Rain or Shine beats Terrafirma, secures sixth win

Rain or Shine secured their sixth win in nine games of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup elimination round by defeating Terrafirma with a score of 94-85 on Wednesday at the PhilSports Arena.

Coach Yeng Guiao's team, which used key shots from Andrei Caracut and Jhonard Clarito to prevent an embarrassing fourth-quarter meltdown, now faces a tough challenge as they prepare for their next game against San Miguel Beer in Cagayan de Oro this Saturday.

Rain or Shine effectively utilized their bench players, scoring 52 points from reserves to keep main players fresh for upcoming matches against San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra, with the Beermen expected to be at full strength including June Mar Fajardo.

Jhonard Clarito led Rain or Shine with a double-double of 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals, while Andrei Caracut contributed 11 points in the late-game run that sealed the victory.

Terrafirma's Louie Sangalang scored 22 points but it wasn't enough to overcome Rain or Shine's balanced scoring effort and strong defense, extending Terrafirma’s losing streak to nine games.

Rain or Shine aims to secure eight wins by the end of their elimination-round schedule to earn a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals, with upcoming matches against San Miguel Beer on Saturday and Barangay Ginebra on June 15.