The Rain or Shine Elastopainters took full advantage of the absence of injured NorthPort big man Arvin Tolentino, cruising to a dominant 113-96 victory on Wednesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in the 49th PBA Philippine Cup.
With Tolentino sidelined due to a right hip flexor strain, Gian Mamuyac stepped up in a big way, pouring in 22 points to lead the Elastopainters to their first win of the conference.
“Malaking bagay ito. Arvin was not prepared to play. It was a lucky break for us na hindi siya nakapaglaro,” said Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao.
Mamuyac set the tone early, scoring 13 points in the first quarter as Rain or Shine raced to a 31-17 lead. The Elastopainters tightened the screws defensively in the second frame, limiting NorthPort to just 12 points and extending their advantage to 42-26 by halftime.
Santi Santillan chipped in with a double-double performance of 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Joshua Caracut and Caelan Tiongson each added 15 markers to help seal the win and improve Rain or Shine’s record to 1-1.
Coach Guiao acknowledged the impact of Tolentino’s absence on the game’s outcome. “Kung naglaro si Arvin, mag-iiba talaga ang complexity ng laro. We would’ve had to work harder to screen him and minimize his efficiency,” he added.
Tolentino had been instrumental in NorthPort’s opening-day blowout win over Terrafirma, flirting with a triple-double after recording 19 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds in their 97-75 triumph.