RAIN OR SHINE CHALKS UP SCARY 3RD STRAIGHT WIN

Rain or Shine diffused a late rally by NLEX to score its third consecutive victory in the 2015 Governors’ Cup, a 106-102 conquest of the Road Warriors Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

After Rain or Shine led by 29, 84-55, late in the third, NLEX unleashed a furious tear bridging the final two quarters to knot the score at 91 midway through the payoff period.

Jeff Chan then ignited a 7-0 run which pushed the E-Painters up, 98-91 with 2:17 left to play.

Michel Madanly still helped the Road Warriors inch closer, draining three crucial treys to cut the deficit to two, 102-104, with 9.6 seconds remaining, but Paul Lee iced the game with two pressure packed free throws.

“They gave us a big scare,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao. “We lost our composure for a while but it’s a good thing that we were able to recover in time.”

Wendell McKines steered the E-Painters with his huge double-double of 33 points and 20 rebounds, as Paul Lee dropped 13 of his 20 markers in that eventful third quarter.

Guiao admitted that his wards had a bit of a slip up which allowed NLEX to recover and make a game out of the supposed rout.

“We were a little overconfident when we had a big lead and we paid for it. It was a good thing that we were still able to carve out a win. It’s a lesson for us and we’ll take that lesson and learn from it,” he said.

The win evened Rain or Shine’s slate at 4-4, while dropping NLEX to 2-6, putting the Road Warriors in danger of being eliminated from the season-ending conference.

Madanly paced NLEX with 20 points, 16 of which coming in the fourth quarter rally.

Asi Taulava had 16 markers and 10 boards, while Mac Cardona, Nino Canaleta, and Enrico Villanueva all got 14 points apiece in the defeat. (RL)

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