Shooting for bonus

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Rain or Shine has tabbed a playoff berth and has seven wins in eight games so far. Aside from fellow leader Phoenix Pulse, no other team in the PBA Philippine Cup has more than four wins.

But that doesn’t mean coach Caloy Garcia and his Elasto Painters are taking a foot off the pedal.

“Our target is really to try and make it to the Top 2, because that affords us an advantage going into the next round,” Garcia said as his team prepares to clash with TNT KaTropa on Sunday at Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Garcia wants that playoff edge to assure Rain or Shine a trouble-free quarterfinals. The top two teams at the end of the elimination round will only need to beat their playoff foes in the first round once to advance. To get booted out, the top teams need to be beaten twice.

“As of now, we’re playing good,” he said. “But if we want to make it far, we have to be consistent.”

Before the break, Rain or Shine was riding on a five-game winning streak and is hoping to stretch that run against TNT, which is eyeing a fourth victory in seven games.

In the other game, Barangay Ginebra battles an Alaska squad that is coming off a brutal 94-80 defeat to Phoenix on Friday night.

In Cagayan de Oro City, Magnolia finally crashed into the win column after holding off Meralco, 92-86.

The Hotshots, reigning Governors’ Cup champs, won for the first time in four games this conference while dragging the Bolts to a 2-5 slate.