Rain or Shine survives Castro’s 44 to beat Talk ‘N Text in Game 2
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters weathered the swashbuckling 44-point performance of Talk ‘N Text guard Jayson Castro to log a 116-108 victory over the Texters in Game 2 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals last night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Down by as many as 17 points and with the so-called “Best Point Guard in Asia” waxing hot from downtown, Talk ‘N Text had Rain or Shine against the ropes.
But in typical Elasto Painters fashion, they didn’t back down and chipped away at the deficit and eventually put the Texters away in the final frame behind timely makes by Paul Lee, Jireh Ibañes and import Wayne Chism.
The best-of-seven series is now tied at 1-1 with Game 3 set tomorrow.
Chism finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds while Lee, who was playing with a hurting ankle, added 20 markers, 16 of which came in the second half highlighted by a three-pointer that gave the Painters a 110-100 lead with 3:30 remaining.
“Inisip ko na pagkatapos nalang ng Finals magpa therapy,” Lee said regarding his injury. “Kailangan talaga mag sacrifice.”
Ibañes, the team’s defensive specialist, proved his worth by snatching an offensive rebound that led to two free-throws by Jeff Chan and a steal that denied the Texters a shot in their final possession.
The former University of the Philippines Fighting Maroon also contributed on the other side of the floor with 12 points, capped by an alley-oop basket that came from a great pass by Chan.
Rain or Shine’s offense, which stalled in the series opener, suddenly came to life as Chan finished with 17 points while Gabe Norwood chipped in 14.
Rain or Shine’s persistent play spoiled Castro’s incredible night which saw him score a career-high 44 points spiked by nine three-pointers.
BOX SCORES:
RAIN OR SHINE 116 – Chism 30, Lee 20, Chan 17, Norwood 14, Ibañes 12, Belga 8, Arana 7, Almazan 4, Teng 2, Quinahan 2, Cruz Jericho 0, Tang 0, Tiu 0, Cruz Jervy 0.
TALK ‘N TEXT 108 – Castro 44, Johnson 20, De Ocampo 15, Rosser 10, Fonacier 8, Alas 5, Williams 2, Seigle 2, Aban 2.
Quarter Scores: 27-26, 49-62, 85-84, 116-108.
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