RAIN or Shine’s Beau Belga gets sandwiched by San Miguel’s Chris Ross and Jun Mar Fajardo, who tries to drive around the screen in last night’s Game 2 at Smart Araneta Coliseum. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
RAIN or Shine coach Yeng Guiao could have written this story himself.
“It was almost the same story all over again, fortunately for us, this one had a different ending,” Guiao said last night, moments after his Elasto Painters avoided imploding for the second straight game and leveled their Final Four series with San Miguel Beer in the Smart Bro-PBA Philippine Cup.
The Painters again started hot to lead big and protected it this time, scoring a 105-97 win over the Beermen at Smart Araneta Coliseum to reduce their semifinal series to a best-of-five affair starting tomorrow.
“Had we been down 0-2, this series would have been over,” Guiao said. “You can’t come back against a team like San Miguel from 0-2. This win also gives us confidence that we can lead San Miguel by more than 20 in two games and that we have a chance in this series.”
Jeff Chan, after laying a big fat egg in a 105-109 Game 1 loss where the Painters blew a 91-71 lead at the start of the fourth quarter, hit all seven of his team-high 17 just when Rain or Shine looked ready to fold up again after leading by as large as 25 in the third.
June Mar Fajardo scored 38 points and had 17 rebounds in a 40-minute stint but missed five straight free throws, which could have gotten the Beermen closer in the fourth period.
“June Mar is almost unstoppable, but we need to keep him working, make life difficult for him,” Guiao said. “Our hope is that if we reach seven games, baka lantang gulay na din siya (Fajardo) nun.”
Rookie Don Trollano had two big baskets for the Painters in the fourth, including a three-pointer, and the Rain or Shine defense held sway to help preserve the victory.
Meanwhile, Alaska’s Calvin Abueva was slapped a total of P41,600 in fines yesterday for his role as the “instigator” in the fracas that triggered a near free-for-all in the first quarter of the Aces’ 100-76 Game 2 win over GlobalPort in their Final Four series Wednesday.
A total of P91,200 in fines was slapped by league commissioner Chito Narvasa on both teams for that one play that resulted in a league-record 13 technical fouls being called on players, coaching staff and officials.
It was Abueva, though, who drew the heaviest fine.
The Office of the Commissioner breakdown of his penalties: P20,000 for instigating the commotion, P10,000 for confronting GlobalPort alternate board member and vice chair Erick Arejola, another P10,000 for confronting Jay Washington and Anthony Semerad, and P1,600 for the technical foul.
Another Alaska mainstay, Vic Manuel, was fined P11,600 for twice shoving Washington. In all, Alaska paid a total of P74,000.
Meanwhile, the Aces will try to follow up on that convincing victory and take the lead in their best-of-seven series when Game 3 is played at Mall of Asia Arena today in Pasay.
Game time is 7 p.m. with Alaska installed as the solid favorite owing to the Game 2 win.
The scores:
RAIN OR SHINE 105—Chan 16, Trollano 13, Quinahan 12, Lee 11, Almazan 10, Norwood 10, Ahanmisi 9, Cruz 8, Belga 7, Ponferada 6, Tiu 3.
SAN MIGUEL BEER 97—Fajardo 38, Cabagnot 24, Lassiter 13, Santos 10, Tubid 7, Lutz 3, Espinas 2, Arana 0, De Ocampo 0, Heruela 0, Reyes 0, Ross 0, Omolon 0.
Quarters: 31-15, 49-34, 79-65, 105-97