Rain or Shine is the ‘hungrier’ team, says Santos
Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Rain or Shine must be beaming with pride with the emergence of Raymond Almazan as one of the team’s solid frontcourt player to support the Extra Rice combo of Beau Belga and JR Quiñahan down low.
And as the Elasto Painters clinched the final semifinals slot to set a date with defending champion San Miguel in the Final Four, Almazan counts as an additional player to watch out for the Beermen.
“Actually, si Almazan talented, matangkad, at mahaba,” Arwind Santos, the San Miguel star forward, said.
But Santos made it clear that San Miguel knows that one of Rain or Shine’s biggest weapons is its depth.
“Lahat sila dapat paghandaan. Bawat isa sa kanila dapat respetuhin. Kilala ko si coach Yeng, di sya magpapasok ng player na hindi marunong dumiskarte mag-isa at walang kumpyansa,” he said.
The Beermen are bracing for a grit-and-grind semis that could very well go the distance.
“More on defense ang pinaghahandaan namin dahil alam naman namin na takbuhan ang labanan pag kalaban ang Rain or Shine,” said Santos.
The 2013 PBA MVP said Rain or Shine is the hungrier team with San Miguel Beer eyeing its third championship in four conferences and in a bigger picture a Grand Slam.
“Totoo naman na mas gutom sila pero kami, gusto namin kunin yung Grand Slam,” he said. “Sila gutom na gutom sa championship, pero pare-pareho lang kami. Ito kasi, importante sa isang player na hindi makuntento dahil lang nag-champion na kami. Si boss Ramon Ang na mismo ang nagsabi sa amin. Nag-e-expect siya na makukuha namin yung goal na yun.”
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