It was not the prettiest of games but the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters welcomed it with open arms as they outlasted the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok, 75-74, thanks to a winning play from James Yap in the 2019 Honda PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
It was a low-scoring ball game but the action picked up late in the fourth quarter with both teams knocking down big shots.
Magnolia led 2-0 the start the game but they did not taste the lead again until the final four minutes of the contest with Rodney Brondial knocking down a triple to give his team a 66-64 advantage.
And when winning time came, the big guns all came out to play.
Paul Lee scored on a layup to extend their lead to three, 70-67, but Yap responded with a triple to tie the count on the next play. Rome dela Rosa and Beau Belga then exchanged baskets for another deadlock at 72-all.
Lee then nailed a tough basket with seven seconds remaining in the game for a 74-72 lead but Yap would hit an even bigger one on the next play as he swished a one-hander and drew the foul from Dela Rosa for an and-one play which he completed.
The game's final play saw Ian Sangalang attacking off the dribble and missing at the buzzer as the Hotshots fall in their third straight game this conference.
Yap was again the Best Player of the Game with a game-high 18 points alongside five rebounds.
"I thank coach (Caloy Garcia) for his trust. He drew up that play for me and thankfully I delivered," said Yap. "We have a new system on offense and we work on it everyday. All of my teammates get the chance to take shots and that's why everyone's is up right now."
Maverick Ahanmisi and Norbert Torres also scored in double digits for Rain or Shine as 11 of the 12 players that saw action from their side were able to contribute at least two points.
Sangalang and Mark Barroca led Magnolia with 16 points apiece while Lee had 10 in the game. Magnolia struggled on offense for the first three quarters as Sangalang and Lee combined for 11 of 42 shots from the field but they had a chance to win in the end because of their defensive effort.
After picking up losses to the TNT KaTropa and San Miguel Beermen in their first two games of the season, Magnolia faced another big challenge against the league-leading Elasto Painters.
Early in the game, Rain or Shine took full advantage of Magnolia's lackluster effort on the defensive end as they quickly took a double-digit lead 18-8 off a triple from Norbert Torres. The Elasto Painters converted five triples in the first 12 minutes with eight players already scoring on their side as they retained the 10-point edge, 24-14, heading into the second.
Magnolia's defense finally showed its teeth as they limited Rain or Shine to 16 second-quarter points. On offense, the Hotshots banked on Rob Herndon's 10 first half points to inch them closer. Sangalang and Lee struggled from the field with a combined 2 of 16 shooting in the first half, allowing the Elasto Painters to hang on to a 40-33 advantage.
The Hotshots started well in the second half as they trimmed their deficit down to two, 43-41, powered by a couple of triples from Mark Barroca but Rain or Shine got timely baskets from Torres and Yap to hang on to the lead, 55-49, heading into the final quarter.
THE SCORES
Rain or Shine 75 - Yap 18, Ahanmisi 13, Torres 11, Rosales 7, Norwood 6, Almazan 5, Belga 4, Nambatac 3, Ponferada 3, Mocon 3, Onwubere 2, Daquioag 0.
Magnolia 74 - Sangalang 16, Barroca 16, Herndon 11, Lee 10, Reavis 9, Brondial 7, Dela Rosa 2, Jalalon 2, Pascual 1, Melton 0.
Quarters: 24-14, 40-33, 55-49, 75-74.
EXTRA DRIBBLES
-Jewel Ponferrada was called for a flagrant foul penalty 1 in the third quarter and the hit on Rob Herndon was born out of frustration with their inability to prevent offensive rebounds for Magnolia.
-Yap was put in a similar end game situation in their last contest against the Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters although he missed the game-winning triple attempt in regulation.
-Although Magnolia only made 27% of their field goals, they were able to stay within striking distance because of their big advantage in rebounds 69 to 54, leading 31 to 12 on the offensive glass.
-Rain or Shine has now won five straight
NEXT GAMES
Magnolia vs Meralco Bolts on March 2 in Cagayan De Oro
Rain or Shine vs TNT KaTropa on March 3 at the Ynares Center, Antipolo