Paul Lee of Rain or Shine (dark) vs MArk Barroca of San Mig Coffee (light). PBA IMAGE by Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines — Yeng Guiao of Rain or Shine stressed the importance of this game. San Mig Coffee’s Tim Cone stressed the importance of just getting some rest going into this game.
The Elasto Painters and the Mixers lock horns again as they break a 1-1 tie in their PLDT MyDSL Philippine Cup title series at 8 p.m. Wednesday with Guiao saying that a win is crucial and Cone harping that the three-day rest before Game 3 could prove pivotal for the long haul.
“Winning Game 1 gave us the adjustment advantage, but we cannot afford to give up that advantage,” Guiao said after losing Game 2 on Sunday night.
“San Mig is too experienced to let them have the lead in this series. “Game 3 is really big for us,” added Guiao, who is seeking his first all-Filipino crown in a highly successful career. “We need to find the proper adjustments and execute better.”
Nine games in 2 weeks
San Mig played a total of nine games in the last two weeks or so, and that easy Game 2 win on Sunday that resulted in Peter June Simon and James Yap playing just a combined 46 minutes, was the bonus Cone was looking for after tying the series.
“Though we want to get back on the horse and play again, any break at this point is good for us,” Cone said before pointing out the downside of the three-day lull. “Yeng is a master strategist. You give him two days and he’ll have a lot of things to throw at us.
“We can’t relax too much,” Cone said. “We need to keep our concentration, keep our momentum going.”
The thing that Guiao needs to figure out is how to make his players regain their shooting touch.
Six of 26 three-point baskets On Sunday, the Elasto Painters went 0-for-10 from three-point range in the first half before finishing the night with a 6-of-26 clip.
They shot just 23 of 52 attempts from two-point zone and were never really in the game after a 4-4 tie in the first minute.
“We struggled all game long with our offense,” Guiao said. “I think San Mig needs to be given credit for playing really good defense. Aside from the fact that we couldn’t make shots, their defense really compounded our problems.”
Second straight all-Filipino Finals Only Jeff Chan finished in twin digits for the Painters, who are in their second straight all-Filipino Finals.
And for them to not lose the upper hand that Guiao talked about, they need to be able to hit their target again.
That loss was the first for Rain or Shine against the Mixers this season, and it was just the Painters’ second setback in their last 15 games.
The other loss came against Petron Blaze in the Final Four which snapped an 11-game winning streak.