Is ROS' playoff breakthrough vs SMB a good omen? Yeng Guiao weighs in
At A Glance
- Could the breakthrough win be a good omen for the Elasto Painters? Heach coach Yeng Guiao hopes so, though the fiery mentor knows there's still a long road ahead before the crew can even begin talking about replication its 2016 championship run.
The last time Rain or Shine defeated San Miguel was also the last time the franchise won a PBA title — back in 2016.
Since then, the Elasto Painters had lost all four of their playoff series against the Beermen before finally snapping the skid on Friday, May 15, breaking the long-standing curse against SMB.
Despite holding a twice-to-beat advantage, Rain or Shine still had to weather a tough challenge from San Miguel befoe pulling away with a 113-104 victory to march into their fifth semifinals in the last six conferences.
Could the breakthrough win be a good omen for the Elasto Painters? Heach coach Yeng Guiao hopes so, though the fiery mentor knows there’s still a long road ahead before the crew can even begin talking about replication its 2016 championship run.
“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, the signs have been long pointed to a breakthrough conference for the Elasto Painters, especially after the feats they accomplished during the eliminations.
The team recorded its best start in franchise history, tied league record in for most three-point shots made, and etched their names in league record books with scoring and winning margin feats.
But for Guiao, ROS’ impressive run so far means little if the team settles. 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.