RISING: Rain or Shine guard Andrei Caracut tries to score off San Miguel Beer star Terrence Romeo in last Thursday night’s game won by the Elasto Painters 122-112. PBA PHOTO
RAIN or Shine wingman Jhonard Clarito collared an offensive rebound off a missed three-point try by rookie Caelan Tiongson in the waning seconds of their clash with powerhouse San Miguel Beer last Thursday night.
There was actually no need for Clarito to grab the board, with the win already in the bag for the Elasto Painters but that’s something working wonders for them in the season-opening tourney–grit.
“Sobrang hirap kasi paghandaan ng San Miguel. Laking release sa pressure, laking relief sa amin na for the first time, nakuha rin namin kung ano iyong kailangan para manalo laban sa kanila,” Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao said. “Nag-tulungan lang kami sa depensa. June Mar (Fajardo) is really a handful for us.
“Aaron (Fuller) did an excellent job just putting a body on June Mar the whole, pinagtulungan nila ni Beau (Belga) iyong role na iyon. I think June Mar is the key,” he added.
Guiao spoke after his charges fashioned a 122-112 victory over the Beermen for the lead and bolstered their bid for the top seed in Group B in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
Aside from holding the reigning eight-time MVP Fajardo to 14 points, the Painters running game also spelled the big difference.
“Ako, kumpiyansa kami, makakatagal kami ng 48 minutes na tumatakbo because that’s really our bread and butter,” Guiao, whose team outran SMB 37-10 in fastbreak points, said. “Sila, medyo sanay sila sa halfcourt set, si June Mar hinahanap.
“I felt confident na kaya naming i-sustain iyong pace ng laro. San Miguel might not be able to do that because that’s not really its style.”
Andrei Caracut showed the way for Rain or Shine with 20 points built on four triples, on top of three rebounds and eight assists while Fuller chipped in 17 markers, 11 caroms, and four dimes.
Belga also had 16 and four while Adrian Nocum, Gian Mamuyac, and Gabe Norwood added 16, 12, and 10 points, respectively as the Painters scored a big follow up to a 123-114 overtime triumph over the NLEX Road Warriors four days ago and rose to 7-2.
The Beermen came off a historic 131-82 demolition of the Ginebra Kings last Sunday and dropped to 6-3.
Rain or Shine also beat SMB for the first time in 11 duels or since the Philippine Cup bubble in 2021 in Bacolor, Pampanga and redeemed itself from a heartbreaking 112-113 loss to the Beermen on a Fajardo buzzer-beating jumper.
