By REYNALD MAGALLON
The last time Rain or Shine defeated San Miguel is also the last time it won a PBA title — 2016.
Since then, the Elasto Painters have lost all of their four playoff series against the Beermen until Friday, May 15 when ROS finally cut the strings of futility against SMB.
Even with a twice-to-beat advantage, Rain or Shine fended off San Miguel and came away with a 113-104 victory to march in their fifth semifinals in the last six conferences.
So is the win a good omen for the Elasto Painters? Head coach Yeng Guiao hopes so, although the fiery mentor admits there’s still a long road ahead before the talks of them replicating their 2016 feat.
“Of course,” said Guiao. “Pero hindi ako naniniwala sa mga ganun. You still have to earn it. It’s a good sign but ang daming factors pa na pwedeng mangyari.”
To be fair, signs have been pointing towards an extraordinary conference for the Elasto Painters, especially looking at the feats they have accomplished during the eliminations.
The team recorded its best start in franchise history, tied league record in three-point shooting makes and entered the league history books in scoring and winning margin feats.
But for Guiao, as good as the run so far for ROS, the team cannot be content with what they have achieved so far. For one, a tougher task lies ahead as the Elasto Painters are now set to face the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings in the semifinals.
“Ang bigat ng kaharap mo (sa semis). So you cannot count your chicks while hindi pa nag-hatch yung mga itlog,” said Guiao whose team also erased the bitter taste of their quarterfinals exit last conference.
“We we learned our lessons from those experiences but after you learn the lesson you try to move forward,” said the veteran bench tactician.
“Naka-bawi kami pero hindi na importante ngayon sa amin yun. Importante ngayon yung present at future. The past is not that important anymore,” he stressed.
