PBA: Painters’ acid test to come against Beermen

MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Rain or Shine currently has a 4-0 win-loss record in the PBA Governors’ Cup, a start the Elasto Painters had when they broke through for a title in 2012.

Beau Belga is thrilled to be reminded of that, but wasn’t too keen on taking it for something else.

“Still a big test [ahead of] us,” Belga told the Inquirer in Filipino. “When the playoffs come, how are we going to react? There’s been hardly any pressure since we’re still in the elimination rounds.

“When the playoffs come, everything will change, from the play to the physicality. How we handle that is my biggest concern,” he went on.

Gabe Norwood, now also an assistant coach and a vital cog of that famed squad, had a much more rosy take when asked about the parallels of this edition of the Painters and the one that delivered a crown.

“We got a special group. We have guys who really like each other, who enjoy coming to work. And that makes the job much [easier],” he said in a separate chat.

“This is all the work paying off,” Norwood added. “Excited to see (young) guys making the most out of their opportunities. I think that’s the thing with coach Yeng (Guiao)—everybody knows you got a chance (to play). And they’ve all done a great job so far.”

Rookies Caelan Tiongson and Felix Lemetti have been big for Rain or Shine in its hot start, taking turns helping the Painters to victories. Jhonard Clarito and Adrian Nocum have been just as solid in their two wins last week.

Guiao has found pride in seeing an assortment of heroes within his ranks, and Belga feels that should bode well for the team moving forward.

“That makes us difficult to scout—meaning anybody on this team can erupt at any given time. And I think that’s the beauty of this team,” Belga said. Rain or Shine has beaten Blackwater, Barangay Ginebra, NLEX and Phoenix. The Painters are one win away from sweeping the first half of Group B play, and that can happen against San Miguel on Sept. 5, the team’s real test. INQ