Mercado finished with only eight points on 0-of-8 shooting from three-point range as his former teammates made life miserable for him on the floor.

In contrast, the Painters played a balance game as they got big contributions from import Hassan Adams and a well-rotated bench to register their first 2-0 start in an import-laden tournament.

“I guess the nice thing here is that we are developing some character," said new Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao. “We were able to finish strong and I think that’s what we need for a young team like us."

Adams shrugged off a nasty fall in the third period and finished with 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds and issued a team-high five assists.

Shortly after that accidental tumble, the only import with NBA experience in this year’s batch came back even stronger in the fourth when he poured in eight points, including a completed three-point play off Gabby Espinas, to put the Painters ahead, 97-87, with 2:02 left in the game.

Mercado’s struggle from the floor didn’t help the Bolts’ cause as the rookie franchise suffered its second straight loss for a share of the cellar with idle Derby Ace.

Mac-Mac Cardona rebounded from a miserable six-point outing in Meralco’s 115-98 loss to Barangay Ginebra by pouring 22 markers. But he shot just 9-of-25 from the field, including 4-of-13 from three-point range.

Import Anthony Danridge had an explosive first half when he scored 19 points, including five spectacular dunks, but likewise went silent at crunch time, held to just four in the final quarter.

Danridge, the 2009 U.S. NCAA slam dunk champion, eventually finished with 31.

“Once we stopped Danridge from dunking the ball, we started to play defense," Guiao said

Rain or Shine got solid support from its bench behind Ronjay Buenafe (15 points) and John Ferriols (12 points and eight rebounds), while Doug Kramer added 11 and eight rebounds, including a broken mouth guard and a lost front tooth courtesy of an inadvertent hit from Espinas. - RCJ, GMA News