Rain or Shine is once again paired with the TNT Tropang 5G in the PBA playoffs, and the Elasto Painters are out to change their fate in the Philippine Cup semifinals.
This growing rivalry writes a new chapter.
For the fourth straight conference, TNT Tropang 5G and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters will go head-to-head in the PBA playoffs, and for the third consecutive time, the stakes are at their highest — a seat in the Philippine Cup Finals.
TNT has had the upper hand lately, winning the last two semifinal battles between the two.
But Rain or Shine holds a key piece of recent history, having eliminated TNT in the quarterfinals of last year’s Philippine Cup — a result that added fuel to this emerging postseason rivalry as both teams run it back in the All-Filipino.
This year, the Elasto Painters are the underdog darlings as the lowest seed to reach the Philippine Cup semifinals since 2017, when Ginebra also made it as a 7-seed and eventually lost in the Finals to San Miguel.
Riding a wave of confidence and gritty performances, Rain or Shine leans on its young but battle-hardened core of Jhonard Clarito, Adrian Nocum, and Santi Santillan — all proven contributors with a reputation for toughness and relentless energy.
On the other end, TNT Tropang 5G, seeded 6th, keep their Grand Slam hopes alive, even without injured Finals MVPs Jayson Castro and Rey Nambatac.
The arrival of Jordan Heading adds a new dynamic for TNT that Rain or Shine has to solve as the Elasto Painters look to finally get over the hump.
Expect a physical, tactical, and emotionally charged matchup — the kind these two squads have made a habit of delivering.
Game 1 of the semifinals tips off on June 25 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
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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.]