Guiao back, seeks 3-0 lead for RoS vs Alaska

ALASKA’S Dondon Hontiveros (left) gets hemmed in by the Rain or Shine duo of Paul Lee and JR Quiñahan. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

AFTER losing in the hotly contested Congressional race in the first district of Pampanga, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao has one battle left to win.

And he and his Elasto Painters have firm control of this one.

Rain or Shine tries to blow its Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship series with Alaska wide open today when the Painters shoot for a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoffs at 7 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Fresh off two high-wire wins, the Painters have all the momentum and confidence on their side as they try to put the Aces into a hole that’s almost impossible to climb out of and move within another win of a first championship since 2012.

Guiao lost in his reelection bid to Carmelo Lazatin and will be without a public position for the first time in 15 years, giving him the chance to be with the team full time from now on.

That means that, for the first time in this series, he has been presiding upon practice for the Painters as they try to keep their mastery of the hard-luck Aces, whom the firebrand coach expects to come back at their hardest and make a series out of this again.

“They (Aces) know how good they are and we know that,” Guiao said after pounding out a 105-103 Game 2 win courtesy of Paul Lee’s buzzer-beating jumper on Sunday night. “They will come back. This (series) is not over by any means.”

Rain or Shine won Game 1 also through the heroics of Lee and a host of other locals who have stepped up to fill import Pierre Henderson-Niles’ offensive shortcomings.

And that is exactly what the Aces would have to guard against, as Rain or Shine has been getting so many people involved in this series.

For all intents and purposes, this will be the KO game of the series for the Aces, who were in the losing end of the only time a team—San Miguel Beer—came out of a 0-3 hole to win a best-of-seven playoffs.

“Our general character is one of great resolve,” Compton told reporters after that painful Game 2 loss. “It doesn’t mean that we will win (in Game 3), but I think it would have been a lot harder if we lost by 30 twice. We have to go out and earn it (first win).”