Two teams widely considered among the top squads in the PBA Philippine Cup—Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Converge FiberXers—capped off the league’s Sunday doubleheader at the Ynares Center in Montalban. True to form, the two contenders engaged in an exciting back-and-forth that ended with Rain or Shine pulling out a 90-84 victory. With the win, the Elasto Painters, seventh as against two defeats, zoomed ahead to solo first place in the standings. Converge, meanwhile, fell to 6-3 in a three-team tie with the Magnolia Hotshots and NLEX Road Warriors.
What Happened?
Converge struck first, starting strong to build a 23-17 lead even without big man Justin Arana, who sprained an ankle in the FiberXers’ last outing. Rain or Shine responded in kind in the second quarter, flipping the script and outscoring Converge, 23-16, for a 40-39 lead going to intermission. The two teams went toe-to-toe in the third, which the FiberXers won, 27-25, to take a one-point lead going to the fourth. But a 9-2 start to the final canto gave Rain or Shine a 74-69 lead that it protected the rest of the way for the victory.
Who Stood Out?
Heroes were aplenty for Rain or Shine, but at the forefront were Leonard Santillan and Gian Mamuyac. Santillan finished with 16 points—most in the first three quarters—on top of 9 rebounds and 2 steals. Mamuyac, meanwhile, put up 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists and did a masterful job in at least slowing down Converge super rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño. Mike Malonzo was also a stud, providing a spark with a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Even with Mamuyac hounding him, JGDL still shone for Converge as he fired a game-high 20 markers to go along with his 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Larry Muyang was another bright spot for the FiberXers, stepping up for the injured Arana and finishing with 18 points and 9 boards.
3 Keys to the Game
- Strong finish. Just as it seemed like Converge was building momentum, Rain or Shine went on a fiery run to start the fourth and regain control, ultimately extending the lead to 83-75 with big buckets from Adrian Nocum.
- Defense. Rain or Shine isn’t particularly known for clamping down on that side of the ball, but the Elasto Painters did just that, holding that prolific Converge offense—No. 1 in the league at over 120 points per game—to just 84. That defense was so stingy that it held the FiberXers to a measly 37.5% from the field and just 20% from downtown (4-for-20).
- Bench play. The Elasto Painters’ starters combined for just 22 points as opposed to the 67 their counterparts from Converge scored. But that didn’t matter as Santillan, Mamuyac, and Malonzo—along with Andrei Caracut and Caelan Tiongson—came off the bench to rifle in 68 of Rain or Shine’s 90 total points. Malonzo, Santillan, Tiongson, and Caracut were also on the floor when Rain or Shine made that fourth-quarter uprising.
Next Up for the PBA
PBA Philippine Cup action shifts to the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday with two crucial outings involving perennial contenders trying to move up the standings. The Meralco Bolts return to action when they take on the Terrafirma Dyip, with hopes of evening their 3-4 record. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel will be looking to do the same when they face off with the Blackwater Bossing.
Meralco vs. Terrafirma (5:15 p.m.)
Ginebra vs. Blackwater (7:30 p.m.)
