The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters pulled out a thrilling 116-112 victory over the San Miguel Beermen on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, hanging on for dear life after a spirited fightback from the Philippine Cup champions. With the win, Rain or Shine improved to 5-0 to stay on top of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup standings. The loss dropped San Miguel to 2-3.
What Happened?
San Miguel got off to a rousing start, with Cjay Perez opening hostilities with a triple. The Beermen then built a 21-12 advantage behind a four-pointer from Perez and two triples from Marcio Lassiter. Rain or Shine chipped away at that lead, ultimately ending the first quarter just a point behind, 27-26. The Elasto Painters then outscored San Miguel 23-7 in the first six minutes of the second canto to build a 49-34 advantage before settling for a 62-52 halftime lead.
The third quarter unfolded nearly the same way, with Rain or Shine running and gunning to a 33-21 advantage en route to a 95-73 cushion heading into the fourth. The Beermen, though, wiped out nearly all of that lead in the first four minutes of the final frame with a blistering 18-0 run to set up a frantic endgame. Rain or Shine ultimately survived San Miguel’s furious fightback thanks in part to back-to-back triples from Adrian Nocum past the six-minute mark and some timely baskets down the stretch.
Who Stood Out?
Rain or Shine once again got contributions from multiple players in another showcase of talent and depth. But Adrian Nocum was the stud of studs, finishing with 21 points, including 8 at the height of San Miguel’s final stand. Felix Lemetti also showed out, tallying 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists as he continues to make a case as the Elasto Painters’ No. 1 guy at the one.
San Miguel, on the other hand, found a hero in Marcio Lassiter, whose 17 fourth-quarter points led the Beermen’s last-ditch comeback. Super Marcio finished with 27 on seven triples.
3 Keys to the Game
- Speed and pace. Yeng Guiao wants his team to speed things up and play with breathtaking pace, and the Elasto Painters did just that—at least in the latter half of the opening frame and in the second and third quarters. During that time, Rain or Shine was running the Beermen to the ground and scoring almost at will, especially in transition.
- Adrian Nocum and endgame poise. For all of Rain or Shine’s early work, San Miguel was still in the game in the last six minutes and even looked ready to steal the win. But the Elasto Painters showed steely nerves, with Nocum scoring eight points in the fourth, and Lemetti making big plays as well.
- Turnovers. San Miguel didn’t take good care of the ball in this game, coughing it up 20 times as opposed to the 11 errors of Rain or Shine. The Elasto Painters capitalized, turning those 20 turnovers into 29 points, many of which came in transition.
Next Up for the PBA
Friday, April 10, 2026 | SM Mall of Asia Arena
- Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs. Converge FiberXers (5:15 p.m.)
- Magnolia Hotshots vs. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (7:30 p.m.)
