SIGNS OF LIFE: Rain or Shine shocks TNT in Game 3

Games Wednesday:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

5 p.m. — NorthPort vs Ginebra

7:30 p.m. — Rain or Shine vs TNT

Rain or Shine denied TNT a sweep of their semifinal series Sunday night.

Adrian Nocum provided the spark of energy in crunch time as the Elasto Painters snatched a breakthrough 103-98 victory over a Tropang Giga side missing a key player in Game 3 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The young guard scored eight of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, igniting a crucial 10-4 run to cushion a late fightback by TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as Rain or Shine trimmed the series deficit to 2-1.

Getting the monkey off their backs, Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao felt they created an opportunity to turn things around against a familiar rival that lost veteran guard Jayson Castro to a season-ending knee injury.

“We’re hoping we can push this series into a long series. At least now we’re at 2-1 that means this (series) is now a minimum of five games. We want to stretch this to seven games,” he said.

“We’re physically and mentally prepared to play seven games this series. We designed the management of our minutes to be able to still be fresh in (a possible) Game 7, that’s what we’re hoping to reach.”

Game 4 is on Wednesday at the same Cubao venue.

Nocum, who shot 5-of-8 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds with four assists, scored or assisted in the Elasto Painters’ decisive 10-point barrage in the final canto that gave them a 98-90 lead with 16.8 seconds left.

Hollis-Jefferson, who showed no signs of fatigue from fasting in the ongoing Ramadan, nailed a four-pointer to breathe life to the Tropang Giga.

Nocum sank his first free throw on the other end. He missed his second but Caelan Tiongson got the offensive board and was sent to the foul line to extend Rain or Shine’s lead to 101-94 with nine ticks left.

Hollis-Jefferson swished in another four-pointer before Elasto Painter guard Gian Mamuyac iced the game with two charities.

Deon Thompson finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds, Tiongson added 18 points while Anton Asistio posted 12 points for Rain or Shine, who shared the ball well with 25 assists and committed only nine turnovers.

Castro has been ruled out for the season after suffering a patellar tendon tear in his right knee, which he sustained late in the third quarter of TNT’s 93-91 Game 2 escape last Friday.

Hollis-Jefferson scored 28 of his 34 points in the second half and grabbed 19 rebounds. RR Pogoy added 21 points, while Calvin Oftana and JP Erram had 13 and 10 points, respectively, for the Tropang Giga.

The Elasto Painters built a significant gap in the second quarter after a tight first 12 minutes of action that ended up locked at 21.

The trio of Asistio, Jhonard Clarito and Thompson led Rain or Shine’s uprising in the second canto, combining for 16 of the team’s 28 points in the period.

Asistio gave the Elasto Painters a 49-41 lead with 18 seconds left in first half after nailing a technical free throw off a technical foul called on TNT big man Poy Erram.

The scores:

RAIN OR SHINE (103) — Thompson 19, Tiongson 18, Nocum 16, Asistio 12, Mamuyac 9, Santillan 8, Clarito 7, Norwood 7, Datu 4, Caracut 3, Lemetti 0.

TNT (98) — Hollis-Jefferson 34, Pogoy 21, Oftana 13, Erram 10, Williams 8, Aurin 8, Nambatac 2, Khobuntin 2, Heruela 0, Razon 0

Quarters: 21-21, 49-43, 75-73, 103-98.