Painters trounce Tropang Giga to catch PBA playoffs bus

MANILA, Philippines -- Playoff spot: clinched.

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters punched their ticket to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals after pulling away from the TNT Tropang Giga, 106-96, Friday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Rain or Shine saw its 17-point lead sliced to just one, but broke the game wide open in the fourth quarter to avoid the playoff for the eighth and final spot in the import-laden conference’s quarterfinals.

Deon Thompson powered the Elasto Painters with 22 points, 16 rebounds and five assists, while Anton Asistio backstopped with 21 markers, three boards, two dimes and a steal. Santi Santillan produced 20 points off the bench.

After seeing their double-digit advantage drop to just one, 75-74, heading into the fourth, the Painters unleashed a massive 14-3 run capped by a pair of free throws by Thompson.

A dunk by Poy Erram and a deuce by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson cut the deficit to just eight, 81-89, with 7:40 left, but a backbreaking 9-0 run courtesy of Thompson, Asistio and Adrian Nocum pushed their lead back to 17, 98-81, with 5:36 left.

Huge shots by Erram and Nambatac tried to tow TNT back into it, but Thompson’s shots down the stretch kept the Tropang Giga at bay.

Caelan Tiongson added 13 points for Rain or Shine, to go with 10 rebounds and five assists. Andrei Caracut had nine points.

Hollis-Jefferson finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and two steals for TNT. Calvin Oftana tallied 20 points, while Erram and RR Pogoy chipped in 13 markers each.

Rain or Shine will thus take on third-seeded Converge in a best-of-three affair.

With Friday’s result, the Magnolia Hotshots and the NLEX Road Warriors will slug it out in a do-or-die matchup on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. The winner will face the top-seeded NorthPort Batang Pier with a twice-to-beat disadvantage.