PBA SEMIS: ROS Beats Injury-Hit TNT to Take Game 3 Lead

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Rain or Shine Elastopainters took advantage of a diminished TNT Tropang 5G squad after pulling off a one-sided dub, 107-86, in Game 3 of the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup semifinals on June 29, 2025, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

After two consistent offensive performances from sniper RR Pogoy, the Tropang 5G badly missed his presence as the veteran shooting guard nursed a hamstring injury and had to sit out as part of the medical team’s orders.

The Game 3 win pulled the Elastopainters closer in the series, 2-1, and avoided a huge 0-3 hole that boosted their chances of a grand finals berth.

It was what head coach Yeng Guiao wanted from his wards when the first quarter began. Attack, don’t settle, and be smart.

Those three pillars became the breathing pills for Rain or Shine as they immediately blew the game wide open with a massive 30-10 advantage.

Fresh off a heartbreaking loss in Game 2 when they forced overtime despite trailing by double digits, Rain or Shine showed poise and didn’t dwell in the nightmare of the past, bullying TNT with their aggressive drives to the basket that set the tone for the entire Game 3 matchup.

Everyone shared their load in the Game 3 victory, with Anton Asistio kicking off their offensive rampage with early three-pointers that swelled Rain or Shine’s lead to double digits.

Asistio was firing haymakers from everywhere on the court and busted TNT’s zone defensive scheme. He was the recipient of Andrei Caracut and Adrian Nocum’s dribble drive penetration attempts as they collapsed the Tropang 5G’s paint for easy kick-out passes.

Just when TNT thought that they could replicate their Game 2 showing after erasing Rain or Shine’s early lead, the Guiao-led squad became smarter this time as they just stuck to what was effective and working.

From their dribble drives to on-point pocket passes to Santi Santillan and Caelan Tiongson down the block, Rain or Shine displayed an inspired brand of basketball and didn’t give any room to breathe for the Tropang 5G.

It was midway through the third quarter when Rain or Shine officially stretched its biggest lead of the ball game to 29 points, leaving TNT head coach Chot Reyes without any options left and pulled out all of his starters with six minutes remaining in the fourth and final frame.

“Nandu’n na iyon, I think, the innate confidence that we can hold our own, we can compete with TNT. If we can replicate that effort, make our free throws and then play a little smarter, maybe we can win this game,” said Guiao after the win.

Asistio became Rain or Shine’s money man in the Game 3 win, dropping 24 big points backstopped by Tiongson who chipped in 16 markers.

On the other hand, it was only Calvin Oftana who became the bright spot for the Tropang 5G as the star swingman produced 16 points. However, the absence of Pogoy held them to their lowest- scoring outing in the semis to just 86 points.

Rain or Shine will look to carry their momentum and confidence on July 2, 2025, as they meet with TNT again for Game 4 of the semifinal slugfest.