PBA Preview: Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs. TNT Tropang Giga Preview 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup — October 18, 2024
The TNT Tropang Giga are just a win away from clinching a seat in the PBA Finals after they escaped Game 4 with an 81-79 win over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Closeout games are notoriously tough to finish, but does TNT have what it takes this Friday to finish the series in five games? Or, will Rain or Shine secure a schedule for Sunday with a victory?
Catch this game live on Friday, October 18 at 7:30 pm, Manila time.
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (1-3)
Projected Starting Five:
- Adrian Nocum
- Felix Lemetti
- Jhonard Clarito
- Keith Datu
- Aaron Fuller
The Elasto Painters made it close in Game 4, but they ultimately still faltered in their quest to tie the series at 2-2, as they simply did not have enough gas to keep up with TNT. Wednesday’s game was an ugly one, with both Rain or Shine and TNT bricking shots left and right; neither team shot better than 36 percent from the field. But what helped swing the tide in TNT’s favor was better ball security.
Rain or Shine coughed up the ball 15 times in Game 4 while the Tropang Giga had 10 turnovers. In such a tightly contested game, it can boil down to which team will get more chances with the ball, and it was TNT in that clash, as the Tropang Giga were a plus-6 in field goal attempts. One encouraging sign for Rain or Shine was the team’s 19 assists and 37 bench points in Game 4. And even though they lost, Rain or Shine showed its defense can make life hard for TNT.
TNT Tropang Giga (3-1)
Projected Starting Five:
- Rey Nambatac
- RR Pogoy
- Calvin Oftana
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
- JP Erram
It’s closeout time for TNT. Sending Rain or Shine home this Friday is going to be easier said than done, given how desperate the Elasto Painters will be in Game 5. But with a superior import and a great supporting cast behind their reinforcement, the Tropang Giga can still feel confident about their chances to put Rain or Shine away. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored 23 points in Game 4, shooting 10/22 from the field and grabbing 19 rebounds.
The former NBA first-round pick was also a monster on the defensive end with five steals and five blocks. Meanwhile, Rey Nambatac and Calvin Oftana had 15 points apiece. Meanwhile, Jayson Castro and JP Erram, who erupted in Game 3, combined for 17 points. Throughout the series, the Tropang Giga have shown more poise and better execution overall, and they will be counting on those qualities to lead them to a PBA Finals berth this Friday.
Picks
Spread: TNT (-5.5)
Over/Under: Under (204.5)
