Rain or Shine formalized its entry to the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup quarterfinals after surviving a brave endgame stand by a desperate Blackwater, 125-123, in a Saturday night nail-biter at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The Elasto Painters almost lost an 11-point lead they held with less than three minutes left as the Bossing roared back and got to within a point, 124-123, with exactly 18 seconds left after a Dalph Panopio three to end the break.
(C) PBA Images
They even caught a tough break when Adrian Nocum failed to go 2-for-2 from the line that could’ve widened the lead to three. In the end, defense and luck proved good enough of a combo for the crew to escape with the crucial win.
RoS prevented Sedrick Barefield from getting the best look from deep as time expired, eventually joining Magnolia and Phoenix Super LPG as the teams from the pool that are headed to the final eight that starts next week.
Interestingly, those same teams would be their final two assignments of the eliminations, with their sights set on clinching the best possible finish.
“We have two more games; we’re just looking to get the best finish,” said head coach Yeng Guiao, whose team has tied the Fuel Masters at no. 2 in Group B as they sport 5-3 records. “Kung kaya naming ipanalo, susubukan namin.”
Aaron Fuller led Rain or Shine with 24 points and 19 rebounds as the veteran import led the fourth-quarter pullaway before the game became close.
Caelan Tiongson produced 22 points on top of three rebounds and three assists, with Nocum delivering 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
Felix Lemetti supplied 17 points. Mike Malonzo made 13 points and five rebounds while Deo Cuajao and Andrei Caracut added at least 10 markers apiece for a team that survived 21 turnovers to hack out the win.
“Marami pang kailangang i-improve. Na-survive namin ‘yung 21 turnovers. Mabuti na lang kahit 21 turnovers, naipanalo pa namin,” Guiao exhaled.
(C) PBA Images
Import Kentrell Barkley and Barefield, on the other hand, finished with 35 and 31 points, respectively, for Blackwater, which fell to its third successive defeat and is now placing dead last in the six-team Group B with a 3-6 record,
RK Ilagan had 24 points while Panopio added 13 for the Bossing, who now have no choice but to beat Ginebra (3-5) on October 23 to stay in contention.
The Scores:
Rain or Shine 125 – Fuller 24, Tiongson 22, Nocum 20, Lemetti 17, Malonzo 13, Cuajao 11, Caracut 10, Clarito 5, Manaytay 3, Villegas 0, Santillan 0.
Blackwater 123 – Barkley 35, Barefield 31, Ilagan 24, Panopio 13, Una 8, Tratter 4, Austria 3, Escoto 2, David 2, Murrell 1, Demusis 0, DiGregorio 0, Mendoza 0, Montalbo 0, Cruz-Dumont 0.
Quarterscores: 33-36, 65-64, 95-91, 125-123.
