By REYNALD MAGALLON
Rey Nambatac and Gian Mamuyac led a huge second half surge and Rain or Shine mowed down Blackwater, 107-90, to keep its playoff bidt alive in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Fighting for their dear lives, the Elasto Painters showed better resolve in the crucial encounter as Nambatac and Mamuyac spearheaded the second half breakaway to notch their first win streak of the season and stay in contention for the playoffs with their 3-6 record.
Rain or Shine rode the hot hands of Nambatac who scored 15 of his 26 points in the final two quarters while Mamuyac provided the telling blows, unloading eight of his 20 points total in the final frame to keep the Bossing at bay until the final buzzer.
Beau Belga and Gabe Norwood continued to provide the veteran presence with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
“Definitely hit the nail right on the head with the word resiliency,” said Rain or Shine head coach Chris Gavina. “Our guys, being able to put together two consecutive excellent performances. In my pre-speech I said being consistent is a talent and being excellent is a habit and we could build a habit of being excellent on a back-to-back (wins).
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser paced the Bossing with 19 points while Ato Ular after getting limited to his first single-digit outing in the narrow loss against San Miguel, bounced back with 13 points and nine rebounds.
After leading by as much as nine points midway through the opening frame, Rain or shine found itself in the middle of a furious Blackwater storm which limited the Elasto Painters to just 13 points in the second quarter. The Bossing took the lead 45-41 at the half but slowly disintegrated when Rain or Shine finally found its offensive groove.
Nambatac and Mamuyac anchored a blistering 16-4 run that turned a 47-48 deficit into a 63-52 advantage.
The Elasto Painters even managed to stretch the lead to its largest at 16, 73-57 after a Jewel Ponferrada triple late in the third.
A determined Bossing side refused to go down without a fight as Baser Amer rallied Blackwater back into the game, cutting the lead down to just 10 heading into the final frame before unleashing an 8-2 spurt to inch closer, 76-80.
