Rain or Shine regained its rhythm and composure, fending off a gritty Blackwater side to post a 110-100 win in the PBA Philippine Cup on Friday, October 24, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Keith Datu powered the Elasto Painters with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Adrian Nocum, Jhonard Clarito, and Anton Asistio delivered timely baskets to repel the Bossing’s late charge. The victory allowed Rain or Shine to recover from its 93-111 defeat to San Miguel Beer last Sunday and improve to 2-1 in the standings.

Elasto Painters rediscover their winning form

“Coming off a loss last game we really wanted to get back to our roots—moving the ball, setting good screens, and doing the little things to help our team win,” said Datu, who sparked Rain or Shine to a pair of early 19-point leads, including a 41-22 cushion.

Blackwater, however, refused to fold. The Bossing trimmed the gap to 55-41 at halftime before erupting for a 36-16 third-quarter run that gave them a 77-71 advantage heading into the final frame.

Richard Escoto led the charge with 20 points, while rookie Jack Cruz-Dumont tallied a career-high 19. Christian David added 18 markers, and Sedrick Barefield contributed 15 despite struggling from the field.

Rain or Shine finishes strong

With the momentum shifting, Rain or Shine answered back with resilience. Gian Mamuyac and Jamie Malonzo fueled a 14-2 run to open the fourth quarter, before Clarito and Nocum took command after Blackwater briefly reclaimed the lead at 88-85.

In the closing stretch, the Elasto Painters launched a decisive 17-5 burst to seal the win at 110-96 with just 31 seconds left on the clock.

“I think the experience coming into this game helped us grind out a tough one,” Datu added. “We had a lead, we lost it, and we battled back.”

The loss dropped Blackwater to 1-2 in the standings, marking its second straight defeat.