The Blackwater Bossing are all of a sudden the second-hottest team in the PBA on Tour. Will they be able to keep their win streak alive when they take on the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, who are just above them in the standings? Or, will the Elasto Painters create a bigger breathing room between them and the Bossing with a win?

Catch this game live on Sunday,  July 23 at 5:00 pm, Manila time.

Blackwater Bossing (6-3)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: JVee Casio
  • SG: Rey Suerte
  • SF: Rashawn Mccarthy
  • PF: James Sena
  • C: Troy Rosario

Don’t look now, but Blackwater is now third in the PBA on Tour standings after stitching together three wins in a row. Led by Troy Rosario, who is seemingly becoming scary again, the Bossing took down the Meralco Bolts on July 14, 89-82, to keep the team’s win streak alive. 

The former Gilas forward posted 21 points and nine rebounds against Meralco, while Rashawn McCarthy pumped in 15 points. Rosario is now averaging 17.0 points and 6.43 rebounds per game. While Rosario is commanding great attention, Blackwater’s backcourt can’t be simply ignored as well, with McCarthy and Mike Digregorio supplementing quality production from the guard positions for Blackwater, which is also third in the league with 44.33 bench points per game. 

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (7-2)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Andrei Caracut
  • SG: Shaun Ildefonso
  • SF: Nick Demusis
  • PF: Mark Anthony Borboran
  • C: Leonard Santillan

After getting crushed by the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, the Elasto Painters got back to their winning ways right away, as they humbled the NorthPort Batang Pier, 118-112. Leonard Santillan starred for the Elasto Painters, as the big man caught fire, scoring 20 points on 50 FG% and 50 3FG%. 

But it’s hardly just Santillan who powered the Rain or Shine offensive engine, with Anton Asistio and Andrei Caracut scoring 17 points apiece. Shaun Ildefonso and Gian Mamuyac also had 14 and 12 points, respectively. Rain or Shine is the highest-scoring team in the PBA on Tour, putting up 110.78 points per game on 45 FG%. The Elasto Painters thrive in a fast-paced style of play that’s feeding their offense. They are taking 89.33 FG/G and scoring 25.33 fastbreak points per contest – both No. 1 in the PBA.

PREDICTION:

Spread: Rain or Shine (-4.5) covers the spread. 

Over/Under: The total (204.0) hits the Under.