Deon Marshall scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to power the Rain or Shine Elastopainters past the NorthPort Batang Pier, 121-96, in the 49th Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup on Thursday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
This victory marked the Elastopainters’ third consecutive win, effectively snapping their two-game skid and boosting their record to 6-3.
Rain or Shine surged to a commanding 33-18 lead by the end of the first quarter, capping the period with a 9-0 run. Leonardo Santillan, who tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds, contributed nine points in the opening frame, giving the Elastopainters an early advantage they would not relinquish.
Anton Asistio added to the onslaught with 10 of his 12 points in the second quarter, helping Rain or Shine secure an 18-point cushion, 62-44, by halftime.
“Yung mga last games namin, ‘pag nawalan kami ng focus, doon bumabagsak laro namin. Ang objective lang namin is to focus, compete,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.
Adrian Nocum shone in nearly 29 minutes off the bench, contributing 16 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. His all-around performance, coupled with Santillan’s consistency, reinforced Rain or Shine’s dominance.
The Elastopainters now find themselves in a four-way tie for fourth place in the standings, sharing a 6-3 record with Hong Kong Eastern and Barangay Ginebra.
Kadeem Jack put on a scoring clinic for NorthPort, finishing with a game-high 39 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Rain or Shine’s early momentum. Arvin Tolentino chipped in 19 points for the Batang Pier, who dropped to a 7-3 record and suffered their first back-to-back losses of the conference.
Despite the loss, NorthPort remains at the top of the standings.
