The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters dominated the rebounding battle in the fourth quarter to edge out the NLEX Road Warriors with a 92-89 victory. Meanwhile, the TNT Tropang 5G trailed for most of the game but came alive in the final period, escaping with an 89-88 win over the Magnolia Hotshots on June 18.
Top Performers of the Day:
Calvin John Oftana (TNT PF) 21 PTS | 16 REB | 3 STL| 53.7 FPS
Oftana struggled with his perimeter shooting but he made up for it by going 7-for-11 from two. He’s been a very dependable scorer in the conference, averaging 20 points on 51/41/82 shooting splits. Defensively, he’s just as impactful, averaging 3 steals in his last three games and tallying 24 rebounds in his last two games against Magnolia.
Jhonard Clarito (ROS PF) 20 PTS | 21 REB | 1 BLK | 50.7 FPS
Clarito was the difference-maker, bringing a lot of energy and hustle in the fourth quarter to put his team back in control. He scored 14 points, grabbed multiple offensive rebounds, and finished with career highs in all rebounding categories.
Andy Mark Barroca (MAG PG) 9 REB | 11 AST | 1 STL | 34.3 FPS
Barroca has been on a shooting slump in his last four games and has made only one three-pointer in his last five. But he was excellent in defense while also leading their offense, finishing with his second game this conference with 10+ assists.
Adrian Clarence Nocum (ROS SG) 20 PTS | 5 REB | 2 STL | 33.0 FPS
Nocum came off the bench again but provided instant offense, scoring 18 points in the second and third quarters. His efficiency wasn’t ideal but he still tallied his sixth 20-point game this conference.
Roger Ray Pogoy (TNT SG) 30 PTS | 2 REB | 1 STL | 32.9 FPS
Pogoy was scoreless in the first quarter but flipped the switch the rest of the way and taking over in the fourth with 12 big points. He was nearly unstoppable inside the arc, shooting 10-of-12, and finished with his third 30-point game of the conference. He’s averaging 24 points against Magnolia over the last two games.
Jayvee Mocon (NLX SF) 16 PTS | 11 REB | 3 AST | 30.7 FPS
Mocon missed their last game due to injury but didn’t slow down, finishing with his sixth consecutive double-digit scoring performance. He’s been on an efficient offensive run lately, shooting 19-of-27 from two in his last three games, while also being a dependable rebounder with 6+ rebounds in nine games.
Leonard Santillan (ROS PF) 16 PTS | 7 REB | 1 BLK | 28.9 FPS
Santillan has been a consistent scoring force this conference, failing to score in double digit just once. He’s also had a couple of breakout performances, scoring 25+ points in two games.
Xyrus Dane Torres (NLX SF) 20 PTS | 3 REB | 2 AST | 28.6 FPS
Torres was on fire in the first three quarters including a 14-point eruption in the third to fuel the comeback though he was scoreless in the fourth. Still, he’s been a major threat from the perimeter this conference shooting at 50.8%. In their previous game against ROS, he also exploded for 28 points on 5-for-6 shooting from three.
Jerom Lastimosa (MAG PG) 12 PTS | 6 REB | 3 AST | 25.7 FPS
Lastimosa provided some good offense and also contributed in other ways. However, his perimeter shooting has been very problematic, shooting at 15.4% this conference and going 1-for-24 in his last nine games.
Biggest Disappointment of the Day:
Robert Lee Bolick (NLX PG) 15 PTS | 5 REB | 3 AST
Bolick has delivered subpar scoring and all-around performances in his last two games. He also has a difficult time from three going 0-for-8. However, a bounce-back game is well within reach—he previously dropped 40 points on 12-of-18 shooting from two, along with 10 assists, against ROS in the previous conference.
