INQUIRER Photo/ August dela Cruz
MANILA, Philippines—The defensive game plan took quite a long time in coming for Rain or Shine, but once it did, there was no stopping the Elasto Painters.
Rain or Shine came back from deficits of as many as 15 points early in the third period Wednesday night by shutting down Powerade in the final 22 minutes for a 114-97 victory and a 1-0 lead in their PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series at the Cuneta Astrodome.
“We almost gave up on our defensive game plan,” coach Yeng Guiao told reporters after allowing 54 Powerade points in the first half. “We tried it out for the first couple of minutes of the third period and it worked.”
Not only that, the Painters got all the scoring boost they needed from super rookie Paul Lee, who finished with a career-high 25 markers despite scoring just three points in the first half that ended in favor of the Tigers, 54-43.
Lee, the second overall choice in the Draft, scored 15 of his total in the fourth period when the Painters broke away as Rain or Shine made sure that not only did it win Game 1, but it also put a dent in the psyche of the Tigers going into Friday’s second game.
“This is our objective, to put the pressure on them by forcing them to make adjustments (with a Game 1 win),” Guiao added. “You always stack up the odds in your favor if you win. You feel a little more comfortable, but it’s still far from over.”
Rain or Shine’s 71 second half points tied the season record the Painters themselves established in a 44-point win over Meralco in the elimination round.
Jeff Chan led the Painters with 27 points, 10 of them coming in the third period when they doggedly tried to nibble away at a 44-59 deficit with 10:44 left in the quarter after a triple by No. 1 Draft choice JV Casio.
Gary David, the tournament’s leading scorer, got away with 30 points, but Guiao’s defensive ploy of shutting down his support cast worked to perfection as David seemed like a spent dog in the final two periods and was clearly forcing the issue.
Rain or Shine held Casio to 12 total points and the second prolific rookie for the Tigers, Marcio Lassiter, was starved to just two points, clearly spelling the difference in the game.
The scores:
RAIN OR SHINE 114—Chan 27, Lee 25, Rodriguez 16, Belga 9, Araña 8, Cruz 7, Quiñahan 6, Ibanes 5, Tang 4, Norwood 3, Buenafe 2.
POWERADE 97—David 30, Lingganay 12, Vanlandingham 12, Casio 12, Anthony 8, Kramer 8, Adducul 6, Antonio 5, Lassiter 2, Crisano 2, Cruz 0.
Quarters: 25-29, 43-45, 78-76, 114-97