The Rain or Shine (2-0) Elasto Painters overcame an 18-point deficit and stunned the TNT Tropang 5G (0-1) with a thrilling 112-109 victory. Meanwhile, the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (1-0) took over in the second half and secured a commanding 110-93 victory against the Macau Black Knights (0-3) on March 20.
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Bol Manute Bol TNT C 38 PTS | 16 REB | 5 BLK | 71.7 FPS
The former NBA big man didn’t disappoint in his debut, finishing with game-high numbers in scoring, rebounding and blocks. The only downside was his struggles from beyond the arc and at the line. But given his caliber, he should have more efficient performances while maintaining this level of play in the games ahead.
Justin Brownlee GIN SF 31 PTS | 10 REB | 5 AST | 59.5 FPS
Justin continues to lead the way for Ginebra, starting the conference with another dominant performance. He finished with a complete stat line while also delivering a game high in scoring and a team high in rebounds. He has proven time and again that he is a high-level scorer and should deliver many more performances like this throughout the tournament.
Jaylen Rashawn Johnson ROS C 33 PTS | 9 REB | 3 STL | 59.3 FPS
The big man has clearly shown that he’s a capable two-way threat, averaging 31.0 points, 5.0 threes, and 3.5 stocks in his first two games. Though he wasn’t as impressive on the boards today, he should continue to be one of the better players in the league this conference.
Damian Chongqui MBK PG 28 PTS | 5 REB | 5 AST | 44.5 FPS
Despite his struggles from the three-point area, Chongqui continues to be a steady and excellent presence offensively, averaging 23.0 points and 6.0 assists in his first three games.
Rhon Jay Abarrientos GIN PG 25 PTS | 6 REB | 7 AST | 42.7 FPS
RJ came through on offense, finishing second in the team in scoring and posting his eighth 20-point game since the last conference. With Thompson sidelined, he should be poised for more big scoring performances.
Adrian Clarence Nocum ROS SG 20 PTS | 11 REB | 3 AST | 37.7 FPS
The guard continues his strong start to the conference, posting his second consecutive 19-point game while also recording a team-high in rebounds. Last Phil. Cup, he played a major role in their campaign, averaging 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals, further establishing himself as one of the team’s best players.
Calvin John Oftana TNT SG 19 PTS | 12 REB | 1 STL | 36.4 FPS
The versatile wing had a solid start in the conference, leading all locals in rebounding while also having an efficient scoring game. Oftana will continue to shoulder a heavy load in their campaign and should deliver more of these performances in the coming games. In the previous conference, he’s proven his pedigree as a high-level contributor, averaging a team-high 18.4 points and 6.0 rebounds.
Phoenix Cardena Shackelford MBK SG 18 PTS | 5 REB | 3 STL | 36.0 FPS
The two-way wing wasn’t at his best offensively, finishing with his lowest scoring game of the conference. But he made up for it with his consistent contributions in other categories. He’s emerged as one of the more versatile players in the league and should continue to produce at a high level.
Jenning Leung MBK SG 21 PTS | 5 REB | 1 STL | 33.0 FPS
Overall, it was a poor offensive game for Leung, as he went 5-for-18 from the field, including just 1-of-12 from beyond the arc. However, he compensated with a solid 10-of-12 performance at the line to record his third 20-point game of the conference.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Jordan Timothy Heading TNT SG 0 PTS | 5 REB | 4 AST | 12.0 FPS
Heading was a major part of the team’s campaign in the previous conference, averaging 15.0 points per game. He also had a few performances like this during that run but remained one of the team’s more reliable scorers.
