Import Rick Jackson and old reliable Paul Lee were non-factors for Rain or Shine when the team needed them the most. But these were not the reasons for the Elasto Painters’ latest loss, according to head coach Yeng Guiao.
“I’ll take the blame for it. We got a 13-point lead and we started to rest our key players… The problem was yung mga subs namin couldn’t hold the fort and I overplayed them a little bit,” Guiao told sportswriters after the game.
The Elasto Painters were leading 76-63 early in the fourth, but the Meralco Bolts outscored their rivals in that quarter, 30-14.
A telling 9-0 run by the Bolts turned a 71-78 deficit to an 80-78 lead for a big endgame wind up. Guiao acknowledged he made a bonehead move of not fielding back his key players right away.
But the inability of Jackson and Lee to produce points when needed also told heavily on the Elasto Painters’ second loss in four games. Jackson was held to four points in the fourth period while Lee was scoreless in that stretch.
“He scored 22 points and got us the rebounds which we needed, but the problem is when we needed him to score in the fourth quarter we couldn’t find ways to have him contribute when we needed the big baskets,” said Guiao.
With a 2-2 record, Guiao said everybody on the team needs to step up, most especially Jackson.
The fiery mentor said Wayne Chism, the team’s original choice as import, is already available. The team is putting him on standby, which means Jackson has no other choice but to perform.
“No one is safe, especially the import. We’re looking at all possibilities. I don’t know how long Wayne Chism will be available but it is a step we might consider,” added Guiao.
