TNT gunner Roger Pogoy during the game against Rain or Shine. –PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao tipped his hat to RR Pogoy and Mikey Williams after the Elastopainters’ tough 105-100 loss to TNT in the PBA Governors’ Cup on Friday.
After leading by as much as 18 in the first half, the Elasto Painters collapsed in the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to the outburst of tandem Pogoy and Williams.
“For a while we thought we had a chance but the second half was the explosion of Mikey Williams and RR Pogoy. They shot torridly well from the three-point area. [They had] extraordinary percentages, I felt we were contesting the shots but they were still making them,” said Guiao.
“They played the second half well. I have no excuses,” he added.
WATCH: Coach Yeng Guiao after Rain or Shine’s loss against TNT. | @MeloFuertesINQ pic.twitter.com/RVCewiiCdT
— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) January 27, 2023
Pogoy shot efficiently from the field, sinking eight of his 16 attempts while also being active on defense with a steal and a block.
Williams, on the other hand, flirted with a triple-double with 24 markers, 10 boards and seven assists, including a dagger three-pointer that sealed the game for the Tropang Giga.
But Guiao still saw positives for Rain or Shine saying his squad was able to duke it out with the All-Filipino Cup finalists.
“There’s still a good side to it, we were able to put them in a precarious situation. I think it’s still an improvement from our Meralco game,” he explained.
The biggest silver lining over at the Elasto Painters’ side, though, is their import Michael Qualls’ stellar outing.
The import had a forgettable first game against Meralco with 14 points on an abysmal 3-for-22 shooting performance.
On Friday, Qualls shot relatively better with a 38.5 percent shooting clip, registering 35 points and 17 boards.
He did, however, miss seven of his 19 tries from the charity stripe. Guiao still saw his game as a “good sign” for the currently winless troop.
“His performance is part of the good sign that we can take away from this game. I had a talk with him and he really got frustrated in the first game.”