MANILA – Rain or Shine Elasto Painters clawed back from a double digit deficit to score a 107-100 win over NorthPort Batang Pier in the 2019 Honda PBA Philippine Cup last night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Negrense James Yap and Beau Belga came up with 19 points each while Norbert Torres added 16 markers.
With the win, the Painters remained at second place in the standings with a 5-1 win-loss slate.
Down by as much as 14 points early in the third period, the Painters slowly carved its way out on outside conversions from Belga, Torres and Maverick Ahanmisi to come to within 84-91.
Batang Pier managed to increase the lead back to nine but baskets from Mark Borboran, Belga and Ahanmisi allowed the Painters to take a 97-95 lead.
A basket from Sean Anthony and a triple by Stanley Pringle gave NorthPort its last lead at 100-97.
The Painters gained the lead at 103-100 after free throws from Belga and Nambatac and a triple by Yap.
Free throws by Nambatac and a fastbreak layup by Borboran iced the win for Rain or Shine.
For Batang Pier, Pringle tallied 34 points and seven rebounds while Anthony and Moala Tautuaa chipped in 22 and 16 markers, respectively.
But with its loss, Batang Pier dropped to 2-2 win-loss card.
In the first game, Calvin Abueva came up with a game-saving block as the Phoenix Fuel Masters escaped with an 83-82 victory over the NLEX Road Warriors to pad its record to 6-0.
Holding to a slim 83-82 lead with 2.3 seconds left, the Fuel Masters got away with a hairline of the win. Abueva foiled the three-point try of Road Warriors’ Pedrito Galanza.
Matthew Wright tallied 17 points while Jason Perkins chipped in double-double 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Fuel Masters.
JR Quinahan had 14 points for the Road Warriors, which dropped to 2-4 win-loss card./PN
