PBA: Reid registers 35 as Elasto Painters defeat Express

Arizona Reid burned the Air21 Express with 35 points, leading the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to a 109-95 win on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena, in the 2013 PBA Governors Cup.

Reid, who led all scorers, also had a game-high 19 rebounds and four assists. Paul Lee added 19 points, making 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and six assists, while Ryan Araña tallied 14 points, including nine in the third to carry his team.

The Elasto Painters, 3-2, ended a two-game skid and improve to solo third in the standings. The 1-4 Express, meanwhile, lost their third game in a row.

Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao felt that halfway through the elimination leg, this was a pivotal win for the conference's defending champions.

"For the meantime it stops the bleeding for us. It's important because losing would've mean just trying to survive in this conference, and winning puts us back in contention," he said.

Guiao took it as a good sign that his team scored more than 100 points today. "We've been in a shooting slump in the last two games and the only advice I can give the guys is to keep working hard. We need to shoot our way out of the shooting slump. Just keep firing away," he said.

Both teams started evenly matched, but the Express had difficulty keeping Rain or Shine out of the paint. Arizona Reid, Paul Lee and Ryan Araña took turns finding gaps in the lane, launching a 14-4 run for an early 19-10 lead.

However, defensive breakdowns by the Elasto Painters allowed Air21 to get back into the game. The extra possessions led to crafty playmaking by Mike Cortez and KG Canaleta, racking up an 11-2 run, before Reid and Beau Belga made two straight to preserve Rain or Shine's lead at the end of the first, 24-21.

The Elasto Painters got by at the start of the second frame with fast break points. On the other end, Air21 found ways to exploit the midrange area, as Mark Isip's six points kept them close, 32-30.

Reid held down the fort for Rain or Shine, scoring their next seven points to deliver a 39-35 advantage, but Air21 caught up quickly, as Canaleta earned charities after being fouled by JR Quiñahan at the 3:35 mark. Quiñahan was given a technical foul for resentment to a call, and coach Yeng Guiao also received a technical foul for using profane language. Canaleta made both foul shots, and he and Graham converted a technical freebie apiece, 39-39.

Lee's three-point shooting kept Rain or Shine afloat for the rest of the half. They received some help, too, as Zach Graham was called for a controversial goaltend against a fast break layup by Jireh Ibañez. It was then Air21 coach Franz Pumaren's turn to receive a technical foul while protesting the call, leading to a bonus Rain or Shine free throw. At halftime, the Elasto Painters were up, 52-47.

Rain or Shine shot 21-of-45 (46.7 percent) through the first two quarters, while the Express had a 19-of-38 (50 percent) clip. The Elasto Painters led in turnover points, 12-3.


After the break, Air21 found scoring chances from within 10-feet, thanks to aggressive play by Carlo Sharma and Vic Manuel to draw within two, 58-56. But Jeff Chan responded with his first three-pointer, while Ryan Araña exploited the Express around the hoop. A Jeff Chan- Gabe Norwood alley-oop then punctuated a 20-8 rally, 78-64, with under four minutes to play.

Air21 refused to fall behind, as Canaleta hammered in two slams in the last three minutes. The former University of the East standout teamed up with Cortez to score seven of their last eight points. The lead was cut down to single digits entering the fourth, 80-72.

Belga and Lee stretched Rain or Shine's lead to 12 points early in the final frame, until Cortez erupted from the three-point line. The veteran playmaker quickly buried two triples, allowing his squad to cut into the lead, 93-87, after charities by Graham.

However, the Elasto Painters packed the paint, and on the other end, put the ball in Reid's hands. The import scored 10 markers in a quick 12-4 run, 105-91, with under two minutes left.

Rain or Shine shot 45-of-89 (50.6 percent), while Air21 registered a 36-of-82 (43.9 percent) clip. The Elasto Painters dominated the stat sheet, including rebounds (52-44), assists (28-15), fastbreak points (14-4) and turnover points (18-8), while committing just one less turnover, 14-15.

KG Canaleta scored 25 points for the Express, leading four starters in double figures. Mike Cortez added 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists while making all five three-point tries. Vic Manuel put together 13 points and eight boards, while Mark Isip came off the bench for 10 markers.

Import Zach Graham was limited to 18 points and 11 rebounds on 5-of-16 shooting. - RAF, GMA News


The scores:

Rain or Shine 109 - Reid 39, Lee 19, Arana 14, Belga 9, Norwood 7,Chan 7, Cruz 4, Quinahan 4, Matias 2, Tang 2, Ibanes 2, Tiu 0, Rodriguez 0

Air21 95 - Canaleta 25, Cortez 21, Graham 18, Manuel 13, Isip 10, Sharma 5, Sena 2, Custodio 1, Omolon 0, Arboleda 0

Quarter scoring: 26-21, 52-47, 80-72, 109-95