Rain or Shine faces Meralco in pivotal PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals

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Rain or Shine enters the PBA Philippine Cup playoffs carrying momentum after finishing second at the end of the elimination round. That positioning gives the Elasto Painters a twice-to-beat edge as they open their quarterfinal campaign against Meralco on Saturday, December 27, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

A single victory is enough for Rain or Shine to secure a fifth straight semifinals appearance. The winner of the matchup advances to face either TNT or Magnolia in the Final Four.

Meralco, seeded seventh, approaches the contest with urgency and belief. The Bolts are looking to recreate the same postseason surge that carried them to the championship during the 2023-24 PBA Philippine Cup.

Coach Yeng Guiao gives instructions during a tight PBA Philippine Cup game. [PBA Images]

Rain or Shine banking on toughness forged in eliminations

The two teams already delivered one of the toughest games of the eliminations during their Oct. 11 meeting. Rain or Shine erased a 16-point deficit, forced overtime, and edged Meralco, 96-95, in its season debut.

Coach Yeng Guiao pointed to that comeback as a defining moment. He later described several late-season victories as “tests of toughness” that helped shape his team’s playoff mindset.

The Elasto Painters reinforced that identity with multiple winning streaks, including a late three-game run highlighted by wins over Converge and Magnolia. A narrow loss to Barangay Ginebra on Nov. 17 ultimately denied them the top seed.

Meralco seeks reset as playoffs raise the stakes

Meralco enters the quarterfinals in improved form compared to its uneven start. A compressed early schedule and EASL commitments left the Bolts scrambling, but a late push saw them win three of their final four games to clinch a playoff spot.

Attention will also be on Rain or Shine forward Luis Villegas, who is set to play after missing most of the past three seasons due to knee injuries. His return comes with Keith Datu still sidelined.

Villegas is expected to help fortify the Elasto Painters’ frontcourt against Meralco’s interior trio of Brandon Bates, Raymond Almazan, and Cliff Hodge. With contrasting paths and playoff pressure on both sides, the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal duel promises another physical, high-intensity battle.