INQUIRER Sports

GAMES FRIDAY (Cuneta Astrodome)

2:30 p.m.—Smart Gilas vs Coca-Cola

5 p.m.—Burger King vs Alaska

7:30 p.m.—Barangay Ginebra vs Barako Bull

WITH NEAR-IMPECCABLE SHOOTING IN the final quarter, San Miguel kept Rain or Shine still trying to find daylight.

Lordy Tugade hit all of his 16 points in the fourth period to carry the Beermen to a 93-77 victory Wednesday over the Elasto Painters for their third straight win in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup elimination at the Big Dome.

“As a coach, you’re not afraid to gamble because you know it will pay off,” Tanquingcen said when asked why he kept Tugade in the game despite a 0-of-5 clip in the first three periods.

“He’s the type of player who works on his game every day, even after practice when everyone has dressed up,” Tanquingcen, whose squad rose to 3-2, continued. “He was taking good shots (in the first three periods) but was just not making it.

“Sometimes, you just have to keep shooting to get out of it (slump).”

Tugade was so in target in the fourth period that even an alley-oop pass to Arwind Santos in a fastbreak play seemed to have gone in, with the basket credited to Santos only because he touched the ball in its downward path.

After being dragged into a 58-all game at the end of the third, the Beermen came out with all guns cocked and firing in the fourth, as Tugade hit all of his three triple attempts while Mike Cortez and Dennis Miranda canned two each.

Those baskets broke the collective backs of the Painters, who slumped to their fifth straight loss for the worst-ever start in franchise history.

The Painters had a couple of 0-4 starts in the past. Then known as the Welcoat Dragons, they finished at the bottom of their first four conferences.

San Miguel missed just three triple tries in the final 12 minutes, made half of six two-point attempts and bungled just 2-of-10 free throws in scoring 35 points and limiting the Painters to just 19 for the winning margin.

Rain or Shine played without head coach Caloy Garcia, who figured in a vehicular accident two nights ago at the Metrowalk in Pasig, leaving assistant Richard del Rosario to call the shots.

Cortez finished with 14 points, Dondon Hontiveros had 13, Arwind Santos 12 and Miranda 11 for the Beermen, who will clash with Sta. Lucia next.

Gabe Norwood led the Painters with 14 points and nine rebounds. Jeff Chan also had 14 coming off the bench.

The scores:

SAN MIGUEL 93—Tugade 16, Cortez 14, Hontiveros 13, Santos 12, Miranda 11, Seigle 10, Pena 6, Custodio 5, Villanueva 4, Racela 2, Eman 0, Pennisi 0.

RAIN OR SHINE 77—Norwood 14, Chan 14, Reyes 12, Telan 11, Laure 7, Mercado 6, Hrabak 6, Cruz 4, Tang 3, Arellano 0, Ibanes 0.

Quarters: 20-19,33-39, 58-58, 93-77