Yap and B-Meg scuttle Rain or Shine

James Yap is most dangerous when he’s having fun.
Claiming to be playing pressure-free, Yap drilled in 30 points last night and led B-Meg to a 91-81 scuttling of Rain or Shine that cut the Elasto Painters’ best-of-seven series lead for the PBA Governors’ Cup to 3-2 before close to 13,000 boisterous fans at the Araneta Coliseum.
The former two-time MVP scored all but four of those points in the first three periods, highlighting his night with an 11-point first quarter that was abruptly cut when he swung at Jireh Ibanes with just under three minutes left in the period.
“Being 1-3 down coming into the game, all I wanted to do was give my best out there and have fun,” Yap told reporters before dedicating the win to his late ex-mother-in-law, former President Corazon C. Aquino.
Yap, though, got a lot of help with Marcus Blakely shooting 24 points that went with 13 rebounds as he completely outclassed Rain or Shine counterpart Jamelle Cornley.
Cornley, the Best Import awardee who had two solid outings previous to Game 5, made just 11 of 33 shots from the floor. And though he did topscore with 25 markers, he was completely absent in the fourth with just two points.
But Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao still did not depart from his confident statement issued after a Game 2 loss.
“It just got delayed, but this (series) is still ours,” he said.
Already without Rookie of the Year Paul Lee, the Painters also lost Beau Belga to two technical fouls in the third period after giving up a hard foul on Blakely that almost triggered an on-court brawl.
Belga’s departure left a deep hole in the middle for the Painters, who went on to lose the rebounding battle by 16 in the second half alone.
“We gave them a total of 24 offensive rebounds, so that means 24 extra possessions for them,” Guiao rued. “And that’s hard to survive.”
Also proving to be a huge downfall for Rain or Shine was Gabe Norwood, the franchise’s first Rookie of the Year who was held scoreless in 37 minutes. The 6-foot-5 point guard, who was awesome in the last two games, took just four attempts for the night.
Yancy de Ocampo started at center for the Llamados in the absence of Marc Pingris and contributed heavily, firing 14 points and grabbing the same number of boards in a performance that clearly befuddled Guiao and his coaching staff.
“This was all about James putting us on his shoulders and carrying us,” B-Meg coach Tim Cone said.
Game 6 is scheduled on Friday.
Jeff Chan scored 14 points and Ryan Arana scored 10 of his 11 in the fourth period, including a four-point play off Jonas Villanueva that shoved the Painters to within 77-70 heading into the final 10 minutes.