Rain or Shine almost had Game 1 in the bag before San Miguel decided to go on a furious fourth quarter rally to steal the match and the 1-0 lead in their PBA Philippine Cup semi-finals series.
The Elasto Painters were comfortably ahead 91-71 before the fourth quarter started and the game appeared to be theirs for the taking. However, the team collapsed and the Beermen were able to complete a huge comeback.
While disappointed to face a setback when the team could have put the themselves ahead in the series, Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao is keen on carrying the positives from the loss to the next game.
“This is a disappointing loss but it is a long series so we will prepare tomorrow and learn from the lesson of today. We don’t want this game to stop us. We should do what we need to do, getting down on ourselves, and I guess we look at this game positively,” Guiao shared.
Rain or Shine did dominate San Miguel in the first half, 68-50, bullying their foes and showcasing better basketball. The Elasto Painters also held a 15-6 edge in fastbreak points and a 19-14 lead in second chance points.
Guiao had previously stated his team needs to play an up-tempo style and speed up the game, and judging from Game 1, the mentor has high hopes.
“We were able to lead San Miguel for most part of the game, so that means there is a chance we can beat them. The game was ours to lose,” he said. “For the first three quarters we are in the lead and we cannot blame anybody but ourselves.”
Among the other positives Guiao can take away from the loss is Paul Lee playing at a high level again. The plan had initially been to give Lee restricted minutes, but he went on to log 17:33 and scored 8 points, all in the fourth quarter. Lee kept Rain or Shine’s head above waters, although he also had key miscues towards the end. But for Guiao, the exposure will help Lee return to his deadly form.
“I decided to use him a little bit more to feel the pressure, the physicality of the game, and also to give him confidence. We will need him in this series and I took that gamble. I think it will go a long way in helping him out,” Guiao shared.
While unable to win, Guiao says the team shall use the series opener as an experience to make them better.
“We will learn from the lesson of this game and be a better team on Thursday.”
