Lee hopes to deliver crown to E-Painters

MANILA, Philippines - Hoping to end the 39th PBA season with a league championship for Rain or Shine, Paul Lee poured it all out in helping steer Rain or Shine back from a 1-2 series deficit to beat Alaska in the semifinals and advance to the PBA Governors Cup Finals.

The 6-0 Lee banged in 21 points, powered by five three-point shots, while adding four rebounds to lead Rain or Shine to a pulsating 123-121 overtime win in Game Four last June 26 and force a winner-take-all match.

Two days later, the streak-shooting gunner overcame a shooting slump after scoring the team’s last four points before capping his heroics with a pair of free throws to lift Rain or Shine to a 97-94 win in sudden death.

The Game Five victory towed Rain or Shine to its second Finals appearance this season. And it netted Lee a second Accel-PBA Player of the Week this conference, beating out San Mig Super Coffee’s Joe Devance, James Yap and Mark Barroca for the weekly citation for the period of June 23-29.

Lee said his absence in Rain or Shine’s breakthrough win in the 2012 PBA Governors Cup has motivated him to stay healthy and get better, hoping that he could finally help his team end the season with a championship.