Jeff Chan vs Will Antonio. Photo by Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines — With momentum on its side, Rain or Shine tries to tighten the noose on Powerade Friday when the Elasto Painters gun for a commanding 2-0 advantage in their best-of-seven semifinal series in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.
After a 114-97 Game 1 victory on Wednesday that wrecked the Tigers’ confidence, the Painters are installed as the solid picks in the 6:45 p.m. contest. A win would move Rain or Shine closer toward the franchise’s first-ever championship series stint.
Coach Yeng Guiao said they wouldn’t deviate from the Game 1 strategy where the Painters needed more than two quarters before they clicked.
“This is our objective: To put the pressure on them by forcing them to make adjustments,” Guiao said. “You always stack up the odds in your favor if you win. You feel a little more comfortable, but it’s still far from over.”
Guiao’s defensive ploy was very simple: Shut down the supporting cast of the tournament’s leading scorer, Gary David.
In Game 1, David got away with 17 first-half points before finishing with 30. But he had very little help with JV Casio winding up with just 12 and Marcio Lassiter held to just two.
“We are hoping that our formula defensively would still work in the next game,” Guiao said. “We just want to have somebody in front of somebody at all times. It’s not all focused on Gary (David).”
David lost steam after a strong start—the complete opposite of how Rain or Shine finished as super rookie Paul Lee scored 22 points in the second half, 15 in the fourth quarter, when the Painters broke loose for good.
Lee did more than just make shots for the Painters. He finished with six assists and two steals in a 34-minute stint.
Jeff Chan was the leading scorer for Rain or Shine in Game 1 with 27 points built around a 5-of-10 clip from beyond the three-point arc. David, in contrast, also had five conversions from there out of 15 attempts.
Lassiter must get his act going to be able to free up space for David and Casio. In 30
minutes on Wednesday, Lassiter took three triple attempts and converted on just 1-of-4 tries from the two-point zone.
The big men are also spelling the difference for the Painters after Larry Rodriguez came off the bench to shoot 16 points and snare 11 boards, five of them offensively.
Rain or Shine, though, will miss one of its best men in the middle as 6-foot-5 JR Quinahan is scheduled to get married today.
The winner of this series will clash with the survivor of the Petron Blaze-Talk ‘N Text series that started at presstime yesterday.