Rain or Shine ends two-game slide, trips Purefoods in OT

MANILA, Philippines – Rain or Shine overcame a slow start behind a strong finishing kick as it edged out Purefoods in overtime, 88-84, to snap its losing skid in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup Thursday night at the Olivarez College gym in Paranaque. Back-up guard Don Dulay drained a big three-pointer with 76 seconds left in the extra period to break the game’s final deadlock and put the Elasto Painters on top for good, 86-83. Kerby Raymundo split his free throws to make it a two-point game, but the Giants bungled two potential-game winning plays as Chico Lanete and James Yap missed successive three-point shots, allowing Rain or Shine to escape with the hard-earned win. Jay-R Reyes had 23 points to pace the Elasto Painters, whose two-game losing streak came to an end and improved to 3-2. Gabe Norwood added 18, Sol Mercado 17 while Dulay 11, including the two free throws that sealed the game in the final five seconds. Peter June Simon topscored with 23 markers in another losing cause for the Giants, who suffered their fourth straight setback to join the Coca-Cola Tigers down the cellar with a 1-4 card. It was a heartbreaking loss for Purefoods which opened up the game with a big 15-0 run following a blazing start that caught Rain or Shine by surprise. But Reyes and Mercado led a big Elasto Painters comeback in the second half. A pressure-packed three-pointer by the Rain or Shine rookie with 34 seconds to go in regulation put the team in front, 79-77. James Yap sank two free throws with 25 seconds to tie the game at 79. The Giants had a chance to win it in regulation after Wainwright bungled the Elasto Painters’ final play by committing a traveling violation. But without a timeout left, Purefoods failed to convert, paving the way for the overtime. – GMANews.TV