The TNT Tropang Giga and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters will have one more date to see which among them will gain entry to the semifinal phase of the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup. Will the Tropang Giga strike out Rain or Shine? Or, will the Elasto Painters send Chot Reyes and company to Bora?

Catch this game live on Wednesday,  May 15 at 7:30 pm, Manila time.

TNT Tropang Giga (1-1)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Kib Montalbo
  • RR Pogoy
  • Calvin John Oftana
  • Kelly Williams
  • Jewel Ponferada

The Tropang Giga will have to play another game after failing to close things out last Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. After defeating the Elasto Painters in Game 1, 116-99, TNT was poised to finish the series in Game 2 but was instead slapped with a 121-113 defeat at the hands of the gritty Rain or Shine squad. 

Losing Game 2 was frustrating for TNT, but the Tropang Giga are not about to lose confidence, especially since they have the 1-2 punch of Calvin Oftana and RR Pogoy. Oftana will look to bounce back after scoring just 11 points in Game 2; he had 32 in Game 1. Meanwhile, Pogoy has been much more consistent than Oftana, as he had 26 and 28 points in Games 1 and 2, respectively. TNT’s offense is going to be just fine, with Oftana due for a big night (hopefully for Chot Reyes). The Tropang Giga also just have to limit their turnovers after losing possession of the leather six more times than ROS in Game 2.

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Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (1-1)

Projected Starting Five:

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

The Elasto Painters needed a hero in Game 2 and they got one in Jhonard Clarito, who went off for a career-high 29 points to help extend Rain or Shine’s season. But it wasn’t just Clarito who stepped up big time for ROS. Four other Elasto Painters scored at least 20 points, with Andrei Caracut, Leonard Santillan, and Adrian Nocum combining for 61 points. 

That’s a good sign for Rain or Shine, who will be looking to stay hot on offense. They shot 50.6 percent from the field in Game 2 and hit 10 of their 27 (37%) attempts from behind the arc. The good thing about Rain or Shine is that it can win games with either its offense or defense. The Elasto Painters are third in the league this conference with a 109.9 offensive rating and fourth with a 106.7 defensive rating.

Picks

Spread: TNT Tropang Giga (-1.5)

Over/Under: Under (215.5)

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