Andrei Caracut heated up early, and Rain or Shine followed suit en route to dealing Blackwater a 151-95 beatdown to remain unbeaten in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup, Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The 30-year-old playmaker was aggressive right from the get-go, firing 18 of his 22 points in the opening period alone, as he and the Elasto Painters sped the game up against the much slower Bossing toward a 42-15 lead after one.
Nineteen of their points came off fastbreak opportunities as Coach Yeng Guiao & Co. simply ran the floor, leaving Robert Upshaw and the whole opposition overwhelmed to the point that the game was already decided early.
“We have no answer for their import … so we just tried to turn his advantage into a liability, so ‘yun ang tingin naming pinakamagandang paraan para manalo,” offered head coach Yeng Guiao, when asked about their ploy.
(C) PBA Images
So dominant was RoS that they already hit the century mark just before the third canto ended, and refused to lift its foot off the gas pedal as they breached the 150-point mark with exactly a minute left to play behind Adrian Nocum.
The Elasto Painters would then go on to win by 56 points, which, according to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III, is now the new record for the biggest winning margin in the league, breaking a 46-year-old mark.
It eclipsed the previous highwater mark of 154-99, which was set by U/Tex over Great Taste on July 12, 1980, during the Open Conference semifinals.
“That’s our identity. We like to get out quickly in transition, we like to find our rhythm in the open court,” said Guiao, whose wards also hit 18 triples.
“That’s how we generate our looks and our shots. Mabuti pumasok ‘yung mga unang tira namin; nagka-momentum kami sa umpisa pa lang,” he added.
Seven other players finished in double figures in the triumph, with Jaylen Johnson tallying 20 points and nine rebounds for a successful return after serving a one-game ban in their eventual win versus Meralco last week.
Gian Mamuyac had 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Santi Santillan had 12 points and 10 rebounds, with Nocum and Anton Asistio adding 12 each as well in the win that also became a chance for the young ones to show out.
Deo Cuajao, for one, made 15 points in a rare start, with Jun Roque flirting with a double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds plus three assists.
Now with a 4-0 record, Rain or Shine will try to make it five in a row when it takes on San Miguel on April 8, Wednesday, in the same battlegrounds.
(C) PBA Images
Upshaw, on the other hand, had 24 points and nine rebounds for a Blackwater team sent crashing back to earth after stunning Magnolia the last time out.
RK Ilagan had 14 points while Sedrick Barefield added 12 as they were the only other players to hit double figures in the loss, which dropped their card to 1-3.
The Scores:
Rain or Shine 151 – Caracut 22, Johnson 20, Cuajao 15, Mamuyac 15, Roque 13, Nocum 12, Santillan 12, Asistio 12, Clarito 6, Lemetti 6, Manaytay 6, Villegas 5, David 4, Tiongson 0, Belga 0, Malonzo 0.
Blackwater 95 – Upshaw III 24, Ilagan 14, Barefield 12, Murrell 9, Escoto 9, Tratter 9, Una 5, David 5, Guinto 4, Panopio 2, Andrade 0, Mendoza 0, Dumont 0, Jopia 0, Mallilin 0, Zamar 0.
Quarterscores: 42-15, 75-44, 104-67, 151-95.
