Jaylen Johnson came through when Rain or Shine needed him most, delivering the clutch baskets that lifted the Elasto Painters to a 120-111 victory over Converge in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
With the FiberXers threatening late, Rain or Shine turned to its trusted import — and Johnson answered in a big way.
“My team set me up to shine,” said a smiling Johnson. “My team set me up to make those shots late, so we just executed as a team.”
Johnson finished with a huge double-double of 35 points and 21 rebounds as the Elasto Painters stretched their winning run to six straight games.
But beyond the numbers, it was his poise in the closing minutes that made the biggest difference.
Converge had chopped the deficit to just two points, 109-107, late in the fourth quarter, putting pressure squarely on Rain or Shine. Instead of folding, the Elasto Painters responded with a decisive 10-2 finishing kick.
Johnson was at the heart of that surge, scoring eight of those final points, highlighted by a booming three-pointer with 20.9 seconds left that pushed Rain or Shine ahead, 119-109, and all but sealed the win.
Coach Yeng Guiao said the team made a conscious effort to keep feeding Johnson despite his foul trouble.
“We were just trying to find JJ and set him up. He was in foul trouble but we managed,” said Guiao. “The most important thing is we tried to ride the momentum wherever he takes us.”
Rain or Shine’s confidence in Johnson paid off handsomely, as the import delivered under pressure and once again proved why he remains the centerpiece of the Elasto Painters’ unbeaten run.