Towering import Denzel Bowles came up with a solid double-double performance to lead the defending champions San Mig Coffee Mixers to a vengeful, 86-66 win over the Air21 Express last night in the 38th PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
The reigning Best Import awardee tallied 29 points and 16 rebounds as the Coffee Mixers avenged their, 82-87 loss to the same Air21 squad last March 20.
More importantly, the Mixers kept alive their bid of a top four finish in the playoffs, tallying their second straight victory and seventh overall in 13 games that pushed them to solo fifth place.
San Mig’s last elimination round assignment will be against Meralco Bolts on April 13.
The Coffee Mixers had a slim 20-16 lead after the opening period but started to break the game wide open in the next quarter, closing the first two periods with a 39-29 lead.
San Mig went into the fourth with a 15-point spread, 60-45 and the lead ballooned to as big as 18 points before the Express cut the deficit to 10, 74-64, but with only 2:04 left.
Marc Pingris scored 14 points, while PJ Simon added 12 for the Coffee Mixers.
Niño Canaleta led the way for the Express with 26 markers while Michael Dunigan tallied 18 points. Dunigan had 25 points and 20 rebounds when the Express nipped the Coffee Mixers in their first encounter.
The Express have lost their last three games since putting up a four-game win streak but remained at seventh place with a 5-8 record, just half game ahead of the Barako Bull Energy Colas (4-8).
Air21 will cap its elimination round campaign with match-up against the Petron Blaze Boosters. Barako Bull has two games left against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Globalport Batang Pier.
The bottom two teams after the 14-game elimination round will be booted out.
Globalport is already out of contention after losing 10 of its first 12 games.