PBA: Rain or Shine wins to extend GlobalPort's losing streak to four games

 

Rain or Shine saw their 17-point halftime lead get slashed to two, before clutch treys from Gabe Norwood and Chris Tiu gave the Elasto Painters a win against the skidding GlobalPort Batang Pier, 103-95, on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Down by as much as 21 points, GlobalPort used a 35-21 third quarter to get within four points heading into the final period. Trailing 93-89 with three minutes to play, Will Antonio nailed a trey to bring GlobalPort within one point, but the Batang Pier, who had been leaning on three-pointers in the final quarter, missed their next three tries from downtown. In contrast, good ball movement on the part of Rain or Shine gave Chris Tiu an open three-pointer with just over a minute remaining, 96-92. After a Batang Pier turnover, Jervy Cruz nailed a baseline jumper to bring the lead to six. Antonio fished an and-one on the other end, but Bruno Sundov and Gabe Norwood countered with a high-low play that netted Norwood the hoop and the harm, 101-95, with 11 seconds remaining. GlobalPort went to Gary David for a three-pointer, but his attempt fell short. Batang Pier was forced to foul Tiu with 2.2 seconds on the clock, and the rookie promptly made two charities to settle the final score. Tiu was named Player of the Game after tallying 16 points, including 10 markers in the final period. The combo guard also dished four assists and made 3-of-7 tries from downtown. Bruno Sundov led the Elasto Painters in scoring with 17 points, 15 rebounds and four assists. Jervy Cruz tallied 15 points and five boards, while Gabe Norwood added 13 points and six rebounds. "We really got a scare in the second half. We kind of relaxed when we got the big lead," said Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao. "We're also lucky that their import didn't make that much of a contribution, but their locals were doing well. "We had a hard time breaking their momentum when they were making their run." Guiao credited their first half defense for giving them a big enough margin to survive until the end. "We had some difficulties with their zone [defense] in the second half, and it was just lucky that we hit some three-point shots to win this game for us," he added. The Elasto Painters briefly tied the Petron Blaze Boosters and the Alaska Aces atop the rankings with a 5-1 record. Those teams however will face off later this evening in a battle for the solo top spot, but Rain or Shine will remain steady at second place regardless of the outcome. Meanwhile, GlobalPort suffered their fourth straight loss in the conference (2-5) to remain in seventh place. GlobalPort tried to establish Justin Williams as an offensive option in the first quarter, but the import was shaky both from the field and the free throw line. Meanwhile, Rain or Shine spread the floor and created scoring chances in transition, as a long two from Bruno Sundov gave them an 11-5 lead. The Batang Pier bounced back with transition chances of their own, as Gary David capped a 7-3 run with a three-pointer to get within two. GlobalPort's inability to secure defensive boards allowed the Elasto Painters to pull away though, as Rain or Shine rattled off a 9-0 counter to lead by double digits, 23-12. Only Jondan Salvador would score from the field in the final four minutes , but free throws by Williams and Mark Yee sandwiched his bucket, allowing GlobalPort to inch closer, 23-17. Rain or Shine out-rebounded GlobalPort in the first quarter, 20-11, including an 8-0 advantage on the offensive glass. The Elasto Painters' extra possessions led to an 8-0 tally in second-chance points. Salvador and Will Antonio carried GlobalPort as both teams went back and forth in the second quarter. The pair scored eight points, but Batang Pier couldn't solve the Elasto Painters' well-spaced offense, as they still led 36-30 with under six minutes to play. Three minutes later, Rain or Shine stepped on the gas as Jervy Cruz came alive with seven straight points. Chris Tiu and Paul Lee added a trey each to make the bulk of a 12-5 run against a limping GlobalPort squad, 52-35. GlobalPort were 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) and tallied two assists in the second quarter, but the Elasto Painters were even more efficient on offense, making 10-of-18 field goals (55.6 percent) on six assists. Batang Pier made adjustments and fielded a small line-up in the third quarter. Sol Mercado was in his element, scoring in spectacular fashion. Backed up by David, Mercado scored 13 points in an 18-11 rally to cut their deficit to single digits, 64-55. Their momentum dissipated however, as Batang Pier was harried by foul trouble, while Gabe Norwood picked up Mercado on defense. Worse, GlobalPort head coach Junel Baculi was charged with a technical for protesting a missed out-of-bounds call, as Norwood allegedly blocked a three-point try by Mercado to cause the ball to fall out of bounds. TY Tang made the bonus free throw in the midst of a 9-5 counter with just over three minutes to play. GlobalPort had the last say though, as David, Aguilar, and Willie Miller completed aggressive plays down the stretch. Miller himself ended the quarter with an and-one, as GlobalPort trailed only by four, 73-69. BatangPier hounded the Elasto Painters into a 6-of-24 mark from the field in the third quarter (25 percent), while shooting 9-of-24 themselves (37.5 percent) and out-rebounding them, 20-12. The fourth quarter began with triples by David and Norwood, setting the tone for a frantic shootout between both teams. Tiu had five points during the stretch, including a three-ball to fend off Batang Pier, 84-79. GlobalPort's perimeter went on a tear, as Miller, Mercado and David combined for their next 10 points, punctuated by a David trey, to give them their first lead since the opening quarter, but their rebounding weakness began to show again, as consecutive put-backs by Norwood and Cruz kept Rain or Shine in the game. Norwood then drained another triple to create a four-point cushion, 93-89, leading to the final sequence of the game. Rain or Shine finished the game with a 9-of-28 mark (32.1 percent) from three-point distance, while GlobalPort was 9-of-27 (33.3 percent). The difference, however, came from the easy baskets: Rain or Shine led in both second-chance points (20-5) and fast break points (15-9). BatangPier had six players score in double figures. Gary David led all scorers with 23 points and five rebounds, including 4-of-8 three-point tries. Sol Mercado had 18 points and eight assists, while Willie Miller added 13 points and nine rebounds. Jondan Salvador registered 11 points and eight rebounds. Japeth Aguilar and Will Antonio added 10 points each and combined for 18 boards. The game would not be complete without Guiao's usual concerns about the officiating, but this instance was a more serious issue than most. "They missed a big play when Bruno [Sundov] was elbowed in the stomach in the fourth quarter [by Sol Mercado]. Yun lang ang kina-clarify namin because it should've been seen by the refs. Those kinds of plays can cause harm. An elbow, unlike a charge, can't be a non-call," Guiao said. "Whether it was a flop or not, it was an elbow." - RAF, GMA News The scores: