YENG Guiao gets to meet a team that's oh-so familiar to him in the quarterfinals of the PBA Philippine Cup beginning on Wednesday.
Guiao and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters sealed a matchup with the no. 2 team NLEX Road Warriors, who once served as home to the 66-year-old champion coach.
READ: Rain or Shine, Converge again left to fly flag for PBA 'indies'
Naturally, Guiao looks forward of going up against his former team, which he led to the semifinals twice during his coaching tenure with the franchise from 2016-2022.
“Magandang match up yan. We are friends with some of the coaching staff, with the management. There’s still that familiarity. The relationship that we built nung nandun pa ako, hindi naman nasisira yun,” he said.
“Pero pagdating sa laban, laban siyempre yun.”
The duel was sealed after Rain or Shine ended up as the seventh seeded team following its 98-80 loss to Barangay Ginebra during the last day of the eliminations.
It’s the first time Guiao will be meeting the Road Warriors in the playoffs since he left the team.
The Elasto Painters also face a bigger task of hurdling the Road Warriors two in a row to make the semis for the fourth straight conference.
And it doesn’t help the cause of Rain or Shine either that NLEX won their sole head-to-head meeting in the conference, 109-95.
The Road Warriors are actually in the best position right now to make the semifinals for the first time in four years.
The last time the team was in the semis came during the 2021 Governors Cup behind import Cameron Clark, but lost to eventual champion Barangay Ginebra in four games.
And the Road Warriors’ coach back then? It’s Guiao, no less.
Now, the former Pampanga vice governor and congressman stands in the way of NLEX’s bid for a semifinals return.
And Guiao was quick to draw the line between him and his former team.
“Isa-santabi mo muna yung friendships, yung mga relationships. You just want your team to win,” he said.
The Rain or Shine-NLEX quarterfinal pairing is set on Wednesday at the Philsports Arena.
If necessary, the sudden-death is scheduled on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
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