Rain or Shine rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Barangay Ginebra 115-111 in Game 1 of the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup semifinals on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
The Elasto Painters used an 11-0 scoring run in the final two minutes to erase the Gin Kings' lead.
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Import Jaylen Johnson paced Rain or Shine with 40 points and 19 rebounds in front of 10,412 spectators.
Ginebra engaged in a high-scoring shootout despite traditionally prioritizing defense.
Justin Brownlee scored 32 points and RJ Abarrientos added 21 points for the Gin Kings, but their efforts were undone by late turnovers and transition defensive lapses.
Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao praised Johnson's performance against Ginebra's veteran import.
He noted the physical response required from his shorthanded rotation, which was missing Caelan Tiongson due to a stomach ailment and Luis Villegas to a third-quarter injury.
"He stepped up to the moment," said Guiao.
The Elasto Painters are currently missing multiple players for the season, including Keith Datu, Felix Lemetti, Jun Roque, and Stanley Pringle.
"To be able to stand up and be able to go toe-to-toe with Justin Brownlee is already a big achievement, and then we got to beat them," said Guiao.
Guiao noted that his squad, which is three wins away from a finals appearance, needs to maintain its defensive execution as the best-of-seven series progresses.
"Nakaisang tsamba. Let's see how many more we can muster.
