Games Saturday
(Astrodome, Pasay City)
4 p.m. – Coca-Cola vs Sta. Lucia
6:30 p.m. – Air21 vs Talk ’N Text

Games Sunday
(Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
4 p.m. – Barako Bull Coffee vs Alaska
6:30 p.m. – San Miguel vs B-Meg Derby Ace

Dondon Hontiveros knocked down three triples in the first quarter and San Miguel Beer went on to score a 105-97 victory over Rain or Shine for its fifth straight win in the PBA Fiesta Cup Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Beermen trailed 5-10 early in the game before the Cebuano hotshot caught fire to finish the first 10 minutes of play with 10 points, enough to give the defending champions a 34-27 lead.

Wingman Jay Washington, who played for Rain or Shine (formerly Welcoat) in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) during his amateur days, completed what Hontiveros started as he sizzled with a game-high 23 points on top of 9 rebounds.

Import Gabe Freeman contributed 18 and 15 boards while Hontiveros wound up with 13 markers as the Beermen improved to 6-1.

The Elasto Painters slipped to 3-3.

However, it was Joseph Yeo and Arwind Santos who supplied the needed spark as they starred in a torrid 21-7 run that saw San Miguel Beer pull away for good, posting a 64-49 halftime lead.

A putback by Dorian Peña gave the Beermen their biggest lead at 92-69 with 10:31 left.

The Beermen came into the game after a 12-day break when the league held its annual All-Star festivities in Puerto Princesa but this hardly mattered at all.

The Elasto Painters shot poorly as typified by JR Reyes’ awful performance.

The 6-foot-6 Reyes scored only two points.

“The All-Star break gave our players time to rest. We’re able to conduct practices. It worked to our advantage,” said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquincen, who gave his team a total of five-day break in the past 12 days.

“You can never relax a team like that. They are young and they don’t want to easily give up,” added Tanquincen.

Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia lamented his players’ lack of heart for the defeat.

First Game
SAN MIGUEL 105 — Washington 23, Freeman 18, Hontiveros 13, Villanueva 8, Yeo 8, Ildefonso 8, Miranda 6, Pennisi 6, Peña 6, Santos 5, Cbagnot 4, Holper 0.
RAIN OR SHINE 97 — Lewis 20, Hrabak 17, Mercado 16, Tang 12, Telan 6, Norwood 5, Arellano4, Chan 4, Ibañes 4, Araña 3, Cruz 2, Reyes 2, Laure 2.
Quarters: 34-27, 64-49, 88-69, 105-97.