Adrian Nocum stars as Rain or Shine avoids 0-3 hole in semis series vs. TNT

Adrian Nocum stepped up big time in the clutch to bail Rain or Shine out, 103-98, in Game 3 of their best-of-seven semifinals series in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

Nocum dropped eight points in the crucial fourth quarter to help the Elasto Painters avoid sinking to a 0-3 hole after the Tropang Giga eked out two narrow victories in Games 1 and 2. 

Nocum finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and one steal while import Deon Thompson posted a solid double-double effort of 19 markers and 15 boards together with four dimes, one steal, and one block to make it a 2-1 series still in favor of TNT. 

Rain or Shine and Nocum took full advantage of an undermanned TNT that had no Jayson Castro on the floor due to a knee injury as the latter notched back-to-back and-one plays, the second of which saw them taking a 90-86 lead halfway through the fourth. 

The former Mapua standout then sank two free throws off a Rey Nambatac foul for a 94-88 cushion before his teammates Gian Mamuyac and Caelan Tiongson knocked down a basket each, 98-90. 

TNT tried to crawl back after resident import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson pulled the trigger from way downtown, hitting two consecutive four-point shots to trim the deficit to three at 98-101. 

But Mamuyac calmly and steadily sank his charities as Hollis-Jefferson could not replicate the magic on his last four-point attempt.

Hollis-Jefferson paced TNT with a monster double-double of 34 points and 19 rebounds while RR Pogoy and Calvin Oftana chipped in 21 and 13 markers apiece. 

Scores:

Rain or Shine 103 – Thompson 19, Tiongson 18, Nocum 16, Asistio 12, Mamuyac 9, Santillan 8, Clarito 7, Norwood 7, Datu 4, Caracut 3,  Lemetti 0.

TNT 98 – Hollis-Jefferson 34, Pogoy 21, Oftana 13, Erram 10, Williams 8, Aurin 8, Nambatac 2, Khobuntin 2, Heruela 0, Razon 0.

Quarters: 21-21, 49-43, 75-73, 103-98.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News