PBA: Fajardo drops monster numbers but team play tows Rain or Shine to 3-1 lead

Petron Blaze got a monster game from June Mar Fajardo, but the sour shooting of the rest of the Boosters in the fourth quarter gave the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series, 88-83, Monday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

"The guys just did not give up. They won this game on their own," said Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao. "I have nothing to do with this victory. They lost Paul [Lee], they lost me, they kept their fighting hearts with them we beat them against the odds."

Rain or Shine had won their first two games, before Petron thumped them for a 33-point blowout. After this game though, the Elasto Painters are just one win away from a trip to the FInals.

Ryan Arana led a balanced outing by the Elasto Painters with 12 points, hitting 8-of-10 foul shots. He also had four rebounds, three assists and two steals, making up for the early exit of Paul Lee, due to an ankle injury.

The two teams started with conversions in the paint, before Petron found their range for consecutive jumpers, 14-4. Jireh Ibanes and JR Quinahan connected in the shaded lane, but Alex Cabagnot and Chris Lutz canned triples to maintain a six-point lead, 22-16. Rain or Shine's big men then opted for jumpers, as June Mar Fajardo manned the paint. RoS found success there though, as Quinahan and Jervy Cruz canned mid-range shots.

The Elasto Painters finally got a taste of the lead, after a pair of treys from Paul Lee and a Cruz undergoal stab, 28-24. Fajardo tried to keep Petron in it with four more points, but a Quinahan trey and a Larry Rodriguez jumper kept RoS ahead after one, 33-28.

The Boosters regained their shooting form at the start of the second, as Fajardo, Santos and Lutz strung eight together to seize the lead, 39-38. At the 7:14 mark, Paul Lee was sidelined after twisting his ankle on a chase, while Fajardo and Chris Ross kept Petron ahead, 43-40. Beau Belga was whistled for his fourth foul with five minutes remaining, but Raymond Almazan and TY Tang got their outside shots going to take the lead, 45-44.

The Boosters enjoyed some success in the paint, as the duo of Fajardo and Santos frustrated the tandem of Almazan and Quinahan. Gabe Norwood was there to bail them out with a three, but free throws from Marcio Lassiter and Fajardo kept Petron ahead at the half, 50-48.


Early baskets from Jireh Ibanes and Jeff Chan had Rain or Shine threatening to re-take the lead, but Chris Ross and Arwind Santos had enough to keep the Boosters ahead, 58-54. At the 6:15 mark, RoS head coach Yeng Guiao was ejected for the second straight game after getting hit with a second technical foul, but Marcio Lassiter couldn't capitalize with the extra free throw attempt.

"I thought there wer a lot of bad calls," added Guiao. "Any team made of softer material would have folded up. [This is a] testimony to the character of the guys."

After several misses from deep, Jeff Chan finally rung in a triple, before driving to the lane to cut the lead to one. Fajardo and Ross responded with their own five-point swing, but aggressive play from the Elasto Painters lead to free throws and a Ryan Arana teardrop that tied the game at 65-all.

Rookie Alex Nuyles was the big difference for RoS in the final minutes of the third, as he pushed his team ahead. 72-69, heading into the payoff period.

The Elasto Painters came out running to start the fourth, erecting a six-point spread, 79-73. Petron then rode Fajardo in the paint. The big man didn't disappoint, as his and-one knotted the game at 82-all. Jeff Chan soon drove in for two, before Beau Belga connected from deep, 87-82.

With RoS crowding Fajardo and the paint, Petron was forced to go for long-range shots. They struggled to connect from the distance, as more misses from Santos and Cabagnot sealed the deal for the Elasto Painters.

In addition to Arana, Jeff Chan and Jireh Ibanes added 11 markers apiece. Gabe Norwood flashed his versatile game with 10 points, six from triples, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. Big men Jervy Cruz, Larry Rodriguez and JR Quinahan combined for 23 points and 18 rebounds.

June Mar Fajardo put up beastly numbers: 27 points on 11-of-20 shooting, 17 rebounds and two blocks in 44 minutes, but it was not enough. Front court partner Arwind Santos added his double-double, 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Chris Ross and Mario Lassiter managed 13 and 10 markers, respectively.

Points off turnovers kept Rain or Shine alive, as they got 21 markers off 18 Petron miscues. They themselves committed 16 errors, but Petron managed just 11 points off them.

Three-point shooting was also a big factor, with RoS hitting 9-of-25 (36 percent) while Petron was a mere 6-of-25 (24 percent). - AMD, GMA News


The scores:

Rain or Shine 88 - Arana 12, Chan 11, Ibanes 11, Norwood 10, Cruz 8, Rodriguez 8, Quinahan 7, Lee 7, Nuyles 6, Belga 3, Tang 3, Almazan 2, Tiu 0

Petron Blaze 83 - Fajardo 27, Santos 14, Lutz 13, Lassiter 10, Ross 9, Tubid 5, Cabagnot 5, Duncil 0, Taha 0, Kramer 0, Hubalde 0, Deutchman 0

Quarter scoring: 33-28, 48-50, 72-69, 88-83