Beau Belga: A Physical, Emotional and Taunt Fest PBA Game.

On sheer guts, the Elasto Painters dug out of an eight-point hole in the homestretch and completed a stirring victory that had them tying the Purefoods Star Hotshots and the Talk n Text Tropang Texters at second at 6-3. Rebounding from a 114-129 loss to San Miguel Beer Friday, Rain or Shine takes a shot at the Top Two and a twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinals in trying to sweep its last two games in the elims versus Blackwater and Kia. Rain or Shine regained a crack at the Top Two as it frustrated Ginebra by blanking the Kings in the last 4:22 of their highly charged duel.

It was an extra physical and emotional match marked by numerous technical infractions and two fans being escorted out of the venue after being caught throwing plastic bottles on the floor in the heat of one revved-up action in the last quarter.

Usually thriving in this kind of game, the Kings wilted under pressure and went down to a four-team logjam at fifth place with the GlobalPort Batang Pier, the Barako Bull Energy and the Kia Carnival at 4-5. The Kings were ahead at 79-71 before running into a maze of errors and misses in the face of the E-Painters’ super tight defense.

LA Tenorio missed a wide-open layup then Mike Dunigan was caught stepping on the baseline, starting the Kings’ collapse that was much like their loss to the NLEX Road Warriors the last time out. With one error after another, Ginebra fell behind by three at 79-82 with 8.6 seconds left to play. The Kings had one last chance to force overtime but the E-Painters had one last defensive gem with Beau Belga blocking Mac Baracael’s three-point try at the buzzer.

Booed by the Ginebra crowd practically all throughout the match, Belga scored 11 points, including two free throws that touched off Rain or Shine’s key 11-to-nothing finish. Wayne Chism followed up a 50-point game with 28 points and 17 rebounds while Paul Lee had his own double-double effort with 18 markers and 11 boards.

Mike Dunigan led the losing team with 24 points. Greg Slaughter had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. Curiously, Ginebra coach Ato Agustin sat him out most of the second half. Scoreless in the first three quarters, Mark Caguioa found his range in the payoff period and helped Ginebra regained command, 79-71, entering the last four minutes of the game.

The Kings, however, ran out of gas at winning time.