CHRIS Banchero of Alaska tries an off-balanced shot off Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood during Sunday’s Game 5 at MOA Arena. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao remains unruffled going into Game 6 of his Elasto Painters’ best-of-seven Final Four series with Alaska in the PBA Philippine Cup which the Aces lead, 3-2.
He is actually confident that his crew could still pull it off in a rubber match.
“We know we have the capability to win, but sometimes, we relax too soon,” Guiao said after his Painters blew a 19-point second-quarter lead to lose, 93-88.
“I don’t think we can establish those leads if we’re not capable of winning the game. But it’s the same mental trap that we fell into in Game 1. We just relaxed too early.”
In the series opener, Rain or Shine zoomed to leads of as big as 17 points, also in the second quarter, before bowing, 87-81. They went all the way in Game 2, also after a big start.
Alaska dictated the tempo only in Game 3 before the Painters bounced back in the next to tie it all up again.
“It’s still a close series,” Guiao said. “We will make the adjustments for Game 6 and I am confident that we can take it to a Game 7.”
Guiao has won five titles in a colorful coaching career, but never the all-Filipino crown.
Last year, Guiao and his Painters were waylaid by eventual champion San Mig Coffee, now Purefoods. Rain or Shine actually made two championship series last season and lost both times to the Mixers.
San Miguel Beer, the tournament top seed, is waiting in the wings for a Finals foe after applying the broom on Talk ‘N Text. It was the first time in the proud history of the PLDT franchise that the Tropang Texters were swept in a playoff series.
Meanwhile, the NLEX Road Warriors has come to terms with 6-foot-7 NBA veteran Al Thornton for the Commissioner’s Cup, slated to open late next month.
Thornton is the third import named to play in the next conference, and he has the most glittering credentials after being named to the NBA All-Rookie Team and then playing for the Washington Wizards, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors.
Selected 14th overall in the 2007 Draft, Thornton averaged close to 13 points a game for the Clippers and earned inclusion in the all-Rookie team together with Al Horford, Luis Scola, Jeff Green and Kevin Durant.
Chris Charles, a 7-foot ABL standout, will reinforce Blackwater, while PJ Ramos, a Puerto Rico national player, will be KIA Motors’ import.