Saddled by foul trouble all-game long, Nick Rakocevic delivered in the final frame as Magnolia turned back the hard fighting Rain or Shine, 106-90, to claim the twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals of the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the PhilSports Arena on Friday, Dec. 2.

The Hotshots import managed to stay away from his sixth and final foul and pumped in nine of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to spearhead the back-breaking rally for Magnolia which finished the eliminations as the second seed team with a 10-2 record.

Paul Lee and Ian Sangalang kept Magnolia afloat during the times when Rakocevic was planted on the bench, unloading 16 points apiece while Mark Barroca and Calvin Abueva added 12 markers each.

Jio Jalalon only finished with six points but did most of the damage on the defensive end and manning the point for Magnolia with nine rebounds and 12 assists.

The Hotshots, who were obviously bothered by the physicality of the game, struggled to find their groove offensively in the first three quarters as the young guns of the Elasto Painters kept them on the rear.

Rain or Shine even took a double-digit lead, 39-28, but the combined efforts from Lee, Abueva and Sangalang buoyed Magnolia within striking distance, trailing by just six, 77-71, heading into the payoff period.

The complexion of the game changed, however, when Rakocevic returned and managed to stay in the contest as the Hotshots rediscovered their defensive tenacity, limiting the Elasto Painters to just 13 points in the last period.

Leonard Santillan and Rey Nmabayac led Rain or Shine with 15 points apiece, while import Ryan Pearson, who was also hampered by foul trouble, finished with 14 points in a losing effort. The loss also shoved them to a 5-7 record in the standings and in a do-or-die match against NLEX with the final spot in the quarterfinals at stake.