RAIN OR SHINE, BARANGAY GINEBRA IN CRUCIAL TIFF
Rain or Shine tries to stay right behind the leaders while Barangay Ginebra looks to go above the .500 mark again as the two teams square off Sunday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The two teams got off on the wrong foot at the resumption of play following the Puerto Princesa All-Star festivities with the Kings bowing to the NLEX Road Warriors, 90-96, Wednesday then the Elasto Painters succumbing to the San Miguel Beermen, 114-129, Friday.
Both are aching to bounce back as they collide at 5:15 p.m. with the E-Painters shooting for a sixth win against three losses while the Kings gun for a fifth win in nine starts.
It’s a virtual must-win game for the E-Painters if they’re to stay in the hunt for the Top Two and the twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.
It is equally important for Barangay Ginebra which is currently tied for fifth to seventh places with the GlobalPort Batang Pier and the NLEX Road Warriors at 4-4, just half-game ahead of the Barako Bull Energy and the Kia Carnival, which both are at 4-5.
Rain or Shine had a shot at the lead against the Beermen but yielded the game as it was badly beaten by former import AZ Reid.
Adding insult to injury was the taunting the Elasto Painters got from Reid towards the end of the match.
But Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao didn’t let it pass, engaging Reid in a verbal tussle that saw both draw technical infractions. Guiao was tossed out of the contest for incurring a second “T” after nudging Reid in an inbounds play right in front of the Rain or Shine bench.
The Kings, meanwhile, didn’t have answer to Al Thornton’s 50-point explosion as Barangay Ginebra dropped its face-off with NLEX.
Thornton put in a virtual one-man show with no other NLEX player scoring a double-digit output.
“Na-convert niya lahat nung mga mahirap na shots eh. Talagang swak na swak pa. Galing sa ikot, spin, fadeaway, shoot. Anong magagawa namin dun di ba,” said Barangay Ginebra coach Ato Agustin.
Held to just two points in the opening period, Thornton turned unstoppable in the next three quarters, making one amazing shot here, an incredible play there and frolicking just everywhere as the Road Warriors foiled the Kings’ bid for a fifth win in their last six games.
The Kings came out strong from the All-Star break, dominating the first half before slowing down in the third quarter then fading away as Thornton completely took over the game at the finish. (SB)
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