Rain or Shine opens new chapter, eyes first win against Meralco

Rain or Shine begins life without one of its longtime cornerstones as it looks to notch its first victory in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Governors' Cup against Meralco on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

The Elasto Painters are coming off a 131-108 loss to Blackwater in their conference opener a week ago. This time, however, the focus extends beyond bouncing back in the standings as the team adjusts following the departure of two-way standout Gian Mamuyac.

Rain or Shine recently dealt Mamuyac to Phoenix in exchange for a future first-round draft pick after both sides failed to reach terms on a new contract.

The move came as a surprise across the league, with the former Ateneo standout having become a key figure in the identity Rain or Shine built under head coach Yeng Guiao since his return in 2022.

Mamuyac averaged 13.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 steals during the Commissioner's Cup, helping the Elasto Painters reach the semifinals before bowing to eventual champion Barangay Ginebra.

With Mamuyac now in Phoenix, Rain or Shine will look for players to step up and fill the void while chasing its first win of the conference against a Meralco squad expected to field veteran import Antonio Hester.

Rain or Shine enters the matchup as a +3.0 underdog, while the over/under is set at 223.5, according to TigerScore.

Hester, who previously suited up for Terrafirma and Magnolia, was tapped as Meralco's replacement import after Jordon Varnado suffered a calf injury that has him listed day-to-day.

Varnado's injury forced the Bolts to play all-Filipino in their opening game against Phoenix, where they pushed the Fuel Masters to the limit before absorbing a narrow 98-97 defeat.

Tip-off for the Group B matchup is set for 7:30 p.m., following the Group A clash between San Miguel and Terrafirma at 5:15 p.m.

The Beermen hope to build on their impressive 123-109 victory over Macau, a win they secured despite the absence of head coach Leo Austria and star center June Mar Fajardo.

San Miguel heads into Sunday's contest as an 11.5-point favorite, with the over/under pegged at 222.0, according to TigerScore.

The victory over Macau also marked Jerrick Ahanmisi's debut in San Miguel colors. The veteran guard wasted little time making an impact, finishing with 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists in 38 minutes.

Ahanmisi now faces his former team, Terrafirma, for the first time since being traded—along with Paolo Hernandez—to San Miguel in exchange for Juami Tiongson and Chris Miller.

Meanwhile, the Dyip will be looking to snap a two-game skid after suffering close losses to NLEX and Converge to open their campaign.