ANTIPOLO - Deon Thompson and Adrian Nocum led Rain or Shine's attack on all fronts to oust Converge, 112-103, on Sunday in do-or-die Game Three of the PBA 49th Season Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals at the Ynares Center.
Thompson dominated inside while Nocum proved unstoppable from the outside again as the Elasto Painters won the sudden-death battle between the pro league's most competitive independent teams.
Rain or Shine, seeded sixth in the playoffs, arranged another best-of-seven semifinal duel against No. 2 TNT in a rematch of their Final Four clash in the 2024 Governors' Cup just last conference.
Rain or Shine did so by winning the last two games of the best-of-three series against the FiberXers, clinching its third straight semifinal appearance following the 2024 Philippine Cup and 2024 Governors’ Cup
“We are very happy. This is what we’ve been trying to achieve,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao. “The past two conferences, we made the semifnals. It would have been a pity if we didn’t make it to the semifinals.”
“It’s a validation of the hardwork that the guys put in, the togetherness and the camaraderie that we have,” Guiao said.
Thompson scored a conference-high 34 points while also hauling 17 rebounds. He came three assists shy of a triple double while also contributing two steals and three blocks in his most impressive game in the league.
Picking up where he left off in Game Two, Nocum had 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field including a perfect 3-of-3 from threes.
Nocum joined forces with Rain or Shine veteran Beau Belga in a 14-5 run that put the Elasto Painters up, 94-82 - the biggest lead of the match-up.
The closest Converge got after that was at 102-97 but a Nocum three-point play and a Thompson hook shot allowed Rain or Shine to weather the storm.
Alec Stockton had 26 points and six rebounds, while Cheick Diallo had 19 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks but the Converge import was also saddled with foul trouble, finishing with five.
Justine Baltazar had 16 points and nine rebounds for Converge, which failed to make it past the quarterfinals for the fifth time.
The scores:
Rain or Shine 112 - Thompson 34, Nocum 25, Caracut 14, Clarito 11, Asistio 7, Belga 6, Datu 5, Tiongson 5, Santillan 4, Malonzo 1.
Converge 103 - Stockton 26, Diallo 19, Baltazar 16, Arana 15, Winston 14, Racal 7, Heading 3, Andrade 3, Santos 0, Cabagnot 0, Caralipio 0, De Los Santos 0, Javillonar 0.
Quarters: 22-21; 50-45; 80-77; 112-103.
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