RAIN or Shine promptly got back on track in the PBA Governors Cup, pulling off a 122-107 win over Phoenix on Tuesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Gian Mamuyac and Adrian Nocum provided the fourth-quarter energy for the Elasto Painters before import Aaron Fuller joined the fray and helped the team notch its fifth win in six outings days after losing a heartbreaker to San Miguel.
Mamuyac hit back-to-back threes, Nocum completed a three-point play, and Fuller also connected from beyond the 23-foot arc to spearhead a 16-4 run that turned a slim four-point ROS edge to 117-101 lead entering the homestretch.
Phoenix remained winless in six outings.
Guiao played down the win, saying Phoenix isn't playing to its potential.
“They’re struggling. I think their import got in a little late. Siguro kung mas maaga lang nakarating yung import nila, mas malaki yung chance nila na makapasok,” said Guiao of the Fuel Masters.
“But we really had a hard time containing the import in the first half most especially. Prolific scorer talaga. We just tried to make his a little difficult, just to make him less efficient. But we know he’s going to score anyway.”
Phoenix import Brandone Francis did explode in the opening half, dropping 19 points in the first quarter and then added seven more in the third as the Fuel Masters made it a close 87-85 game entering the fourth.
But Francis, a former member of the Dominican Republic national team, ran out of gas by the fourth quarter, giving Rain or Shine the opportunity to attack the Fuel Masters behind Mamuyac, Fuller, Nocum, and Jhonard Clarito.
“We feel at some point he’s going to get tired, we feel at some point his percentage will go down. And it happened in the fourth quarter. Siguro nga napagod na rin siya,” said Guiao of Francis.
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Nocum topscored with 16 points and had a career-high 10 rebounds for his first ever double-double in the league.
Fuller also had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Mamuyac added 14 on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range for an Elasto Painters’ side that also got double-digit scoring from Anton Assistio (13), Andrei Caracut (12), rookies Caelan Tiongson and Felix Pangilinan-Lemetti (12 each), and Jhonard Clarito (10).
Jason Perkins was a monster inside for Phoenix with 22 points and 10 rebounds in a losing cause.
The scores
Rain or Shine (122) - Nocum 16, Fuller 16, Mamuyac 14, Asistio 13, Caracut 12, Tiongson 12, Lemetti 12, Clarito 10, Ildefonso 6, Santillan 5, Borboran 2, Datu 2, Escandor 2, Belga 0.
Phoenix (107) - Francis 31, Perkins 22, Ballungay 11, Rivero 9, Garcia 8, Siyud 8, Jazul 4, Muyang 4, Alejandro 3, Tio 2, Mocon 2, Verano 2, Salado 1, Manganti 0, Tuffin 0, Daves 0.
Quarterscores: 31-33; 64-57; 87-85; 122-107.
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