FACEOFF FOR 2-1 SERIES LEAD
Ending a long losing spell versus Talk n Text Friday, Rain or Shine hopes to ride the momentum of that breakthrough triumph in tangling with the Tropang Texters in Game Three of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven title duel at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday.
Rain or Shine avoided a potential back-breaker in Game Two, salvaging a rousing 116-108 win that lifted the Elasto Painters’ spirits going to Game Three at 5 p.m.
“We needed an icebreaker, and we’ve finally got a big one,” said Guiao of their Game Two win that ended their eight-game slump in their personal duel with the Texters.
“We just tied the series. We’re just back to square one. But we pulled off something that really boosted our confidence,” Guiao also said.
The E-Painters have practically got a monkey off their back, considering they had not beaten the Tropang Texters in the last three conferences and had not won a playoff match versus TNT in three years.
Rain or Shine pulled a big one versus Talk n Text in a game where the E-Painters stared at a 17-point deficit and faced a storm whipped by Jayson Castro.
Guiao insists it’s a morale-boosting win for his team.
“If you can survive a big onslaught from a great team like Talk n Text, a 27-point first half output from Jayson Castro, overcome a 17-point deficit and win, you get the confidence that you can play with the best,” Guiao said.
Talk n Text coach Jong Uichico said they blew the game but it’s not a reason for them not to stick together.
“No one said that this series is going to be easy. It’s only a perception that this series is going to be one, but it’s not,” he said.
They are back in the drawing board, mapping ways to quickly recover from their Game Two setback.
“We know they’re capable of scoring a lot, and we didn’t defend the way we should,” said Uichico as to their undoing Friday night.
“Again, at the end of the day, the ones who make the shots will be the ones who will win. We made shots, but they made more shots,” Uichico pointed out.
Guiao, meanwhile, also mentioned their improved free throws and less turnovers.
Talk n Text pounded Rain or Shine’s 15 bungled charities and 17 turnovers in pulling off a 99-92 win in the series opener.
On Friday, the E-Painters muffed just three of 20 charities and limited themselves to only nine errors.
The E-Painters fought with grit and guts in the second half, overcoming Castro’s 44-point explosion and a 17-point deficit to pull even in the series.
“Jayson is a great player, but I don’t think an incredible shooting percentage can be sustained with defense challenging it. We just hung in there and let the law of averages work,” said Guiao.
“Jayson is almost unguardable. You just need to defend and pray na mag mintis siya,” Guiao also said. (SB)
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