Rain or Shine went on a scintillating fourth quarter burst to pull off a 101-87 victory over TNT for its first win in the 2016-17 PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Painters showed a balanced score sheet led by Jericho Cruz, who had 18 points, two rebounds and 7-of-13 shooting from the floor. Beau Belga added 14, while three other Elasto Painters figured in double-digits scoring.
“It was a good game since we played a strong team like TNT but it doesn’t stop with one game. Hopefully players come up with the same character and intensity,” said new head coach Caloy Garcia after the win.
The Elasto Painters fired 35 points in the payoff period and limited TNT to 12, overhauling the strong defense they used to begin the game.
Rain or Shine’s defense forced an offensive crawl in the first quarter. KaTropa only had 12 points in the opening period, while rookie Mike Tolomia made his presence felt in his debut, scoring the last six points of the first to pad an eight-point Elasto Painter cushion.
As TNT relied on inside scoring, Rain or Shine sprayed triples to avert KaTropa’s run. Jericho Cruz converted on a three-point play in addition to a three-ball from Gabe Norwood to extend their lead to as high as 11 during the first half at 37-26.
Offense finally picked up for KaTropa after a dud in the first half, as Ranidel De Ocampo, Mo Tautuaa, and Larry Fonacier’s combined efforts successfully knotted the game at 51 in the middle of the third period. Fortunately for Rain or Shine, they entered the final quarter up by nine courtesy of a big 15-6 run which mostly came from their aggression and free throw hits.
In a blink of an eye, Rain or Shine took charge and pulled away for good in the final frame wherein they created separation with the long ball. Five hits from beyond-the-arc quickly restored a double-digit spread, while Beau Belga, Gabe Norwood and Jay Washington buried big shots down the stretch.
Rain or Shine converted on 20-of-26 attempts from the foul stripe, which were seven more points compared to TNT’s 13-of-16 clip. They also shot better with a 44 percent performance against TNT’s 37 percent.
“Yun lang naman talaga hinihingi ko sa players na just play with fire,” Garcia furthered. “Ayoko nagre-relax. I wanna give everyone playing time and it’s gonna be a difficult task and basically we just have to work for it.”
Jayson Castro did not suit up due to rest, while new Elasto Painter James Yap is still recovering from a knee surgery. Both stars are reported probable to play on their respective team’s third game of the season.
Rain or Shine(1-0) will next face the Mahindra Floodbuster next Wednesday at Antipolo, while TNT KaTropa (0-1) seeks for its first win of the season against the Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel on Sunday at the Big Dome.
The Scores:
Rain or Shine (101) – Cruz 18, Belga 14, Almazan 13, Norwood 13, Tolomia 11, Ahanmisi 10, Washington 9, Ponferada 6, Chan 5, Tiu 2, Trollano 0, Matias 0.
TNT KaTropa (87) – De Ocampo 24, Rosario 16, Pogoy 9, Fonacier 9, Ganuelas-Rosser 8, Reyes 7, Williams 6, Tautuaa 4, Seigle 0
Quarterscores: 20-12, 42-35, 66-57, 101-87
