Sports: Rain or Shine a Win Away From First Ever PBA Crown
No doubt about it, but the Rain or Shine quintet of owners Terry Que and
Raymond Yu is definitely for real in the Governors Cup finals with its duel
against B-Meg heading for a surprise rout!
This after the Elasto Painters just came back from 17 points down in the first half to subdue the reigning Commissioner’s Cup titlists in a thrilling 94-89 triumph during last Sunday’s Game 5 at the Big Dome.
Game time will be at 6:45 tomorrow evening with B-Meg expected to go all-out in order to avoid an early knockout at the hands of the first timers in Rain or Shine when the two teams collide at the Smart Araneta Coliseum before an expected sellout crowd.
Best Import of the Conference winner Jamelle Cornley and Most Improved Player awardee Jeffrei Chan are anticipated to lead the Elasto Painters’ charge in trying to dispatch of the Llamados sans Rookie of the Year Paul Lee who’s still out due to a shoulder injury.
Cornley typified Rain or Shine’s never-say-die attitude ‘ala’ Barangay Ginebra in Game 5 when the American import connived with reserves TY Tang and JR Quinahan in that big second-quarter comeback by ROS to take a 47-45 halftime lead after trailing, 30-17, at the end of the opening quarter.
And just when everybody inside the decades-old arena in Cubao thought Rain or Shine has yielded the game to the Llamados after B-Meg erected several sizable double-digit leads right in the first 12 minutes of play, Cornley, Tang and Quiñahan came to the Elasto Painters’ rescue by scoring shot after shot in the second period.
Tang sizzled for 11 markers in the game including a perfect 2-of-2 successfrom downtown, while the Cebuano Quiñahan added nine points in 18 minutes spiked by a swashbuckling trey before halftime.
In the third, Rain or Shine kept B-Meg at bay while outscoring the Llamados in the payoff canto, 20-17, to notch its third win in four games in the championship series for an almost insurmountable 3-1 advantage.
The muscular-built Cornley led Coach Yeng Guiao’s charges in scoring once again as he sizzled for 23 points on a 52.6% field goal clip while collecting 14 caroms and dishing off five assists. Gabe Norwood and Ronjay Buenafe added 18 and 13 markers, respectively, in the match including five triples between them.
The game was, however, punctuated by an ugly headbutting incident involving Marc Pingris of the Llamados and Ryan Arana of the Elasto Painters which meted a flagrant foul for the former Philippine School of Business Administration stalwart in ‘Sakuragi’ (Pingris).
Before I end, let me extend my appreciation to those who supported our UNO-R School of Law Acquaintance Party last Saturday namely Mayor Jose Maria Alonso of Pontevedra, Mayor Alberto Nicor of La Castellana, Police Senior Superintendent Ricardo Dela Paz of the Bacolod City Police Office, Police Senior Superintendent Milko Lirazan of NOPPO, Fire Superintendent Fred Trajeras, former Valladolid Mayor Ricardo Presbitero, Police Chief Inspector Gabriel Gutierrez, Police Chief Inspector Eduardo Corpuz, Police Senior Inspector Albert Sy, as well as law school alumni like Atty. JV Hinlo, Prosecutor Ma.Christy Uriarte and Judge Cyclamen Fernandez.*
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