𝗩𝗶𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻
Jhonard Clarito posted a 20-20 performance to help the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters assert their mastery over the NLEX Road Warriors, 92-89, and force sudden death in their quarterfinal series of the PBA Philippine Cup at the PhilSports Arena on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old saved the day for ROS, as he listed 20 points and 21 rebounds, helping the team recover from a late meltdown and boost them to a knockout game for a semis slot on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The 6-foot-2 point guard made history with his double-double production that night by not only becoming the first local Elasto Painter to hit the 20-20 mark but also by becoming the shortest player to reach that feat since 6-foot-3 Willy Wilson during the 2015-2016 Philippine Cup.
“Sheer hard work, sheer effort. Itong si Jhonard nakita natin effort nya buwis buhay talaga,” Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao explained.
Clarito’s offensive rebounds proved pivotal for Rain or Shine in besting the twice-to-beat NLEX, as he single-handedly out-rebounded the entirety of the opposing team with 13 against the Road Warriors’ 12 in the final frame.
Those second chance points were what made the difference in the last moments—with seven straight points coming from Clarito’s offensive boards, which enabled an 87-85 lead for his squad.
The Elasto Painters then never looked back after those decisive plays from the point guard and continued to hold a steady cushion to take the game.
In the third quarter, however, NLEX, behind a masterful game from Xyrus Torres, tried to mount a furious comeback and squandered the initial 16-point lead ROS held.
But due to a clutch end game coming from Clarito and the rest of the team, the Road Warriors’ effort was simply not enough to overcome the Elasto Painters.
Adrian Nocum, who championed Rain or Shine’s 36-20 lead, ended with 20 points, while Leonard Santillan and Andrei Caracut tallied 16 and 10, respectively.
On the losing end, Torres listed 20 points but was then held to nothing in the fourth quarter, while Javee Mocon had 16 points and 11 rebounds, as NLEX failed to complete a comeback and end the series at just one game.
