Painters still upbeat on clinching PBA title

Game Wednesday:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

7 p.m. – Alaska vs Rain or Shine

Game One: Rain or Shine 105, Alaska 97

Game Two: Rain or Shine 105, Alaska 103

Game Three: Rain or Shine 112, Alaska 108

Game Four: Alaska 111, Rain or Shine 99

Game Five: Alaska 86, Rain or Shine 78

MANILA, Philippines – Though foiled in the last two games, Rain or Shine is keeping a positive posture, looking at the championship series from a positive standpoint and hopeful it would still reign and shine in the end.

The Elasto Painters take the first of two remaining cracks at wrapping up the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, vowing to come out with a greater determination to write finis on the Alaska Milk Aces’ own bid.

The Aces, for their part, hope to keep their searing charge and get a crack at a 360-degree turn from losing a 3-0 series lead in the last Philippine Cup to winning a championship from a reverse position in the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup

Game Six is set at 7 p.m. with Alaska chasing history and Rain or Shine looking to finally reach its cherished destination.

“I’m still very positive we will win this championship. I will not dare make anymore predictions, except that in the end, we will win this one,” said coach Yeng Guiao even with his team now holding a precarious 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven title playoff.

“They are still in a bad place, and we are still in a good place. We still have two chances to win this championship, and they still have to beat us twice,” Guiao also said. “We have to beat them just once. I’m looking at it from a positive perspective.”

“We are not here to make believe. We are here to believe we can make it,” Alaska Milk team manager Dickie Bachmann posted on his Facebook account, quoting Guru Singh.

A yawner of a series has come alive and lived up to his original hype as a dogfight when the Aces came out playing their usual game in the last two matches, smothering the E-Painters, 111-99, in Game Four, then repeating with an 86-78 triumph in Game Five.

“We have to claim it at this point,” said Guiao.

“If you do not make that mental resolve, you can easily lose the momentum,” Guiao pointed out. “As I told my players, Alaska now has the momentum, but it doesn’t mean they can run over us and totally take over that momentum.”

Guiao and his players agree they have to play smart if they’re to salvage the series that is slipping from their hands.

They have some issues regarding officiating raised with the league’s technical group, but they admit their own shortcomings.

One is figuring out how to play tough defense without giving up so many fouls and giving away so many charities. That was the case in Games Four and Five.

Gunner Jeff Chan said they must also solve the Alaska defense that has taken away their running game and outside shooting in the last two games.

Rain or Shine impressed with averages of 13.3 3-pointers and 14.3 fastbreak points in the first three games. In Games Four and Five, the E-Painters were down to 7.5 treys and 3.5 fastbreak points per game.

Alaska coach Alex Compton said they just rediscovered their usual selves in the last two games. “How I wish we played the same earlier,” he said.

The Aces put up their best defensive effort the last time, holding the E-Painters to their lowest output in over a year in an 86-78 triumph.

“I’m disappointed. I was hoping that it was the best time for us to win the championship,” said Guiao.