Rain or Shine, Ginebra knock off QF foes to reach PBA semis

Both the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Barangay Ginebra capitalized on their one-win advantages to set up a best-of-seven semifinals collision with their respective triumphs against the San Miguel Beermen and Phoenix Super LPG in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals at Ynares Center, May 15.

Third-seeded Rain or Shine showcased its supremacy as they caught fire after stretching a crucial one-point cushion down the stretch to eventually overwhelm San Miguel via a 113-104 win to secure the first PBA Commissioner’s Cup semis ticket.

Denying a Beermen upset, the Elasto Painters took matters into their own hands early on, maximizing their twice-to-beat advantage to extinguish the red-clad ballers’ fire. 

San Miguel maintained the upper hand midway through the period at 90–86, but the Elasto Painters immediately flipped the script by uncorking a 13-3 blitzkrieg thanks to Andrei Caracut’s three-point dominance.

Bennie Boatwright and Jericho Cruz kept San Miguel’s hopes alive by scoring a basket each to cut the gap to two at 99-97.

However, the Elasto Painters simply were too much for the Beermen.

Rain or Shine responded with a 9-0 spree, leaving the opposition scoreless and suffocating them with their efficient beyond-the-arc shooting, thereby sealing their semifinals berth.

E-Painters stalwart Andrei Caracut proved to be the edge his squad needed to emerge victorious, as he powered Rain or Shine’s offensive assault with 29 points, six rebounds, and five assists.

Import Jaylen Johnson breached a double-double output of 23 markers and 12 boards, while Tiongson posted 23 points of his own to bolster the Elasto Painters’ offensive load.

Boatwright posted 24 points and seven rebounds, while June Mar Fajardo harvested a double-double of his own—12 points and 12 rebounds—but it was not enough for the Beermen to seal the deal.

Ginebra’s QF clash vs Phoenix

Meanwhile, Ginebra made quick work of Phoenix after clobbering the men in blue via a 112-81 drubbing to snare a PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals spot of their own.

Both squads engaged in a nip-and-tuck affair in the opening period to draw first blood, yet the tightly contested quarter concluded with the Gin Kings leading by 1 at 30-29.

Longtime Gin Kings import Justin Brownlee then paced his team’s offensive eruption in the second and third frames, outscoring the Fuel Masters by a staggering 36 points to maintain the upper hand.

Phoenix’s disheartening fate was sealed from hereon as Ginebra had its biggest lead at 101-61 in the final period, not giving the opposition any room to stage a comeback.

The Gin Kings’ consistent team output fueled the team’s win, with Brownlee hacking off a solid 24-point, five-rebound, and five-assist performance to lead his squad’s charge.

Three more Ginebra players posted a double-digit output, with Scottie Thompson, RJ Abarrientos, and Stephen Holt adding 16, 16, and 11 points, respectively.

Ricci Rivero paced the Fuel Masters with 15 points and eight rebounds, but it was not enough to force a Game 2 decider.

With the two quarterfinal series concluding, Rain or Shine and Barangay Ginebra are set to clash in a best-of-seven skirmish in the upcoming PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, with Game 1 kicking off on Wednesday, May 20.