The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters found somewhat of a groove against the Blackwater Bossing after struggling from the field in their 1-1 start to the PBA Philippine Cup. The result was a 110-100 triumph at the Ynares Center in Antipolo in a game that featured wild momentum shifts throughout.
What Happened?
Rain or Shine started off guns ablaze, racing out to a 27-17 lead after one, which it extended to 56-41 going into halftime. Blackwater, however, stormed back in the third, outscoring the Elasto Painters 36-16 behind 21 combined points from Richard Escoto and Sedrick Barefield. Rain or Shine, though, would have the last laugh, erasing Blackwater’s 77-72 lead going into the payoff period with a massive 39-23 reversal in the final 12 minutes.
Who Stood Out?
Adrian Nocum and Jhonard Clarito came off the bench to spark Rain or Shine, with Nocum finishing with 17 markers and 2 steals, and Clarito putting up 16 points and 2 steals. Among the starters, it was Keith Datu who shined, dropping 20 points on top of 8 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Blackwater, meanwhile, drew big games from Richard Escoto and Jack Cruz-Dumont, who both came off the bench to power the Bossing’s strong third. Escoto top-scored for Blackwater with 20 points, including 11 in the third, while Cruz-Dumont added 19.
3 Keys to the Game
- Better shooting. Rain or Shine struggled shooting the ball in its first two games, especially from deep. Against Blackwater, the Elasto Painters found their range inside the arc, where they shot 52.9% compared to the Bossing’s 41.1%.
- Fast-break points. A big reason the Elasto Painters shot so well from two-point range is they ran, leading to a 23-10 advantage in fast-break points. Rain or Shine also got 15 points off Blackwater’s 9 turnovers.
- Points in the paint. No surprise as well that Rain or Shine built a 62-36 advantage in interior points as they got quite a few layups and easy baskets from their run-and-gun attack.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA will hold another twin bill at Ynares Center in Antipolo on Saturday, with the Magnolia Hotshots and Terrafirma Dyip going at it in the curtain-raiser. The Phoenix Fuel Masters will then take on the Converge FiberXers in the nightcap.
Magnolia vs. Terrafirma | Converge vs. Phoenix
