Defending champion Barangay Ginebra had to weather a Rain or Shine storm and a shower of three-point shots from Andrei Caracut, who played his finest game in the Philippine Basketball Association.
On Friday night, Caracut came away with a personal-best 32 points, but the Gin Kings collectively found the resolve in surviving the Elasto Painters, 107-102, in the Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
But Ginebra had its answer to every Caracut assault as Maverick Ahanmisi, once upon a time a player of Rain or Shine, went an assist short of a triple-double performance and came away with a torrid shooting in what was easily his best game so far as the newest member of the Gin Kings.
Ahanmisi drilled in 5-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc on his way to tallying 21 markers while also pulling down 12 rebounds and dishing out nine assists to help the Gin Kings in keeping the Elasto Painters at bay.
Rain or Shine absorbed its fourth loss in as many games to drop at the cellar.
