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RAIN OR SHINE BEATS MERALCO TO GET BACK ON TRACK
Published on June 15, 2012
Where else to go when you’re team’s missing all 14 three-point shots and barely scraping 35
Rookie Paul Lee sank three free throws in the closing minute and Gabe Norwood added two more for
good measure as Rain or Shine turned back Meralco, 81-77, to seize a share of leadership with B-Meg
in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.“We find ways to win,” said Rain or Shine
With their fifth win in six games, both the Llamados and the Elasto Painters have clinched berths to
the carry-over semifinal round where the top six teams from the single-round elimination will move
“Every game is important even if we’re now in the semifinals by our estimate. This is like the
playoffs already,” said Guiao when asked whether he expects tapering off in their remaining games
Not one to panic in moments of distress, Guiao kept Jamelle Cornley inside after the import picked
up his fourth foul early in the fourth quarter and kept his finger off the timeout button at the
height of the nip-and-tuck closing minutes.
“Our guys are maturing enough to close out games,” he said by way of explanation.
Instead it was veteran center Asi Taulava who asked for a timeout which the Bolts didn’t have with
11 seconds remaining and Rain or Shine up, 80-77.
The resulting technical – maybe a ploy by the Bolts to be able to huddle – sent Lee to the foul
line where he made Meralco pay with its fourth loss in six games.
Cornley led Rain or Shine with 21 points and 10 rebounds and Lee added 16 with 4 assists. Norwood
had 10 points with 8 free throws but shooter Jeff Chan had a terrible evening – offensively and
defensively, going 1 of 3 from the line and tormented by Meralco’s Mark Cardona, especially in the
Taulava continued his modern day revival by posting 15 points and 14 rebounds behind Mario West’s
23 and 10. The 6-foot-9 center went 5 of 5 from the stripe and gave the Bolts a 73-69 lead with 3:38
But Rain or Shine got off a 7-2 run that wiped out the deficit and put the Elasto Painters ahead,
76-75, on a Cornley jumper with 1:31 to go.
A twisting drive by Sol Mercado restored the advantage to Meralco with 50 seconds remaining. But Lee
hit two free throws off a Mercado foul and Norwood canned a pair after a Bolts turnover to make it
“Paul Lee has been giving us the necessary lift in leadership and control from the point guard
Lee was 6 of 12 from the perimeter and 4 of 5 from the line. But he was 0 of 2 from beyond the
3-point arc and the Elasto Painters were 0 for 14 overall.
Rain or Shine was also outrebounded, 62-53 and shot just 35 percent from the floor. But 29 fouls
called on Meralco, all but six of them with awards, gave Rain or Shine 20 more gift shots and the
Elasto Painters hit 29 against Meralco’s 16.
“We survived despite our free throws earlier,” said Guiao. “We found ways to win this game.”
RAIN OR SHINE 81 - Cornely 21, Lee 16, Norwood 10, Cruz 6, Chan 6, Quinahan 6, Buenafe 6, Matias 4,
Jaime 4, Ibanes 2, Tang 0, Belga 0.
MERALCO 77 - West 23, Taulava 15, Cardona 12, Mercado 9, Bulawan 6, Hugnatan 6, Ross 3, Reyes 3,
Quarterscores: 18-17, 32-35, 59-59, 81-77
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