2012 PBA Governor’s Cup Finals Games 6 & 7: Painters Shine Thru the Rain

Gabe Norwood is in tears as he tastes his first
PBA Championship.

The B-Meg Llamados made it awfully tough, but the Rain or Shine Elasto-Painters wouldn’t be denied their date with destiny.

Led by James Yap and Marqus Blakely, B-Meg’s resolve was never in doubt as the Llamados equalized the series in Game 6. For the second straight game, Coach Tim Cone’s wards limited the Painters to just 81 points, and they themselves never looked back in forcing a rubber match.

By all indications, Game 7 promised to be a barn-burner, and it did not disappoint.

The Painters, never tagged as a title contender anytime this season until their fortunes changed in the Governors’ Cup, seized the moment and delivered on Coach Yeng Guiao’s championship guarantee. After a couple of bad games, Finals MVP and National Team guard Jeff Chan scored 16 points to help RoS clinch its first PBA title ever.

2012 PBA Governor’s Cup Finals Game 5: Not Just Yet

James Yap had his best game of the conference so far
as B-Meg lived to fight another day.

B-MEG LLAMADOS over RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO-PAINTERS, 91-81

The Elasto-Painters had probably planned an elaborate celebration for what could’ve been their first title as Rain or Shine.

James Yap, however, made his own plans for Game 5, and his plans involved the B-Meg Llamados staying alive for a Game 6.

Yap was awesome in this encounter, connecting on more than half of his field goal attempts to finish with 30 points. Jamelle Cornley, Yancy De Ocampo, and Rafi Reavis supplied much-needed support, mainly because big man Marc Pingris was out of commission. Blakely, De Ocampo, and Reavis combined for 40 points and 41 rebounds as the Llamados dominated the interior. Another big thing was limiting Gabe Norwood to ZERO points in 37 minutes of action. Norwood had been averaging nearly 12 points per game in the first four matches of the Finals. This is also the first game in the conference where he was blanked by the opposing defense.

Game 6 is set on Friday with the Painters having another shot at destiny, while B-Meg can extend the series anew with another win.

2012 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals Game 4: One Away

Jamelle Cornley once again displayed fiery form in
leading the Painters to a 3-1 Finals series lead.

RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO-PAINTERS over B-MEG LLAMADOS, 94-89

One can’t shake the feeling that the Elasto-Painters are fated for something great in the 2012 PBA Governors’ Cup. Once again sans Rookie of the Year Paul Lee, the Painters managed to climb out of a hole and beat the B-Meg Llamados en route to a commanding 3-1 series edge.

Jamelle Cornley was awesome again, but it was the heady play of bench players JR Quiñahan and TY Tang that really boosted the Painters’ charge. Gabe Norwood also had one of his better games of the season, ending up with 18 markers, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.

2012 PBA Governor’s Cup Finals Game 3: Painters Take 2-1 Lead

Jamelle Cornley led the Painters in taking a 2-1
series lead against the Llamados.

RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO-PAINTERS over B-MEG LLAMADOS, 93-84

Rain or Shine didn’t have Paul Lee for the whole game.

B-Meg didn’t have its stars for much of the fourth quarter.

In the end, it was the Painters who went off with the Game 3 win and the 2-1 series lead.

In a strange and unexpected twist, Coach Tim Cone of B-Meg chose to rest his big guns at a pivotal point in the second half. This definitely contributed to the Painters running away with the win, and, as expected, it didn’t sit well with the Llamados’ fans.

2012 PBA Governor’s Cup Finals Game 2: Yap’s Big Shot and Lee’s Big Injury

Marqus Blakely and the Llamados rebounded from their
Game 1 loss by tying the series at 1-all.

B-MEG LLAMADOS over RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO-PAINTERS, 85-80

Big Game James showed up when the Llamados needed him, burying an immaculate turnaround J over Jeff Chan to cement B-Meg’s Game 2 victory, 82-78 with about 20 ticks to go. That was the shot that made this PBA Finals series a best-of-five affair, but the real game-changer, perhaps even the series-changer, happened about 2 minutes earlier when Rain or Shine rookie Paul Lee reinjured his left shoulder.

With less than 2-and-a-half minutes to go in the game, Lee went for the steal and swiped the basketball being held by PJ Simon. Instead of Lee getting the ball, however, he went down writhing in pain, clutching his left shoulder, which was already enclosed in a sling.

Lee was eventually carried out on a stretcher in the dying seconds of the match, a little after Yap’s big shot. From the looks of it, the prospects of Lee returning to play in the series look bleak, but it all still really depends on how severe the injury is.

2012 PBA Governor’s Cup Finals Game 1: Where Chairs Fly

Jamelle Cornley throws it down hard as the Painters
take a 1-0 series lead in the Govs' Cup Finals.

RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO-PAINTERS over B-MEG LLAMADOS, 91-80

Boy, it certainly is more fun in the Philippines! Only here do you have chairs flying in a Finals series! Wow. Tim Cone didn’t take Rain or Shine’s physical play sitting down (pun VERY INTENDED!) as he hurled a chair towards the hardwood in the second half of B-Meg’s Game 1 loss.

It didn’t really have the intended effect as his team got buried deeper by the determined Elasto-Painters. Jamelle Cornely was a beast in this game, easily outplaying his import counterpart from B-Meg, Marqus Blakely. Cornley also unleashed his beastly side in some instances, just ask Yancy De Ocampo.

If this first game is any indication of how things are going to progress in the 2012 Govs’ Cup Finals, then hold on to your seats, folks, else you want to see them go a-flying, too.