CLIFF Hodge of Meralco splits the defense of Paul Lee (left) and Beau Belga of Rain or Shine. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
ASIDE from Rain or Shine’s slow start, there was only one other thing that coach Yeng Guiao didn’t like despite taking a 2-0 lead over Meralco in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four series.
The Elasto Painters trailed for the whole of the first half before hitting their stride and going on to rip the Bolts, 92-82, at Smart Araneta Coliseum last night, to move within another victory of a sweep and a place in the title series for the first time since the Governors’ Cup last season.
Rain or Shine shot better from three-point range than from the two-point zone, making 19-of-38 attempts from beyond the arc with most of them coming in the final two quarters that completely befuddled the Meralco defense.
The potential series-clinching game is slated tomorrow at 7 p.m. also at the fabled Big Dome floor in Cubao.
Guiao wants to make sure that one man is not there.
“Twice now [in the playoffs], referee (Ray) Yante said I used profane language,” Guiao said. “He’s a barefaced liar. I don’t know where he got that. You cannot invent calls and he was just inventing calls.
“That’s dangerous for a referee,” added Guiao, who was also slapped a technical for the same violation by Yante in their quarterfinal match against Barangay Ginebra. “We will request the PBA to not let him officiate in any more of our games.”
Gamble pays off
Paul Lee scored 23 points built around a 5-of-7 clip from three-point range and the hot Best Player of the Conference candidate canned two of those in shot clock-beating style that knocked some of the wind off the sails of the Bolts.
Meralco tried doubling Wayne Chism the entire game and paid the price for it when the local Elasto Painters caught fire from afar as Jonathan Uyloan and Jericho Cruz nailed three triples each and Chris Tiu two.
“We won the gamble when we made our outside shots,” Guiao said.
“They (Bolts) took a risk in double-teaming Wayne. If it we did not make our outside shots, it would have been different,” Guiao added.
Chism was held down to his lowest output of the conference of 11 but had 18 rebounds and six assists.
Of the 44 teams that have fallen 0-2 in a best-of-three series, only three have overturned such a deficit.
Purefoods eyes 2-0, too
Meanwhile, defending champion Purefoods guns for a similar 2-0 lead over Talk ‘N Text today in the other half of the Final Four that is equally matched.
The Star Hotshots and the Tropang Texters slug it out at 7 p.m. in the same venue.
Josh Davis scored 25 points and had 17 rebounds and Gary David tossed in 17 for the Bolts, who shot 47 in the first half but were held down to just 35 in the final two frames.
The scores:
RAIN OR SHINE 92—Lee 23, Cruz Jericho 15, Chism 11, Tiu 10, Uyloan 9, Belga 7, Quinahan 6, Norwood 5, Ibanes 3, Tang 3, Teng 0, Arana 0, Cruz Jervy 0, Almazan 0.
MERALCO 82—Davis 25, David 17, Hugnatan 12, Wilson 7, Cortez 6, Caram 5, Hodge 2, Anthony 2, Ildefonso 2, Sena 2, Ferriols 2, Macapagal 0.
Quarters: 16-27, 44-47, 76-61, 92-82