Eman delivers in the clutch

Big man Samigue Eman lived up to the hype, coming up with big plays down the stretch to power Rain or Shine past Toyota Otis, 73-67, yesterday as the Elasto Painters gained a share of the lead with Montaña Pawnshop in the PBL Unity Cup at the San Andres Gym.

Jay-R Reyes showed the way for Elasto Paints with 16 points but it was the 6-foot-10 University of Mindanao standout who made things happen for the Elasto Painters in the fourth quarter.

Eman, who last played in the PBL for John O three years ago, scored eight points, including two pressure-packed foul shots that gave Rain or Shine the lead for good and a crucial putback off a Marvin Ortiguerra miss that secured the victory for the team.

He also had three rebounds, one assist and one shot block — all in the fourth quarter — and likewise made his presence felt in the defensive end by deflecting several Toyota attempts, including a driving lay-up by Boyet Bautista at endgame.

"He really played a big role in this game especially on the defensive end," said Rain or Shine coach Leo Austria referring to Eman.

"My role is to help the team in every way I can," said Eman in Filipino. He saw action in 16 minutes.

Earlier, Jason Castro fired 21 points as Hapee Toothpaste-PCU beat Harbour Centre, 68-63, to notch its first win in two outings.

Castro, who finished runner-up to Jojo Tangkay in the 2006 Heroes Cup MVP race, drained all but one of his five triples for the Teeth Sparklers.