PBA Fastbreak: Rain or Shine turns Petron into driveway stain

Rain or Shine over Petron Blaze, 103-94

The Best: Rain or Shine seemed flustered for much of the match before uncorking a decisive 23-6 run in the payoff period to upend the Petron Blaze Boosters and gain a significant 2-0 edge in their best-of-7 series. Gilas sniper Jeff Chan sparked that big rally with two triples, and fellow Gilas stalwart Gabe Norwood ended it with two free throws as RoS commandeered the lead, 95-91, and maintained it until the end. Five guys scored in double-digits for the Painters, with Chan’s 20 points and 5 triples leading the way.

The Worst: June Mar Fajardo did well offensively against the smaller RoS front court, but he was visibly bothered by the Painters’ physical play. The Kraken shot 7/10 from the field, but this was balanced out by his 6 turnovers, 4 missed free throws, and a costly technical foul in the fourth quarter. The Boosters did a really good job of establishing Fajardo in the paint, often finding him in his sweet spots close to the rim, but they just couldn’t maintain the pressure for the entire 48 minutes. Petron left the door open for Rain or Shine, and the latter just took advantage.

Eighteen-minute Efficiency: Third pick overall Raymond Almazan showed everyone why he was a highly-coveted player out of Letran College. The 6-foot-7 beanpole played just 18 minutes, but he recorded 15 points and 5 rebounds, shooting a perfect 6/6 from the floor. He even hit one three! Almazan provided a HUGE lift off the pine for coach Yeng Guiao, helping defend Fajardo and rocking the ring with some slamma jammas a couple of times. If he can be consistent with this kind of performance, then it will surely tilt the chances in RoS’s favor even more. – Rappler.com