of the San Mig Coffee Mixers on Christmas Day at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
“Before the game, I just told them, ‘Let’s give ourselves a nice Christmas gift,’” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.
“It’s also a way to redeem ourselves from our embarrassing loss last time.”
The Elasto Painters were coming off a 106-82 defeat at the hands of the Mixers in Game Two last week. The four-day break seemed to do wonders for Rain or Shine, which a tight 18-17 match in the first quarter into a 51-32 contest at the half.
Rain or Shine was never seriously threatened in the second half, leading by no less than 15 points the rest of the way. Seven players scored at least eight points for the Elasto Painters, led by Paul Lee who had 15 points, including nine in the third quarter to break the spirits of the rallying Mixers.
The Elasto Painters also got huge contributions beyond the box scores. Jireh Ibañes, who scored just four points, teamed with Gabe Norwood and Ryan Araña hounded San Mig Coffee superstar James Yap to just six points on 1-of-11 shooting.
Peter June Simon carried the fight with 22 points for San Mig Coffee, which shot just 38 percent from the field.
The victory gave the Elasto Painters a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“This game is a nice gift for all the people who believed in us, said Guiao.
The scores:
RAIN OR SHINE 98 – Lee 15, Cruz 14, Chan 13, Rodriguez 12, Tiu 11, Norwood 9, Arana 8, Belga 6, Ibanes 4, Matias 3, Quinahan 3.
SAN MIG COFFEE 72 – Simon 22, Barroca 11, Pingris 10, Devance 9, Yap 6, De Ocampo 6, Reavis 4, Gaco 2, Pacana 2, Ramos 0, Ponferada 0, intal 0, Villanueva 0, Gonzales 0.
Quarters: 18-17, 51-32, 74-56, 98-72


http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/christmas-day-massacre-rain-or-shine-destroys-san-mig-coffee-in-game-three

Christmas Day Collision: San Mig Coffee, Rain or Shine clash in pivotal Game Three

InterAKTV · Monday, December 24, 2012 · 3:23 pm

AKTV/Paul Ryan Tan

San Mig Coffee and Rain or Shine clash in a pivotal Game Three of the 2013 PBA Philippine Cup semifinal round on Christmas Day at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Mixers and the Elasto Painters meet in the lone game at 5:15 p.m. with the winner taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
San Mig Coffee tied the series with a resounding 106-82 victory in Game Two that pruned down the showdown to a best-of-five affair.
Mixers coach Tim Cone expects the Elasto Painters to come out strong.
“Although neither team will actually win or lose the series in tomorrow’s game, I do feel it is the pivotal game of the series and both teams are not going to take prisoners,” said Cone.
“We’re really looking to follow up our last game and put us in a position to start dictating the series.”
James Yap exploded for a personal conference-high of 34 points in Game Two despite playing with an injured right knee.
Despite losing badly, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao is confident that his wards can bounce back in Game Three but he hopes there will be better officiating on Tuesday.
“We’ll correct some things, but we cannot correct the referees. It’s the league’s job to correct the officiating. Hindi namin trabaho ‘yun,” said Guiao, who was ejected late in the third period of Game Two.
“They’re a great offensive team. Tabla lang naman ngayon. We’ll get set on Christmas Day game.”
Meanwhile, the PBA will be giving away Molten basketballs, toys to the first 100 kids and raffle off My Phones starting today up to December 30 as part of the league’s “Isang Linggong Pamaskong Handog ng PBA” to its fans.

http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/christmas-day-collision-san-mig-coffee-rain-or-shine-clash-in-pivotal-game-three

PBA Semis Game 3: San Mig Coffee and Rain or Shine Collide to Break Deadlock

BY Robi Raya

WHAT THIS GAME MEANS:

This series has been a unanimous draw so far. RoS controlled Game 1 while SMC controlled Game 2.
Game 3 should be that game where coaches start to make the telling adjustments. How will Coach Yeng counter James Yap’s explosion in Game 2? Will he send out double teams or show hard on screens and take the Let Anyone But James Beat Us approach? For SMC, will Coach Tim draw up more plays for the other guys? Will he lengthen his rotation to save the legs of his core guys?

 WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR:
James Yap’s supporting cast. After Big Game James exploded in Game 2, chances are RoS will throw the kitchen sink at him. So the Scoring Apostle, JDV, Coffee Prince, and Sakuragi would all need to step up and play their monikers to the hilt. Remember how the other Lakers saved Kobe’s poor shooting ass in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals? Well, the Mixers supporting cast might be asked to do the same in Game 3.
 WHO TO WATCH OUT FOR:

The James Yap stopper, whoever that may be. Game 1. X points. Game 2. 34 points. I think we’re convinced now that RoS is too deep for SMC and that James Yap is the only one who can balance that disparity out. If the Elasto Painters want that 2-1 advantage they need some steady dose of first class defense from Norwood and Ibanes on Yap. They could even go Detroit Bad Boys when Yap drives to the paint, like sneak in a Beau Belga hip check or a Quinahan love tap after he takes the shot. Whatever happens, RoS needs to stop the most skilled local 2-guard ever in the PBA.

Photos c/o Spin.ph and Interaksyon.com/Interaktv


http://www.slamonlineph.com/philippine-basketball-association/pba-semis-game-3-san-mig-coffee-and-rain-or-shine-collide-to-break-deadlock/

Philippine Cup SF Series Preview: San Mig Coffee vs Rain or Shine

will probably get most of the attention in the semis. You’ve got all the trappings of a potentially historic one.
(A) Two coaches who respect but don’t really like each other (B) Yap vs. Chan or Yap vs. Tiu (depending on the contest) (C) There’s Marc Pingris taking on the Extra Rice Bros (D) You’ve got a free-flowing, liberal type of offense going against the most methodic and strict. And these two teams are coming off of a 7-game series last conference.
They split their two games in the eliminations — both one-point games. So this should be close as any Barrera-Morales fight (I refuse to use Pacquiao-Marquez as reference).

TIPPING POINTS
More than the quarterfinals series against BGSM, Rain or Shine’s DEPTH and UNPREDICTABILITY should be a bigger advantage for the Elasto Painters against SMC in this series. I think everyone is pretty much convinced that this will go to a Game 6 or Game 7; and by that time both teams should be a bit tired and both teams should have seen enough of each other to make the necessary adjustments.
Coach Yeng Guiao goes 12-deep while Coach Tim Cone fields ten guys with players 9 and 10 getting minimal PT. As the series goes longer, RoS will have the fresher legs and SMC should be the counter puncher that will make more adjustments because of the unpredictability of the Yeng System.
The grossly underrated San Mig Coffee DEFENSE – without bias and with being whole-heartedly objective, the Mixers  defense this conference is one of the best I have seen in the last decade. Get this: in one four-game stretch in the eliminations, SMC limited its opponents to 78, 68, 68, and 73 points (allowing a league-best 83.1 ppg!). They are ’04 Detroit Pistons-destructive on defense. Expect the Mixers to walk the ball to the halfcourt line and win low-scoring ballgames.

KEY MATCH-UP
Marc Pingris/Yancy De Ocampo/Joe Devance (27ppg and 22rpg) vs. Extra Rice Inc./Jervy Cruz/Larry Rodriguez (37ppg and 25rpg)
If this series can be compared to historic featherweight and junior welterweight fights like Morales-Barrera 2 or any of the Gatti-Ward fights, there is that war in the paint that can potentially remind us of Ali vs. Frazier.
I would give the advantage to the RoS bigs because those four mean dudes can just wear down the San Mig Coffee bigs. I’m pretty sure they will be more productive, but if Pingris, YDC, and JDV hold their ground, the Mixers should have a good shot at this.

X-FACTOR
Last conference’s Governor’s Cup Finals was Gabe Norwood’s “I’m one of the best players in the league” coming out party. He was a Swiss Army Knife that plugged the holes and provided whatever the team needed. The catch in this series? Jireh Ibanes may not play and if he does, he’ll run around hurt. That means Gabe Norwood will be the one chasing James Yap’s butt. Norwood’s workload will be doubled in this series and I don’t see him making the same impact he did in that coming out party. But if he does, RoS fans can lick their chops to the Finals and write scurrilous comments down there.
PREDICTIONS
I really like Rain or Shine’s depth and unpredictability in this one so I’m saying RoS in 6. Wait. Make it RoS in 7. Shit I don’t know. Make that San Mig Coffee in 7.
Fine! RoS in 6 or 7.

Photos c/o Spin.ph and Interaksyon.com/InterAKTV


http://www.slamonlineph.com/philippine-basketball-association/philippine-cup-semis-series-preview-san-mig-coffee-rain-or-shine-build-up-on-rivalry/

Frustration over refs’ calls doomed Rain or Shine in Game Two, says ejected Yeng Guiao

Rey Joble, InterAKTV · Friday, December 21, 2012 · 9:16 pm

AKTV file/Paolo Papa

It was Yeng Guiao’s turn to lose his cool in the Philippine Cup semifinals.
The fiery Rain or Shine coach spent most of the second half of the Elasto Painters’ loss to San Mig Coffee in the SM Mall of Asia Arena press room after picking up his second technical foul in the third quarter.
The Elasto Painters suffered one of their worst losses since Guiao took over as coach, yielding a 106-82 result.
“We just got frustrated with the calls. We felt that they were allowing too much contact against us while we couldn’t defend them with the same amount of contact they were giving us,” he said.
More than James Yap’s 34-point explosion or the Mixers’ balanced attack, Guiao said the mental aspect of the game did his players in.
“The blowout was caused by the mental breakdown on our part and our frustration with the officiating,” he said.
Guiao said he doesn’t want to spend time thinking about the refereeing for the series.
“I think that’s the league’s job,” said Guiao. “Our job is to correct our mistakes. The league’s job is the officiating. Yan ang trabahong iiwanan namin sa kanila. We will correct some things, but not the referees.”


http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/frustration-over-refs-calls-doomed-rain-or-shine-in-game-two-says-ejected-yeng-guiao

Post-game walkout no big deal, says San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone

Thursday, December 20, 2012 · 5:44 pm

AKTV/Paolo Papa

Coach Tim Cone leaving the arena in a huff without addressing the San Mig Coffee Mixers after a game is not new to hi players.
The coach downplayed the issue of his post-game walkout moments after San Mig Coffee’s loss in its Philippine Cup series opener to Rain or Shine Wednesday.
“I’ve done that a lot of times and for me, it has never been an issue,” said Cone.
Cone went straight to the parking lot after the final buzzer, a clear sign that he wasn’t satisfied with the way his team performed.
“Obviously, I was displeased with the way my team showed, not the way that I want it to see. But it’s no big deal. I gathered my team today in practice and tried to refocus ourselves for Game Two,” said Cone.
Whatever message Cone was trying to send wasn’t lost on his players, who admitted their lack of effort in Game One.
He expects a better performance from his team in the second game of the best-of-seven series.
“We’re not in the playoff mood yet. Hopefully we get our mood for Game Two,” he said.



http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/post-game-walkout-no-big-deal-says-san-mig-coffee-coach-tim-cone