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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
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04
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24
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2024
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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
04
24
2024
Rain or Shine dominated inside in the first half then struck heavily from afar in the second half as the Elasto Painters drubbed the Barako Bull Energy, 110-104, to inch closer to the Smart Bro PBA Philippine Cup playoff play Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Frontliners Jewel Ponferrada and Beau Belga led the way early on before wingmen Jeff Chan and Gabe Norwood and guards Maverick Ahanmisi and Jericho Cruz took over as the E-Painters stamped their class on the Energy to gain share of the no. 2 with San Miguel Beermen after Alaska zoomed to no. 1 earlier.
With a 5-1 win-loss card, the Elasto Painters are assured of a crack at a playoff berth.
The E-Painters, however, are determined to get going in chase of a Top Two finish for an outright Final Four spot.
Rain or Shine has Barangay Ginebra, Talk n Text, Alaska Milk, Meralco and NLEX as last five games in the eliminations.
“We’re trying to keep our momentum going to give ourselves a chance at the Top Two. We want to keep that alive,” said ROS coach Yeng Guiao.
“The immediate problem is Ginebra on Sunday. They’re much bigger and we’ll take that game with a complete different approach,” Guiao added.
The E-Painters took control most of the way, leading by as many as 18 at 96-78 before tapering off at the finish.
“We could’ve finished the game a little bit more intelligently. We had some bad, stupid decisions in the end. But it’s a win nonetheless,” said Guiao.
Cruz top scored with 19 points while Ponferrada churned out what’s easily his best game in the pros with a career-high 18 points on top of team-high 13 rebounds.
Chan also came up with 18 points laced by 3-of-3 three-pointers, Gabe Norwood added 13 also with three triples while Ahanmisi chipped in 11 including two treys.
The E-Painters fired away a total of 11 triples, all but one in the second half.
From a 76-71 lead at the start of the fourth quarter, Chan rifled in two three-pointers in a key run that ripped the game apart, 96-78.
Ponferrada put in 14 points and nine rebounds to lead the E-Painters’ early charge resulting to a 49-41 margin at the half.
The ROS big men buckled down to work early, clobbering the Energy, 26-14, on points inside the paint in the first two quarters.
Over the same stretch, the E-Painters won the battle off the boards, 35-27, and got 20 trips to the line compared to the Energy’s six.
The Energy went to their gunners as they got into the game in the early minutes of the second period, fighting the E-Painters through seven lead changes and four deadlocks.
But from a 31-33 deficit, the E-Painters made a nine-to-nothing run to establish control.
The Scores:
RAIN OR SHINE 110 – Cruz 19, Chan 18, Ponferrada 18, Norwood 13, Ahanmisi 11, Almazan 8, Belga 6, Quinahan 5, Teng 4, Tiu 4, Nimes 2, Trollano 2, Ibanes 0, Matias 0.
BARAKO 104 – Garcia 23, Wilson 21, Urbiztondo 16, Monfort 9, Pennisi 8, Intal 7, Lanete 7, Miranda 7, Fortuna 6, Baracael 0, Brondial 0, Sorongon 0.
Quarters: 24-20, 49-41, 76-71, 110-104.
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