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MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATED) Painters from Rain or Shine Elasto got back on track Sunday, beating Blackwater Elite, 82-71, for their fifth victory in the 2020 PBA Philippines Cup at the AUF Gym in Angeles City, Pampanga .
The Elasto Painters had lost three straight games heading into the contest, including a painful 70-62 setback for the Magnolia Hotshots on Saturday night. To make matters worse, they were playing without veteran guard James Yap and lost Rey Nambatac to a sprained ankle early in the second quarter.
Rain or Shine still took the win thanks to a great third quarter in which they outscored Elite, 25-11, before Javee Mocon’s big shots in the fourth helped them fend off Blackwater.
“The three-game losing streak started to increase our pressure,” admitted ROS coach Caloy Garcia. “Sabi ko nga, ang nawala sa amin is” yung enjoy the game. “
“We just have to push ourselves in these last three games,” he added. “The players stepped up today … I think we just have to find ways to win.”
Mocon finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds, making all his shots from inside the arc. Beau Belga contributed 14 points and the ROS defense limited Blackwater to just 32% from field goals.
Rain or Shine settled for a 38-34 lead at the half, but increased their defensive intensity in the third frame.
Outside of the break, they limited Blackwater to just four field goals, while Belga, Gabe Norwood and Ryan Arana helped the team build a bigger lead. An Arana layup pushed ROS forward by 20 points, 57-37, with less than five minutes to go in the third.
Roi Sumang did his best to bring about the return of Blackwater, but the Elasto Painters were ready when Mocon found his mark from inside the arc to nail cubes of keys that kept the Elite at bay.
The Elasto Painters improved to 5-4, raising their playoff hopes.
Meanwhile, the Elite lost their sixth consecutive game to fall to 2-7. Along with NorthPort (1-7) and TerraFirma (1-7), they have been formally eliminated from playoff contention.
