The Elasto Painters listed a vital win at the expense of exiting Blackwater, 118-107, scoring in timely stretches to put themselves in a better spot leading to the quarterfinals of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday.
JR Quinahan was the spark for Rain or Shine, banging in 15 points and six rebounds to lead the way for his team.
New import Pierre Henderson-Niles, who replaced Mo Charlo, debuted with 12 points and six rebounds in his debut for Rain or Shine, while Jeff Chan also had 12 and Raymund Almazan had a solid double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.
This victory was critical for Rain or Shine as it finished its elimination-round campaign with a 7-4 slate to move to third. The win also guaranteed a top finish, meaning it will not face any disadvantages in the quarterfinals.
“It was still a struggle for us,” admitted Painters’ coach Yeng Guiao. “We have a new import that just arrived yesterday (Saturday).”
Furthermore, they also still have an outside crack at even ending up at No. 2 should San Miguel (6-3) lose its final two assignments.
The Elasto Painters now await how the remaining games play out in the final week of the eliminations to see where they will end up and who they will face in the next phase.
“We’ll just stay sharp and wait and see how the match-ups will end up,” said Guiao.
The already-eliminated Elite tried to play the role of spoiler, but it didn’t work out. They ended their campaign with a dismal 3-8 record, tied with the vacationing GlobalPort.
The Elasto Painters started to create some separation in the second period, where they established their dominance on both ends.
They were able to open up a 61-49 double-digit lead at the half after a blistering 13-1 blast to end the second and turn a tied game into a big leverage for them going in the second half.
Games Wednesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4:15 p.m. – Star vs. Mahindra
7 p.m. – Barangay Ginebra vs. Meralco