MANILA — Rain or Shine added more woes to NLEX’s mid-conference struggles in the PBA Philippine Cup with a 97-86 win at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Friday night.
The Elasto Painters pounced on the Road Warriors in the second quarter, outscoring them, 28-18, to open a 53-38 cushion at halftime.
The lead ballooned to as much as 21 and never looked back despite NLEX eventually making the final margin a relatively decent one.
“I hope we can be consistent in playing this way,” said Coach Caloy Garcia after the game, as ROS bounced back from a stunning defeat to Kia on Saturday night.
Maverick Ahanmisi led the E-Painters, who are now 3-3, with 20 points on five triples with eight rebounds and three assists the night after his younger brother Jerrick sizzled for Akari-Adamson in the PBA D-League.
JR Quinahan tallied 22 markers and six boards for the Road Warriors, who lost for the fourth straight time after going 2-0 to start their campaign.
Box Scores:
Rain Or Shine 97 — Ahanmisi 20, Norwood 13, Yap 12, Tiu 11, Borboran 9, Daquioag 7, Belga 6, Maiquez 6, Nambatac 6, Cruz 3, Ponferada 2, Trollano 2
NLEX 86 — Quiñahan 22, Mallari 17, Ravena 14, Baguio 9, Alas 6, Tiongson 6, Gotladera 4, Fonacier 3, Uyloan 3, Soyud 2, Monfort 0, Taulava 0
Quarterscores: 25-20, 53-38, 73-62, 97-86 (PNA)