MANILA: San Miguel Beer and Rain or Shine extended their respective winning streaks in the PBA Philippine Cup on Tuesday night in — literally — contrasting fashions.

The Beermen came out firing and never gave Globalport a chance, dealing the Batang Pier their worst beating this season, 95-69, as San Miguel again took a piece of the elimination round lead in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

A few hours later, Rain or Shine blew a 15-point third quarter lead and had to come back from six points down inside the final 44 seconds to pound out a 95-93 decision of NLEX that kept the Elasto Painters in the hunt for a top two finish in this round.

Arwind Santos scored 19 points and June Mar Fajardo dropped 17 and had 13 rebounds with little effort against the Batang Pier, who were out of it as early as the second quarter after the Beermen scored 19 unanswered points to eventually rise to 7-1.

As things stand, Alaska and San Miguel are tied at the top, but the Beermen seem to have the easier road in the run for No. 1 as their last opponents are Meralco, Talk 'N Text and winless newcomer Blackwater Elite.

Rain or Shine, meanwhile, improved to 6-2 after the highwire win engineered by Paul Lee, but the Elasto Painters have a tough closing schedule with assignments against defending champion Purefoods, Barangay Ginebra and Alaska still to happen.

A sweep would certainly give Rain or Shine one of two automatic slots to the Final Four as the Painters would finish No. 2 behind San Miguel even if the Beermen win just two of their remaining three games.

San Miguel got a total of six players tossing in 10 points or more and pounced on the poor form that Globalport played with.

The manner of the San Miguel win was totally unexpected as the Batang Pier came into the contest having taken similar rock-solid opponents to the distance in their last three games.

Globalport even owns an upset of Talk ‘N Text and lost to Rain or Shine and Alaska by a combined six points.

But the way the Batang Pier played against the Beermen certainly left a lot to be desired with No. 1 pick Stanley Pringle shooting just 11 points and Alex Cabagnot held down to 10 by the San Miguel defense.

“I think out of our eight games, this was our best,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria. “I didn’t expect to have a big lead (early in the game). Maybe it was because of our intention of getting in the top two.

“Plus, they (Batang Pier) were coming off a road trip, and I think they weren’t able to prepare properly (for us),” Austria went on. “We had five days to prepare for them, and that’s a factor.”

The first quarter ended with the Beermen protecting a 21-17 lead, only for San Miguel to come up with that telling run early in the second that opened up a 48-23 lead which Globalport never came close to overhauling the rest of the way.

Rain or Shine versus NLEX was far more exciting.

The Elasto Painters held a 57-42 lead late in the first half only for the Road Warriors to wake up in the fourth period and take a 91-84 lead with 2:22 remaining courtesy of an Asi Taulava layup.

NLEX was still ahead, 93-87, when the Painters came up with an 8-0 closing run inside the final 44 seconds to pull out the win and deal the Road Warriors their fifth loss in eight outings.

Lee hit five straight points in the middle of that run, including two free throws off Taulava with 21.5 seconds left that gave the Painters the lead again, 94-93.

Taulava then missed what seemed like a very makeable point blank attempt under heavy pressure, which led to Beau Belga splitting his charities with 6.1 seconds left for what turned out to be the final score.

It was also Belga who sealed the win for the Painters, swatting away Taulava’s one-handed jumper at the keyhole at the buzzer.

“Maybe it was our experience that won us that game,” Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, who missed the services of four men, including outside sniper Jeff Chan, said. “Playing without those four guys is a setback.

“But we will never use those injuries as an excuse,” Guiao continued. “Had we lost this game, it was because the other team played better than us.”

Rain or Shine was also without Chris Tiu, Jeron Teng and Jervy Cruz.

Meanwhile, Manny Pacquiao returns to the league on Wednesday as KIA Motors fights for dear life against Purefoods at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Pacquiao, just three days removed from his clinical conquest of American Chris Algieri in Macau, has confirned that he will play and coach in just his second PBA game.

A loss would oust KIA formally from the playoff picture.