WILL Rain or Shine take a step closer to ending its drought, or will Alaska finally make it a series that everyone expected it to be?
The two protagonists resume their best-of-seven championship showdown in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup, with the Elasto Painters shooting for a near-insurmountable 3-0 lead at 7 p.m. today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Already with a commanding 2-0 series lead, the Elasto Painters are aiming to put the embattled Aces on the ropes with yet another win that will shove them on the brink of winning their second franchise championship.
Still, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao doesn’t want his wards to take their feet off the gas pedal as he believes that the competitive finale will only get tougher as it goes.
“The good thing is we have a 2-0 lead and we have a two-game cushion, but it’s not safe against Alaska,” said Guiao. “It’s getting harder to win as the series progresses. We need to keep our focus.”
The series could’ve gone either way when Game 2 was hanging in the balance, but Rain or Shine superstar Paul Lee made sure Sunday night that his team remained in control after he sank a buzzer-beating game-winner to give the Painters a tough 105-103 win against Alaska in a very competitive contest.
Alaska head coach Alex Compton feels that his team isn’t being as sharp as it normally is and at this point, with a must-win situation facing them, he knows it’s time to man up for Alaska.
“We haven’t played smart and hard enough to win. With have to earn it now with better precision,” said Compton. “Our general team character is one of great resolve and we got to go out there and earn it.”
Following a sub-par Game 1 showing, Alaska had a better performance in Game 2, but was unable to close it out as Rain or Shine had a stronger finish in the pay-off period.
A 3-0 lead will certainly give the Elasto Painters an even deeper advantage, moving them a win away from winning their first championship in four years.
Alaska is looking to avoid that whichever way possible, and its top gun in Calvin Abueva, the frontrunner for the Best Player of the Conference Award, needs to regain his usual form to help his team list a win in the finals showdown.
Guiao believes that Abueva’s lackluster performances in both games was a factor for Rain or Shine’s 2-0 lead.
“Calvin (Abueva) hasn’t played his usual game for the last two games,” said Guiao.
Game Today
(Finals, Game 3 – Smart
Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. – Alaska vs. Rain or Shine