Painters crush Kings for 7th-straight win

Games Tuesday (Cuneta Astrodome)

2 p.m. – Purefoods vs Barako Bull

4:15 p.m. – Blackwater vs San Miguel

7 p.m. – Globalport vs Meralco

MANILA, Philippines – Rain or Shine validated its reputation as a consistent title contender as it ripped Barangay Ginebra, 100-90, to cap a seven-game closing romp in the eliminations and secure a fifth straight PBA Final Four entry before a crowd of over 10,000 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday night.

Amid the coming typhoon, the Elasto Painters came out with their own mighty storm, roaring past the Gin Kings to clinch the first outright semifinal berth in the PBA Philippine Cup.

San Miguel Beer guns for the other automatic semis spot versus winless expansion team Blackwater in the closing play date of the elims Tuesday over at the Cuneta Astrodome.

“The guys really wanted this win. This is our best chance to get into the semis. We don’t want to go the long way. It’s a risky proposition,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.

“We’re a little tired coming from back-to-back games, but we’re able to sustain a fast pace,” Guiao also said.

Beau Belga matched a career-best 21 points while Paul Lee fired 18 points and Jeff Chan and JR Quinahan tossed in 11 apiece as Rain or Shine pummeled Ginebra in an up-tempo game and closed out its elims stint with 9-2 win-loss card.

The E-Painters came out strong, led by as many as 23 in the third and sustained a dominant ride to the very end, thus sending the Gin Kings to a 6-5 finish.

But regardless of the outcome of the Cuneta Astrodome triple-bill Tuesday, the Gin Kings are assured of a Top Six seeding, meaning they enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage in the initial stage of the quarterfinal round. 

With their early semis passage, the E-Painters will enjoy at least a 10-day break before plunging back into action.

“We’re giving our guys a two-day break, then we start practicing again. We can’t afford a long break or we lose our sharpness,” said Guiao.