ROS Erases NLEX’s Twice-to-Beat Edge to Advance to PBA semis

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters completed a sweet upset series win over the twice-to-beat NLEX Road Warriors to march into the semifinal round of the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup playoffs.

On June 21, 2025, the Elasto Painters pulled off a huge come-from-behind Game 2 victory, 103-92, to wrap up the quarterfinal series with a shocking 2-0 dub over the higher-ranked NLEX team that only needed a single win to advance to the next round.

Rain or Shine trailed by as much as 12 points but a much-needed second-half outburst from the Yeng Guiao-led squad changed the complexion of the entire game.

It all started with an Andrei Caracut go-ahead three-pointer in the final eight seconds of the third quarter that gave Rain or Shine their first lead, 78-77, after playing catch-up for the majority of the first three frames.

The Elasto Painters then began to smell blood at the start of the fourth as they found their shooting stroke in the most crucial quarter that ballooned their cushion to as much as 14 points.

From trailing in the first 36 minutes of the game, Rain or Shine leaned on a momentum-boosting 18-5 scoring run that sucked the life out of the Road Warriors.

Exhausted without any offensive rhythm, NLEX deteriorated in the remaining four minutes of the game and failed to pull themselves within the 6-7-point margin.

It was all NLEX in the first half as Robert Bolick single-handedly answered every Rain or Shine bucket. What swelled the lead for the Road Warriors was after the duo of JB Bahio and Brandon Ramirez pounded their way inside the paint, protecting the Road Warriors’ lead until the third.

Answering the call during Rain or Shine’s comeback attempt was Santi Santillan, coach Guiao’s ever-reliable stretch power forward who knocked down important treys in the third period.

Aside from his improved shooting stroke, Santillan also accepted the challenge of going up against NLEX’s wider bodies, especially Ramirez who faced guard him when he waxed hot.

Picking up where Santillan left off in the final quarter were Caracut, Jhonard Clarito, and Anton Asistio, who joined hands during that pivotal 18-5 scoring avalanche for the Elasto Painters.

Santillan showed off with a near double-double performance of 24 points and nine rebounds, while the trio of Caracut, Clarito, and Asistio chipped in 16, 13, and 11 markers, respectively.

On the other hand, Bolick’s playoff fate was again tainted as his 34-point effort went to waste, exiting the PBA Philippine Cup post-season with another first-round loss.

Rain or Shine will regroup and return to the drawing board as they prepare for a highly-anticipated semifinal clash against the TNT Tropang 5G, who created their version of their own series upset after knocking out the Magnolia Hotshots Chicken Timplados.