In Game Three of the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals, Rain or Shine defeated Converge 112-103 on Sunday at the Ynares Center. Deon Thompson and Adrian Nocum led Rain or Shine’s offensive on all fronts.

The Elasto Painters prevailed in the sudden-death matchup between the most fierce independent teams in the pro league, with Thompson dominating inside and Nocum once again proving unstoppable from the outside.

In a rematch of their Final Four matchup in the 2024 Governors’ Cup just last week, Rain or Shine, ranked sixth in the playoffs, set up another best-of-seven semifinal matchup versus No. 2 TNT.

After the 2024 Philippine Cup and 2024 Governors’ Cup, Rain or Shine secured their third consecutive semifinal participation by defeating the FiberXers in the final two games of the best-of-three series.

Yeng Guiao, coach of Rain or Shine, remarked. “We are very happy. This is what we’ve been trying to achieve,” “The past two conferences, we made the semifinals. It would have been a pity if we didn’t make it to the semifinals.”. “It’s a validation of the hard work that the guys put in, the togetherness and the camaraderie that we have,” .

Thompson pulled down 17 rebounds and scored 34 points, which was a conference high. In his best league performance, he contributed two thefts, three blocks, and three assists, just three shy of a triple-double.

Nocum continued where he left off in Game Two, scoring 25 points on 9 of 13 field goals, including a perfect 3-of-3 three-point shooting effort.
Together with Rain or Shine veteran Beau Belga, Nocum led the Elasto Painters to their largest lead of the game, 94-82, with a 14-5 run.

After that, Converge came closest at 102-97, but Rain or Shine prevailed thanks to a three-pointer from Nocum and a hook shot from Thompson.

While Cheick Diallo finished with five fouls despite having 19 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks, Alec Stockton finished with 26 points and six rebounds.

Converge, led by Justine Baltazar with 16 points and 9 rebounds, missed their fifth consecutive quarterfinal appearance.

The Scores

Rain or Shine 112 – Thompson 34, Nocum 25, Caracut 14, Clarito 11, Asistio 7, Belga 6, Datu 5, Tiongson 5, Santillan 4, Malonzo 1.

Converge 103 – Stockton 26, Diallo 19, Baltazar 16, Arana 15, Winston 14, Racal 7, Heading 3, Andrade 3, Santos 0, Cabagnot 0, Caralipio 0, De Los Santos 0, Javillonar 0.

Quarter scores: 22-21; 50-45; 80-77; 112-103.