PBA: Rain or Shine, B-MEG contest ticket to Governors’ Cup Finals

One more victory takes you straight into the Finals. Lose and you get forced into a Friday win-or-go-home situation.

The suddenly skidding Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and a resolute B-MEG Llamados squad do battle on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with a Finals spot and the bonus of extra days to prepare, on the line, as the 2012 PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals winds down.



Clutch play got the Elasto Painters the overtime victory when these two teams first clashed. B-MEG still had a lingering championship hangover, as they allowed RoS to build an early 16-point lead, 40-24, but the Llamados managed to overturn it late in the fourth quarter, erecting an 80-76 advantage, courtesy of Yancy De Ocampo.

Rain or Shine then drew offense from an unlikely source: defensive stopper Ryan Arana, who scored the Elasto Painters’ last five points in regulation. James Yap got an opportunity to hit a game-winning triple, but he missed, sending things into overtime.

There, it was Gabe Norwood who would hit a monster triple, one that broke a 92-all deadlock. It was enough to wake his teammates up, serving as the catalyst for the decisive 8-2 finishing blow, one that forced the Llamados to start their Governors’ Cup campaign with a loss.

Injuries to Marc Pingris and Joe Devance didn’t quite hinder the Llamados, as they still managed to out-score Rain or Shine in second-chance points, 16 to 6, but it did shorten their rotation substantially, resulting in the lopsided bench production disparity.

Also worth noting is the fact that both teams left a lot of points on the court. The Elasto Painters could have conceivably won in regulation had they just hit their charities. On the other hand, B-MEG doubled the amount of steals their opponents forced, and yet somehow, trailed their opponent in turnover points, 11 to 19.



How each team denies their opponent certain aspects of the game will decide this match, but the addition of Pingris manning the low block again could very well tip things in favor of B-MEG when this game kicks off.

B-MEG will have the advantage when it comes to rebounding, both defensive and offensive, and as a result, will likely dominate the second-chance points category, behind their import Marqus Blakely and the aforementioned Pingris. Meanwhile, a host of defensive-minded guards will be doing their thing out on the perimeter, bullying opponents into the lowest three-point shooting percentage in the league.

Rain or Shine on the other hand, will be out to deny B-MEG easy scoring opportunities. The Elasto Painters’ transition defense is tops in the league, allowing just 8.54 fast break points and 10.77 points off turnovers. Factor in that B-MEG is worst in the league at scoring off opponents’ errors, and you have a situation where the Llamados will have to be able to execute in the half court, because they won’t be getting anything easy on the run.


X-Factors

B-MEG’s big men “Big Three” - Marc Pingris, Rafi Reavis, Yancy De Ocampo

Pingris, Reavis, De Ocampo	Points	O. Rebs	D. Rebs	Assists	Blocks
Versus Ginebra (July 15)	39	8	19	11	2

In their season opener against Rain or Shine, the Llamados just barely lost the rebounding war, and that was without Marc Pingris lined-up. With him back in the fold, the B-MEG local frontline becomes that much more intimidating, especially against a Rain or Shine team which ranks last in offensive rebounds (just 12.15 per game).


Big game Gabe? - If injuries rock Rain or Shine, Norwood needs to step up

Gabe Norwood	Pts	FG%	FTM/A	Rebs	Asts	Stls	TOs
With Paul Lee injured	15.5	57.14%	6/7	4.0	4.5	1.0	1.0

 
In the two games where rookie sensation Paul Lee was sidelined with injury (Eight minutes versus Barako Bull, DNP versus Petron), former number one overall pick Gabe Norwood played some of his best ball, flashing impressive figures across the board. The status of Lee and shooter Jeff Chan for this game is questionable, and if one or both of them are out, the Elasto Painters’ best chance of winning lies in this guy’s hands. - GMA News