CHAN RAINS THREES AS RAIN OR SHINE WINS
FOR the second straight game Rain or Shine failed to get the desired game from import Alex McLean.
Good thing Jeff Chan came up with the kind of game expected from him in leading the Elasto Painters to a 92-78 victory over Alaska Saturday in the PLDT Home Tvolution PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Chan scored a team-high 24 points, all in the second half, in propping the Philippine Cup runner-up’s charge that gave it as much as a 69-50 lead and full control of the match against the defending champion.
“Jeff picked up in the third and fourth (quarters) and gave us some cushion,” noted head coach Yeng Guiao after his E-Painters crashed the win-column following a disappointing 106-110 loss to Barako Bull in their conference debut last Sunday.
McLean, who debuted with 21 points and 16 rebounds, did not do so bad with 19 and 18 this time around. But he was clearly outplayed by Alaska counterpart Rob Dozier, who notched game-highs of 27 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks.
Guiao said he plans on sticking with McLean, notwithstanding the latter’s red-faced moment when he missed a wide open, two-handed slam try in the game’s late stages.
“Our import is struggling a little bit, but he will learn the ropes and adjust to the situation in time,” said Guiao. “He’s a solid, fundamentally sound player. Not athletic, but we can survive if he scores in the 20’s and rebounds well.”
Guiao also pointed out it is not their import alone who picked up the cudgels in accounting for the drastic turnaround from the game against the Energy, when they blew a 16-point second quarter lead.
“We played a little better today than the last time. We played a lot better defense. Our chemistry is back, the cohesion is back. It’s just a matter of getting our focus this conference,” stated Guiao.
Chan sure did as he wound up shooting 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, each rainbow shot like a dagger that plunged deep in the collective hearts of Alaska.
The Aces were themselves looking to bounce back from a 76-85 loss to Meralco last Wednesday and gallantly fought back to within 68-72.
Whatever hopes the Aces may have had were immediately quashed by Chan, who drilled in four triples, the last giving the E-Painters a 90-73 bulge, only 2:40 left.
RJ Jazul’s nine points came next to Dozier’s output as the likes of Jayvee Casio, Cyrus Baguio, Gabby Espinas and Sonny Thoss struggled big-time for head coach Luigi Trillo. (NC)
The scores:
Rain or Shine 92 — Chan 24, McLean 19, Lee 11, Almazan 9, Tiu 9, Arana 8, Rodriguez 4, Cruz 3, Belga 2, Tang 2, Norwood 1, Teng 0, Ibanes 0.
Alaska 78 — Dozier 27, Jazul 9, Thoss 8, Hontiveros 7, Casio 5, Abueva 5, Manuel 5, Dela Cruz 2.
Quarterscores: 18-17; 38-32; 69-58; 92-78.
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