STRONG CHISM-LED 2ND HALF POWERS RAIN OR SHINE PAST BLACKWATER
Playing in foul trouble for majority of the first half, Wayne Chism came out swinging out of the halftime break and carried Rain or Shine to the top spot in the 2015 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, turning back Blackwater, 102-98, Friday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Already with three fouls just in the first half which saw him just log 13 minutes of action, Chism took the Elasto Painters beneath his wings and went flawless in the third period, scoring 10 of the E-Painters’ 32 total points in the quarter as him team finally broke away from the Elite. He finished with a double-double of 30 points and 13 rebounds, alongside four assists in the win.
“We just took advantage of our import being fresher all game long,” said Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao. “Our locals held the fort when we had to sit (Chism) on the bench.”
Paul Lee also ended up with 14 markers, four boards, and four dimes, while Beau Belga had 11 points and five rebounds for Rain or Shine.
“Our luxury is that we were able to rotate our people and use our bench. We also tried to break in our injured players,” said Guiao, as Jericho Cruz, TY Tang, and Jeric Teng all played their first game this conference. “Overall, I think it’s a positive for those guys to be able to contribute here and for the rest of the tournament.”
Jervy Cruz had to leave the game with 9:54 remaining in the first quarter after bleeding from a cut on the nose bridge sustained from an inadvertent elbow from Jason Ballesteros. He would not return to the game.
The fiery coach also noted that fatigue played a factor in this game against the Elite, as Marcus Douthit was forced to play for the whole 48 minutes, which saw him get a game-high 34 points and 20 rebounds, to go with eight assists.
“They had to play Douthit (the whole game) and he played tired in the third and fourth quarters. I guess that’s the risk they had to take,” Guiao said.
Rain or Shine forced itself to a three-way tie at the first place with Talk ‘N Text and Purefoods, all carrying an identical 7-3 slate.
The loss also formally eliminated Blackwater from playoff contention, as they sunk for the second straight conference at the cellar with its 2-8 record and with one more assignment left — against Meralco Wednesday next week.
This early, Guiao is shifting his focus to their own final game in the eliminations against Kia.
“We don’t have total control of our destiny. We still need to win on Sunday and hope that Meralco or Talk ‘N Text loses one of their games. But whatever it is, we’ll be happy with the result whether we make it (to the Top 2) or not.”
The Top 2 teams at the end of the eliminations will have a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals against the No. 7 & 8 teams.
Teams which finish from Nos. 3 to 6 at the end of the elims figure in two best-of-3 quarterfinal series. (RL)
The scores:
RAIN OR SHINE 102 – Chism 30, Lee 14, Belga 11, Tiu 10, Norwood 8, Tang 6, Quinahan 5, Jc. Cruz 4, Almazan 4, Uyloan 3, Ibanes 2, Arana 2, Jv. Cruz 2, Chan 1, Teng 0.
BLACKWATER 98 – Douthit 34, Acuna 20, Heruela 15, Gamalinda 11, Reyes 6, Faundo 4, Canada 2, Rodriguez 2, Celiz 2, Bulawan 2, Erram 0, Ballesteros 0, Laure 0.
Quarterscores: 18-20, 46-41, 78-65, 102-98.
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