SAN MIGUEL VS RAIN OR SHINE
EVENTS: Live Streaming & Full Game Replay
Where: SMART ARANETA
When: Saturday JANUARY 09, 2016
Fajardo dominated yet again, posting 40 points and 20 rebounds in Game 3 but it was not enough for a second consecutive game.
Paul Lee, in just his third game back from injury, led Rain or Shine’s balanced attack with 18 points while Beau Belga had a double-double of 14 points and 14 boards.
Gabe Norwood and Jeff Chan added 13 points apiece while Jewel Ponferada and Chris Tiu each had 12. Rookie Maverick Ahanmisi also finished in double-figures with 10 points.
Rain or Shine got off to a quick start with rookie Josan Nimes connecting on a three-pointer and Jeff Chan drawing a foul shooting a triple, knocking down three free throws. A putback from Beau Belga a few minutes later made it a 12-4 lead for the Elasto Painters to open the game.
San Miguel’s Marcio Lassiter, though, showed why he was considered one of the best shooters in the league as he went 3-for-3 on three-pointers in a span of just three minutes, pushing the Beermen ahead, 17-13.
The quarter had no shortage of color, though, as SMB’s Ronald Tubid and Ryan Arana were both whistled for flagrant fouls in the opening period.
Tubid was booked after his hand connected with Chan’s midsection while Arana earned his a few minutes later after extending a leg to trip his former teammate, JR Quinahan, both on the Beermen’s defensive end.
Another flagrant foul was signalled by the referees a few seconds later after Quinahan clashed with San Miguel guard Chris Ross but that was downgraded to a regular foul after the officials viewed a video replay.
The first quarter ended with San Miguel holding a slim one-point lead, 27-26.
Rain or Shine led by as much as nine in the second quarter thanks to the nice play of Jewel Ponferada and some outside sniping from Beau Belga and Maverick Ahanmisi.
But Tubid and June Mar Fajardo gave San Miguel an inside-out attack that allowed them to storm back and tie the game at 50-apiece.
The Elasto Painters, though, went on an 8-0 blast to close the half, moving back into the lead, 58-50.
Fajardo was on pace for another huge night with 14 points and nine rebounds at the break while Chan led Rain or Shine with 11 points.
Despite the Elasto Painters’ big men getting into foul trouble (Ponferada and Belga each had three fouls at the half), they were able to keep from giving away free throws for their opponents as San Miguel only had four attempts from the stripe in the first half. Rain or Shine went 13-for-17 from the line on their end of the floor.
The third quarter, though, was all about June Mar.
The dominant Fajardo eclipsed his entire first half total with an unbelievable 18-point quarter. He did a little everything, posting up, fading away for jumpers and cleaning up misses with putbacks as he led a prolific Beermen scoring attack that put 36 points on the board.
The MVP nearly matched the entire output of Rain or Shine in the quarter as the Elasto Painters scored just 20.
That lopsided period turned Rain or Shine’s eight-point halftime lead into an eight-point deficit, 86-78, heading into the fourth.
Rain or Shine 111 – Lee 18, Belga 14, Chan 13, Norwood 13, Ponferada 12, Tiu 12, Ahanmisi 10, Quinahan 8, Cruz 6, Nimes 5, Trollano 0.
San Miguel 106 – Fajardo 40, Lassiter 22, Santos 12, Tubid 11, Cabagnot 8, Lutz 6, Espinas 5, Reyes 2, Araña 0, Ross 0.
Quarters: 26-27, 58-50, 78-86, 111-106