After the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ 111-104 loss to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Friday, Adrian Nocum acknowledged what he and his fellow Elasto Painters do in Game 6: do more, give more. And he believes that given how Rain or Shine works so hard in practice, that is something the team can definitely do.
“Talagang ayun credit din sa mga kasama ko, talagang hindi sila sumusuko. Alam nila ‘yun, sa practice talagang lahat ‘yan masisipag so lahat kami may gustong patunayan,” said Nocum as he spoke to reporters following their Game 5 defeat.
The Right Time to Rise Up
The third‑year guard scored a team‑high 25 points to go along with 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in 25 minutes off the bench in a losing effort. He also had a breathtaking third quarter where he led the Elasto Painters nearly all the way back after trailing by as much as 15 points. The Game 5 loss aside, best believe Nocum will be putting in more work for Game 6. And he will be counting on hi teammates to do the same.
“Sabi nga ni Coach [Yeng Guiao], ito ‘yung oras para ma‑market namin ‘yung team namin, sarili namin. So, kailangan namin bukas magtrabaho pa, kulang pa eh. May mga kailangan pa kaming i‑adjust para sa Sunday,” Nocum said.
For Nocum, that goes for everyone in Rain or Shine—and he is fully expecting his teammates to do the work that’s necessary to beat Ginebra.
More ‘Diin’ on Defense
One area of emphasis Nocum pointed out is defense, where he says Rain or Shine must show more diin.
“Mas kailangan pa namin dumiin. Ayun yung kailangan namin kase, kita naman natin na nandoon na eh. Hindi naman blowout game. Kailangan pa namin mas dumikdik pa lalo,” Nocum explained.
With Rain or Shine potentially facing another PBA semifinals exit for the fourth time now, Nocum and the rest of the Elasto Painters will need to bring their A game on Sunday.
They already have an idea of how to beat Ginebra—they just have to do more.
