ANTIPOLO – Rain or Shine clinched a quarterfinals berth in the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup by turning back a hard-fighting Blackwater side, 125-123, on Saturday night at the Ynares Center.
The Elasto Painters bucked a slow start, a homestretch rally by the Bossing, and Sedric Barefield’s potential game-winning three to claim their fifth win in eight outings and tie the Phoenix Fuel Masters for second place in Group B.
They became the third team to advance from their group to the quarterfinals together with Magnolia and Phoenix, leaving Barangay Ginebra, Meralco, and Blackwater in a mad scramble for the lone remaining playoffs berth in the group.
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“Galing din kami sa talo (against Ginebra) kaya may sense of urgency din kami. Isa pa yung pag nanalo kami tonight, pasok kami ng next round. So, doble-doble yung urgency namin na manalo,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.
Import Aaron Fuller had a bad first half, but carried the load for the team in the fourth quarter when he scored 12 of his 24 points as he teamed up with Adrian Nocum to give the Elasto Painters their biggest lead of the game, 115-102.
But Barefield and RK Ilagan caught fire and brought the Bossing back. A three-pointer by rookie Dalph Panopio pushed Blackwater to within 123-124, before Nocum split his charity for the marginal score.
Caelan Tiongson led all Rain or Shine locals with 22 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the three-point area. Nocum added 20, and Felix Lemetti had 17, punctuating a balanced offense for the team which also drew double-digit scoring from Mike Malonzon (13), rookie Deo Cuajao (11), and Andre Caracut (10).
Blackwater lost a tightly-contested game for the second straight time and fell to a tie with Meralco at 4-6.
Kentrall Barkley finished with a double-double of 35 points and 15 rebounds, while Barefield added 31 markers and six rebounds, but failed to connect on the game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer.
The scores:
Rain or Shine (125) - Fuller 24, Tiongson 22, Nocum 20, Lemetti 17, Malonzo 13, Cuajao 11, Caracut 10, Clarito 5, Manaytay 3, Villegas 0, Santillan 0.
Blackwater (123) - Barkley 35, Barefield 31, Ilagan 24, Panopio 13, Una 8, Tratter 4, Austria 3, Escoto 2, David 2, Murrell 1, Demusis 0, DiGregorio 0, Mendoza 0, Montalbo 0, Cruz-Dumont 0.
Quarterscores: 33-36; 65-64; 95-91; 125-123.
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