And for quite some time, Rain or Shine hasn’t been familiar with winning streaks anymore.
Unusual as it may sound, Belga went in an offensive mood Wednesday night, and the Elasto Painters finally won back-to-back games in more than three months.
Rain or Shine’s banger-defender scattered 16 of his 18 points in the second half, import Arizona Reid again submitted a double-double, and the Painters brought down Air21, 116-94, to seize the solo lead early in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Painters exploded for 70 points in the second half primarily because of Belga, who sparkled in a 15-4 blast bridging the third and fourth quarters to lead Rain or Shine in pulling away from a 72-70 count before the rest of the franchise took over in another lopsided victory that came after a similarly runaway 95-82 win against Derby Ace last Saturday in Tacloban City.
While Belga might be a player identified more as a stopper, his attacking mode didn’t come as a surprise to coach Yeng Guiao.
“He (Belga) really has a three-point shot. I’m encouraging him to take it,” said Guiao. “It’s just a confidence thing. The reason we got him is because his toughness is contagious. I guess for the game we play and the style that I like, he will be the guy to fill that position.
He’s developing his skills, he’s improving his judgment.”
Grand Slam-seeking Talk ‘N Text, while making its first appearance in the tournament, also had one spectacular game. The Tropang Texters raced to a 17-0 start and never looked back on the way to dealing Alaska its worst defeat in nine years in a 101-75 victory later in the night.
The 26-point defeat was the worst since a similarly Chot Reyes-coached Coca-Cola beat Alaska, 79-53, in the 2002 Governors’ Cup.
Embarrassed at the way Alaska played its opening game, Tim Cone didn’t take the defeat like a sportsman should.
“Nagalit sa akin si coach Tim,” Reyes said during the post-game interview. “And he was serious about it. While we coaches have an unwritten understanding, there’s a quotient system in the eliminations and there’s a quotient system in the semi-finals. Unfortunately the format calls for putting points on the board.
“It’s not ethical but we have to play within the format.”
Import Maurice Baker collected 17 points and Ryan Reyes had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Talk ‘N Text, aiming to become only the fourth franchise since Crispa (1976, 1983), San Miguel Beer (1989) and Alaska (1996) to capture the rarest of team accomplishments – the Grand Slam.
There was, however, a scary moment even if the Texters got away with murder.
Jimmy Alapag, a potential MVP candidate and member of the national team, twisted his right ankle in the third period and never returned.
He remains a doubtful starter when the Texters meet the Painters on Sunday.
To picture how Talk ‘N Text started, the franchise claimed an 18-2 edge in points off turnovers in the first half alone. Likewise, the Texters dominated the rebounds, 62-47, and had more points in the open court, 21-14.
Cyrus Baguio topscored for Alaska with 29 points and nine rebounds, while Jason Forte had 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Belga indeed had one of his best nights. He went 3-of-3 from the three-point area, went 7-of-10 from the field overall, and did not commit a single turnover. The only thing that was negative about his game was his free throw shooting, which ended at 1-of-4.
With the win, the Painters snapped a winning streak drought. The last time Rain or Shine won games in succession was during the start of the Commissioner’s Cup early March this year when it conquered its first three games.
“It’s been a long time we’ve had a winning streak,” Guiao said. “I’m happy with the streak and I think my confidence is higher this time. I think we have the right import, and we’ve won two games convincingly.”
Reid, on the other hand, was the perfect example of balance. He had six points in each of the four quarters and also pulled down 11 rebounds and flicked five assists coming off a 36-point, 17-rebound performance against the Llamados.
Not only that, the Painters had everyone involved. Jeff Chan produced 15 points – 10 coming in the first quarter – and seven rebounds, Ronjay Buenafe scattered 13 points while Gabe Norwood submitted 12 points and eight rebounds for Rain or Shine.
What added spice to the victory was that Rain or Shine was able to survive one of the league’s longest scoring runs uncorked by Air21. Up 34-20 early in the second quarter, the Painters allowed the Express to get into a rhythm in unloading a 21-0 blast, an assault that ended up tied for fifth in runs made.
“I was tempted to call a time-out but did not, partly my fault,” Guiao said. “I had that confidence that we can get back.”
And the Painters did.
