By REYNALD MAGALLON
Rain or Shine hopes to sustain its resurgence while Magnolia looks to keep its record unblemished as the 2023 PBA Commissioner’s Cup flies down south in Cagayan de Oro City on Saturday, Dec. 16.
The Elasto Painters, who resuscitated their playoff hopes with two-consecutive wins, aim to put the first dent to the spotless Hotshots in the 6:15 clash that is expected to draw a jam-packed crowd at the Aquilino Pimentel International Convention Center.
Import Demetrius Treadwell has been the biggest factor to Rain or Shine’s turnaround, anchoring the team’s rebounding and interior defense in the three games that he took over for first choice DaJuan Summers.
The rest of the Elasto Painters seemed to be also starting to jell with Treadwell with young guns Andrei Caracut, Leonard Santillan, Adrian Nocum and Keith Datu carrying the offense for Rain or Shine which moved up to the eighth spot of the standings with a 2-5 card
Treadwell, though, will be tested against youthful and agile reinforcement in Tyler Bey who was a large part of why Magnolia remained undefeated through seven games.
Aside from keeping its record unblemished, the Hotshots are also determined to tighten their grip of the top spot and ensure themselves of the quarterfinals bonus. Already assured of the playoffs, Magnolia is now looking to claim the twice-to-beat incentive which will be given to the top four teams in the eliminations.
Apart from Bey, one key factor to Magnolia’s perfect run so far is its new-found depth with guys like Aris Dionisio, James Laput and Rome Dela Rosa, providing solid contributions to the already potent local core that featured Paul Lee, Mark Barroca, Ian Sangalang and Jio Jalalon.
