And now the tough part
ANTIPOLO—Coach Yeng Guiao remained adamant that any opponent will be a tough customer for Rain or Shine in the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals.
“You can’t afford [to take] any team [for granted] from the group because all of them are capable of winning the championship,” Guiao said on Friday after the Elasto Painters closed out the group stage with a 133-103 rout of the Phoenix Fuel Masters at Ynares Center here.
The win gave Rain or Shine a 6-4 win-loss record and the No. 2 spot in Group B, meaning that it will take on a talent-laden Converge squad, a team on the roll but a team that the Elasto Painters have beaten once in the playoffs.
Guiao marveled at the stacked composition of the FiberXers, which bucked a rollercoaster start to win their last six games and finish with the No. 3 spot in Group A.
Rain or Shine is set to map out a plan on how to neutralize not just twin towers Justine Baltazar and Justin Arana, import Cameron Clark, super rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño, but perhaps everyone on that Converge roster.
“That lineup is built to win a championship,” Guiao said, before noting one aspect that the FiberXers are lacking, or are trying to build.
“I guess they still lack the experience and some gelling,” he continued. “But in terms of the lineup, it’s very balanced. They have the height, they have the speed and they have the shooting.”
“Lately, they’ve been playing well, which means that they might have solved their past problems with their teamwork,” he said. “But you can see that they’re getting better as a whole.”
Rain or Shine’s blowout victory, which was led by Jhonard Clarito’s 18 points and 11 rebounds—both conference highs—plus the team’s 16 three-pointers, came after it lost a chance at getting top spot in Group B with Wednesday’s 107-103 loss to Magnolia.
Fans were quick to call out the Elasto Painters, who they felt were trying to avoid an early quarterfinal showdown with the TNT Tropang 5G, the fourth-placer in Group A. During the game, key players like import Aaron Fuller and Caelan Tiongson either sat out or played limited minutes.
Magnolia won to get the No. 1 spot in Group B and a series with TNT, something which was more of a predicament than a reward for the Hotshots.
“The prize of being No. 1 is playing TNT and RHJ (Rondae Hollis-Jefferson),” Hotshots coach LA Tenorio said.
Rain or Shine had faced Converge before, bouncing back from a Game 1 loss to take the next two in their 2024 Commissioner’s Cup quarters series.
“Like I have been saying, we will prepare for and play whoever we’re scheduled to play,” Guiao said.
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