For the seventh consecutive elimination game, Rain or Shine emerged victorious, with the seventh win being
the sweetest as they march directly to the semifinals. They beat the Ginebra Kings earlier, 100-90, at
the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
ROS dominance displayed
A 13-5 run started it all for the Elasto Painters. They never looked back after that, as they cruised via outside shots coming from their big men before the guards took over at the end of the first period. Beau Belga scored a quick nine points in the opening quarter alone via three triples. Jireh Ibanes, who averaged 4.3 points a game before today’s match, scored seven in the quarter.
The lead reached as many as 18 points after the opening tip before Ginebra mounted little rallies to trim
the deficit to 14, 22-36.
The scoring spree of Rain or Shine continued in the second period. The lead reached 21 at one point, but Ginebra was able to bring the lead back down to 14 at the half.
Fight back quarter
The hot shooting in the first half continued for the Elasto Painters as they fired on all cylinders to
grab a 23 point advantage to start the third quarter. But just when it looked like Rain or Shine was pulling away, Ginebra
woke up and went on a huge run to regain momentum and trim the deficit to a manageable 13 points.
Sophomore James Forrester provided the spark Ginebra needed defensively and offensively.
Ginebra fired five straight points to open the final period. They trimmed Rain or Shine’s advantage to
eight multiple times but Belga scored at will to lift his team past Ginebra, assuring them of a top two seat.
Belga had a season high 21 markers on a 4-of-6 shooting clip from beyond the arc to go with five boards.
Playoff overview
With the loss, Ginebra (6-5) will still have to wait for the result of the triple header on Tuesday to finally
determine its final rank. Rain or Shine, on the other hand, stands at first place as the Elasto Painters will
see if San Miguel can tie via a victory over Blackwater Elite. If the Beermen win, Alaska will slide to
third and Talk N’ Text will settle for fourth.
