(From PBA)
With back-to-back upset wins in the wildcard round, last seed Rain or Shine grabbed the last slot in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals.
The Elasto Painters, fighting with tremendous grit and guts, completed a triumphant ride in the wildcards with a 99-84 toppling of the seventh-seeded Coca-Cola Tigers Wednesday night at the Ynares Sports Center here.
Rain or Shine, a team in search of a breakthrough championship in the local pro league, made the quarters versus third seed Purefoods Tender Juicy.
The Elasto Painters and the Giants mix it up at 5 p.m. then the Ginebra Kings and the Talk n Text Tropang Texters clash at 7:30 p.m. in the opener of the best-of-five quarters series Friday over at the Araneta Coliseum.
In surviving the wildcard plays, Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia believed his chargers -- winners over the Sta. Lucia Realtors Wednesday -- would be upbeat in their quarters showdown with the Giants.
“It would be tough playing Purefoods but it we continue to play with intensity, enthusiasm and energy, we’ll have a chance to beat them,” said Garcia.
“I think we’re peaking at the right time. If we hit a good rhythm, we would be alright,” said Sol Mercado, turning himself to a human dynamo versus the Tigers.
Mercado sizzled with 28 points, eight assists and two steals and emerged as the team’s biggest sparkplug in their backbreaking run in the fourth quarter.
Gabe Norwood, Eddie Laure, Jeff Chan and Mike Hrabak also made an impact as the Elasto Painters stunned the Tigers, sending Coca-Cola to the exit to join early casualties Barako Bull, Sta. Lucia and Burger King.
The two teams engaged in a battle before the Elasto Painters came through with a decisive 11-to-nothing attack to establish a commanding 80-64 advantage.
The Tigers never recovered from that hole, thus, seeing the end of their four-game romp dating back to the elims.
Except for Asi Taulava, Gary David and Mark Macapagal, the rest of the Coca-Cola team struggled in this knockout Wednesday.
Norwood, Chan and Laure, meanwhile, were three other Rain or Shine players who had huge numbers.
Chan made 16 points in his final game as a bachelor. He walks the aisle with his beau Thursday.
Hrabak added six points, including a trey closing their swashbuckling attack in the fourth period.
Mercado opened the game with back-to-back triples and Chan had his own treys highlighting Rain or Shine’s charge in the second quarter that gave the Elasto Painters a 41-35 lead at halftime.
The Elasto Painters pounded crucial Coca-Cola miscues enabling Rain or Shine to lead by as many as nine points early on.
The two teams figured in a defensive battle at the onset with the Tigers doing a bit better, thus, taking a 20-19 edge at the close of the opening quarter.
In the first 24 minutes of play, the Tigers lorded it over the boards, 34-18, but committed nine errors more than the Elasto Painters got.
Mercado did a lot better than Chris Ross in the opening half with the Rain or Shine ace guard piling up six points and three assists while the Coke rookie couldn’t make a single basket and, worse, turned the ball over five times.
But getting into foul-trouble situation, Mercado had to sit down precious minutes in the third period, and the Tigers pounced on the situation to regain the lead at 57-56.
Mercado himself restored order in their game on his return towards the end of the quarter. (SB)
The scores:
RAIN OR SHINE 99 - Mercado 28, Norwood 16, Chan 16, Laure 16, Hrabak 6, Telan 6, Arana 5, Arellano 4, Reyes 2, Ibanes 0.
COKE 84 - David 20, Taulava 18, Macapagal 17, Ross 8, Espino 6, Rodriguez 5, Gonzales 4, Singson 3, Calimag 2, Rizada 1, Cruz 0.
Quarterscores: 19-20, 41-35, 67-61, 99-84
With back-to-back upset wins in the wildcard round, last seed Rain or Shine grabbed the last slot in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals.
The Elasto Painters, fighting with tremendous grit and guts, completed a triumphant ride in the wildcards with a 99-84 toppling of the seventh-seeded Coca-Cola Tigers Wednesday night at the Ynares Sports Center here.
Rain or Shine, a team in search of a breakthrough championship in the local pro league, made the quarters versus third seed Purefoods Tender Juicy.
The Elasto Painters and the Giants mix it up at 5 p.m. then the Ginebra Kings and the Talk n Text Tropang Texters clash at 7:30 p.m. in the opener of the best-of-five quarters series Friday over at the Araneta Coliseum.
In surviving the wildcard plays, Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia believed his chargers -- winners over the Sta. Lucia Realtors Wednesday -- would be upbeat in their quarters showdown with the Giants.
“It would be tough playing Purefoods but it we continue to play with intensity, enthusiasm and energy, we’ll have a chance to beat them,” said Garcia.
“I think we’re peaking at the right time. If we hit a good rhythm, we would be alright,” said Sol Mercado, turning himself to a human dynamo versus the Tigers.
Mercado sizzled with 28 points, eight assists and two steals and emerged as the team’s biggest sparkplug in their backbreaking run in the fourth quarter.
Gabe Norwood, Eddie Laure, Jeff Chan and Mike Hrabak also made an impact as the Elasto Painters stunned the Tigers, sending Coca-Cola to the exit to join early casualties Barako Bull, Sta. Lucia and Burger King.
The two teams engaged in a battle before the Elasto Painters came through with a decisive 11-to-nothing attack to establish a commanding 80-64 advantage.
The Tigers never recovered from that hole, thus, seeing the end of their four-game romp dating back to the elims.
Except for Asi Taulava, Gary David and Mark Macapagal, the rest of the Coca-Cola team struggled in this knockout Wednesday.
Norwood, Chan and Laure, meanwhile, were three other Rain or Shine players who had huge numbers.
Chan made 16 points in his final game as a bachelor. He walks the aisle with his beau Thursday.
Hrabak added six points, including a trey closing their swashbuckling attack in the fourth period.
Mercado opened the game with back-to-back triples and Chan had his own treys highlighting Rain or Shine’s charge in the second quarter that gave the Elasto Painters a 41-35 lead at halftime.
The Elasto Painters pounded crucial Coca-Cola miscues enabling Rain or Shine to lead by as many as nine points early on.
The two teams figured in a defensive battle at the onset with the Tigers doing a bit better, thus, taking a 20-19 edge at the close of the opening quarter.
In the first 24 minutes of play, the Tigers lorded it over the boards, 34-18, but committed nine errors more than the Elasto Painters got.
Mercado did a lot better than Chris Ross in the opening half with the Rain or Shine ace guard piling up six points and three assists while the Coke rookie couldn’t make a single basket and, worse, turned the ball over five times.
But getting into foul-trouble situation, Mercado had to sit down precious minutes in the third period, and the Tigers pounced on the situation to regain the lead at 57-56.
Mercado himself restored order in their game on his return towards the end of the quarter. (SB)
The scores:
RAIN OR SHINE 99 - Mercado 28, Norwood 16, Chan 16, Laure 16, Hrabak 6, Telan 6, Arana 5, Arellano 4, Reyes 2, Ibanes 0.
COKE 84 - David 20, Taulava 18, Macapagal 17, Ross 8, Espino 6, Rodriguez 5, Gonzales 4, Singson 3, Calimag 2, Rizada 1, Cruz 0.
Quarterscores: 19-20, 41-35, 67-61, 99-84
No comments:
Post a Comment