ROS grabs early lead
Elasto Painters sizzle, send Bolts crashing
Games Today (Ynares Sports Arena):
2:00 p.m. — San Miguel vs NorthPort 4:35 p.m. — Barangay Ginebra vs Magnolia 7:00 p.m. — NLEX vs Terrafirma
Rain or Shine (ROS) flaunted its might to clobber Meralco, 85-72, to secure the leadership of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Saturday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
The Elasto Painters sparked a fiery assault before dictating the tempo the rest of the way to grab their third straight win in the all-Filipino battle that is being held under closed-circuit setup.
Javee Mocon delivered 18 points, six rebounds and six assists while big man Beau Belga registered a triple-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Elasto Painters, who drew significant numbers from Rey Nambatac and Norbert Torres.
Nambatac, arguably the league’s best player in the early stretch of this special season, tallied 11 points, five rebounds and three steals while Torres had 11 markers and five rebounds to join Rain or Shine’s well-balanced offensive assault.
I told them before that we were going up against a 2-0 Meralco team who’s playing extremely well and we will need gold standard in order to win.
Rain or Shine coach Chris Gavina likes how they are performing, especially after dealing Meralco its first loss of the season.
“I told them before that we were going up against a 2-0 Meralco team who’s playing extremely well and we will need gold standard in order to win,” Gavina said.
“We’re really grateful that our best players really set the standards from day one. When your best players are your hardest workers, your culture gets set organically.”
After posting a 68-55 advantage entering the fourth quarter, the Elasto Painters were unstoppable as veteran Gabe Norwood hit back-to-back shots topped by a three-point play from Mocon to push their lead to 21, 82-61, with 4:21 left in the game.
Reynel Hugnatan and Chris Newsome fired consecutive triples to trim the lead to 16, 68-84, but a series of costly turnovers hampered Meralco’s attempt to stage a last-minute comeback.
Newsome fired 13 points, five rebounds and six assists for the Bolts, who fell to 2-1.
Action-packed games continues with a triple-header treat today with defending champion Barangay Ginebra shooting for its second win against Magnolia in the second game at 4:35 p.m. while San
Miguel Beer will try to extend its momentum against NorthPort in the 2 p.m. appetizer.
NLEX and Terrafirma will collide in the nightcap at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, the league announced that it will be imposing relaxed provisions for future applicants of the next Annual Rookie Draft.
PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro said prospects who are doubtful to enter the draft will be given three years to throw their names in the rookie selection process, adding an extra year to their previous two-year window.
The league has also adjusted the age requirement for rookie applicants from 21 to 19 years old.
Castro also said the top three overall picks can now avail three-year maximum veteran’s contract worth P420,000 per month, as compared to previous maximum rookie deal at P200,000 a month.
PBA said that this rule was approved by the league’s study group in relation to the influx of young Filipino cagers pursuing professional careers abroad.
“An applicant who is eligible to join the draft may opt not to join but the following rules shall apply,” Castro said.
“If he fails to join the PBA within three years, he will have to sit out the full five-year period.”
The Scores:
RAIN OR SHINE (85) — Mocon 18, Belga 17, Torres 11, Nambatac 11, Wong 8, Borboran 7, Caracut 6, Norwood 5, Ponferada 2, Guinto 0, Santillan 0, Tolentino 0.
MERALCO (72) — Newsome 13, Almazan 10, Hodge 9, Hugnatan 9, Quinto 7, Pinto 6, Belo 4, Maliksi 3, Black 4, Jose 2, Canete 2, Jackson 1, Pasaol 0.
Quarters: 13-18, 42-35, 68-55, 85-72.