PBA Fiesta Cup semis: Rain or Shine stuns Ginebra

MANILA, Philippines – For Rain or Shine, this is not just a matter of making the semifinals of the Motolite-PBA Fiesta Cup. Leaning on the clutch plays of Rob Wainwright and Jireh Ibanes, the Elasto Painters showed guts and composure in a stunning 101-95 win over defending champion Barangay Ginebra to go up in their best-of-seven series Wednesday. Wainwright had 20 points, none more important than the one he buried in the final 1:36 that put the Elasto Painters on top for good, 96-94. Ibanes rose to the occasion as well, hitting a huge basket to make it a 99-95 contest with 20 seconds to go as the pro-Ginebra gallery at the jampacked Araneta Coliseum watched in stunned silence. “This is the real Rain or Shine team. We came here tonight to win," declared Wainwright. Game 2 is set Friday at the Astrodome, with Rain or Shine looking to make it a 2-0 series. The Kings drubbed the Elasto Painters, 114-71, the last time the two teams played against each other in a sudden-death for the second outright semis berth. The Elasto Painters didn’t allow the same thing to happen this time. Behind Wainwright’s outside shooting – 4-of-8 from three-point range – the team rallied back from as much as a 14-point deficit, tying the game at 83 with still seven minutes left. The Kings, however, unloaded a 10-2 bomb behind a pair of JayJay Helterbrand trey to pull away at 93-85 midway in the final quarter. Rain or Shine wouldn’t roll over and die, however. The Elasto Painters came through with a finishing 11-1 run, capped by that Wainwright three-pointer on top of the key for the needed momentum in fashioning out the all-important win. Rookie Gabe Norwood added 16 points, including two free throws for the marginal baskets. Import Jai Lewis added 14 and 16 rebounds, Jay-R Reyes had 13 and Don Dulay 12 off the bench for the Elasto Painters. Ronald Tubid led the Kings with 21, import David Noel contributed 16 and Helterbrand 15 while missing a long three-pointer with 20 seconds to go and the defending champions trailing by four. – GMANews.TV