Rain or Shine bounced back from their recent loss with a 120-106 victory over the Blackwater Bossing at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, improving their record to 3-2 in the PBA Philippine Cup. The win came as the Elasto Painters welcomed back two key players from injury: Caelan Tiongson and Beau Belga.
Coach Yeng Guiao expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, particularly their ability to execute a fast-paced game. “With our bigs back, it allowed us to put in motion our running game,” Guiao said after the game.
Keith Datu, who had been sidelined with a calf injury, also played a pivotal role, scoring a career-high 27 points. His performance marked an important milestone for the second-year player, who has faced a series of injuries since being drafted in the first round of the 2023 Rookie Draft.
Tiongson, who missed the last two games due to back spasms, contributed 14 points and four rebounds. Belga, returning from vertigo, played five minutes in his first game of the conference. Datu also grabbed eight rebounds in a solid all-around performance.
Despite Blackwater leading for a significant portion of the game, Rain or Shine regained control in the final quarter. Adrian Nocum led the charge, scoring eight of his 23 points in the closing moments to help seal the win.
For Blackwater, Christian David and Sedrick Barefield, who was back from a hamstring issue, posted 28 and 23 points, respectively. The Bossing now share the bottom spot in the standings with Terrafirma Dyip at 1-4.
The victory comes just ahead of an 11-day break for Rain or Shine, who will next face the undefeated Magnolia Hotshots on May 18 in Montalban, Rizal. The game against TNT Tropang 5G, originally scheduled for May 14, has been moved to May 21 due to adjustments made to accommodate Meralco Bolts’ participation in the Basketball Champions League Asia.
