Deon Marshall Thompson led the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters with 18 points as they edged out the Magnolia Timplados Hotshots, 102-100, for their third victory in the 49th Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Andrei Caracut stepped up in the clutch, scoring 10 of his 14 points in the final quarter to propel the Elasto Painters to a 3-1 record, tying them for third place with the Meralco Bolts and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
Adrian Nocum contributed 10 points, including a crucial jumper with 3:26 left that sealed the final score for Rain or Shine. The Elasto Painters mounted an impressive comeback, erasing an 89-100 deficit with a game-clinching 13-0 run.
Magnolia had opportunities to snatch the win, but Paul Lee’s three-point attempt missed with 11 seconds remaining, and Jerom Lastimosa’s desperation four-point shot fell short as time expired.
“We just got lucky, actually. But I love the fight our team showed,” said Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao.
Ricardo Ratliffe led the Hotshots with 14 points but was limited to just four in the final quarter as Rain or Shine’s defense tightened in crunch time.
