Gary David, who dropped another 30 point performance, vs Jireh Ibanez. Photo by Nuki Sabio, PBA
MANILA, Philippines—Coach Bo Perasol challenged Marcio Lassiter and got more than what he asked for.
The rookie wingman bounced back from a forgettable outing and joined forces with Gary David as Powerade outlasted Rain Or Shine, 121-113, and tied their best-of-seven series in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
David registered his fourth straight 30-plus game with 32 points, while Lassiter, hardly a factor in Game 1 with two points, posted a career-high 30 markers, the highest output for a freshman this conference.
“People were asking why Marcio gets lost when it comes to critical games and that was his response,” said Perasol, whose Tigers overcame a lethargic opening quarter before surging from behind in the second half.
Lassiter displayed a wide range of offensive repertoire, dropping 15 points in the third period that went along with David’s 13 in that span as the Tigers surprisingly built several double-digit spreads.
Celino Cruz drilled back-to-back triples that produced Powerade’s biggest lead of the night, 97-81, but Rain Or Shine, which took Game 1 with ease, wasn’t done yet.
Ronjay Buenafe unloaded 12 of his 25 points in the final eight minutes while getting help from super rookie Paul Lee and forward Larry Rodriguez as Rain or Shine threatened at 112-117.
But Sean Anthony swatted away a Rodriguez attempt under rim and the Tigers safely coasted home.
“Honestly, I don’t think we did something really significant. We just equalized the series,” said Perasol.
“I just keep reminding my players that we have a good chance to get to the finals and made them understand that this chance doesn’t come often,” he added.
Jeffrey Chan, who erupted for 27 points in the series opener, was out of the loop for Rain or Shine after going scoreless on 0 of 4 shooting.
The scores:
POWERADE 121—David 32, Lassiter 30, Anthony 11, Kramer 11, Casio 10, Cruz 9, Adducul 7, Lingganay 3, Vanlandingham 3, Antonio 3, Crisano 2.
RAIN OR SHINE 113—Buenafe 25, Lee 23, Rodriguez 20, Matias 13, Belga 11, Norwood 8, Arana 7, Tang 4, Cruz 2, Chan 0, Ibanes 0.
Quarters: 28-34, 57-58, 91-79, 121-113