Even without their import, Jaylen Johnson, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters still proved too good for the Meralco Bolts on Friday, hacking out an impressive 109-102 win at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. With the win, the Elasto Painters took solo control of first place in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup standings with a 3-0 start, while the Bolts dropped to 2-1.
What Happened?
Rain or Shine got off to a rousing start, winning the opening frame, 29-23, thanks to six triples—with three of them coming from Caelan Tiongson. The Elasto Painters continued to dictate the action in the second quarter, outscoring the Bolts, 22-21, to take a 51-44 advantage into intermission.
Meralco, though, fought back in the third, putting up 32 to Rain or Shine’s 27 to slice that halftime lead to 78-76 going to the final canto. After an early nip-and-tuck exchange, it looked like the Bolts were starting to seize control as they threatened to within 95-94—only for Rain or Shine to rattle off 11 unanswered on a Luis Villegas triple, a personal 6-0 blast by Felix Lemetti, and a Jhonard Clarito basket. That run gave the Elasto Painters the cushion they needed to notch the hard-fought victory.
Who Stood Out?
Without the suspended Johnson, Yeng Guiao found multiple heroes, led by Lemetti, who fired a season-high 23 points—10 of which came in the fourth quarter alone. Adrian Nocum was sensational as well, putting up 17 markers, 6 caroms, 1 steal, and 1 block. Tiongson and Clarito played solid, too, combining for 31 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 dimes, along with four treys.
Meralco, meanwhile, drew a superstar performance from Chris Newsome, who kept the Bolts in it with his game-high 29 points on 11-for-17 shooting, spiked by four triples on six attempts. Jason Brickman played superbly himself, tallying 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, while also leading Meralco’s third-quarter binge with a trio of triples.
3 Keys to the Game
- Setting the pace. Guiao wants his Elasto Painters speeding things up, and they did just that against Meralco, repeatedly getting in transition and scoring before the Bolts could set their defense. This fast pace allowed Rain or Shine to score 16 fast-break points as opposed to only 6 for Meralco.
- Bench play. Rain or Shine’s reserves outplayed Meralco’s by a mile, as they put up 64 big points compared to the 26 scored by their counterparts. Lemetti alone nearly outscored the Bolts’ bench, while Nocum (17) and Christian Manaytay (12) both got into double figures.
- Free throws. Even without Johnson, Rain or Shine found ways to get to the paint and to the line by attacking relentlessly. At the forefront was Lemetti, who repeatedly got into the heart of Meralco’s defense and kept drawing fouls—so much so that he was rewarded with 13 freebies, which nearly equaled Meralco’s 16 attempts. In all, the Elasto Painters went 21-for-31 from the charity stripe, while Meralco went 11-for-16.
Next Up for the PBA
Saturday, March 28, 2026 | Smart Araneta Coliseum
Magnolia Hotshots vs. Macau Black Knights (5:00 p.m.)
San Miguel Beermen vs. TNT Tropang 5G (7:30 p.m.)
