Rain or Shine pulled off a stunning 103-92 victory over second-seed NLEX on Saturday to complete the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals lineup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Santi Santillan led the seventh-seeded ElastoPainters with 24 points and 9 rebounds, supported by Jhonard Clarito’s 13-point, 16-rebound double-double. The win sets up a semifinal clash with TNT Tropang 5G, who earlier eliminated Magnolia.
“Nakalusot kami ulit,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao. “We just played our brand of game, buwis buhay basketball.”
Rain or Shine broke open a tight 82-81 fourth quarter lead with a 10-1 run sparked by Mike Malonzo, Santillan and Clarito. NLEX’s Robert Bolick top-scored with 34 points but couldn’t complete the comeback.
The other semifinal pairing features San Miguel Beermen against Barangay Ginebra. This marks Rain or Shine’s fourth straight semifinals appearance as they seek payback against TNT, who eliminated them in last conference’s semifinals.
Scores: Rain or Shine 103 – Santillan 24, Caracut 16, Clarito 13 NLEX 92 – Bolick 34, Bahio 11, Ramirez 10 Quarters: 21-27, 52-55, 78-77, 103-92