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.

Game Report:

Rain or Shine made an emphatic debut in the PBA Finals, beating a tired B-MEG Llamados squad, 91-80, at the start of their Governors’ Cup best-of-seven championship series on Sunday night at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Jamelle Cornley caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 13 of his game-high 25 points in the period where a four-point Rain or Shine halftime deficit turned into a seven-point Elasto Painters advantage.

“I’m really proud how the boys handled the pressure, the way we played defense in the second half. We lost by 11 rebounds in the first half, but we settled down and the players were able to soak up the atmosphere. From then on, we were OK,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.

The victory, he said, was huge for the confidence of his players, none of whom have played in a PBA finals match prior to the game.

“I love the way my players handled themselves in the finals,” added Guiao. “Malaking bagay ito sa kumpiyansa namin.”

Cornley’s counterpart, Marqus Blakely, struggled against the defense of the Elasto Painters.

He finished with only 12 points and was held to only seven rebounds as his game was completely out of sync.

Rain or Shine broke away completely in the fourth quarter, leading by as much as 18 points. In frustration, B-MEG coach Tim Cone threw a chair into the court, leading to his ejection.

ROS 91 – Cornley 25, Lee 14, Norwood 10, Buenafe 10, Belga 8, Ibanes 8, Chan 7, Arana 4, Quinahan 4, Cruz 1.

BML 80 – Yap 19, Blakely 12, Pingris 12, Simon 9, Gaco 8, Barroca 6, Villanueva 5, Reavis 4, Urbiztondo 3, De Ocampo 2.

QS: 18-16, 35-39, 66-59, 91-80