PBA: Guiao gives props to Ginebra, proud of Rain or Shine semis stint

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao during a timeout in Game 6 against Ginebra in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

ANTIPOLO—Coach Yeng Guiao conceded that Barangay Ginebra proved itself as the better team as Rain or Shine suffered another semifinal disappointment.

The Elasto Painters’ promising PBA Commissioner’s Cup campaign drew to a close on Sunday here after they fell 118-107 before a big crowd at Ynares Center.

READ: PBA: Ginebra beats pesky Rain or Shine to return to finals

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished this conference,” Guiao said. “We made it all the way to the semifinals. We’ve lost a couple of players (Felix Lemetti and Luis Villegas) along the way, but we still put up a good fight against Ginebra.

“Ginebra deserves to win the finals. They played with consistency in this series. They shot the ball well, especially from the three points. Justin Brownlee and RJ [Abarrientos] just carried them on their shoulders. We found it hard to really match up with those two guys.

“They deserved to make it to the finals. We wish them the best of luck in the finals. On our side, we’ll start preparing for the next conference. We will determine who our import will be,” he added.

Rain or Shine lost in the semis for the fifth time in the last six conferences, but its clash with Ginebra was its best chance of finally breaking through.

The Elasto Painters took Game 1 and later tied the best-of-seven at 2-2 before going down in the last two games.

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“Of course, there’s a sense of frustration, but we still have a long way to go. We still have a long way to go. We still need to learn how to build a team that can compete in the finals,” said Guiao.

“We’re happy about our import, JJ (Jaylen Johnson), but Brownlee played a different game. He could be the best import of all time, considering all that he’s achieved in all the years that he’s played. We gave ourselves a chance.

“Actually, every game, we have a chance to win. There’s a chance that whatever momentum we build up, at the point where we can probably turn the tide, they have an answer. That’s how it is.”

Rain or Shine now ponders how it can build on the Commissioner’s Cup into the season-ending Governors’ Cup set to open in July. The Elasto Painters won their first seven games before finishing the eliminations at 9-3 for third in the standings.

They eliminated San Miguel Beer in the quarters to forge a matchup with Ginebra.