MANILA: Maverick Ahanmisi came up with a game that validated the gamble Rain or Shine took on him on Draft Day, and it happened against the team many considered to be the strongest in the PBA Philippine Cup.

With the Elasto Painters continuing to miss superstar point guard Paul Lee, Ahanmisi came up with his worthiest performance to date and helped Rain or Shine scuttle San Miguel Beer, 99-84, for the solo lead in the eliminations at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Ahanmisi tossed in seven of his 14 points in the fourth period, coming off the bench to play the whole of the payoff frame and 31 minutes overall as he plugged the holes created by the absence of Lee.

It was the third straight win for the Painters, who peeled out of a four-way logjam at the top and dealt the Beermen just their first loss also in three outings.

“He showed he was going to withstand the pressure. I knew by his body language, he’s not fancy, not noisy,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.

“He’s just there playing the game and today he showed he can play the game,” added Guiao. “He’s an excellent point guard. It’s just a validation of our judgment on Draft Day.”

Guiao and the Painters surprised everyone more than two months ago when they selected Ahanmisi third overall, ahead of such names as Norbert Torres, Kevin Racal, etc.

Ahanmisi’s worth couldn’t be seen in the first two Rain or Shine games as he came up with mediocre performances that nonetheless helped the Painters.

And against probably the toughest defending backcourt in the league, Ahanmisi rose to the challenge, his brilliance eventually frustrating counterparts Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross.

Rain or Shine ran at every given chance and gang-defended reigning two-time MVP June Mar Fajardo all night.

Fajardo, the main reason why the Beermen have been labeled as the team to beat, struggled to shoot 13 points and pluck down 10 rebounds against a team considered to be much shorter.

“We just found a way to play great defense tonight, and take San Miguel out of its rhythm,” Guiao explained. “We knew coming into the game that we cannot defend June Mar one-on-one, and the boys made an effort to help each other out.

“This win was a testament to how they played defense, both on Fajardo and their guards who can really shoot the three-point shot.”

Rain or Shine lagged behind by as large as 11 points early in the second quarter but found its groove in the third, peeling away to lead by 13 going into the fourth period.

The Painters protected the lead with impunity, with Ahanmisi shooting four straight points in one stretch in the fourth that doused cold water on one of San Miguel’s rallies.

Raymond Almazan, Beau Belga and Jeff Chan each scored 15 points to share team scoring honors for the Painters, with Gabe Norwood also shooting 14 to make for five players in twin digits for Guiao.

Cabagnot scored 16 for the Beermen, who got 12 points each from Marcio Lassiter and Arwind Santos.

Almazan completed a double-double with 10 boards, while Chan was 3-for-6 from three-point range.

Meanwhile, Blackwater scored its first Philippine Cup win after Carlo Lastimosa banked in a running jumper with 1.8 seconds left for a 92-90 upset of Meralco in the first game.

The win snapped Blackwater’s 13-game losing streak in the tournament dating back to last year when the Elite entered the league, and it will be remembered most for Lastimosa’s daring move to the basket that shattered the game’s last deadlock at 90-all.

“It feels very good,” Blackwater coach Leo Isaac said when asked how it feels going over the hump. “We know we can compete against the teams here, and today we managed to compete and win.”

Gary David paced the Bolts with 23 points, and Cliff Hodge, who forged that 90-all deadlock with a broken play triple with 6.6 seconds left, had 13 points and 14 boards for the Bolts, who are now at 0-2.