By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Adrian Nocum might be a rookie, but the spitfire floor general is slowly emerging as one of the league’s best guards.
Too fast, too crafty, and way above the expected numbers a rookie produces in the league, Nocum once again turned heads after leading the Rain or Shine Elastopainters to its first victory in the PBA Philippine Cup when they dismantled the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters, 100-85, on March 17, 2024, at the Ynares Center.
Nocum was the catalyst against the Fuel Masters and single-handedly put the Elastopainters get back into the ball game after trailing by seven points in the opening quarter, 22-29.
In the second frame, Nocum unleashed 13 big points built from a series of daredevil finishes above the rim and several three-pointers.
Nocum’s explosive second-quarter performance helped Rain or Shine retake the advantage at the half, 47-41, as they outscored the Fuel Masters 25-12 in the period alone.
After Nocum’s early takeover, the Elastopainters began to rediscover their confidence and won all the last two quarters, 31-25, 22-19.
In just 31 minutes of playing time, the former main gunner of the Mapua Cardinals put up monster numbers with 28 big points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
“Hindi lang naman sa akin. ‘Yung teammates ko rin. At maganda rin ‘yung dinedepensa naming,” said Nocum, who won the Best Player of the Game honors.
Backstopping Nocum during their first win was veteran bruiser Beau Belga who tallied a double-double performance of 21 points and 11 boards.
Meanwhile, former MPBL superstar Jhonard Clarito stepped up when Rain or Shine needed him the most and supplied 19 markers and five rebounds.
