Favored Painters ready vs. B-Meg

Game Wednesday
(Araneta Coliseum)
6:45 – Rain or Shine vs. B-Meg (Game Five)

RAIN or Shine, with a commanding 3-1 lead, goes for its first ever title when it clashes against B-Meg Llamados Wednesday in Game Five of the best-of-seven championship series of the 37th Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governor’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Elasto Painters, fresh from their 94-89 conquest in Game Four last Sunday, are now installed as a heavy favorite and enjoy a psychological advantage over the Llamados in their 6:45 p.m. encounter.

They also won Games 1 (91-80) and 3 (93-84). They only lost Game 2 (80-85) on July 25, when they only converted four-of-25 attempts in the three-point zone for a low 16 percent and only shot 40 percent in the field goal on 32 of 80 tries.

“We have now some breathing room, but it is by no means done. It takes a bit of the pressure from us. But we should not be complacent because anything can change in a second against a team like B-Meg,” said Rain or Shine coach Yang Guiao.

“If they can come back strong in Game 5 on Wednesday, they are going to be hard to stop once they get their bearings,” added Guiao. Coach Tim Cone of B-Meg, who is aiming for his 15th crown as a coach, however, refused to give up hope and vowed a big comeback in the next game.

“It takes four to win, it’s not over yet until it’s over. The bottom line now is we have to win Game 5. If we can, it could go either way. If we can put some pressure on them, the best way to do it is by winning Game 5. They have a future beyond Game 5 and we don’t,” said Cone, who is on his second straight Finals appearances since leaving Alaska at the start of the season.

Cone has a reason to be confident despite the huge deficit because records showed that Barangay Ginebra was able to forge a big comeback from a 1-3 deficit and went on to beat Shell in the 1991 First Conference Finals.

“Rain or Shine is now pressure-free, but that’s understandable at this point,” Cone noted.