Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants escaped with an 84-82 win against Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to tie their quarterfinal series, 1-1, in the 2008-09 Motolite-PBA Fiesta Conference on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.

After Elasto Painters import Jai Lewis failed to sink the potential game-winning free throw just seconds away from regulation, the Giants relied on the steady hands of Marquin Chandler in the 15-foot line to level the series.

Chandler’s two charities off Lewis sealed the win even as Rain or Shine’s Rob Wainwright missed a game-tying jumper.
Purefoods and Rain or Shine will have to settle in a do-or-die Game 3 on June 14.

“The important thing is after 48 minutes we’re still up,” said Giants coach Ryan Gregorio, who got 25 points from Chandler. “We wanted to stay alive and we stayed alive.”

Purefoods was in full control since the opening tip. Led by Chandler and James Yap, the Giants were up by as much as 24 points, 67-43, with four minutes left in the third period.

They were still holding a 78-60 lead after Rich Alvarez’s two free throws before the Elasto Painters unleashed a 20-2 run led by Lewis, Wainwright and Gabe Norwood to slice the huge lead to 80-82 with 59.6 seconds remaining.

Gregorio sued for a timeout and designed a play for Yap, but the former MVP turned the ball over that led to Lewis’s three-point play off the final foul of Alvarez, 21.6 seconds left.

But the import’s bonus shot rimmed out and Chandler was sent to the foul line by Lewis for the final score.

BK, Sta. Lucia head to Game 3

In the second game, Burger King also forced the series to Game 3 after scoring a 94-81 victory over Sta. Lucia Realty.

Mark Yee fired 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field that boosted the Whoppers to victory.

Egay Billones also contributed big as he unloaded 11 of his 19 markers in the final canto where the Realtors tried to mount a rally.