Rain or Shine’s Garcia: Columbian now a different team

MANILA, Philippines – For a team with a winning history, losing to a club long regarded as the whipping boys is perplexing.

All Rain or Shine mentor Caloy Garcia could do was accept the fact that Columbian may have his team’s number.

"Suki na kami ng Columbian," Garcia told the press on Wednesday night. "They played better than us. I'm just frustrated with our guards and the fact that we could not exploit our strength which is on the inside."

The Elasto Painters, champions of two past conferences, fell prey to the Columbian Dyip in an elimination phase tussle at the Mall of Asia Arena.

"I felt that our players weren’t in the right frame of mind. They’re probably thinking that since we beat three strong teams, against Columbian medyo nag-relax, but at the end of the day, we had our chances," Garcia said.

Interestingly, Rain or Shine didn't lose in stunning fashion. Their tormentors dictated the tempo early, making the Elasto Painters play catch-up for most of the game's duration.

"Actually, even when we had a tune-up game against Columbian, we already knew that they improved a lot. They have guards that can really score and can create for their shooters, and now they have an import who can score and that can be aggressive on the boards," revealed Garcia.

"They are not the same team like when they came in the league," he added.

Rain or Shine's defeat on Wednesday night marks the second straight time the team lost to the expansion franchise this season.

The Elasto Painters’ first loss was in a hotly contested game toward the end of the Philippine Cup, marred with jawing and shoving.

But Garcia maintained that this should generate a lesson for the league to learn.

"Right now, you have to respect everybody. You can't go in the game thinking you’re going to win right away. You have to work for it," Garcia offered.

Columbian finished the previous conference with a 1-10 record, with Rain or Shine being that sole blip of hope. Now, they hold a 3-2 record in the mid-season joust, which includes a rout of dark horse Blackwater and a stunning blowout of NLEX. Meralco is the only squad that has beaten them.

"It’s not yet over. It’s just our first loss. The nice thing is we play San Miguel on Sunday," Garcia closed.