The 2024–25 PBA Philippine Cup playoffs got underway at the PhilSports Arena, and the first day of action saw the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and TNT Tropang 5G extend their seasons. That means Rain or Shine can still make the semis a fourth straight time, while the TNT Grand Slam bid remains burning and well.
Rain or Shine Survives NLEX with Sublime 20-20 from Jhonard Clarito
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters looked dead in the water after the NLEX Road Warriors zoomed ahead in the fourth quarter. Then, Jhonard Clarito happened, leading a furious fight back that towed the Elasto Painters to a pulsating 92-89 victory over NLEX.
Clarito led the way for Rain or Shine by firing 20 points and corralling 21 boards—including huge ones in the final 10 minutes, or just after NLEX extended their lead to eight, 77-69. In that span, Clarito scored 14 of his 20 markers and got 12 of his 21 boards in an unbelievable display of sheer grit and determination. Clarito also fired the marginal freebies in the tight endgame and grabbed the final two boards.
Adrian Nocum backstopped Clarito with 20 points and 5 boards and scored on a crucial tip-in down the stretch to help Rain or Shine preserve the victory. Leonard Santillan added 16 and 7.
Xyrus Torres paced NLEX with 20 points, including 14 in a red-hot third quarter that saw the Road Warriors erase Rain or Shine’s 10-point halftime lead. Javee Mocon added 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Brandon Ramirez had 11. Robert Bolick, however, had a rather quiet night as he finished with only 15 points on 5-for-20 shooting. He did have 5 rebounds and 3 assists but committed 6 throwaways.
The scores:
Rain or Shine (92) – Clarito 20, Nocum 20, Santillan 16, Caracut 10, Mamuyac 7, Tiongson 6, Asistio 5, Porter 4, Norwood 4, Datu 0
NLEX (89) – Torres 20, Mocon 16, Bolick 15, Ramirez 11, Semerad 9, Bahio 6, Alas 6, Nieto 2, Fajardo 2, Policarpio 2
TNT Grand Slam Bid Stays as Tropa Edge Out Magnolia
The TNT Grand Slam bid is alive and well.
But that TNT Grand Slam looked to be slipping away in the third quarter, when the Magnolia Hotshots erected as much as a 13-point advantage and appeared to have momentum. The Hotshots were still ahead, 65-56 when a 5-0 run to end the third got the TNT Tropang 5G to within striking distance and became the springboard for an 89-88 escape down the stretch.
Then, RR Pogoy took over to keep that TNT Grand Slam bid alive. Pogoy fired 12 of his game-high 30 in the fourth, including a triple that gave the Tropa back the lead, 69-68. Pogoy, though, had plenty of help to fan those TNT Grand Slam hopes alive. Calvin Oftana scored 7 of his 21 in the fourth and grabbed 3 crucial offensive boards, while Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Kelly Williams controlled the paint. BGR and Rosser also hit back-to-back treys down the stretch to help the Tropa erect an 88-81 cushion.
That cushion seemed to be enough, but a triple from Rome dela Rosa and a four-pointer by Paul Lee tied things up with 37 ticks left. Consecutive misses by Oftana subsequently led to a mad scramble, one where Williams was fouled in a fight for the loose ball. The veteran made one, giving the Hotshots one final opportunity to steal the game back.
Unfortunately for Magnolia, their last-second play went nowhere, allowing the Tropa to escape and keep that TNT Grand Slam push going.
The scores:
TNT (89) – Pogoy 30, Oftana 21, Williams 12, Heading 10, Rosser 10, Erram 4, Galinato 2, Khobuntin 0, Heruela 0, Aurin 0, Enciso 0, Varilla 0
Magnolia (88) – Lee 15, Navarro 14, Lucero 14, Lastimosa 12, Sangalang 10, Dela Rosa 10, Barroca 6, Dionisio 4, Laput 2, Reavis 1, Alfaro 0
2024–25 PBA Philippine Cup Playoffs Continue
The 2024–25 PBA Philippine Cup playoffs will continue on Friday at the PhilSports Arena. The top-seeded San Miguel Beermen take on the Meralco Bolts in the first game, while the fourth-seeded Barangay Ginebra San Miguel face off with the Converge FiberXers.
On Saturday, Rain or Shine will look to complete their comeback and barge into the semis again as they take on NLEX in a winner-take-all. The Tropa, meanwhile, will try to do the same and push that TNT Grand Slam bid further when they face off with Magnolia for a second time.
