MANILA, Philippines – Rookie Alex Nuyles' main strength entering the 2014 PLDT MyDSL Philippine Cup is his superb slashing ability. And he chose Sunday's game against GlobalPort as the right time to showcase it.
Nuyless, a ninth overall pick in last year's draft, attacked at will and came through with his best performance to date to power the Elasto Painters to a 98-87 victory over the Sol Mercado-less Batang Pier to move up to solo third place going into the final stretch of the elimination phase at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.
The high-flying, lightning-quick Nuyles, who played college ball for Adamson, drove almost at will as he made six of 11 shots he attempted inside to finish with a career-best 16-point performance and added four rebounds, two assists and the same number of steals to cap his solid all-around play.
"Coach (Yeng Guiao) always encourages me to attack the basket at every chance I get to free up our shooters like Jeff Chan, Paul Lee and the others," said the 24-year-old Nuyles in Filipino.
It was the Elasto Painters' eighth win against three losses, moving up to No. 3 and closing in on the pace-setting Brgy. Ginebra Kings and Petron Blaze Boosters.
It also avenged Rain or Shine's 88-90 loss to GlobalPort in their first meeting last Dec. 8 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Guiao was quick to admit that it helped that GlobalPort's Sol Mercado, who torched the Elasto Painters with 20 points the first time they met, sat out this game due to a sore achilles he sustained during team practice the day before.
"It's really a win we wanted badly because we lost to this team the first time we played them," said Guiao. "It would have been a more satisfying win if Sol Mercado was playing.
"We're lucky at the same time because we prepared a game plan defending Sol Mercado, who really created problems for us the first time we played him, it was a lucky break for us," he added.
Rain or Shine made its move in the third canto when Alex Nuyles and Jervy Cruz conspired to help it mount an 18-point lead, its biggest, twice, the last at 60-42 on a Gabe Norwood jumper from atop the key.
But Fil-Am Jay Washington erupted for 16 of his game-high 26 points after making six of the 12 shots he took, including a pair of booming triples in the quarter to push the Mikee Romero-owned franchise closer, 67-80, entering the final 12 minutes of the game.
Nuyles, TY Tang and Chris Tiu took turns in the first half to help the Elasto Painters seize a 46-38 lead at the break.
Nuyles uncorked an eight-point binge in the opening quarter when Rain or Shine clung to a shaky 22-20 edge.
Then the prolific duo of Tang and Tiu took over, combining for 13 points in the second quarter that saw the Elasto Painters pad their lead to eight, 46-38, at the break.
The scores:
RAIN OR SHINE 98 – Nuyles 16, Cruz 12, Tang 12, Chan 11, Tiu 10, Lee 9, Arana 8, Belga 5, Rodriguez 5, Norwood 5, Almazan 3, Quinahan 2, Ibanes 0.
GLOBALPORT 87 – Washington 26, Salva 11, Romeo 10, Garcia 9, Hayes 7, Chua 5, Yee 4, Menk 4, Nabong 4, Salvador 3, Lingganay 2, Revilla 2, Ponferrada 0.
Quarters: 22-20, 46-38, 80-67, 98-87