Rain or Shine won't go away, stays afloat

MANILA, Philippines - Rain or Shine just won’t quit yet, keeping alive its finals hopes in the PBA Governors Cup with a 102-86 win over Petron Blaze at the Davao del Sur Sports Center in Digos last night.

“We’ve got to win games, no other way,” said import Arizona Reid after another solid all-around performance leading the Elasto Painters to a second straight win in the semifinal round.

Ronjay Buenafe also had a remarkable showing with 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting as Rain or Shine scored a follow-up on its 96-81 upset of Talk n Text to stay in contention for a playoff under the “four-of-five incentive rule.”

The Elasto Painters improved their overall carryover record to 6-5, catching up with the Boosters and the Alaska Milk Aces at third place, a game behind the second running Barangay Ginebra Kings (7-4).

Alaska and Petron are both out of the running for the playoff incentive. They have to win their two remaining games and hope for a superior quotient in case of tie.

Reid and Buenafe took turns in carrying the fight for the Elasto Painters as they upended the Boosters in this game serving as the last leg of the Phoenix Fuel PBA on Tour.

At the finish, the two joined forces, fueling a 12-2 windup that made it a 16-point win for Rain or Shine.

Reid wound up with 33 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists while Buenafe added a 30-point output spiked by six-of-nine three-point field goals.

The prolific RoS reinforcement had got 21 points and eight boards as the Elasto Painters led, 44-37, at the half.

He opened the game with a driving lay-up followed by a triple, and Buenafe capped it with his own trey in an 8-0 start wiped out by the Boosters in a counterattack forging a 22-standoff at the end of the first period.

After Rain or Shine took a seven-point halftime lead, Petron again fought back to seize the lead at 64-61 on key baskets by Arwind Santos, Danny Ildefonso and Denok Miranda.

The Elasto Painters, however, won’t be denied, winning on strong finishes on both the third and fourth quarters.