Clutch Aaron Fuller lifts ROS past TNT in Game 3
At A Glance
- The hulking Elasto Painters import once again carried his team on his broad shoulders to finally get into the semis win column with a pulsating 110-109 victory over TNT in the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup at the City of Dasmarinas Arena on Sunday, Oct. 13.
Aaron Fuller let out a loud roar after scoring the go-ahead basket late in Game 3.
More than a fierce picture of celebration, it was seemingly a roar of relief as Rain or Shine, after three games, finally got the monkey off its back.
The hulking Elasto Painters import once again carried his team on his broad shoulders to finally get into the semis win column with a pulsating 110-109 victory over TNT in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup at the City of Dasmarinas Arena on Sunday, Oct. 13.
With the Elasto Painters on the verge of a huge collapse after squandering a once 15-point lead in the second half, Fuller scored a clutch and-1 play to put ROS back on the lead before bothering Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and enough to miss TNT’s potential game winner at the buzzer
Fuller had another yeoman’s job inside the paint with 26 points and 16 rebounds as he not only helped ROS cut the series deficit to 2-1 but also avoid getting buried into a deep 0-3 hole in the best-of-seven affair.
In a wild sequence in the waning seconds, ROS, down by two, 107-109, completed a stop against TNT that gave it a chance to either tie the game or get the lead back.
As Andrei Caracut surveyed the floor, he found a streaking Fuller off the secondary attack and went on to bulldoze his way against the TNT defense to knot the game at 109-apiece.
Making it sweeter was a foul called on RR Pogoy, sending Fuller to the line for a foul shot which he coolly sank to give his the Elasto Painters a precarious 110-109 cushion with 3.2 seconds left.
TNT went to its best offensive weapon in Hollis-Jefferson in their final possession but he went straight to the defense of Fuller and Norwood, coming up short on the floater and allowing ROS to escape with the win.
Santi Santillan had his best game of the playoffs to support Fuller with 20 points spiked by four triples while Jhonard Clarito added 15.
Felix Pangilinan-Lemetti added 11 while Adrian Nocum scored six of his 10 in the final frame where ROS did enough to survive TNT’s fourth quarter explosion.
ROS’ breakthrough win spoiled Poy Erram’s conference-best game of 27 points while Hollis-Jefferson, after scoring just four in the first half, came alive in the last two quarters to still finish with 23 to go with 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
RR Pogoy also had 22 while Rey Nambatac and Calvin Oftana chipped in 17 apiece in the losing effort.