Painters keep Top 4 hopes alive, rout Aces

Games Friday (MOA Arena)

 

4:15 p.m. – Picanto vs Star

7 p.m. – GlobalPort vs Meralco

 

 

MANILA, Philippines -- Rain or Shine stayed right behind the frontrunners and remained in the fight for the Top Four as the Elasto Painters overpowered an undermanned Alaska Milk side, 112-82, in the PBA Governors Cup at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo Wednesday night.

 

The E-Painters left nothing to chance, pounding a token resistance put up by the Alaska team playing minus core players Calvin Abueva, Sonny Thoss, Chris Banchero and Kevin Racal.

 

J’Nathan Bullock, Beau Belga, Jericho Cruz and Don Trollano led a balance Rain or Shine offense leading to the breakaway win that preserved their Final Four hopes with a 6-4 win-loss record.

 

They close out their elims stint versus the Blackwater Elite Saturday over at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, going for another win that can give them a crack at No. 4 seeding in the playoffs.

 

Coach Caloy Garcia expects a tough battle against Blackwater.
 

“They’re a totally different team with the addition of Allein Maliksi. They have a good import complemented well by the locals. And it really showed in their last game that they’re a different team with Maliksi,” said Garcia.

 

Minus Abueva, Thoss, Banchero and Racal, the Aces got into the fight only in the first few minutes of the game.

 

They dropped their last game in the season and wound up with a mere 3-8 record in the Governors Cup – the worst in a tourney for the franchise in five years.

They rued losing their last game with team leaders Tony dela Cruz and Dondon Hontiveros.

Dela Cruz was the only Alaska local player who finished in double figures -- 12 points on 4-of-7 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws -- in his farewell PBA game.

LaDontae Henton top scored with 20 points that went with seven rebounds, three blocks and one steal against five turnovers.

 

The whole team committed 18 errors and hit at a mere 36-percent clip as they suffered the second worst blowout in the tourney.