MANILA: Rain or Shine postponed San Mig Coffee’s Grand Slam party and is now also making arrangement for a big bash of its own.

Arizona Reid got the local support he wanted and the Elasto Painters tore the Mixers apart in the second period Monday night to carve out an 88-79 victory and take their PBA Governor’s Cup best-of-five title series to the distance at the Araneta Coliseum.

Four locals tossed in 10 points or more in a solid back-up job for Reid, and the Painters used a whirlwind second quarter to establish firm command before fending off several San Mig rallies that tied the series at 2-all.

“It was really just about postponing their (Mixers’) party (in winning Game 4) today,” Rain or Shine coach Guiao said as the Elasto Painters kept San Mig’s party balloons hanging on the rafters.

“We’re hoping that we have a chance to (totally) cancel it (Grand Slam party),” he continued.

After opening up with a solid five and then winning a gamble when he put third-string point guard Jonathan Uyloan into the fray in the second period, the Painters zoomed to a 53-33 lead that proved enough buffer to cushion at least two huge comeback tries by the Mixers.

Uyloan scored all of his eight points in the second period, and Reid and Gabe Norwood had nine each in the same stretch that enabled the Painters to break free from a 27-all game and take a 53-38 lead going into the lemon time break.

Uyloan tossed in two huge triples to forge that 27-all tie, and Norwood scored those nine points on a string – two triples and a three-point play – that ushered the Painters to that 20-point bubble.

“It’s really just a simple formula for winning today: we just played a lot harder, definitely a lot harder than Game 3,” added Guiao, who is looking to become just the third coach to spoil a team’s Grand Slam bid in the Finals.

“As long as we play with energy and intensity, we have a chance to win.”

Only two Grand Slam bidders in the 39-year history of the PBA have been denied of the Triple Crown sweep in the title series of the third conference. Toyota was denied by Crispa in 1975 before Talk 'N Text lost in Game 7 to Petron in 2011.

San Mig coach Tim Cone, who is looking for his second treble after guiding Alaska to the last Slam in 1996, was man enough to acknowledge what had happened on the court.

“There are always two sides to a coin, and sometimes, you just have to tip your cap and say: They really played great,” Cone said. “They kicked our butts out there tonight.”

Rain or Shine scored 48 points in the middle two periods and San Mig just 34, which was just two more than what the Painters tossed in during that second quarter surge.

“We played a little pressured tonight, and when you’re pressured you have the tendency to play hero basketball,” Cone said. “We had some players doing that tonight. They were a little focused on the offensive side.

“We gave up 53 points in the first half and it showed that we were trying to win the game offensively than defensively.”

Game 5 is slated Wednesday night also at the Cubao venue and Cone acknowledges the fact that it’s now down to 50-50 for that game and that anything can happen.

Marqus Blakely scored 21 points – all of them coming in the second and third periods where the Mixers were outscored heavily – and the Rain or Shine defense shut down his local support with only James Yap finishing in twin digits.

Paul Lee fired 14 points like Norwood and Beau Belga had 11, with Ryan Arana tossing in 10 to complete Rain or Shine’s balanced scoring.