(PBA image)
Rain or Shine turned the Khalifa City Sports Stadium into a shooting gallery, burying Magnolia under a barrage of three-pointers to secure a 101-92 victory and clinch a Top 4 finish with a coveted twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals of the PBA Philippine Cup.
The Elasto Painters were on target from the opening tip in the league’s first-ever game staged in the Kingdom of Bahrain, drilling 17 of their 32 attempts from long range for a blistering 53-percent clip. The outside shooting proved decisive as Rain or Shine seized control early and consistently kept the Hotshots at arm’s length.
Jhonard Clarito led the charge with 21 points, efficiently mixing strong drives with timely perimeter shots while hitting both of his three-point attempts. Caelan Tiongson and Gian Mamuyac provided steady support, each finishing with 14 points, with Tiongson going 4-of-7 from deep and Mamuyac knocking down two of three from beyond the arc.
The win marked Rain or Shine’s third straight and pushed the Elasto Painters to an 8-2 record, enough to regain the solo lead and mathematically lock up a Top 4 spot at the close of the eliminations. That positioning guarantees them a twice-to-beat edge heading into the playoffs, a significant boost as the title race tightens.
Magnolia’s uphill climb became steeper in the first half when guards Paul Lee and Jerom Lastimosa were sidelined by injuries in separate incidents. Neither returned to the game, disrupting the Hotshots’ rhythm and rotation and contributing to their fourth loss in 10 outings. The setback pulled Magnolia into a crowded logjam at fourth place alongside Converge, NLEX, and Meralco.
Rain or Shine appeared poised to pull away for good late in the third quarter, stretching its lead to 74-58 behind veteran Fil-Am Stanley Pringle, who scored all nine of his points from three-point territory. Magnolia, however, refused to fold, staging a determined fourth-quarter push that cut the deficit to 91-96 and briefly put pressure on the Elasto Painters.
Mamuyac quickly slammed the door on that rally, answering with five straight points to restore breathing room and extinguish the Hotshots’ comeback bid. The E-Painters then calmly closed out the contest, leaning on their shooting depth and composure down the stretch.
Mark Barroca paced Magnolia with 14 points, followed by Peter Alfaro with 13 and Juan Gomez de Liano with 12. Zavier Lucero was held to nine points, well below his team-leading average of 17.4, as Rain or Shine’s defense and pace limited his usual impact.
With momentum firmly on their side and confidence soaring from their shooting display, the Elasto Painters head into the playoffs not only as one of the hottest teams in the field, but also with a valuable margin for error that could prove crucial in their championship pursuit.
The scores
Rain or Shine 101 – Clarito 21, Mamuyac 14, Tiongson 14, Nocum 13, Pringle 9, Santillan 8, Porter 8, Caracut 4, Norwood 4, Malonzo 3, Belga 3, Ildefonso 0, Pangilinan-Lemetti 0.
Magnolia 92 – Barroca 14, Alfaro 13, De Liano 12, Dela Rosa 10, Sangalang 10, Lucero 9, Lee 8, Koon 6, Verano 4, Laput 3, Lastimosa 3, Gomez 0.
Quarterscores: 27-24, 53-47, 81-69, 101-92.