GAMES TOMORROW
(PhilSports Arena, Pasig)
5 p.m. – Terrafirma vs. TNT
7:30 p.m. – Meralco vs. NorthPort
RAIN or Shine guard Adrian Nocum soared for an offensive rebound, emphatically gripped the ball with two hands, and completed the play with a key putback against Blackwater last night.
Propped up by those kind of big plays in the fourth quarter, the Elasto Painters fashioned a 120-106 victory over the Bossing to get back on track in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
The 6-foot Nocum outplayed Blackwater’s bigger players in 6-foot-6 Bradwyn Guinto and 6-foot-5 Christian David for the basket that gave Rain or Shine a 105-102 cushion at the 5:44 mark of the fourth quarter.
Nocum’s bucket also sparked the Painters’ blistering 18-6 windup that turned the game around from a 102-all count.
Coach Yeng Guiao said he never lost faith in his charges despite the Bossing taking a 64-55 lead on an RK Ilagan layup at the 2:14 mark of the second canto.
“We were playing at our pace. I felt that if we were able to weather the storm, iyong shooting nila (Bossing) masyadong maganda, they were making their threes, even fours, and isolation plays. They were making their shots. Ang sabi ko lang, we were playing the pace that we wanted,” Guiao said.
“Maybe in the fourth quarter we’ll be able to get a break and true enough we played better defense in the second half especially in the fourth quarter. Nalampasan lang namin iyong torrid shooting ng Blackwater,” he added.
Big man Keith Datu paired 27 points with eight rebounds, on top of three assists for Rain or Shine while Nocum also shone with 23 markers, 19 of them coming after the break, and four boards.
Five other Painters hit double-digits led by Caelan Tiongson (14), Gian Mamuyac (11), Andrei Caracut (11), Jhonard Clarito (10), and Leonard Santillan (10) as Rain or Shine atoned for a 97-107 loss to Converge last week and rose to 3-2.
Blackwater came off a 72-80 setback at the hands of NLEX also last week and slipped to 1-4.
The Painters cut the deficit to 60-68 heading into the final period where they pulled away from a tight duel.
David totaled 28 points and eight caroms for the Bossing while Sedrick Barefield added 23 markers and three dimes.
Ilagan also got 16 for Blackwater.
Nocum boomed in a jumper that made it 116-104 with 2:09 to go and left the game for good due to cramps—but not before anchoring his side’s crucial breakaway.
