Painters oust Mixers, reach PH Cup Finals

GABE Norwood of Rain or Shine goes after James Yap of San Mig Coffee in last night’s match at Mall of Asia Arena. EDWIN BELLOSILLO

RELENTLESS on both ends, Rain or Shine practically ran San Mig Coffee to the ground last night and tore the Mixers apart in the final two periods of a 90-83 victory that put the Elasto Painters in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

The Painters played with frenetic pace and found the Mixers ripe for the picking in the final quarter, breaking free in the final eight minutes to wrap up their best-of-seven Final Four series at Mall of Asia Arena at 4-2.

“We had a very simple game plan, and that was to keep running the whole game and keep the pace fast,” coach Yeng Guiao said. “We wanted them to keep chasing us because I felt that after one or one-and-a-half quarters, they were going to tire out.”

Jeff Chan scored 27 points and Paul Lee hit 15 as the duo snapped out of their slump to lead the Painters to a crack at a second straight championship—a shot at a first all-Filipino crown for the franchise and also the first for Guiao.

So dominating were the Painters that heading into the final four minutes, they had a 27-0 advantage in the second chance points department. Rain or Shine also finished the game with a 62-48 edge off the boards against the much bigger Mixers.

James Yap’s struggles were highlighted yet again in the game, as he was starved to just six points in 39 minutes by a defensive rotation that hounded him all series long.

Yap did tie the game for the last time at 73 after completing a three-point play off Ryan Arana with 8:50 to go, but Rain or Shine broke away from there with 11 unanswered points to put the game away.

The scores:

RAIN OR SHINE 90—Chan 27, Lee 15, Cruz 14, Norwood 10, Belga 7, Quiñahan 5, Rodriguez 4, Tang 3, Araña 3, Ibañes 2, Tiu 0, Matias 0.

SAN MIG COFFEE 83—Simon 29, Pingris 15, Devance 14, Barroca 6, Intal 6, Yap 6, Reavis 4, Villanueva 3, Gaco 0, De Ocampo 0.

Quarters: 19-22, 48-52, 71-68, 90-83