Mixers ace rookie PBA week’s best

MANILA, Philippines - Rookie Ian Sangalang continued to dish out big games following his remarkable stint in San Mig Super Coffee’s PBA Philippine Cup title run last month, thus helping the team gain the early boost in their bid for a second straight championship while firming up his spot in the team’s rotation.

His improved play was also evident in the Mixers’ sweep of their first two games in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup with the No. 2 rookie overall pick in last year’s draft playing like a veteran during the team’s opening game for the import-laden conference, finishing with 16 points on seven-of-nine field goal attempts. He also snared five rebounds to help San Mig smash winless Globalport, 91-75, on Wednesday.

Sangalang, the one-time NCAA MVP, then followed up his huge performance against Globalport with a dominant fourth quarter show last Sunday, scoring eight points in a critical run that allowed San Mig to rout Barangay Ginebra, 90-80. He finished the game with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Sangalang’s coming-out-party in just his second conference in the pro league earned him his very first Accel-PBA Press Corps PBA Player of the Week for the period of March 10-16.

“Ian gave us a huge lift and got us that lead in the fourth quarter,” Cone recalled, after the team’s first meeting with Ginebra since their tightly fought seven-game Philippine Cup semifinal series recently.

“He just doesn’t blink in the fourth quarter. When the pressure is on, it doesn’t matter who is guarding him whether it’s Japeth or the import. He just doesn’t back down, he’s not afraid,” added the beaming San Mig coach.

The 6’5” former San Sebastian star forward averaged 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in the first two games of the conference, numbers that could easily make the Mixers a solid title contender for the Commissioner’s Cup.