Beermen fall to determined Elasto Painters
Fueled by their relentless energy and tenacity, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters delivered a crushing blow to the San Miguel Beermen in the fourth quarter, clinching a commanding 107-93 victory in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Filoil EcoOil Arena in San Juan City on Tuesday night.
The E-Painters took charge with an explosive 18-6 run to start the final period, establishing a 88-78 lead that propelled them toward their second consecutive win, following a decisive 99-81 triumph over Eastern in their last outing.
The young guns—Adrian Nocum, Felix Lemetti, Caelan Tiongson, and Jhonard Clarito—ignited their furious fourth-quarter rally, leaving the Beermen to grapple with their second straight defeat, having previously fallen 104-99 to the NLEX Road Warriors.
With this win, Rain or Shine improved to a record of 2-1, showing resilience with a 2-0 mark while working in tandem with import Deon Thompson. Meanwhile, San Miguel slipped to 1-2 in the tournament.
It was a true team performance for the E-Painters, showcasing their depth with six players scoring in double figures, while two others contributed with nine and eight points, respectively.
While Thompson faced early foul trouble and was restricted to just 31 minutes, his teammates stepped up admirably, demonstrating a remarkable collective effort. As Thompson watched from the sidelines, Nocum, Clarito, and Lemetti fueled a staggering 37-21 offensive explosion in the final quarter.
Thompson finished with a solid 18 points, while Nocum led the charge with 15. Tiongson contributed 14, and both Lemetti and Datu added 12 each, with Clarito rounding out the scoring with 10.
June Mar Fajardo was the top scorer of the contest, racking up 20 points for the Beermen, while SMB import Quincy Miller managed a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in what might be his final game of the tournament.
San Miguel is set to bring in Torren Jones for the mid-season conference, positioning him as Miller’s new partner in the EASL, signaling a shift as they look to regain their footing.
