Painters, Boosters make Final 4

MANILA, Philippines -  Rain or Shine kept the fire of its come-from-behind 112-105 victory Friday, repeating over Barangay Ginebra, 106-91, to secure a seat in the PBA Philippine Cup Final Four at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo last night.

The Elasto Painters came out smoking, taking a huge 18-point spread right in the opening quarter and were hardly threatened the rest of the way in a lopsided win that sent them to the semifinals against the Powerade Tigers.

“We got off to a good start, took away momentum and initiative from Ginebra, and that’s the real key,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.

“It was really a big challenge taking on Ginebra. We beat them in the first game as we got lucky. In this game, we really came out strong. I’m looking at it as a good sign for this young team toughened up playing under pressure,” Guiao said.

The outspoken Rain or Shine mentor expressed confidence they can match up well with the Tigers. He, however, said that they can’t be complacent.

“Powerade deserves to be in the semis. They worked hard for it. They were the underdogs but beat the odds. They can strike again if we let them be,” said Guiao.

Sweeping the Kings in their best-of-three quarters showdown, the Elasto Painters made the semis for a second straight conference and for the third time in franchise history.

Jeff Chan led all scorers with 22 points, including four triples, while Ronjay Buenafe, Ronnie Matias, Beau Belga and Ryan Arana contributed at least 11 points each for the Painters who seized control right in the opening minutes and held sway throughout on a solid game on both ends of the court.

“We kept our game plan simple: double team their guards, contain them and see what happens. Our offense just takes care of itself,” said Guiao.

The Elasto Painters converted 13 of their first 16 field-goal attempts as they pulled away early at 33-15.

They had their first double-digit spread at 16-6 with Larry Rodriguez, Belga, Chan and Gabe Norwood combining for 6-of-7 shooting.

Petron Blaze likewise bundled out Meralco via a two-game sweep to advance to the semis versus Talk n Text.

Chris Lutz topscored with 22 points while Arwind Santos chipped in 18 points and Joseph Yeo added 13 points and 11 rebounds as the Boosters drubbed the Bolts, 80-64, in a follow-up to their 91-84 victory Friday.

“We’ve made the next level and we’ll try to continue our drive by concentrating on the semis against Talk n Text,” said Petron coach Ato Agustin.

Rain or Shine dominated the opening half with an impressive 52.4-percent clip as against Ginebra’s 35.9-percent marksmanship.

Making things easier for the Elasto Painters was their domination of the boards.

“Ginebra is a good team. They’re just hounded by injuries and a stroke of bad luck in the first game,” said Guiao.

Ronald Tubid and Jayjay Helterbrand returned from sickbay but hardly made a difference for Ginebra.

Helterbrand scored six points on 2-of-7 field-goal shooting and headed to the dugout with his head covered by a towel with still a few seconds left in the clock.

It could well be his farewell game in his PBA career. During the off-season, he signed just a one-conference playing contract as he’s already thinking of staying with his family in the United States.

The scores:

First Game

Rain or Shine 106 – Chan 22, Buenafe 13, Matias 12, Belga 12, Arana 11, Norwood 9, Quinahan 9, Lee 8, Rodriguez 6, Cruz 4, Tang 0.

Brgy. Ginebra 91 – Cortez 17, Canaleta 13, Intal 12, Caguioa 11, Mamaril 10, Labagala 8, Villanueva 8, W. Wilson 6, Helterbrand 6, Tubid 0.

Quarterscores: 41-24, 58-37, 78-61, 106-91

Second Game

Petron 80 – Lutz 21, Santos 18, Yeo 13, Miranda 12, Baclao 6, Reyes 6, Tugade 2, Ildefonso 2, Doruelo 0, Agustin 0, Cabagnot 0.

Meralco 64 – Espinas 20, Cardona 10, Mercado 9, Macapagal 7, Taulava 7, Isip 4, Timberlake 2, Borboran 2, Omolon 2, Ross 1, Ballesteros 0, Lanete 0, Hugnatan 0.

Quarterscores: 30-17, 46-32, 58-49, 80-64