Jay R. Gotera Saudi Gazette MANILA — Paul Lee celebrated his 26th birthday by shooting the lights out of the Dipolog Sports Center, leading the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to a chest-thumping 78-71 victory over the erstwhile undefeated Purefoods Star Hotshots Saturday night in a PBA Commissioner's Cup road game in Dipolog City. Nicknamed the “Lethal Weapon,” the six-foot guard sizzled for 18 points, including a trio of three-pointers in the second half that ignited a Rain or Shine offense, allowing the Painters to erase a 14-point deficit to take command of the game. Big man Beau Belga also put his weight into the match, putting a handcuff on the taller and stronger Purefoods import Daniel Orton while contributing 10 points for Rain or Shine. His dagger three pointer that beat the shot clock late in the final quarter pushed the Painters' lead to nine, 78-69, with two minutes left, leaving the Hotshots little room to stage a comeback. The Painters won their third victory in five outings despite the underwhelming performance of their import Rick Jackson who nevertheless managed to finish with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Rain or Shine sources said the team may replace Jackson with a more dominant import depending on the evaluation to be made by head coach Yeng Guiao and his staff after Saturday's game. Jeff Chan also contributed 12 points for the Painters. Rain or Shine won by virtue of its superb outside shooting — sinking 11 three-pointers in the game — and air-tight defense as it held Purefoods to 23 points below its league-best points average. The loss snapped Purefoods' four-game winning streak as the Hotshots slid to solo second in the standings behind the still undefeated Meralco Bolts (4-0). Unlike his first game in the league against the NLEX Road Warriors Wednesday where he showed remarkable strength and skills, Orton was not as dominating Saturday against a rugged Rain or Shine defense. He still finished with a team-high 23 points, but he only scored eight points in the second half. Mark Barroca was the only other Hotshot in double figures, finishing with 11 points. Games Sunday: GlobalPort Batang Pier vs. Meralco Bolts; Barangay Ginebra Kings vs. Talk N Text Tropang Texters.
