By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Rain or Shine Elastopainters began its PBA Governor’s Cup campaign on the positive side after out-maneuvering the Blackwater Bossing, 110-97, on August 20, 2024, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
With a revamped roster showcasing their depth and firepower, the Elastopainters just overwhelmed Blackwater from the get-go and displayed an efficient outing on both ends of the floor.
After a nip-and-tuck contest in the first half, Rain or Shine began to wax hot in the third quarter, draining huge three-pointers that swelled their advantage to double digits heading into the final frame of the game.
Despite a slow start in the fourth, Rain or Shine was able to pick up their momentum midway through the final canto and blasted their way, cruising past Blackwater in the last five minutes highlighted by their dominance in the paint.
It didn’t take long for their first-round lottery pick, Caelan Tiongson, to explode in the big boys’ league as the rookie dropped 15 points to go alongside five rebounds and two assists.
Tiongson sparked a huge Rain or Shine run in the second quarter, scoring 11 markers in the frame alone that steered the Elastopainters to a nine-point lead at the half, 59-50.
After Tiongson took over, the rest of the Rain or Shine wards then picked up where he left off and went unconscious from the field in the last two quarters.
Returning import Aaron Fuller played like he never left the PBA and put up a dominant double-double outing of 24 points and 19 rebounds.
Fuller, who already familiarized the coaching system of chief tactician Yeng Guiao after playing for him in NLEX, manned the shaded lane for Rain or Shine and collected tons of offensive rebounds, helping them gain more second-chance opportunities.
Meanwhile, another rookie also impressed Rain or Shine as Felix Lemetti delivered 21 points in his debut game, shooting an efficient 3/5 from the three-point line.
Rain or Shine will attempt to improve their record to 2-0 on August 24, 2024, as they face the crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra San Miguel squad at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur.
On the other hand, Blackwater will look to bounce back and enter the PBA winning column on August 22, 2024, against the NLEX Road Warriors at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
