ALEX Cabagnot and Marcio Lassiter played huge roles in leading the Petron Blaze Boosters to a series-clinching 110-89 win over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in Game 4 of the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum yesterday.
Lassiter and Cabagnot, together with import Elijah Millsap, shot well all-night long as the three combined for 84 points for the Boosters, who wrapped up the best-of-five semifinal series, 3-1, and advance to the finals opposite the San Mig Coffee.
Game 1 of the Finals will be played this Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The third period was where Petron pulled away as Cabagnot and Millsap took turns burning Rain or Shine on offense en route to a 70-45 lead.
The Elasto Painters managed to come to within 70-80 early in the fourth but back-to-back triples from Lassiter kept Petron in control. Rain or Shine failed to hit its shots down the stretch to finally give in to a Petron squad that is chasing its first crown since winning the same Governors’ Cup crown in 2011.
Millsap led the Boosters with 34 points, Lassiter added 27 on 7-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc and Cabagnot chipped in 23 points. Cebuano big man and rookie Junemar Fajardo, formerly of the University of Cebu Webmasters, also played big as he added nine points.
Arizona Reid led the losing squad with a game-high 41 points and 16 rebounds. But he got little support from locals with Beau Belga being the only other player in double figures with 10.
BOX SCORES:
Petron 110 – Millsap 34, Lassiter 27, Cabagnot 23, Fajardo 9, Santos 8, Lutz 2, Kramer 2, Miranda 2, Tubid 2, Lanete 1, Isip 0.
Rain or Shine 89 – Reid 41, Belga 10, Arana 9, Quinahan 7, Norwood 6, Tang 5, Ibanes 5, Tiu 3, Matias 3, Uyloan 0, Cruz 0, Chan 0.
Quarterscores: 24-25, 46-40, 80-65, 110-89. /Copy editor Brian J. Ochoa