The Final Score: RT if you want to see more Paul Lee in the PBA Finals

The coliseum barker yells, “Paul Lee for threeee!” The phrase slides off the tongue. It bounces off the walls of the Smart-Araneta Coliseum like an aria. It helps that it rhymes perfectly. It is lyrical. It is melodic. Like a speaker-blasting haiku. In short, if you’re the barker, masarap sabihin, and if you’re the audience, masarap pakinggan.

It is just as enjoyable to watch Paul Lee take three-point shots. He launches them almost casually. Parang wala lang. Parang warm-up, warm-up lang. Jireh Ibañes, in contrast, pours out his heart and soul when he takes a three-point shot. Everyone sees Jireh’s all-out, labas-litid effort. Paul Lee’s three-point shot is effortless. It’s not that he cares less about it, he just has the gift of making the difficult look easy.

In game three of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals between Rain or Shine and San Mig Coffee, Paul Lee (again, I can’t bring myself to say or write just Paul or Lee…parang kulang…it must always be Paul Lee, like it’s just one name) finally made the laborious look easy. He scored 23 points, making 7-of-13 field goals and sinking 3-of-7 three-point shots. He also added four rebounds and three assists.

[Related: San Mig Coffee holds off Rain or Shine late to take Finals game three]

I know Rain or Shine lost the game. I know Paul Lee won’t gloat about his 23-4-3 stat line because Rain or Shine lost the game. But I also know Paul Lee playing well is part of the complete Rain or Shine viewing experience. It would be a crime if we couldn’t enjoy the best of Paul Lee in what should be a long series.

I know Coach Yeng Guiao doesn’t need Paul Lee to score 23 every night. Chances are, Paul Lee won’t score 23 in game four. In all likelihood, someone else will score 23 for the Elasto Painters. That’s just the Rain or Shine way.

But watching Rain or Shine becomes a more mesmerizing event if Paul Lee is out there, with his black wristband over the left hand, compression shirt, compression tights and red sneakers, believing he can score 23 every night.

In one sequence during game three, Paul Lee is cruising in transition. He sees Mark Barroca from a distance. He notices PJ Simon scrambling on his right side. He is about to be sandwiched between two Coffee Mixers. He struts to his right side to evade Barroca.

To protect the ball from Simon’s intrusive hands, Paul Lee covers the ball with both hands like an NFL running back. Like he’s hiding the ball in his backpack. Somehow, he escapes the double team and scores on a lay-up. He is not too fast but is fast enough. He is not too strong but is strong enough.

But I don’t need to be the one to convince you that Paul Lee is that good. Just ask San Mig Coffee Head Coach Tim Cone. To contain Paul Lee in the finals, Cone has assigned not just one, but two shutdown defenders to prevent Paul Lee from scoring 23 points on a regular basis.

Defender number one is Marc Pingris. Yup - the same Marc Pingris who played in-your-nostrils defense against LA Tenorio, June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter. Defender number two is Barroca. Yes – same relentless guy who sticks to opponents the way clingy girlfriends stick to boyfriends (or vice versa).

It’s fun to be Paul Lee. It’s hard to be Paul Lee. Because the way he is with a basketball is the way Gloc-9 is with words. He’s that good.

Hence, San Mig Coffee was happy to see Paul Lee finish with just six points in game one and seven points in game two. He shot a combined 5-of-16 in the first two games.

But the Paul Lee who showed up in game three, the guy who made tough shots despite the herculean defense applied by Pingris and Barroca, the guy who engaged James Yap in a finals shoot-out, the player who is now aching to win game four, is the Paul Lee fans deserve to see. - AMD, GMA News