Rain or Shine guns for a twice-to-beat advantage in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup quarterfinals, albeit without rising star Felix Lemetti.
Rain or Shine continues its push for a top-4 finish in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup, facing cellar-dwelling Terrafirma Dyip on Wednesday, June 4.
The match starts at 5:00 p.m. at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
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The Elasto Painters (5-3) are riding high off a 109-99 victory over Phoenix, powered by a career night from Adrian Nocum, who exploded for 30 points alongside five rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block.
But the team’s momentum is tempered by a significant blow to its backcourt depth—guard Felix Lemetti is out for the remainder of the conference due to a hand fracture that will sideline him for six weeks.
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Lemetti has played a key role in Coach Yeng Guiao’s rotation with his steady ball-handling and perimeter defense. His absence puts added pressure on Rain or Shine’s young core, including Gian Mamuyac, Andrei Caracut, and Nocum, to maintain their form and composure heading into the crucial stretch of the eliminations.
On the other side, Terrafirma (1-8) enters the matchup with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
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Despite dropping their eighth straight game, the Dyip showed grit in a near-upset of Converge, signaling they’re far from throwing in the towel.
Rain or Shine will look to avoid any letdown and tighten its hold on a twice-to-beat advantage. A win on Wednesday brings them one step closer to securing a key playoff position—despite being down a man.
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(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]