Yap, Simon explode as Mixers pummel Kings for finals berth

Game Friday, Feb. 14 (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

8 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs San Mig Coffee

MANILA, Philippines – San Mig Coffee, largely behind the extra hot shooting of gunners James Yap and PJ Simon, fashioned out a record Game Seven triumph before a record crowd, torching Barangay Ginebra, 110-87, to clinch the second berth in the PLDT MyDSL PBA Philippine Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.

A new record crowd of 24,883 stood as witness as the Mixers pulled off the most lopsided win in a deciding Game Seven in league history to advance to the finals against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

Yap and Simon showed up in their meanest form together in a long while, combining for 58 points as the Governors Cup titleholders reigned over the Gin Kings and lined themselves up for a possible first-ever back-to-back championships.

The Mixers disposed off the playoffs top seeds and set a rematch of their 2012 third conference finals showdown with the Elasto Painters.

San Mig Coffee and Rain or Shine start their best-of-seven titular series tomorrow also at the Big Dome.

“We just had too much James (Yap) and too much PJ (Simon). Whatever they ate, we’ve got to find out and let them eat every game,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone, refusing to take any credit on their dominant showing in what's expected to be a battle.

“Never I my life I’d seen a shooting like that, not in my career specially in a Game Seven,” Cone also said. “It’s a great shooting, not great coaching. I didn’t do anything out there.”

Yap fired 30 points on 7-of-10 three-point shooting and 4-of-8 two-point clip while Simon rifled in 28 on 11-of-15 field goals – the most dominant performance by a duo in a Game Seven since Danny Seigle and Dondon Hontiveros produced 36 and 31 in the 2007 Philippine Cup.

Behind an impressive, quick ball movement, the Mixers converted 60 percent of their shots as against the Kings’ 38.6-percent marksmanship.

“We’re worried we’re playing well, and they’re still right there eight and 10 points behind. I was thinking if we don’t break away, it might turn ugly and nasty. But we never cooled down,” said Cone.

The Mixers sustained a torrid shooting throughout, erasing the 19-point wins in a Game Seven by Presto and San Miguel Beer in 1990 and 1992, respectively.

The Mixers took control early, opening double-digit spreads right in the opening quarter and closing the half at 57-44.

The Mixers issued 20 assists in the first two quarters with Yap and Reavis mostly the recipients, combining for more than half of San Mig’s first-half output.

For the record, San Mig averaged only 17.8 assists a game before this game.

Reavis scored all of San Mig’s first four field-goal baskets underneath on drop passes by Yap, Simon and Joe Devance.

And as Yap started his hot outside shooting, the Mixers erected a commanding 26-15 lead.

The Kings caught up at 32-all on a 12-4 start in the second period but the Mixers pulled away again, 48-35, as Yap went firing again coming back from a brief rest.