Cruz, Rain or Shine confident against No. 1 SMB

Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

After Rain or Shine finally ended a four-game slump with a 103-80 victory over Blackwater on Friday, Jericho Cruz is convinced that the team has gotten its old groove back just in time for the playoffs. 

“You don’t know who will catch fire for our team. Anybody can get off. I’m excited to play San Miguel in the quarterfinals,” Cruz said.

The Elasto Painters clinched the eighth seed with Cruz anchoring the squad with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists.

The odds are stacked against Rain or Shine, which will be without its starting center Raymond Almazan, but Cruz believes the team has what it takes to pull off the upset.

“Our team is finally getting the confidence,” he said. “They’re getting their rhythm back again. We’re not blaming each other and every one’s enjoying the game.”

The Elasto Painters will play their fourth game in eight days on Sunday, with the Beermen enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage.

But Cruz said that if there’s one team that can beat its higher seeded foe, one couldn’t go wrong betting on Rain or Shine.

“We’re really happy that we got to move on. Even though we’re the eighth seed and we’re facing San Miguel with a twice-to-beat advantage, it’s fine with us. You never know, we might have the chance to beat them,” he said.

“We’ll go back to the lab tomorrow and get ready for the game on Sunday. I know it’s going to be a hard game for us but coach is there to help us set a game plan. We have to follow his game plan and we’ll be okay.”