The San Miguel Beermen need just one more win to complete the job in the semis, but it’s still going to be easier said than done against the pesky Rain or Shine Elasto Painters side that seems to have found another axe to grind with the Beermen. Will Game 4 be the last of this series? Or, will ROS pull off a win to avoid an upset, at least?

Catch this game live on Friday,  May 24 at 7:30 pm, Manila time.

San Miguel Beermen (3-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Chris Ross
  • CJ Perez
  • Marcio Lassiter
  • Rodney Brondial
  • June Mar Fajardo

The Beermen entered the semis round versus Rain or Shine as the overwhelming favorites. It has looked that way through the first three games of the series, with San Miguel just a win away from discarding the Elasto Painters. In Game 3, the Beermen took down Rain or Shine via a 117-107 score. The Elasto Painters probably have zero tricks left in the bag, as they continue to look for ways to combat San Miguel’s formidable roster. 

There is only so much Rain or Shine could do against a star-laden Beermen squad that had three players scoring at least 20 points in Game 3. CJ Perez had 23 points in that game, while Marcio Lassiter and Don Trollano had 21 and 20 points, respectively. Junemar Fajardo shot just 4/14 from the field for 11 points but the Beermen still clobbered Rain or Shine, thanks to their incredible depth. After a relatively poor outing from Fajardo, the seven-time MVP could be in line for a big bounce-back performance in Game 4. Not a good thing to hear for Rain or Shine, which allowed Fajardo to score 45 points in the first two games of the series.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (0-3)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Andrei Caracut
  • Gian Mamuyac
  • Gabe Norwood
  • Jhonard Clarito
  • Keith Datu

The good news for the Elasto Painters is that they are still alive, albeit with thin hopes of surviving the semis and advancing to the finals. Rain or Shine shot nearly 40.0 percent from deep in Game 3, as they went 18/46 from deep, but that was still not enough to dent the Beermen’s record in the semis. However, scoring over 100 points for the first time in the series was a welcome sight for Rain or Shine, who also got Andrei Caracut to record double-digit points at last. 

Caracut, who had 13 points in Game 3, only had 9 and four points in Games 1 and 2, respectively. One thing the Elasto Painters have to be better at is on the rebounding front. They were minus-12 in that department in Game 3, thus allowing San Miguel to get plenty of shots. The Beermen outshot Rain or Shine by a staggering margin of 106-93. Limiting the possessions of the Beermen could go a long way in Game 4 for Rain or Shine, which is just ninth in the league this conference with a 48.3 TRB%.

Picks

Spread: San Miguel Beermen (-6.5)

Over/Under: Over (215.5)