RAIN or Shine bucked a slow start and an early resistance from Mahindra before stepping on the gas in the third and cruising to a second straight victory, 107-94, to remain the early leader in the 2015 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum yesterday.
As in most of their games, the wealth was well distributed among the Elasto Painters. They drew 14 points and five rebounds from consistent veteran JR Quiñahan, who shot 6-of-7 from the field for 83 percent. Third overall pick Maverick Ahanmisi bounced back from a poor first game with a solid showing as he scored 14 points.
Following a so-so first half where they even trailed by double-digit early on, the Elasto Painters turned on the heat in a decisive third-quarter spurt to put the Enforcers away for good.
Entering the second half with only a four-point lead, Rain or Shine stamped its class in the third when it outplayed Mahindra. The Elasto Painters exploded for 41 points in the period compared to just 20 points by the Enforcers. Rain or Shine eventually held a commanding 79-64 advantage heading into the final period.
The experienced Elasto Painters held on from there and took care of business the rest of the way for a 2-0 start and keep its hold on the tournament lead. Mahindra started its campaign at 0-1 to drop to the bottom along with GlobalPort, Star, Talk ‘N Text and NLEX.
‘’Unti-unti nakukuha na namin yung laro namin. We’ll know where we’re at when we play the tough teams. This is a really good win for us,’’ said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao of his team’s second win. ‘’Everytime you play in this league against anyone, you give your hundred percent. Walang easy game talaga.’’
Games Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4:15 p.m. – NLEX vs. Barako Bull
7 p.m. – Meralco vs. San Miguel