Painters try to gain title series anew

Rain or Shine vs San Miguel. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

RAIN OR SHINE tries to become the first team to make the title playoffs of the Oppo-PBA Commissioner’s Cup when the Elasto Painters battle San Miguel Beer in Game 4 of their best-of-five Final Four series at Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday.

Tip-off is at 5 p.m. with the Painters to cross paths against an old nemesis in Arizona Reid, who agreed to fly in to replace Tyler Wilkerson for the rest of this series—if there will indeed be more than this game in the offing.

Reid has had a lot of success with Rain or Shine—both playing for the Painters and against them—having led the Beermen past the Painters in the Governors’ Cup playoffs last year and to the title.

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao remains unfazed on the history of San Miguel with regard to comebacks, saying, after a 98-104 Game 3 loss, that their stint in the Finals was “only postponed.”

He would have to get a lot more than just seven points from import Pierre Henderson-Niles to stem the San Miguel tide, with the Beermen coming into this game with all the confidence needed to turn the series around.

The winner will advance against the survivor of the Alaska-Meralco match-up, which the Aces lead, 2-1.
Alaska gets its first chance at wrapping up the series at 7 p.m. Monday.