The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters made enough big plays on Sunday to eke out an 85-83 thriller over the Meralco Bolts at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It is Rain or Shine’s fourth straight win in this PBA Governors’ Cup after opening with back-to-back losses. The defeat is Meralco’s fourth this conference against two wins.
What Happened?
Rookie Deo Cuajao opened the game with six unanswered points, paving the way for a 25-18 first quarter for Rain or Shine. But Meralco fought back behind Javee Mocon, who scored the first six points of the second canto to set the stage for a 29-23 rally. At halftime, the Elasto Painters held a slim 48-47 lead.
The Bolts continued their strong play in the third period, where Chris Newsome’s 11 points—spiked by three treys—powered Meralco to a 28-20 quarter and a 75-68 lead entering the final frame. Rain or Shine, though, fought back from seven down with nine minutes left to tie things up at 81 with just under three minutes remaining.
A basket by Jhonard Clarito then gave the Elasto Painters the lead, but Cliff Hodge answered right back to even the score again at 83. Aaron Fuller then turned it over, followed by Newsome missing a contested midrange jumper. Seconds later, in transition, Adrian Nocum found Fuller at the basket for an 85-83 lead. Meralco had a chance to tie after Nocum fouled Bong Quinto on the inbound with two seconds left. Quinto, though, missed the first, leaving him no choice but to miss the second on purpose.
Who Stood Out?
Fuller atoned for his 14-point stinker against the Magnolia Hotshots with a more impactful 25-point, 13-rebound effort against Meralco. Cuajao helped out Fuller, finishing with 12 points and 4 rebounds to continue what has been a breakout conference for him. Clarito and Caelan Tiongson added 11 apiece, while Nocum had 6 points and 8 assists as he still found ways to be effective even with his offense stalled. Big man Luis Villegas also starred with excellent defense for Rain or Shine.
Meralco, on the other hand, drew solid games from Chris Newsome, Cliff Hodge, and Javee Mocon off the bench. Newsome had 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals; Hodge added 14 points and 5 boards; and Mocon put up 14 markers and 10 caroms.
3 Keys to the Game
- Defense. Rain or Shine isn’t known for its defense, but it can play an aggressive, swarming style. That’s precisely what the Elasto Painters did on Sunday as they put pressure on the Bolts, resulting in the latter shooting a ghastly 36.6% overall.
- Points in the paint. Led largely by Fuller, the Elasto Painters pummeled the Bolts in the paint, scoring 42 inside compared to Meralco’s 28. On a night when the outside shot wasn’t falling for either side, that advantage made the difference.
- Injuries. Meralco again played without Jason Brickman and CJ Cansino, two key rotation players who could’ve helped the Bolts’ stalled offense. Without that prolific backcourt, Meralco just didn’t have enough in the end to steal the win.
Next Up for the PBA
Tuesday, August 4, 2026 | Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Titan Ultra Giant Risers vs. Macau Giant Pandas (5:15 p.m.)
TNT Tropang 5G vs. NLEX Road Warriors (7:30 p.m.)
