By REYNALD MAGALLON
Rain or Shine bucked a slow start and tripped Converge, 90-84, to stand along atop the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup standings at the Ynares Center Montalban, Sunday, Dec. 7.
The Elasto Painters trailed 8-22 in the opening frame but slowly but surely found their rhythm on both ends of the floor to frustrate the FiberXers.
Rain or Shine improved to a 7-2 record not only to regain the top spot but also inch closer to the coveted twice-to-beat advantage which is the reward to Top 4 teams.
Leonard Santillan rallied his squad to the much-needed win, firing 12 of his 16 points in the second half – including back-to-back triples that fueled the massive ROS run.
Gian Mamuyac provided support with 15 points while Andrei Caracut added 13.
Juan Gomez de Liano finished with 20 points but had to take 19 shots to reach his output for Converge.
The FiberXers slid to a 6-3 slate joining NLEX and Magnolia.
The Hotshots banked on its stifling defense in the second frame to blow out the Road Warriors, , to get back on track.
After a close first quarter showdown between the two teams, Magnolia tightened up its defensive screws in the telling second quarters that saw the Hotshots limit the Road Warriors to a measly eight points while pouring 19.
The huge defensive quarter for Magnolia fueled the crucial pull away from a competitive 28-22 affair at the end of the first frame into a commanding 47-30 at the break.
Zav Lucero anchored the defense for the Hotshots as aside from putting up 18 points, he also grabbed 12 rebounds along with two blocks and two steals.
Rome Dela Rosa and Mark Barroca chipped in 14 and 12 respectively while James Laput and Chris Koon contributed 11 apiece to help Magnolia improve to a 6-3 record, good for a share of the fourth spot.
