Rain or Shine is aiming to protect its win run, but it has to overcome the loss of injured big man Keith Datu for the rest of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.
Rain or Shine shoots for its fifth straight win when it clashes with NLEX in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo Saturday, Nov. 8.
The match will be the 7:30 p.m. mainer after the 5:15 p.m. duel between Converge and Blackwater.
[WATCH: PBA LIVESTREAM: NLEX Road Warriors vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters]
The Elasto Painters, sitting atop the standings with TNT at 5–1, have their sights set on the solo lead.
But coach Yeng Guiao’s squad faces a tough stretch ahead, starting with the Road Warriors before meeting the Tropang 5G, FiberXers, Magnolia and Ginebra in succession.
They will deal with these teams sans big man Keith Datu, who is out for the rest of the season due to patellar tendon rupture.
Guiao said the team is trying to get Caelan Tiongson ready for the matchup, while also taking a cautious approach with Stanley Pringle’s knee recovery.
Despite the injuries, Rain or Shine’s momentum remains strong, led by Santi Santillan, Adrian Nocum and Anton Asistio.
With their depth and defensive grit, the Elasto Painters look to keep the Road Warriors in the losing column.
NLEX succumbed, 74–104, to Ginebra the last time out for a share of the third spot with San Miguel and Magnolia with their similar 4-2 slates.
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor’s note: This article was written by a member of One Sports Digital with the help of AI and reviewed by editorial staff for accuracy.]