Jaylen Johnson returned from suspension on Tuesday with a vengeance, tallying 20 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 blocks to lead the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to a 151-95 whooping of the Blackwater Bossing.
And for Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, that’s exactly the kind of performance that makes Jaylen Johnson such a core part of the now 4-0 Elasto Painters—even if they managed to beat the Meralco Bolts when the American reinforcement was suspended.
“Mararamdaman mo ‘yung impact ni Jaylen dun sa cohesiveness namin,” Guiao told reports after the Blackwater game. “He knows when to look for his points, he knows when to look for his teammates. He gets his defense done. Masyado lang talaga malaki si Upshaw, but he can defend, he can switch to the quicker guards, he can defend the bigs.”
Johnson’s game-high 4 blocks and 1 steal, which he got at the height of Rain or Shine’s searing first quarter and converted into a slam, proved as much as Johnson had his imprints all over the Elasto Painters’ historic beatdown.
What Rain or Shine Needs, Jaylen Johnson Gives
As he did against Blackwater, Johnson gave Rain or Shine a lot of everything, and that’s just typical of him, according to Guiao, who also lauded his import’s basketball smarts and all-around versatility.
“He’s very smart, he’s high IQ. You tell him what you need, he’s going to deliver what you need,” said Guiao.
Jaylen Johnson is delivering, indeed, posting 27.3 points, 14.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.6 blocks thus far for Rain or Shine in three games. And he’s beyond thrilled to be back on the court with his guys.
“I’m glad to be a part of history a little bit and I’m glad to do it with this team,” he said. “I’m happy. I’m happy that I’m back with the guys.”
Guiao and the rest of the Elasto Painters are probably happy, too.
