MANILA, Philippines – The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters kept their hold on the second spot in the league standings after shooting their way past the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 97-82, in the 2016-17 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Elasto Painters used a huge third quarter to break the game open, while Jericho Cruz anchored a crucial fourth-quarter stretch to keep Phoenix at bay.
With the victory, Rain or Shine improved to 5-2, just behind defending champion San Miguel Beer in the team standings.
"I just told the players that we have to start the year with a win," said Rain or Shine head coach Caloy Garcia. "If you look at the standings, everybody is clogged up, so every win is important."
After leading by eight, 53-45, at the half, Rain or Shine opened the third period with 13 unanswered points to surge ahead by 21, 66-45, with 6:37 left in the game. Ronnie Matias played a key role in the run, scoring eight points including a three-pointer. Meanwhile, Jewel Ponferrada took charge on defense, registering three blocked shots in the frame, including back-to-back rejections of Mark Borboran.
They entered the final quarter with a 78-61 advantage.
In the final frame, Phoenix tried to claw their way back using a zone defense that compelled Rain or Shine to fire away from beyond the arc. The tactic worked early in the final period, as James Yap, Chris Tiu, and Jeff Chan all shot bricks, while rookie Matthew Wright took charge on offense for the Fuel Masters.
It was Wright's bucket with 6:07 left that made it a nine-point game, 72-81, but it would be the closest that Phoenix would come. Cruz scored all nine points in a 9-2 exchange that pushed their lead back to 18, 92-74, and the Fuel Masters would not threaten again.
It was an impressive win for an undermanned Rain or Shine squad, as usual mainstays Gabe Norwood (sore eyes) and Raymond Almazan (calf strain) were scratched from the line-up ahead of the contest.
But thanks to their bench, the Elasto Painters barely missed a beat. Rain or Shine wound up with a massive 56-28 advantage in bench points; Cruz alone had 21 points off the pine for his team while Yap added 10 markers. As a team, the Elasto Painters shot 41% from the field, and made 16 of their 47 three-point attempts.
"Siguro, may problema pa kami kasi when we had a lead, we tend to relax and we stop attacking," said Garcia. "Basically, that's the problem that I see right now. Hopefully, against San Miguel in our next game, we can come out stronger and be consistent in every quarter."
Rain or Shine led, 53-45, after a helter-skelter first half that saw them lead by as much as 13 points, 30-17, after rookie Mike Tolomia sparked an 11-0 run late in the opening frame. But behind Wright and Borboran, the Fuel Masters struck back in the second frame, and rookie Gelo Alolino made his mark off the bench as his floater at the 5:17 mark made it a one-point game, 38-39.
The Elasto Painters were able to pull away anew, thanks to triples from Ahanmisi and Chris Tiu. Rain or Shine also got a bit of a break just as the half ended, as JC Intal's lay-up was judged to have come after the buzzer.
Rain or Shine was unstoppable to start the third quarter, and their 21-point lead proved to be too much for Phoenix to overcome.
Wright finished with a career-best 26 points for Phoenix, but he shot only 10-of-29 from the field, though the rookie also added 12 rebounds and five assists. JC Intal and John Wilson each scored 10 points, but the Fuel Masters as a team shot only 32% from the field.
RAIN OR SHINE 97 - Cruz 21, Chan 12, Yap 10, Tolomia 9, Trollano 9, Washington 9, Matias 8, Ahanmisi 8, Tiu 6, Ponferada 3, Belga 2, Maiquez 0.
PHOENIX 82 - Wright 26, Intal 10, J. Wilson 10, Alolino 8, Baguio 8, Borboran 7, Torres 5, Enciso 3, Hayes 3, Caperal 2, W.Wilson 0, Lanete 0.
Quarter scores: 30-20, 53-45, 78-61, 97-82
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