The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters have done it. Yeng Guiao’s boys finally slayed the mighty San Miguel Beermen, hacking out a hard-earned 113-104 victory over the reigning two-time PBA Philippine Cup champs on Friday at the Ynares Center Antipolo. The win, Rain or Shine’s first against San Miguel in the playoffs since 2016, sends the Elasto Painters to the semifinals opposite Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
What Happened?
Rain or Shine and San Miguel engaged in an all-out back-and-forth right from the get-go, and both teams’ weapon of choice was the three-ball. In fact, they combined for 10 made treys—six for San Miguel, four for Rain or Shine—in the opening frame and wound up tied at 27. It was nip-and-tuck all the way through the second quarter as well, with the Elasto Painters winning it, 30-29, to enter halftime ahead by a hair, 57-56.
The third quarter saw Rain or Shine go on a heater early, with Andrei Caracut’s back-to-back triples helping the team establish a 74-62 advantage. But with the Elasto Painters ahead, 80-68, San Miguel unleashed a 15-0 blitzkrieg to nudge ahead, 83-80, with 30 seconds left in the third. Rain or Shine, though, tied things up heading into the fourth thanks to an Anton Asistio triple.
Both teams continued trading baskets early in the fourth until the Elasto Painters created some separation with under four minutes left, going on a 9-0 spurt highlighted by a Caracut four-pointer followed by a Caelan Tiongson triple to make it 108-97. It proved enough of a cushion for Rain or Shine to seal their semis seat.
Who Stood Out?
Caracut starred in this game full of big names, going off for a game-high 29 points spiked with six triples and a four-pointer. He also had 6 rebounds and 5 assists in what was arguably his best game as a pro. Tiongson and import Jaylen Johnson offered plenty of support, firing 23 apiece and combining for 11 triples (7 from Tiongson alone), 16 rebounds, and 12 assists. Adrian Nocum also helped out, sparking the Elasto Painters with 18 points, 6 assists, and plenty of energy off the bench.
San Miguel, in contrast, couldn’t get sustained contributions from their usually stout stars. Bennie Boatwright was most consistent as he finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Cjay Perez and Don Trollano had their moments, with the former finishing with 19 and the latter contributing 14 off the bench.
3 Keys to the Game
- Three-point shooting. Rain or Shine needed that three-ball to fall, and it did on Friday. After hitting four in the first, the Elasto Painters fired 15 more in the next three quarters. In all, they shot 19-for-46 from distance for a 41.3% clip. San Miguel didn’t do too badly, going 13-for-34 for 38.2%. But the difference in makes—and when the teams made them—mattered.
- Assists. The Elasto Painters executed beautifully at times and moved the Beermen around on defense with their pinpoint passing. It ultimately resulted in 32 total assists for Rain or Shine, including a few that led to those booming triples. In contrast, the Beermen had just 19 dimes.
- Poise. When San Miguel went on that 15-0 run in the latter part of the third, it looked ready to seize control. But Asistio hit that big three to end the quarter, the Elasto Painters regrouped, and they refused to be cowered—punching back instead of going down.
Next Up for the PBA
Saturday, May 16, 2026 | Ynares Center Antipolo
Magnolia Hotshots vs. Meralco Bolts (5:15 p.m.)
TNT Tropang 5G vs. NLEX Road Warriors (7:30 p.m.)
