MANILA — Rain or Shine delivered one of the most lopsided wins of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup, demolishing Blackwater, 151-95, behind a blistering first-quarter explosion from Andrei Caracut on Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Caracut erupted for 18 of his conference-high 22 points in the opening period, draining four triples to power the Elasto Painters to a commanding start and extend their unbeaten run to four straight games.
“Siyempre ‘yung binibigay na trust ni coach (Joseller “Yeng” Guiao) kailangan ko suklian. Suwerte naman na ‘yung unang shot pumasok, kaya tira na ng tira,” Caracut said.
Rain or Shine wasted no time asserting control, racing to a 42-15 advantage after the first quarter before stretching the gap to 75-44 at halftime.
Jaylen Johnson added 20 points, while Vince Cuajao and Gian Mamuyac chipped in 15 each. Jun Roque contributed 13, and Adrian Nocum, Leonard Santillan, and Anton Asistio scored 12 apiece in a balanced offensive showcase.
The Elasto Painters maintained their relentless pace in the second half, with Cuajao and Roque knocking down perimeter shots as the lead ballooned to as much as 58 points late in the fourth quarter.
Robert Upshaw III paced Blackwater with 24 points, while RK Ilagan and Sedrick Barefield added 14 and 12, respectively, as the Bossing slipped to a 1-3 record.
In the other game, San Miguel vented its frustrations with a 110-94 rout of the Macau Black Knights to level its record at 2-2, sending its opponents to a winless 0-5 slate.
Jaymar Perez led the Beermen with 26 points, while Justin Patton delivered 24 points and 17 rebounds. June Mar Fajardo added a double-double of 16 points and 16 rebounds along with six assists.
Marcio Lassiter and Celedonio Trollano contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively, for San Miguel.
Tony Mitchell Jr. finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds for Macau, while Damian Chongqui added 19. Ramon Cao, Chon Pong Lao, and Jenning Leung chipped in 18, 15, and 11, respectively./PN
