AFTER establishing so many firsts for the franchise, Mahindra tries to inch closer to another one today when the giant-killing Enforcers tangle with the struggling Rain or Shine Elasto Painters for what could be a twice-to-beat privilege in the first round of the PBA Governors’ Cup playoffs.
Game time is 7 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao with the Enforcers on a high following back-to-back wins anchored on the solid play of James White.
In an effort to check a two-game skid and salvage what’s left of their chances here, the Painters, meanwhile, have brought in former Alaska workhorse Jason Forte to take the place of the ineffective Dior Lowhorn, who couldn’t help Rain or Shine to a record better than 3-4.
The Painters are actually shooting for a title that would give them back-to-back championships for the first time in the league.
Mahindra could add to Rain or Shine’s troubles as a win would deprive the Painters of the twice-to-beat quarterfinal bonus and put them in a deep hole in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, star-studded Star tries to rebound from six straight defeats when it clashes with a formidable Phoenix Petroleum side in the 4:15 p.m. curtain-raiser.
The Fuel Masters are also trying to fan whatever hope is left in their own drive for a top-four finish.
Forte arrived yesterday and was able to practice with the Painters. He wasn’t coach Yeng Guiao’s original choice to replace Lowhorn, but Colorado State alumnus Greg Smith failed the 6-foot-5 height test on Tuesday.
With Lowhorn, Rain or Shine’s locals seemed to be playing flat as he couldn’t act as the go-to guy the Painters need in the stretch.
It has been a different story, as far as Mahindra is concerned, as White—the youngest among imports at 23—has shown a capability to plug all the holes in the Enforcers’ game.
Mahindra got off to its best-ever start at 4-0, and after losing two straight, rattled off two more wins to formally make it to the playoffs for the first time in their two years in the league.
A win today would practically give them a top-four finish and a great advantage in shooting for a Final Four berth. But the Enforcers would have to carve one out against a team with one of the best local crews in the tournament.