There's a saying that a bloodied warrior is more courageous. That was certainly the case for Rain or Shine Elasto Painters guard Chris Tiu.
Wounded but definitely not out, Tiu, who was bloodied midway the fourth quarter after a tough forearm from GlobalPort import Malcolm White, returned and delivered clutch baskets to enable Rain or Shine to put away GlobalPort after a nip-and-tuck battle throughout.
The steady guard’s timely hits in the final three minutes of play, when things got heated the most, proved to be the insurance the Elasto Painters needed to chalk up another one in the win column.
Tiu finished with 10 points, on 4-of-6 shooting, and six assists as the stability he provided down the stretched proved to be the difference for Rain or Shine.
“I wanted to win the game. I guess that’s the best revenge to give that person (Malcolm White) who did that to me,” said Tiu, who was advised to go to the hospital after the hit he took but refused, after being named Best Player of the Game.
In probably the most heated and physical game of the conference thus far, Rain or Shine emerged victorious because of Tiu.
The Elasto Painters weathered the game’s physicality and proved steadier in the payoff period to post a tough 96-90 win over GlobalPort in a highly-physical encounter in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.
The victory enabled Rain or Shine to regain solo leadership at 5-1 heading into the All-Star break while GlobalPort fell to 3-3.
With the game heating up, the game was temporarily halted with 3:20 remaining and Rain or Shine ahead, 84-79, after a multi-player scuffle.
After Beau Belga, Mo Tautuaa and Sean Anthony figured in a loose ball scuffle, guard Maverick Ahanmisi and Kelly Nabong both got involved and both gave shoves, resulting to their ejection as both were issued fighting fouls.
Others from each team’s bench, mostly from the Batang Pier, also got involved but didn’t do much though. Bradwyn Guinto, Ryan Arana and White of GlobalPort and Jay Washington from Rain or Shine were all assessed with technical fouls for entering the court when they were all not part of the game.
Following the wild scramble, a motivated Tiu delivered. He scored five points down the stretch upon his return to lift the Elasto Painters to victory when gave his team a safe 92-83 lead after a triple with only 1:14 left.
That proved to be the dagger as GlobalPort was unable to regain its form after the fracas.
The physicality didn’t end there as Tiu and Raymond Almazan gave White several shoves that weren’t called by the officials in the final minute while the GlobalPort reinforcement was jawing with his counterpart Reggie Johnson.
Johnson led Rain or Shine with his team-high 18 points while James Yap had 14 and Almazan 12.
White had a game-high 21 for GlobalPort.