Guiao praises rookie in Rain or Shine win over Talk ‘N Text
MANILA, Philippines – Rain or Shine extended its winning streak to five games after beating defending champion Talk ‘N Text, 90-88, in the 2014 PLDT myDSL Philippine Cup Saturday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
JR Quiñahan scored a team-high 19 points and Beau Belga added 16, including the game-winning basket with 1:10 remaining as the Elasto Painters moved into a tie with the Petron Blaze Boosters in second place at 9-3 with just two games left before the playoffs.
Article continues after this advertisement“We just rode on our energy we just try to stay aggressive all the way to the end game,” said ROS head coach Yeng Guiao.
“We did a pretty good job defensively against their guards but we didn’t really managed or control Seigle and Ranidel. We prepared to contain the guards but I guess we just left guys like Seigle and Ranidel but it still paid off,” added Guiao.
Ranidel de Ocampo had game-highs 24 points and 13 rebounds but missed the Tropang Texters final two attempts at the basket including a potential game-winning triple with the stocky Quiñahan putting up a good contest as Belga grabbed secured the defensive rebound.
Article continues after this advertisementForward Danny Seigle scored 18 points for TNT, which dropped to 7-5, to go along with four rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
Jayson Castro had 17 points but shot just four-of-13 from the field while Larry Fonacier and Ryan Reyes combining for only 11 markers.
“We won the game and the good thing about it is that we’re beating the tough teams in end-game situations and that shows our mental toughness and our will to win,” said Guiao. “We showed maturity and the desire to win in a tight situation and that’s a good sign for us.”
Athletic rookie Alex Nuyles gave the Painters a lift with 13 points, five rebounds, six assists and zero turnovers in 23 minutes off-the-bench.
“Alex Nuyles is proving himself to be a valuable asset. He is able to contribute and that makes our team deeper in terms of our rotation,” Guiao said.