NERVES of steel, a huge break and a controversial call allowed the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to emerge victorious from a dog fight.
The Elasto Painters barely escaped as they were able to bag a gut-wrenching squeaker against the feisty Phoenix Fuel Masters, 109-104, in a crucial tiff in the homestretch of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Jeff Chan had his best game of the tournament thus far, firing a conference-high 25 points, hitting all of his eight field goal attempts from the arc, to pace the Painters.
Mo Charlo scored on a go-ahead lay-up with 32.1 seconds left to give Rain or Shine the lead, 105-104. From there, a tumultuous finish followed.
It seemed that Phoenix gained the upper hand after import Kevinn Pinkney countered with a lay-up of his own with 17.9 seconds left to the joy of the Fuel Masters.
That joy was short lived though as the referees nullified Pinkney’s basket as they called an offensive interference after he touched the net while the ball was still bouncing above the rim. This allowed Rain or Shine to keep its slim lead in the closing seconds.
Left without a choice, Phoenix was forced to foul and Chan calmly sank two free throws to stretch Rain or Shine’s lead to three, 107-104.
Still with a chance, the Fuel Masters went to Pinkney again but he missed a potential-tying three-pointer, forcing the Fuel Masters to foul the Painters once more.
Raymund Almazan sank two more free throws in the dying seconds to finalize the count for Rain or Shine.
“It’s a hard struggle. I thought that the goal tending call was a break due for us,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao of how his team won in the closing seconds. “I felt sure that it was goal tending.”
The victory improved Rain or Shine’s standing. The Elasto Painters climbed to a three-way tie for fourth place with powerhouses Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. All three teams are carrying 5-4 slates at the moment with two games left to play each.
More importantly, the Elasto Painters placed a foot in the quarterfinals and another win will cement their place in the top eight.
Leading the standings are the Meralco Bolts (6-2), the San Miguel Beermen (4-2) and the Alaska Aces (5-3). The other teams include the Mahindra Enforcers (4-4), the NLEX Road Warriors (4-4), the Star Hotshots (4-4), Phoenix (3-6), the Blackwater Elite (3-7) and the GlobalPort Batang Pier (2-5).
Phoenix blew a golden chance of moving up the ladder and tying several teams as a win would have pushed them to a tie with Rain or Shine and Star. Instead, it remained at 10th with its chance of making it in the quarters slowly slipping away.
The game was hanging in the balance in the payoff period, with both teams separated by a just a point, 77-76, for the Painters. Rain or Shine proved to be steadier in the pressure-packed moments in the closing seconds where the game was decided.
Charlo added 17 points and Jericho Cruz 16 for the Painters’ cause.
The Elasto Painters slowly opened up a 39-31 advantage following a 12-4 run to begin the second period.
The Elasto Painters then established a double-digit lead, 50-39, after a triple from Paul Lee in the latter minutes of the second to tighten its hold of the contest that they methodically handled. At the half, Rain or Shine held on to a 54-45 cushion.
But Phoenix was energized coming off the locker room as it suddenly surged to begin the second half, going on an 18-8 run to snatch the lead from Rain or Shine, 63-62, after a JC Intal basket.
The game became a grind from there.
The scores:
RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO PAINTERS 109 – Chan 25, Charlo 17, Cruz 16, Almazan 10, Quinahan 8, Trollano 6, Belga 5, Norwood 5, Tiu 5, Ponferada 4, Ahanmisi 3, Lee 3, Nimes 2, Ibanes 0.
PHOENIX FUEL MASTERS 104 – Wilson 21, Garcia 20, Pinkney 20, Lanete 13, Intal 11, Baracael 8, Brondial 4, Monfort 4, Urbiztondo 3, Pennisi 0.
Quarter scores: 27-27, 54-45, 77-76, 109-104.