PBA: Rain or Shine dominates winless GlobalPort

(Updated 8:10pm) The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters improved to .500 with a 99-75 thrashing of the still-winless GlobalPort Batang Pier, Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, in the 2014 PBA Commissioner's Cup.

Rain or Shine (3-3) is grouped with Meralco, Air21 and Alaska at the fourth spot in the rankings. Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao said that he wants to win two of their last three assignments against Talk N' Text, Air21 and Ginebra in the hopes of finishing between the third and sixth slots in the quarterfinals.

GlobalPort (0-7) will be formally eliminated from quarterfinals contention after another loss or another win by Barako Bull or Ginebra.

Paul Lee led all locals with 21 points, thanks in part to making 5-of-6 attempts from deep, and four rebounds. Raymond Almazan added 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Chris Tiu had 10 markers and four boards.

The Elasto Painters debuted their new import Wayne Chism, who nabbed 17 points, 16 rebounds and five assists, plus a heaping of praise from Coach Guiao.

"We had some scary moments early in the first quarter, but he learns fast and it's just a matter of learning the game here: how it's played and how the refs call fouls," he said. "Malaking epekto yung if you have the right type of import. He's been here for less than a week. We practiced only three times but I think he still has a lot to show."

Guiao said he liked Chism's quickness and athleticism, which he felt complemented his team well. "He knows when to score and when to find his teammates. He has a good defensive presence," he continued. "He can run with us, probably even faster than some of the locals."

Paul Lee was hot in the first quarter, hitting thrice from downtown en route to 11 points and a 22-14 lead. Though Evan Brock took charge of GlobalPort's messy offense during a brief stretch, Rain or Shine weathered the storm with on-point production from Raymond Almazan to take a 29-26 lead after the period.

Rain or Shine opened the second quarter with a 15-8 run, gaining steam with Chris Tiu running the point and Wayne Chism getting more accustomed to his new team. The Elasto Painters forced Batang Pier to waste the clock and rely heavily on one-on-one sets, allowing them to coast comfortably until the end of the half, 51-38.
 

GlobalPort began scoring more consistently in the third and got production from Carlo Sharma to complement Brock up front. Meanwhile, Rain or Shine's combination of Chism and Beau Belga created a 62-44 lead, but the team tapered off midway though the quarter and emboldened Batang Pier to make a run for it. Brock starred in an 13-7 run, their best offensive stretch in the game, until a Lee triple righted the ship for Rain or Shine with two minutes left. Both teams traded baskets until the quarter ended with a 75-62 lead for the Elasto Painters.

Batang Pier's best was behind them, which was clear come the final quarter. Rain or Shine kept their foot on the gas and consistently tried to widen the gap, 97-71, with two minutes to play.

Rain or Shine shot 38-of-85 (44.7 percent) from the floor and limited Batang Pier to 28-of-81 (34.6 percent). The Elasto Painters also led in rebounds (66-43), assists (24-9) and fast break points (18-10).

Evan Brock led all scorers with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Jay Washington tallied 14 points, while Ronnie Matias scattered 10 points. - AMD, GMA News



The scores:

Rain or Shine 99 - Lee 21, Chism 17, Almazan 13, Tiu 10, Belga 9, Norwood 9, Arana 6, Cruz 4, Uyloan 2, Chan 2, Nuyles 2, Ibanes 2, Rodriguez 2, Tang 0, Teng 0

Globalport 75 - Brock 25, Washington 14, Matias 10, Cabagnot 7, Garcia 6, Chua 4, Salva 4, Sharma 4, Romeo 1, Yee 0, Ponferrada 0, Salvador 0, Macapagal 0

Quarter scoring: 29-26, 51-38, 75-62, 99-75