Just when expectations on its new import were low, Rain or Shine was able to unveil a gem of a find in Mo Charlo.

The Elasto Painters’ third import in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup debuted with flying colors on Friday night and led Rain or Shine to a come-from-behind 108-105 decision of powerhouse San Miguel Beer in the eliminations at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Arriving just four days ago, Charlo scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, including six of Rain or Shine’s last 10, as the Elasto Painters completed their comeback from 19 points down in the first half to win back-to-back games for the first time here and rise to a level 3-3.

“I didn’t expect as much (from Charlo),” firebrand Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao told reporters after his import also collared 13 rebounds, finished with three assists and had just one turnover in 40 minutes of action.

“He can still get better. He’s still learning to play with the team.”

Charlo came in for Antoine Wright, the NBA veteran who replaced the injured Wayne Chism but didn’t prove to be up to the task because of his inability to play big despite being a shade under 6-foot-8.

Guiao wasn’t expecting much from his new import because, after being measured to be under 6-foot-5, showed the ability to play way above his height.

In fact, Charlo, who was a teammate of banished Tropang TNT import Ivan Johnson in the NBA D-League, showed his worth on both ends as he won his match-up against Tyler Wilkerson, the man regarded to be the barometer among imports in the tournament.

“Wayne (Chism) getting injured could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for us,” Guiao went on. “We wanted to give Wayne another chance, after he had taken us to the Finals last year. He just got injured.”

Chism had already left back for the United States after team physicians declared the other day that his hamstring injury will take a lot more time to heal than what was previously announced.

San Miguel zoomed to a 35-16 lead early in the second period before Charlo and the rest of Guiao’s hardworking crew methodically nibbled away at that deficit to make a game out of it going into the halftime break.

Charlo scored 14 of his total in the third quarter and his last three points came with 4.2 seconds remaining which sealed the Beermen’s second loss in five games, their first in their four outings.

Wilkerson paced the Beermen with 33 points, but coughed up a crucial possession on the defense of Charlo, which led to a breakaway layup by Maverick Ahanmisi that made it 103-100 for Rain or Shine going into the last 1:13.

Reigning two-time MVP June Mar Fajardo injured his right knee in a freak play in the third period and left the game, and the Beermen were never the same from there.

“We got a big break when June Mar injured himself, or he accidentally got injured by a teammate,” Guiao said. “That’s the biggest break for us. If June Mar was there and Wilkerson was playing that way, it would have been a different result.”

In the first game, Al Thornton also came up big for NLEX and led the Road Warriors to a 104-99 nipping of Meralco.

Thornton scored 38 points and had 13 rebounds and the Road Warriors dealt the Bolts a second straight defeat that dropped Meralco out of the lead.

Idle Alaska, with a 4-1 record, is now setting the pace, and the Aces can improve on that on Saturday when they battle depleted GlobalPort in the 5:15 p.m. game at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay.

GlobalPort will parade a new import in Shawn Taggart, who comes in as a replacement for Calvin Warner. The Batang Pier, however, will most likely be without leading local scorers Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle, both out with leg injuries.