Picanto finally wins at Painters’ expense

CEBU, Philippines — Four men down coming from three horrible blowout losses, the remaining Kia Picanto players showed tremendous heart and character to put an end to the franchise’s eight-month slump.

The Picanto actually nearly squandered a seven-point lead in the last two minutes but hung on in the end, upending the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 98-94, in a fight-marred game in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome last night.

Eric Camson, the team’s leading scorer with an average of 13.0 points a game, joined Jackson Corpuz, JayR Reyes and Carlo Lastimosa in the sideline after trading elbows and punches with Raymond Almazan in the second quarter.

But the scuffle seemed to fire up the Picanto, staying together all throughout to finally score a breakthrough in PBA Season 43 and end a 16-game losing spell dating back to the 2017 Commissioner’s Cup.

It was their first win in the season after four losses, three by a whopping combined losing margin of 107 points to the Phoenix Fuel Masters, the Magnolia Hotshots and to the Alaska Milk Aces.

It's also Kia's very first win ever over Rain or Shine.

And the Picanto, thus, avoided matching Barangay Ginebra’s dubious mark of 17 straight defeats in 1995.

The E-Painters bungled numerous cracks at salvaging the game at the finish and went down with a third loss in five starts.

“The guys are determined to show that they can win games in the league, and they showed it tonight,” said Ricky Dandan, nailing a win in his third game as head coach of the Picanto.

Rashawn McCarthy, Roider Cabrera, Mark Yee and Glen Khobuntin were the lead lights in Kia’s breakthrough.

With the game in the balance in the last six seconds, Yee won a jump-ball with Gabe Norwood, tipping the ball to Khobuntin who then raced away for the game-clinching breakaway layup.

Yee, playing the center position in the absence of Corpuz, Reyes and Camson, came through with 13 points and eight rebounds.

McCarthy made 14 markers that went with three rebounds and four assists, Cabrera delivered 14 points and three rebounds while Khobuntin chipped in 11 markers, two boards and two dish-offs.

Camson had come up with 10 points, five boards, four assists and two steals before figuring in a fight with Almazan.

They first traded elbows before going at it in a full-blown fight. They’re likely to face sanction that may include suspension.

“Hopefully not because we’re badly undermanned,” said Dandan, missing the services of Corpuz and Reyes on injuries.

Lastimosa, a free agent, was just signed up when he suffered an ankle injury in practice. He has to wait before finally making his debut with the Picanto.