PBA IMAGE/ Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines – Shooting the way it is capable of, Rain or Shine Tuesday night broke free in the third quarter for a 110-95 Game 4 victory over Powerade at the Smart Araneta Coliseum that squared their PBA Philippine Cup Final Four series at two games each.
The Elasto Painters got five players scoring in twin digits and were relentless on both ends all night as Rain or Shine bounced back from two straight heart-rending losses to grab momentum into what is now a best-of-three series starting Friday.
“We shot 10 percent from three-point distance the last game,” coach Yeng Guiao told reporters. “We worked harder and focused on the game and I knew that we wouldn’t be shooting 10 percent again today.”
Rain or Shine made 10-of-26 triple attempts and close to 52 percent of its two-point shots as the Painters zoomed to leads of as many as 20 points in the fourth period to win this one comfortably.
“Yes, I do,” Guiao said when asked if winning with such decisiveness meant more than the 2-2 score reflected on the standing. “It’s to build our confidence again. I told them before the game that if we should win this, let’s win it big.
“But it’s all psychological, and when it comes to the court again on Friday (for Game 5), we would have to work hard again.”
Jeff Chan hit three triples on the way to a team-high 19 points and super rookie Paul Lee, the goat in a 99-104 overtime loss in Game 3, came off the bench to scatter 15 that went with five rebounds and four assists.
Gabe Norwood had 11 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in his worthiest performance thus far in the series while Beau Belga was the last man in twin digits for Guiao with 10, with his triple at the final 9:21 mark handing the Painters
an 86-66 bubble.
“I just told him (Lee) that had he not committed that foul (on Gary David), we would have been 3-1 up today,” Guiao, who was fined a total of P80,000 for his latest tirade on the referees after Game 2, said jokingly.
If it was any consolation for Powerade superstar Gary David, he extended his string of 30-plus point games to six with 30, a modern day record.
The winner of this series will advance to face the winner of the Petron Blaze-Talk ‘N Text match-up which the Boosters lead, 2-1, after another high-wire victory Monday night.
Incidentally, the Boosters will gun for a third straight win that could practically write off the defending champion Tropang Texters in the only game scheduled at 6:45 p.m. today also at the Big Dome in Cubao.
The scores:
RAIN OR SHINE 110—Chan 19, Lee 15, Matias 12, Norwood 11, Belga 10, Tang 9, Quinahan 9, Rodriguez 6, Buenafe 6, Arana 5, Cruz 4, Ibanes 4, Uyloan 0, Jaime 0.
POWERADE 95—David 30, Lassiter 18, Kramer 12, Anthony 11, Casio 9, Vanlandingham 7, Lingganay 4, Adducul 2, Antonio 2, Martinez 0, Allera 0, Cruz 0, Crisano 0.
Quarters: 25-21, 53-45, 79-61, 110-95