RAIN OR SHINE and Barangay Ginebra collide in a crucial PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup match on Sunday that has huge implications in their bid to secure a higher seeding at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Elasto Painters (8-2) and Gin Kings (7-3) clash at 7:30 p.m., with both teams coming off a defeat from their respective previous game.
The opening game at 5:15 p.m. features Meralco (6-3) and Blackwater (2-8).
ROS saw its bid to solidify its stranglehold of the top seeding derailed following its 90-92 loss to NLEX.
That game saw young guard JB Bahio knock down the game-winning jumper to help the Road Warriors complete their comeback from a double-digit deficit.
The win vaulter NLEX to a share of the lead in the standings with Rain or Shine.
But knowing ROS coach Yeng Guiao, he’s not one to dwell on such stinging loss considering that the Elasto Painters still control their own destiny.
And they will just have to shake off the bad taste left by that defeat to NLEX as it shifts its focus against Ginebra.
Rain or Shine recently lost two key guards in Guiao’s rotation— Frank Lemetti and June Roque due to injuries, while forward Caelan Tiongson missed the game against NLEX due to viral infection.
Ginebra, on the other hand, is coming off a 91-112 spanking from Meralco last Friday, and played without veteran big man Japeth Aguilar.
Guiao’s coaching philosophy involves relying on Rain or Shine’s depth, which allows him to push the tempo of the basketball game.
For Ginebra, coach Tim Cone likes to squeeze the best out of his veterans, while emphasizing team defense for 48 minutes.
