ANTIPOLO, Philippines – Rain or Shine import Deon Thompson often goes under the radar.
But in game when his team needed him the most, Thompson proved he can put the Elasto Painters on his back on the way to the semifinals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup after starring in a 112-103 win over Converge at the Ynares Center on Sunday, February 9.
Thompson finished with a conference-high 34 points on top of 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals as Rain or Shine survived the knockout game of the best-of-three quarterfinals to reach the final four for the third straight conference.
“Our appreciation to the effort of Deon. I think among all the imports, he’s been the most underrated, lowest scoring import probably, but he had his best game I think today, just 3 assists short of a triple-double,” said Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao.
“Not only that, he did it on the defensive side. He’s not been really noticed, but for us in the team, we know what he means. I believe he’s a big part of the success that we have right now.”
Thompson dominated down low, making 16 of his 20 field goals for an ultra efficient 80% clip.
He scattered 20 points in the second half as he outscored FiberXers counterpart Cheick Diallo (19 points) in two quarters alone.
Thompson, though, did not do all on his own.
Fresh from a 28-point explosion in a 114-104 win on Friday that kept Rain or Shine alive, Adrian Nocum delivered again with 25 points off the bench to go with 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
Andrei Caracut chipped in 14 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds, while Jhonard Clarito added 11 points as the Elasto Painters’ arranged a best-of-seven semifinal clash against TNT.
When Thompson subbed out momentarily in the the fourth quarter, Beau Belga provided Rain or Shine quality minutes, knocking down back-to-back three-pointers to spark an 11-3 run that gave his side a 91-80 lead.
“It’s a collective team, it’s not just about one person. I think when you look at the top teams around this league…it’s the collective team why they’re so good. And I think that’s something that we have here as well,” said Thompson.
Alec Stockton chalked up 26 points and 6 assists to pace Converge, which endured another disappointing end to a promising campaign, considering it finished third in the elimination round with an 8-4 record.
The FiberXers also fell short of making the semifinals for the first time in franchise history just like they did when they succumbed to San Miguel in a sudden death in the quarterfinals of the Governors’ Cup earlier this season.
Diallo also tallied 13 rebounds and 2 blocks, Justine Baltazar put up 16 points and 9 rebounds, while Justin Arana posted 15 points.
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, Delos Santos 0, Javillonar 0.
Quarters: 22-21, 50-45, 80-77, 112-103.
– Rappler.com