RoS outrunning, outgunning foes

Rain or Shine (RoS) has been collecting wins with its run-and-gun style of play.

And it seems that there is no slowing down the Elaso Painters.

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao said he will stick to his tried and tested system to go deep into the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup.

By design and intention, Guiao is playing a long rotation which gives all his players ample minutes. They, however, repay it by delivering the goods and leading the Painters to impressive victories.

The fiery mentor has created a good problem of having a deep arsenal of weapons ready to explode once tapped.

But Guiao is not complaining.

“I’m not really concerned about how to manage that problem. Actually, that’s the design of our system. We want everybody fresh,” Guiao said.

“The pace we play requires players coming off the bench, fresh legs to keep up that kind of pace so the longer the rotation the better it is for us.”

Rain or Shine used the same vaunted running game to outwork San Miguel Beer, 122-112, last Thursday to end an 11-game head-to-head losing skid to the powerhouse rival.

The Elasto Painters exploited their advantage on the open court to dump 37 fastbreak points against the winded Beermen.

Guiao credited the team’s success to the commitment of his players to share playing minutes.

As a reflection of how deep Rain or Shine is, different players have come up with great performances in each game.

Against San Miguel, six players scored in double figures while all 12 players fielded chipped in points.

“Also, the guys are enjoying it and are happy because they’re able to contribute. We can field as many guys as we want,” Guiao said.

“We enjoy this style of play. We want to play this way. I hope it can last us deep in the playoffs.”

Carrying a 7-2 win-loss record in Group B, Rain or Shine now aims at securing the top seed in the crossover quarterfinals against Blackwater on Monday.

“What’s important for us right now is we have a chance for first place in our group. If we’re able to finish that job on Monday, we’ll be in a better place in the quarterfinals. A better matchup for us,” Guiao said.

MARK ESCARLOTE