The PBA Philippine Cup went to the Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Bahrain on Monday and brought two contenders—Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Magnolia Hotshots—vying for a top-four finish and the twice-to-beat incentive that comes with it. In the end, it was the Elasto Painters who got the job done, pulling out a 101–92 victory to clinch that coveted advantage heading into the quarterfinals.
What Happened?
After an early exchange that saw the two teams trading baskets, Rain or Shine took the lead for good, 9–7, with a three by Caelan Tiongson. From that point forward, the Elasto Painters steadily kept building on their lead, pushing it to 27–24 at the end of one and to 53–47 heading into intermission. Rain or Shine poured it on in the third canto, building as much as an 18-point cushion, 74–58, on the strength of a 12–0 blitz highlighted by four straight triples—three from Stanley Pringle and another from Tiongson. The Elasto Painters held steady right after, fending off Magnolia for win No. 8 against three losses. Magnolia fell to 6–4.
Who Stood Out?
As has been the case all conference long, multiple Elasto Painters stepped up big. This time, it was Jhonard Clarito who led the way, firing a game-high 21 points on top of 11 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. Gian Mamuyac came off the bench to add 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Caelan Tiongson and Adrian Nocum chipped in 14 and 13, respectively.
Multiple players stepped up for Magnolia as well, especially after Jerom Lastimosa left the game after spraining his ankle in the first half. Carrying the load was veteran Mark Barroca, who had 14 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Peter Alfaro III was a surprise spark, finishing with a conference-high 13 off the bench.
3 Keys to the Game
- Three-point shooting. The Elasto Painters haven’t particularly shot the ball well from downtown this conference, but they were on target in Bahrain. In all, Rain or Shine converted 17 of 32 attempts from beyond the arc, including those four straight treys that broke the game open in the third. In contrast, Magnolia shot a paltry 5-for-20 from three-point land.
- Fast-break attack. One thing Rain or Shine has done really well this conference has been to push the pace, and it did so again against the Hotshots, outgunning the latter, 13–3, in fast-break points and controlling the tempo throughout.
- Starters. Even with surprise starter Shaun Ildefonso failing to score a single point, Rain or Shine’s starting unit still outplayed Magnolia’s, outscoring them, 47–33, and outplaying them early to set the tone. Lastimosa’s early injury certainly helped.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA Philippine Cup will have a rare triple-header on Wednesday at two separate venues—Ninoy Aquino Stadium in the Philippines and Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Bahrain. The PBA’s usual Wednesday twin bill will see the San Miguel Beermen taking on the Terrafirma Dyip, followed by the Converge FiberXers going up against the NLEX Road Warriors. The last game of the day will be Rain or Shine facing off with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel late at night, Philippine time.
San Miguel vs. Terrafirma (5:15 p.m.)
Converge vs. NLEX (7:30 p.m.)
Rain or Shine vs. Ginebra (11:55 p.m.)
