E-Painters get the praise, gear up for next shot at crown

Rondae Hollis Jefferson leads TNT to a PBA Governors’ Cup Finals return after ousting Rain or SHine. –PBA IMAGES

A few weeks ago, Rain or Shine’s breathless pace and sweet-shooting style dominated the PBA and endeared the ElastoPainters to fans on the way to becoming a dark horse in the Governors’ Cup.

On Friday night, though, under the specter of a defending champion looking to punch a return ticket to the finale, Yeng Guiao’s charges couldn’t muster the very kind of game that brought them to the playoffs and bowed to TNT in five games.

But even after all that, Guiao emerged from the locker room at Ynares Center in Antipolo City brimming with satisfaction and hope.

“We had a good run,” Guiao, after a deep sigh, told reporters shortly after the 113-95 loss before a thick crowd. “I’m totally at peace with the accomplishments we’ve had this conference.”

“We’ve been in the semis twice in a row. So, at least, that’s an indication of some degree of consistency with the team,” he added.

Even with the botched campaign, Rain or Shine sewed up a third-place finish, its finest in six seasons, and not without drawing praises from several quarters—even from their tormentors.

“Whoa. Imagine that team in a year. Or even later this year. [With] the kind of pieces that they have, they’re deep in every position,” TNT coach Chot Reyes said. “They have a very cohesive game plan. They have a very clear identity. And you know, that team’s going to be a real load.”

An outsider

The lone semifinalist not belonging to the two massive conglomerates dominating the league, Rain or Shine would’ve been a neat touch amid talks of parity—or lack thereof—that the league has grappled with in the past seasons.

“Coach Yeng, you know how unpredictable he is as a coach and he just has, I think, the perfect complement now in his hands. They’re gonna be a load, and very, very tough,” he added.

“It was not an accident that they topped that other group … They’re going to be a load in the very near future,” Reyes said of the E-Painters, who finished with a 7-3 mark to pace their pool that featured the other semifinalists, San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra.

The E-Painters, if anything, will have at least two more chances this season to win a title. And Guiao sounds like he’s already looking forward to the opportunity.

“We’re hoping that the break will get everybody healthy to start fresh again next conference,” Guiao said. “For me, the more games you play, the more experience you gain and the more lessons you learn.”