Yen Guiao and Tim Cone. FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines—For all the talk about San Mig Coffee’s bid for a Grand Slam, Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao’s message is clear: His Painters aren’t trying to play spoilers but rather win a championship of their own.
“We’re not salivating at trying to spoil the Grand Slam. Right after the win against Alaska, I said we’re not trying to spoil any Grand Slam,” Guiao stressed during the pre-finals presser Monday at Sambokojin Eastwood. “Our attitude is we’re just trying to win a championship on our own. I told the boys this morning, if it’s possible that they can win a Grand Slam and we can win a championship then we have no problems with that.”
“Our purpose is not to spoil anything, our purpose is not to disappoint the San Mig fans. Our purpose is to win a championship and make our own fans happy. It’s just a matter of perspective. That’s how we want to approach this series,” Guiao added.
Guiao, gunning for his seventh title, also thinks that his team is hungrier, with the Mixers playing in their fourth straight finals, having won a championship in the three previous conferences.
“I think in terms of hunger and desire, we probably want it more,” said Guiao.
The second of three titles in a row bridging two seasons came at the expense of Rain or Shine in five games in the Philippine Cup. And that moment is still at the back of the Painters’ heads until now.
“We still think about that. That’s extra motivation for us,” ROS swingman Gabe Norwood, who looks to be fully healed Tuesday for Game 1 after playing through a sore ankle in the last two games of the semifinals series against Alaska.
As for head coach Tim Cone and the Mixers, they try not to get too caught up at all the buzz surrounding their attempt at a Grand Slam, which hasn’t been done since Cone steered Alaska toward that rare feat in 1996.
“I know there’s a lot of talk about the Grand Slam and the guys will attest that it’s something we try hard and focus on,” said Cone, who is in pursuit of his 18th championship.
“Trying for the Grand Slam, the pressure builds as it comes closer. We don’t want to talk about it too much, we don’t need the extra pressure. If we don’t get the Grand Slam, we’ll be disappointed. But we’ll look back and we won three championships and have been to the finals four straight in a row,” Cone added.
But that doesn’t mean Cone doesn’t know the rarity of winning three straight championships in one season.
“Now in my 50s, I realize how difficult this all is and how important it is so I savor it a lot more now,” Cone said, who won a Grand Slam when he was 33. “And I really appreciate more of the effort that our players go through and in this day and age it’s really tough, there are a lot of great teams out there.”
The pressure is also on Rain or Shine, Guiao said with the Elasto Painters yet to follow up their first league crown in the 2012 Governors’ Cup when they beat the Mixers.
Both Rain or Shine and San Mig Coffee needed five grueling games to arrange a best-of-five finals showdown. Game 1 is on Tuesday, 8 p.m., at the Mall of Asia Arena.