PBA: Rain or Shine wallops Petron, clinches top spot

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters leaned on a strong second half performance to overwhelm the Petron Blaze Boosters, 103-82 in Dumaguete City, locking up the top spot in the elimination round standings of the PBA Governors' Cup in the process.
 
Petron actually started the game well, racing to a 10-4 start early in the first quarter before Rain or Shine responded with their own run. Two free throws by Gabe Norwood tied it up before Jeff Chan hit a three to give the Elasto Painters the lead, 13-10.
 
Alex Cabagnot would respond a minute after with his version of a triple to tie the the game up yet again. The lead changes continued, before consecutive hits by Jireh Ibañez, Beau Belga and TY Tang gave Rain or Shine the lead at the end of the first period, 27-25.
 
Come the second quarter, Arwind Santos and Joseph Yeo teamed up to snatch the lead from Rain or Shine, 36-31. The Boosters then successfully protected the lead as import Eddie Basden's timely triples repelled any Rain or Shine surge.
 
The Elasto Painters erased Petron's slim 3-point halftime lead early in the third, going on a 12-3 run to get a comfortable nine point lead, 60-51. Petron never threatened in the third, as any conversion on their end was matched by a successful Rain or Shine play at the other end of the floor.
 
Staring at a 10-point deficit to start the final period, the Boosters found fuel in Jay Washington and Joseph Yeo, who hit clutch outside shots to reduce the lead to three, 76-73.
 
Rain or Shine would rally almost immediately, though, as four different players on the floor contributed to the 15-0 run to bury Petron in an ever bigger hole with less than five minutes left, 91-73.
 
Petron never recovered, as they were mostly limited to trips to the free throw line in the final minutes of the game while Rain or Shine's offense never wavered.
 
"We showed great character and I'm really happy with the way we played because we know Petron is one of the stronger teams in the league right now. I'm really proud of the way the boys played because it's a sign of the maturity of this team," said Rain or Shine Coach Yeng Guiao.

Playing without their top-flight number two overall pick Paul Lee, who was still out with a shoulder injury, the Elasto Painters got another explosive performance from a former number one overall draftee, Gabe Norwood, who dropped 16 points, along with sharp-shooter Jeff Chan.

Import Jamelle Cornley led all scorers with 22 markers.

Petron got 19 and 18 respectively from do-it-all forwards Jay Washington and Arwind Santos, but American Eddie Basden was held to just nine markers, with zero points in the second half.  

Currently at 7-1, Rain or Shine will still hold on to the top spot regardless of the result of their last game versus the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters, as they hold the tiebreaker over the B-MEG Llamados, having beaten them earlier in the conference.

Petron on the other hand fell to 4-4, with their last assignment being the unpredictable Air21 Express. — ELR/AMD, GMA News