Rain or Shine and Ginebra formalize their trilogy

Rain or Shine and Ginebra formalize their trilogy

by rick olivares

December 11, 2011

Smart Araneta Coliseum

Rain or Shine and Barangay Ginebra dispatched separate foes to finish the elimination round of the Season 37 Philippine Cup on a high note before taking on each other in a best-of-three series that tips off the knockout stage of the competition.

The Elasto Painters held back Alaska 91-85 while the Kings routed the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters 96-82 to finish fifth and fourth in the league standings respectively.

Jervy Cruz and seldom used Jonathan Uyloan late a lead third quarter surge that gave Rain or Shine enough cushion to weather one last Alaska rally for a 91-85 win. The win saw the Elasto Painters finish at 9-5; the same record as Petron Blaze and Barangay Ginebra. But since both squads beat Rain or Shine, the two earned the third and fourth seeds on the knockout rounds respectively while Rain or Shine is tabbed fifth seed. Thus, Ginebra will play ROS for the third time in a win-or-go-home series with the previous encounters won by the crowd favorites.

Cruz scored on an assist by Uyloan at the 1:13 mark of the third period that broke a 66-all deadlock that would be the last of the 14 tied scores and 15 lead changes of the game. Teammate Beau Belga added a bucket to close out the period 70-66.

And to open the payoff quarter, Cruz added four more points as Uyloan had the Aces reeling with back-to-back triples that saw Rain or Shine go up 80-71. The Elasto Painters played without head coach Yeng Guiao who was in Pampanga working out an official function, as he is Vice-Governor of the province and rookie Paul Lee who they put on the shelf to rest his shin that he injured in a match with Shopinas a week earlier.

Cyrus Baguio and LA Tenorio tried one last ditch rally as they both hit a trey each but their team’s collective poor 37% shooting and the lack of time did them in.

Alaska finished with a 3-9 record and will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2009 Fiesta Conference.

In the nightcap, Ginebra blew away Talk ‘N Text, 96-82, that never really seemed in sync despite the return to action of the previously injured Ryan Reyes, Ranidel de Ocampo, and Jared Dillinger.

The match between Kings and the Tropang Texters saw each team make one run against one another but it was Ginebra that separated themselves once and for all after JC Intal hit a triple from the right corner that made it 72-69. That triggered a 12-4 run with Mike Cortez nailing another triple for an 81-73 lead.

Talk ‘n Text answered right back with a Larry Fonacier trey to make it 81-76 but that was the closest they would get as Ginebra dropped a 15-6 bomb to drop the Texters to 10-4 and in second as B-Meg claimed top spot after they beat the Manuel V. Pangilinan franchise in an earlier match up.

The Chot Reyes-mentored TNT, the defending champions, will face dangerous Barako Bull in their own best-of-three series.

Rain or Shine Rain or Shine squeaked past Ginebra in the very first game of the Philippine Cup, 94-93, after ROS’ Jeff Chan scored a free throw that proved to be the marginal basket for Guiao’s squad. JC Intal and John Wilson had an opportunity to draw level or win it outright but the former missed a free throw while the latter flubbed a follow up. In spite of the close match the Elasto Painters feel they now have the team that can finally end their playoff futility against Ginebra whom they have lost to 4-2 in the 2009 Fiesta Conference best-of-seven semifinals and 2-1 in the 2011 Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.

Said Ginebra head coach Siot Tanquincen, “They are pretty good team we have to get ready for them. For a few years now they have been building up and with a good point guard like Paul Lee they have the tools. I can’t say kung sino lamang o dehado. Sila yung up and coming team. Tignan natin if we could compete but we are confident with what we are doing.”

The Philippine Cup Quarterfinals kick off on Wednesday, December 14, when Talk ‘N Text take on Barako Bull at 5:15pm while top seed B-Meg faces eighth seed Powerade at 7:30pm.

In Friday. December 16, action, it’s corporate rivals Meralco and Petron that tip off at 5:15pm while Rain or Shine and Barangay Ginebra tangle with one another in the main game at 7:30pm.

All the matches will be played at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The scores:

Rain or Shine 91 – Belga 14, Buenafe 14, Rodriguez 12, Cruz 10, Matias 10, Chan 8, Uyloan 6, Araña 6, Norwood 4, Quiñahan 4, Tang 3, Jaime 0.

Alaska 85 – Baguio 21, Tenorio 12, Thoss 12, Reyes 11, Eman 9, Custodio 8, Sotto 8, Salamat 2, Baracael 2, Pasculado 0.

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Ginebra 96 – Caguioa 18, Cortez 17, Intal 15, Villanueva 15, Wilson 14, Mamaril 8, Labagala 4, Canaleta 3, Tubid 2, Maliksi 0, Cervantes 0, Wilson 0.

Talk ‘N Text 82 – Castro 14, Dillinger 12, Williams 12, Carey 12, Fonacier 10, Aguilar 7, Reyes 5, Raymundo 4, Gamalinda 4, Alvarez 2, Weinstein 0, De Ocampo 0.