Rain or Shine's Nambatac gains PBA scribes' weekly player citation

MANILA, Philippines – Rey Nambatac is fast becoming one of Rain or Shine’s reliable players this season as he continues to step up for the team in the mid-season PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

The wily guard was big for the Elasto Painters in their back-to-back victories over Barangay Ginebra and Phoenix, allowing the team to recover from a slow start and even its record at 2-2.

Nambatac had a career-game of 30 points including 7-of-11 from 3-point range in Rain or Shine’s 104-81 blowout of the Kings, and then followed up his heroics by coming through in the clutch as the Elasto Painters rallied back to upstage the Fuel Masters, 89-82.

The 25-year-old former Letran standout averaged 20.5 points in his team’s last two games, earning for him a first ever PBA Press Corps-Cignal Player of the Week honor from June 3-9.

Nambatac, picked seventh overall by the Elasto Painters in the 2017 draft, beat out eight other candidates for the weekly citation handed out by the men and women covering the PBA beat.

Others who vied for the honor included Nambatac’s teammate Javee Mocon, Chris Banchero and Jeron Teng of Alaska, the TnT Katropa trio of Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario, and Roger Pogoy, NorthPort’s Robert Bolick and Blackwater rookie Bobby Ray Parks.

After their twin victories, the Elasto Painters won’t return to action until June 19 when they clash with co-league leader NorthPort at the Mall of Asia Arena.