Painters end elims on high note with win No. 9

MANILA, Philippines -- The magic number of nine wins has been the goal of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters this season. 

After winning their first seven games, the Elasto Painters have lost three of their previous four. 

And on Friday, they finally reached their nine-game target and finished the PBA Commissioner’s Cup elimination round on a high note following a 142-131 win over the also-ran Titan Ultra Giant Risers Friday evening at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. 

Jaylen Johnson powered the squad with 31 points to go with 11 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and a steal. Caelan Tiongson and rookie Christian Manaytay had 18 points apiece, while Adrian Nocum and Santi Santillan added 14 each.

Rain or Shine dropped 48 points in the third quarter, turning a slim 68-64 lead to a 116-90 advantage, which the squad held on to until the final buzzer. 

“Mindset lang naming going to the game was get nine wins. Prepare ourselves mentally and physically for the playoffs. The best way we can do that is to come off a win. So binigay talaga namin yung kaya namin para ipanalo to,” Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao said. 

“We did not consider this was going to be an easy game. So maganda yung numbers na nakita ko. 42 assists, 43 fast break points. So this is exactly what coaches dream of. Just the ball movement, the speed that we played with,” he added. 

The Elasto Painters waxed hot early on, taking a 32-21 lead at the end of the first quarter before Titan stormed back, going ahead 42-40 in the second. 

A Bryan Sajonia deuce made it a three-point game, 77-80, in the third quarter before Rain or Shine unleashed a blitzing 29-7 run to break the contest wide open, 109-84. 

The Giant Risers tried to come back from 30 points down, but their rally came a little too late as the 11-point deficit at the end of the match was the nearest they got to. 

“Sabi ko nga sa kanila doon sa meeting namin before the game yesterday, para tayong dalawang buksingero na standing toe to toe. Basta bigayan lang tayo kung sino matira, kung sino nakatayo at the end of the day yun ang mananalo. So ganoon talaga yung nangyari,” Guiao said. 

"Stand toe to toe with Titan and you give them what you got, they give us what they have. Kung sino yung nakatayo at the end of the day, siyang mananalo. So mabuti kami yung nakatayo.” 

All Rain or Shine players who entered scored at least a field goal. 

Sajonia provided the spark off the bench for Titan with 23 points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal. Joshua Munzon backstopped with 21 markers while Fran Yu had 17. 

Rain or Shine thus ended the eliminations with a 9-3 record, while Titan bowed out with a 2-10 slate off seven straight defeats.