PAINTERS NIP AIR21

The Air21 Express suffered another heart-breaking loss, dropping a tight, 97-99 decision to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters last night in the 38th PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
It was the Express’ third loss in four games and those setbacks were tough ones.
By edging out the Express, the Painters tied the Barako Bull Energy Colas and the Petron Blaze Boosters at second place with similar 3-1 (win-loss) slates.
Barako Bull was still playing the Barangay Ginebra Kings as of this writing.
Air21 came from an, 86-91 loss to Barako Bull—a game they could have easily won as they led by 10 points in the final two minutes.
Before that, the Express rallied from several 20-point deficits against the mighty Talk N Text Tropang Texters but failed to make the needed baskets in the closing second to absorb an, 83-86 defeat.
Against the Painters, the Express wiped out a double-digit first quarter deficit and made the game close till the finish. The two squads featured in a torrid shootout in the third where they combined for 11 triples.
Rain or Shine’s seven-foot-three import Bruno Sundov was on the bench for most of the third quarter due to foul trouble but the team still took a slim, 74-72 lead heading to the final period.
Air21 moved ahead, 87-84, on a four-point play by Niño Canaleta in the final 7:53. Rain or Shine regained the lead, 89-88 on a triple by Paul Lee but Cortes answered with his own trifecta as Air21 led for the last time, 91-89, with 4:21 left.
our straight points by Sundov and Beau Belga sandwiching a split free throw by Canaleta gave the Painters a, 95-92 edge.
Import Michael Dunigan canned two free throws off the sixth and final foul of Sundov as the Express moved within a point, 94-95, 1:15 remaining.
Ryan Araña sank a booming triple but the Express refused to go away with Wynnie Arboleda hitting a trifecta, making it 97-98. JR Quiñahan gave Rain or Shine a two-point lead on a split free throw in the final 24.3 seconds.
Air21 had the chance to steal the lead bu Arboleda bungled a wide-open three-point shot in the left corner. The Express regained possession with 3.8 seconds left.
Coming off a timeout, Cortez tried to inbound the ball to Dunigan but his lob pass went awry with the ball going straight to the hands of Jireh Ibanez, who dribbled the time away.
Sundov finished with 17 points and five boards, while Lee tallied 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Dunigan scored 22 points, 17 of them coming in the final half.