Yap still upbeat about ROS’ playoff chances
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James Yap refused to feel down following Rain or Shine’s 94-89 defeat to Alaska on Wednesday.
The loss, which was the Elasto Painters’ fourth straight to end the eliminations, has placed his team in an unenviable position in battling Blackwater on Friday for the last quarterfinals slot.
“Well, ganun naman eh. Kailangan tiwala lang sa isa’t-isa. Kailangan solid ang team sa mga ganitong situation eh. Dito magiging matibay ang samahan namin. Manalo, matalo, dapat intact kami,” Yap said.
Yap played through flu, racking up 16 points, three rebounds, and two assists.
His trey at the 7:15 mark of the fourth quarter even gave Rain or Shine an 86-79 lead before being subbed out for Jeff Chan with 6:54 to play. That was when Alaska staged a fightback, taking an 87-86 lead en route to the victory.
The two-time PBA Most Valuable Player shrugged off his apparent benching late and would rather focus on the collective effort of the Elasto Painters.
“Actually, sa dulo lang nagkakatalo. First quarter to gitna ng fourth, okay naman. Sa depensa, okay naman pero may mga lapses lang,” he said. “May chance pa naman eh at di pa naman kami out.
Yap said Rain or Shine has to move past its recent struggles and just focus on the task at hand as it seeks to avoid early elimination.
“Bounce back,” he said with a sigh. “Sana madala namin yung magagandang bagay for our knockout game against Blackwater. Itong game na ito, kalimutan na ito at focus na sa Blackwater. Ganun lang naman basketball.”
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