Magnolia eliminates Rain or Shine; NLEX, Blackwater, Converge make cut

Jio Jalalon registered a triple double on Wednesday as the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots ousted the Rain or Shine Elastopainters from contention with a 118-87 victory in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Jalalon was effective from both ends as he tallied 16 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds to lead the Hotshots to its sixth straight win.

Magnolia relied on a strong first half as it had 31 and 30 points in the first two quarters, while Rain or Shine was limited to 21 and 17 points. The Hotshots led by as much as 31 points, 113-82, with less than two minutes in the match.

Aside from Jalalon, Jerrick Ahanmisi had 19 points for Magnolia, while Calvin Abueva had 13 markers, seven boards, and three dimes.

Young guns again led the Rain or Shine squad as Leonard Santillan had 17 points and eight rebounds, while Andrei Caracut had 12 points and 10 assists. Anton Asistio also added 12 points. The Elastopainters played without reliable players Gabe Norwood, Rey Nambatac, and Jewel Ponferrada.

Rain or Shine ended their Philippine Cup campaign with four wins and seven losses, while Magnolia (7-3) will take on Blackwater in their final elimination game on Friday.

The Elastopainters' loss also put NLEX, Blackwater, and Converge through to the quarterfinals as the said teams currently have five wins.

Aside from Rain or Shine, also out of contention are NorthPort, Phoenix, and Terrafirma.

The scores:

Magnolia 118 – Ahanmisi 19, Jalalon 16, Abueva 13, Sangalang 12, Barroca 12, Corpuz 11, Lee 11, Dionisio 8, Escoto 5, Wong 4, Brill 3, Dela Rosa 2, Zaldivar 2, Laput 0, Reavis 0.

Rain or Shine 87 – Santillan 17, Caracut 12, Asistio 12, Nieto 9, Torres 9, Mamuyac 8, Belga 7, Demusis 5, Ildefonso 5, Guinto 3, Tolentino 0, Clarito 0.

Quarters: 31-21, 61-38, 87-64, 118-87.

—JMB, GMA News