MANILA, Philippines – Chris Tiu’s retirement may have left a big hole in Rain or Shine, but Maverick Ahanmisi has done a terrific job filling that void. 

Ahanmisi bared his time with Tiu helped him improve the way he sees the game, and it is showing after leading Rain or Shine to a dominant 85-72 win over Alaska in the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday, February 3.

Despite taking only two shots, the 27-year-old guard was magnificent for the Elasto Painters with 8 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals while tallying a plus-minus of +14 in 26 minutes of play.

“When he (Tiu) left, he told me specific things to do. He taught me a lot when he was here and I think I just learned from him,” Ahanmisi told reporters after the win. 

“As you guys know, Chris is not the most athletic person out there but he’s a really smart player and I think he’s passed that on to me. I think I’ve really learned a lot from him.” 

Undoubtedly, Ahanmisi is one of the reasons Rain or Shine won 4 of its first 5 games this conference.

He is averaging 13.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals as the team’s starting point guard. 

“This is one of the most pristine conferences obviously – the all-Filipino – so you want to make a statement that we are one of the better all-Filipino teams,” Ahanmisi said of his stellar start to the conference. 

Rain or Shine shoots for its sixth win against NorthPort on Friday, February 8, at the Mall of Asia Arena. – Rappler.com