Fuel Masters Stun Elasto Painters, End Unbeaten Run with Comeback Win

Phoenix ended Rain or Shine's unbeaten streak in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup with a hard-fought 87-83 comeback victory on Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Fuel Masters erased an 18-point deficit, steadily closing the gap in the third quarter before taking control in the final minutes to hand the Elasto Painters their first loss of the conference.

The win also dealt a blow to Rain or Shine’s pursuit of a Top Four finish and the crucial twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

Phoenix head coach Charles Tiu credited his team’s resilience and timely execution for the victory.

“Maybe it’s the law of averages, or Coach Yeng gave us a break, or we just caught them on an off night,” Tiu said with a smile.

Jason Perkins led Phoenix with 20 points, while Tyler Tio was instrumental with 16 points, nine of which came in the fourth quarter. Tio knocked down key three-pointers, including a go-ahead shot that gave Phoenix a 75-72 lead and shifted the momentum in their favor.

Perkins broke a 78-all tie with crucial free throws, sparking a 9-1 run that featured contributions from James Dickey III and Ricci Rivero. That surge put Phoenix up 87-79 with less than three minutes remaining, enough to hold off Rain or Shine’s late rally.

“We just challenged the team at halftime,” Tiu said. “In the first half, it felt like Space Jam—we couldn’t make a shot. But then we started hitting our shots.”

“Tyler made great shots, and everybody came in with quality minutes. We chipped away and worked together,” he added.

Dickey was a force inside, posting 17 points and 19 rebounds, while Evan Nelle added 12 points and eight assists. Rivero contributed 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists for Phoenix, which has now won two straight heading into its game against Converge on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Rain or Shine was led by Adrian Nocum in the loss, with the team missing Felix Lemetti, who is out indefinitely due to a left knee contusion.

Gian Mamuyac chipped in 11 points, but import Jaylen Johnson struggled with his shooting, finishing with 12 points on 5-of-25 shooting and six turnovers. Despite his struggles, Johnson added 19 rebounds and seven assists, but his inefficiency reflected Rain or Shine’s overall shooting woes.

The Elasto Painters shot just 29-of-94 from the field and 9-of-29 from three-point range, a sharp contrast to their franchise-record 23 triples in their previous win over Terrafirma.

Rain or Shine will look to bounce back quickly as they face Magnolia on Saturday at the Big Dome.