RAIN or Shine banked on a superb start to score a wire-to-wire 127-110 win over Converge in Friday's PBA On Tour at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
Behind a sizzling shooting, the Elasto Painters raced to a 28-11 lead in the first quarter, which ended with the team on top by 21.
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The Elasto Painters were 17-of-30 from the field (56 percent) and 6-of-10 from three-point range (60 percent) in the opening period alone to set the tone for the lopsided game.
The rousing win came after Rain or Shine lost a 108-107 heartbreaker against Barangay Ginebra.
The Elasto Painters improved to 5-1 in the pre-season, while snapping the two-game winning run of the FiberXers.
Anton Asistio finished with 20 points and Shaun Ildefonso with 19 as the two served as sparkplugs of that early Rain or Shine breakaway.
"Nakapag-cushion kami ng 20-point lead by halftime, parang nasa curise control na lang nung second half," said coach Yeng Guiao. "I just wanted the guys to just keep running our system. Dapat yung pace constant, consistent dun sa pace ng laro."
Rey Nambatac, newly signed to a contract extension, added 17, Leonard Santillan with 12, and Nick Demusis with 10 and eight rebounds.
Converge is now at 3-4 despite sophomore big man Justin Arana delivering 25 points and 18 rebounds and Adrian Wong hitting 5-of-6 from three-point range to finish with 20.
The scores:
Rain or Shine (127) - Asistio 20, Ildefonso 19, Nambatac 17, Mamuyac 13, Santillan 12, Demusis 10, Caracut 9, Clarito 9, Belo 8, Belga 6, Borboran 4.
Converge (110) - Arana 25, Wong 20, Racal 19, Nieto 19, Stockton 14, Ambohot 5, Zaldivar 5, Luib 3, Ebona 0.
Quarterscores: 41-20; 65-56; 98-72; 127-110.
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