Rain or Shine goes up, 3-0

CYRUS Baguio of Alaska goes for a reverse against the defense of Rain or Shine’s Jireh Ibañes in Game Three of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

RAIN or Shine didn’t need Paul Lee in the endgame on this one.

The Elasto Painters last night broke away in the second quarter and hung tough in the stretch for a 112-108 victory and a commanding 3-0 lead over Alaska in their best-of-seven title series for the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Rain or Shine used a 27-point lead as buffer against a searing Alaska finish and let Lee—the hero in Games 1 and 2—cool his heels when the Aces made their last-gasp stand for the final score that did not mirror the dominance the Painters played with all night.

Using one scorching stretch late in the second period, the Painters broke away from a 35-37 game with a 22-5 run before keeping the Aces within arm’s length until the dying minutes when Rain or Shine suddenly played without focus.

“It’s a good thing that we had that big lead,” Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao said. “We really did not finish this game well. It’s still a win and we can win a championship (tomorrow), that’s what’s most important.”

Rain or Shine hit 9-of-11 attempts from the field during that blitzkrieg, going 6-for-6 from beyond the arc to close out the half with a 62-47 bubble. The Painters kept applying the heat in the third and even led, 95-68, with under two minutes left.

Alaska, which has been winless in its last seven Finals games—a new league record—still refused to call it a night despite the tremendous odds it faced and battled all the way until the end.

RJ Jazul scored 12 points and Rob Dozier and Chris Banchero seven each in the final frame that made the outcome more respectable.

But it still failed to change the fact that the Aces are now forced into a position to do what San Miguel Beer did to them in the Philippine Cup Finals, and that is to win the last four games for an improbable comeback.

“It can happen again and that’s what’s going to be in our minds,” Guiao said of a comeback from three games down in a best-of-seven series. “We don’t want to be in that position (of losing a 3-0 lead).

The scores:
RAIN OR SHINE 112—Quiñahan 18, Cruz 17, Henderson-Niles 11, Lee 10, Norwood 9, Belga 8, Tiu 8, Ahanmisi 7, Almazan 7, Chan 6, Ibañes 6, Ponferada 5, Nimes 0.
ALASKA 108—Dozier 23, Abueva 20, Banchero 15, Jazul 14, Baguio 9, Hontiveros 9, Thoss 7, Exciminiano 5, Baclao 4, Dela Rosa 2.
Quarters: 28-28, 62-47, 95-72, 112-108