Rain or Shine Elasto Painters win 1st PBA Title

     The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters have won their first franchise championship in the PBA, defeating the B-MEG Llamados, 83-76, in game seven of the 2012 PBA Governor's Cup.

       The Llamados had to play the final eight and a half minutes of the game without an import, after Marqus Blakely was slapped with his sixth foul trying to stop a Gabe Norwood undergoal stab. That led to a split at the line by Norwood that made it 74-67 in favor of the Elasto Painters.

      Down the stretch, James Yap and PJ Simon missed key shots that would have put B-MEG in a position to fight back. And twice Elasto Painters import Jamelle Cornely was hampered by cramps with under four minutes in the fourth period, but his split at the line with 22 seconds sealed the deal, as Yancy De Ocampo then missed with 16 seconds left.

      The Elasto Painters thwarted an epic comeback by the Llamados, who forced a do-or-die Game Seven after going down 3-1 in the series. RoS managed to claim the crown even without Rookie of the Year Paul Lee, who went down in game two due to a recurring shoulder injury.

    It is the first championship for Rain or Shine after joining the league in 2006. It won six championships in the Philipine Basketball League (PBL) prior to joining the PBA.

    Meanwhile, Rain or Shine sharpshooter Jeff Chan was named Most Valuable Player of the Governors’ Cup finals by the PBA Press Corps on Sunday shortly after leading the Elasto Painters to their first title in franchise history.

     The 6-foot-3 Bacolod native capped a career year that saw him winning the league’s Most Improved Player award as well as a seat in the Second Mythical Team.

      After struggling in the team’s Game Six loss where he shot just 1-of-9 from beyond the arc, Chan rebounded by sparking Rain or Shine in its Game Seven triumph, scoring nine of his 16 points in the first quarter to set the tone for the Elasto Painters.

     Chan, along with import Jamelle Cornley and Gabe Norwood, carried the fight for Rain or Shine, which won despite losing star rookie Paul Lee in Game Two of the series. 

The Scores:

RAIN OR SHINE 83 - Cornley 20, Chan 16, Norwood 15, Ibanes 8, Cruz 7, Belga 7, Arana 5, Tang 4, Buenafe 1, Jaime 0, Quinahan 0.

B-MEG 76 - Yap 23, Blakely 15, Simon 11, Urbiztondo 8, De Ocampo 8, Barroca 5, Reavis 4, Pingris 2, Villanueva 0.

Quarters: 35-22, 50-48, 68-64, 83-76