The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters stunned Barangay Ginebra on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup semis series.
Rain or Shine Fought—Just as Yeng Guiao Wants It
More than the win, Yeng Guiao was just as stoked about the fight his Rain or Shine squad showed against a team he only has good things to say about.
“I’m really proud of the guys because we just need to show up and compete,” Guiao said after Rain or Shine’s stunning Game 1 win at Ynares Center in Antipolo. “Show up and compete. To play a team like Ginebra—GOAT import, GOAT coach, half of the Gilas team, the probable Best Player of the Conference in their team. Who are we? Let’s just fight.”
Fight they did.
Throughout Wednesday’s classic, Ginebra looked poised to seize control. But each time the barangay made a move, the Elasto Painters countered with theirs—and always with force and conviction. Jhonard Clarito’s 13-point third quarter, for one, was all fight and guts. Then, later in the game, with Rain or Shine nursing a four-point lead, Gian Mamuyac fought over a screen to block an RJ Abarrientos triple try.
That’s how you fight in the playoffs.
Far From Over
Of course, Guiao knows series aren’t won in Game 1—especially not against a team like Ginebra.
“They’re very talented. They’re very experienced in a situation like this,” Guiao said of Ginebra, which has consistently made it either to the semis or the Finals over the past few seasons.
So, what can Rain or Shine do to pull off what would be an absolute shocker?
“We just [need to] show up and fight,” said the fiery mentor. “Let’s see how far we can go… Let’s see how many chances we can get. Let’s see. The series is long. It’s a seven-game series. Just show up and fight. Whatever you can give, just give it.”
The Elasto Painters gave it everything in Game 1.
They’ll rest one day and hope to do it again in Game 2 on Friday.
