The sun has finally shone for Rain or Shine.
The stellar play from its young guns finally got converted into a victory as ROS broke out of slump with a 115-110 victory over Blackwater in the 2023 PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Saturday night, Dec. 2, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
The Elasto Painters were simply determined to put an end to a five-game losing spell as almost every player head coach Yeng Guiao inserted made sure to contribute and help the team pick up their first win in the conference with owners Raymund Yu and Terry Que in attendance.
Still, even with the collective effort from Rain or Shine, the team still needed some big plays from rookie Adrian Nocum and fellow young guns Jhonard Clarito and Andrei Caracut to put the game away against the also struggling Blackwater.
Following a head-turning performance against San Miguel in his debut, Nocum dazzled anew with 14 points – most of which he unloaded during a stretch in the final frame when Rain or Shine managed to build a 13-point cushion, 103-90, with less than five minutes left.
The Bossing, however, embarked on a last-ditch rally to cut the lead down to five points several times but Caracut and Clarito proved to be steady from the foul line to ensure that the Elasto Painters were not suffering any heartbreaks this time around.
Caracut wound up with 17 points to lead the way while Clarito chipped in 11 points, five rebounds, a steal and a block.
Import Demetrius Treadwell looked more comfortable in his second game, nearing a triple-double performance of 14 points, 18 rebounds and seven assists to help ROS not only pick up its first win but also end a 10-game losing streak which traces back to the Governors’ Cup of last season.
Leonard Santillan also chipped in 14 as six other Elasto Painters finished with at least six points including seldom used veteran James Yap.
in the first game, Ken Tuffin hit the go-ahead basket with five seconds left as Phoenix sustained its hot start to the conference with a 99-98 squeaker over Converge.
Down by one point in the waning seconds, the Fuel Masters executed a well-drawn play off a coach Jamike Jarin timeout as Jason Perkins found Tuffin in the paint for a wide-open layup that all but broke the hearts of the desperate and hard-fighting FiberXers.
Phoenix then leaned on its defense in the final possession of the contest, forcing Aljun Melecio to a tough fadeaway jumper that barely grazed the rim to sustain a fiery four-game winning streak for a solo second with a 5-1 slate.
Tuffin, who only finished with eight points across his name but scored the biggest basket of the ballgame, preserved the stellar outings from their own twin towers in Perkins and import Johnathan Williams.
Williams finished with 27 points, 16 rebounds and six assists on top of two blocks and two steals while his frontcourt partner Perkins added 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists – none bigger than the last pass that won them the game.
