RAIN or Shine coach Yeng Guiao believes that his team can compete against Barangay Ginebra especially after the Elasto Painters encountered a rough stretch that saw the team lose two in a row during their PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The Elasto Painters recently won over NorthPort, 127-107, last Thursday after encountering a two-game losing skid in which they lost to Phoenix and Converge.
READ: Rain or Shine snaps out of slump as NorthPort loses winning touch
Rain or Shine, which is in sixth place in the team standings with a 6-3 win-loss card, now faces Barangay Ginebra, which is right in its tail at seventh with a 6-4 slate. The match is scheduled on Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
“Ganda rin ang nilalaro ng Ginebra. Pero ako naman, ang laki ng tiwala ko dito sa team namin. As long we are competing, we should be okay,” said Guiao.
Guiao’s trust on his players comes from how the team regrouped from that losing streak.
The Rain or Shine coach admitted the five-game winning run had something to do with the lackluster and the losses were just what the team needed.
“’Yung last two games namin, medyo half-hearted ‘yung pag-compete namin. Hindi kami kasi determinado. Siguro nakakabuti rin ‘yung losing streak ka," he said.
“It’s a wake-up call. It’s a way to reset your mindset. So nakabuti rin sa amin."
Guiao expects another tough game especially with Barangay Ginebra coming off a 91-86 defeat against TNT last Friday, but the win over NorthPort to break a losing streak will definitely help in the confidence of the players.
He knows his players are also out to give it their all with their initial goal of reaching seven wins beyond reach.
“Malaking tulong ito. To arrest a losing skid is a morale booster. We need a lot of that especially going to our game against Ginebra. Maganda sa amin ‘yung six-day break. We take a little break, recover, and prepare. We have enough time to prepare for Ginebra and try to see how far this takes us,” said Guiao.
“Sabi ko nga, naka-anim na panalo na kami. Pito ang hinahabol namin para siguradong nasa quarters ka, at maka-iwas ka sa 7, 8. ‘Yung Ginebra game namin, ‘yun ang pang-pitong panalo namin kung sakali, kung kakayanin. Subukan natin."
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