Last-minute snafu shelves import, but last-second Santillan basket saves Rain or Shine

Rain or Shine was left to solve the puzzle after being forced to play without import Greg Smith II in the PBA Governor’s Cup on Thursday.

And the Painters are still reeling from an administrative snafu even as Santi Santillan makes sure handicaps aren’t an issue.

“It’s a bit unfair,” coach Yeng Guiao said after the Elasto Painters pulled off a 120-118 thriller over Terrafirma Dyip with Smith out due to a back cleaning problem in the previous game.

Smith was also surprised by the pregame twist as he felt his campaign with Leones de Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic about two years ago would not affect his playing career elsewhere.

But after making his Elasto Painters debut last Sunday against Blackwater Bossing, finishing with 38 points, Smith and his team were minutes from tipoff when they got word that the Dominican Basketball Federation had not issued the necessary documents to allow him to continue playing. outside the Caribbean nation.

“It was a problem we didn’t think about,” Smith said later. “There is a problem now, so I have to solve it so I can be released on Wednesday.”

Guiao and the Elasto Painters will try to resolve Smith’s paper problem before they return to the floor on February 22 against the Magnolia Hotshots.

The permission of the team before the player and the national federation is one of the conditions required by the International Basketball Federation, before the import can complete the move elsewhere.

Six three

Fortunately for Rain or Shine, the predicament did not hinder the bid after the locals – young and old – stepped up and produced a second straight victory after four straight losses to open the conference final season.

Andrei Caracut fired a career-high 25 points behind six three-pointers while Santillan made for a turnover that allowed Terrafirma to tie the score in the dying minutes and come up with the basket to win the game.

Santillan’s layup off a Rey Nambatac feed put Rain or Shine ahead with a second left after Terrafirma tied the game with a double behind import Jordan Williams. The versatile Painters big man finished with 21 points and six rebounds.

Elder statesman

Gabe Norwood, who is one of the elder statesmen of the Rain or Shine youth movement, contributed 18 points with four triples despite the responsibility of guarding Williams.

“We have to make up the missing numbers with him [Smith] couldn’t play,” Guiao said. “It was a good test of character and the guys didn’t give up, so it’s a good development for our team.”

On the other side of the coin, Terrafirma left a missed opportunity to beat the all-local side.

Williams, who averaged 40 points in the game, had just three in the first half before suddenly breaking out as he has done so many times in this conference and putting Dyip in contention to at least force overtime.

But the Painters continued and caught Dyip at 2-4 (win-loss).

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