Caracut, Tiongson Spark Rain or Shine’s Triumph Over Beermen

Rain or Shine turned its twice-to-beat edge into a ticket to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, stunning a veteran-laden San Miguel team, 113-104, on Friday at the Ynares Center.

The matchup remained tight well into the fourth quarter, but the Elasto Painters pulled away at the most critical moment, relying on hot shooting from beyond the arc to finally shake off the Beermen’s resistance.

With the game hanging in the balance, Andrei Caracut and Caelan Tiongson drilled back-to-back triples to spark a decisive 9-0 run, pushing Rain or Shine ahead 108-97 with 2:35 left. That stretch effectively sealed the win and sent the Elasto Painters into the semifinals.

“Alam namin na kapag pinarating pa namin ’to sa Sunday, malamang sa malamang hindi na namin tatalunin San Miguel,” said coach Yeng Guiao, emphasizing the team’s urgency to close out the series early.

Caracut delivered a career-defining performance, pouring in a playoff-best 29 points on sharp perimeter shooting, while also tallying six rebounds, five assists, and a steal. Tiongson complemented the surge with 23 points, as the duo combined for 13 of Rain or Shine’s 19 three-pointers.

Reflecting on his breakout showing, the 30-year-old guard credited his teammates for the victory.

“Kailangan ko ring bumawi sa mga teammates ko. Ang dami kong mga games na medyo nada-down ko,” said Caracut, later named Player of the Game.

“Di lang naman ako, ’yung mga teammates ko, grabe, ganda ng laro—sina Caelan, Jaylen, lahat nag-contribute. Magandang panalo para sa amin.”

Import Jaylen Johnson provided a dominant inside presence with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists, while Adrian Nocum bounced back from a tough shooting night to chip in 18 points. The victory marked Rain or Shine’s first playoff triumph over San Miguel since 2016.

The Elasto Painters now turn their focus to the semifinals, where they will face the winner of the Ginebra–Phoenix series next week.

For San Miguel, Bennie Boatwright led the scoring with 24 points and seven rebounds, followed by CJ Perez with 19. Don Trollano posted a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds, while June Mar Fajardo added 12 points and 12 boards.

Jericho Cruz finished with 12 points and Kris Rosales contributed 10, but the rest of the Beermen struggled to find consistency in a conference marked by multiple import changes. Despite their championship pedigree, San Miguel’s campaign ended short of its usual deep playoff run after back-to-back Philippine Cup titles in recent seasons.