The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters built a huge lead in the second quarter and fended off repeated Barangay Ginebra San Miguel rallies to win Game 4, 97-85, on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. With the win, Rain or Shine tied the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semis series at two games apiece.
What Happened?
Rain or Shine started strong, catching fire from deep and playing aggressive, physical defense to build an early 20-9 lead. Ginebra rallied and cut the deficit to four at 20-16, but the Elasto Painters’ second unit of Adrian Nocum, Christian Manaytay, and Mike Malonzo teamed up for a stronger finish to the opening frame to give Rain or Shine a 31-23 advantage after one. Yeng Guiao’s boys then seized control in the second quarter, holding Ginebra to 13 points while scoring 27 of their own to take a 58-36 lead into intermission.
Ginebra started finding some rhythm in the third to chip away at Rain or Shine’s massive lead, which reached as much as 26 in the second quarter. The Elasto Painters, though, kept making either baskets or defensive stops to thwart every Ginebra rally, coming out of the third still leading, 77-65. Tim Cone’s wards continued trying to eat away at Rain or Shine’s lead but couldn’t get it under double digits, as the Elasto Painters maintained their composure throughout and never let Ginebra build any momentum.
Who Stood Out?
Rain or Shine served up a complete team effort in Game 4, but it was Josh David who set the tone with his physical, aggressive defense on RJ Abarrientos and two early treys. He finished with 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Christian Manaytay stood out as well, sparking the Elasto Painters off the bench with 11 points and 3 rebounds. Adrian Nocum, Andrei Caracut, Gian Mamuyac, and Caelan Tiongson all gave solid contributions as well.
Ginebra, in contrast, couldn’t get a lift from anyone other than Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson. Brownlee tallied 27 points and 10 rebounds but was noticeably laboring to score against Rain or Shine’s superb defense. Thompson, after a foul‑plagued first half, settled in starting in the third quarter on his way to 20 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists.
3 Keys to the Game
- Defense. The Elasto Painters started off playing hardnosed, physical defense, and it set the tone for Game 4. RJ Abarrientos was the biggest casualty, as that physicality took him out of his rhythm. That aggressive defense also made it extra difficult for Ginebra to run its sets and get its normal shots. As a result, the crowd darlings shot just 39.7% from the field and committed 13 turnovers.
- Magic bunot. Guiao didn’t have just one magic bunot. He had three in David, Manaytay, and Malonzo. Each contributed to Rain or Shine’s strong first half while also playing well in the face of Ginebra’s comeback attempts.
- Three‑point shooting. Rain or Shine didn’t make it rain from deep, but it did convert 10 of its 34 attempts. Ginebra, on the other hand, made just 5 of its 23 triple tries.
Next Up for the PBA
Friday, May 29, 2026 | Smart Araneta Coliseum
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Meralco Bolts (5:15 p.m.)
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (7:30 p.m.)
