Ginebra-Rain or Shine semis series now a best-of-three contest

MANILA, Philippines – Never under estimate the heart of a champion. Forced to a corner, Barangay Ginebra battled back and rose to the occasion, scoring a one-sided 86-70 win over Rain or Shine to tie the best-of-seven semi-finals series at 2-2 in Game 4 of the Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum on a stormy Wednesday night. Jay-Jay Helterbrand took charge once more and posted 21 markers, leading a balanced Ginebra scoring assault that saw five other players contribute at least seven points. David Noel added 10 points and 10 rebounds while Ronald Tubid, ejected after incurring two technical fouls, tallied 14 points. “It makes it a lot easier for us (to win) if the 3s keep on falling," said Helterbrand, who also had four assists, three rebounds and only committed one turnover. “Hopefully we can match their intensity on Friday (Game 5). They are a tough and hungry team." Rain or Shine was a horrible sight at the free-throw line, missing 19 of its 32 attempts. Worse, the Elasto Painters often threw wild and desperate quick shots and kept on trying to shoot three-pointers even though nothing was falling in. And as if those were not enough, only Jai Lewis came to play. He led the Elasto Painters with 23 points and 15 rebounds, the only guy who scored in double figures. Gabe Norwood, top scorer for the Elasto Painters in Game 3, only had three points but collected 10 rebounds. Rain or Shine’s output, too, was the lowest in the tournament. The Elasto Painters missed badly from the three-point range. After shooting 10-for-27 in a 94-88 Game 3 win –Rain or Shine only knocked down one triple out of their 17 tries. Forced to win to avoid going to a 3-1 hole, Ginebra turned a 23-22 scary edge after the first quarter into a whopping 68-43 spread after Helterbrand hit five straight points with 3:12 left in the third period. It was the largest lead in the series and Rain or Shine simply couldn’t find the right answer to mount a comeback. – GMANews.TV