RAIN or Shine dealt Meralco a third straight loss, while Converge kept TNT still winless in a pair of PBA Philippine Cup games at the Ynares Center in Antipolo Sunday night.
The Elasto Painters went small ball and ran and gunned their way to a 128-116 win over the defending champion Bolts as a way to compensate for the loss of big men Beau Belga, Keith Datu, and Caelan Tiongson to injuries.
The FiberXers, for their part, again leaned on double J, Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar, to hand the Tropang 5G a 100-94 loss.
READ: Converge deals grand slam-seeking TNT another loss in shaky start
Rain or Shine improved to a 2-1 slate with its second straight win, while Converge also won two in a row to hike its record at 3-2.
The Bolts fell to a 2-3 card after a fast start to the conference, and the Tropang 5G are 0-2 since winning the Commissioner’s Cup championship last month.
Here’s the takeaways in the doubleheader at Antipolo.
1.GIAN MAMUYAC MAKES UP FOR LOST TIME
The former Ateneo guard is obviously thriving under Rain or Shine’s small ball system and averaged 23 points in the team’s two straight victories as part of coach Yeng Guiao’s starting unit.
His 24-point output against the Bolts is tied for his third career best. ‘Mamu’ is healthy again after missing most of the Commissioner’s Cup campaign with a fractured right hand, and his complete return bolsters the Elasto Painters’ deep rotation in their backcourt.
2.RAIN OR SHINE SHIFTS TO HIGH-OCTANE OFFENSE
Forced by necessity in the absence of their big men, the Elasto Painters are currently relying on their quickness and athleticism to cover up for their lack of inside game.
So far the formula has worked wonder for the team as it beat Northport and Meralco one after the other. In those two wins, Rain or Shine averaged 120.5 points per game.
The team’s 128-point output against Meralco – a team known for its defensive scheme – is a season best for the franchise and served as its highest output in the last decade or since scoring a 134-132 double overtime win over Barako Bull in the 2015 Governors’ Cup as per PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III.
3.CAN BOLTS, TROPANG 5G PULL OFF THE SAME STORY LINE?
The sister teams have struggled early in their respective PBA Philippine Cup campaigns. After winning their first two outings, the Bolts lost three in a row (2-3), while the Tropang 5G remain winless in two games.
Familiar story line? Both teams are in a similar situation when they won their respective titles. Meralco was 1-3 in last season’s All-Filipino conference, but ended up winning the championship.
And in the last Commissioner’s Cup where TNT won the title, the team also kicked off its campaign with two straight losses. So will history be kind again to both franchises?
4.YNARES CENTER HOMECOURT TO ‘BALTI’
The Antipolo venue seemed to be a lucky charm for Converge rookie Justin Baltazar. This year’s top rookie pick scored a season-high 21 points in the win over Meralco, previously erasing his 20-point production in a 127-109 FiberXers rout of the Blackwater Bossing also at the Ynares Center.
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