Will it rain or shine for Painters?

Since breaking into the PBA in 2006-07 as Welcoat, the Terry Que-Raymund Yu franchise has never qualified for the finals. Now, in the Philippine Cup, Rain Or Shine can make history by hurdling Powerade in the semifinals to advance to the Last Dance for the first time ever.

Welcoat got off to a shaky start in the PBA and won only seven games in each of its first two seasons. It was a far cry from how Welcoat used to demolish the opposition in the PBL where the team won six championships from 1999 to 2005. But slowly, things began to fall into place. The process was painful as the team went from Leo Austria to Caloy Garcia to Yeng Guiao in finding a head coach who could lead the Painters to the right path.

Players moved in and out of the lineup. Joe De Vance, Jay-R Reyes and Sol Mercado suited up for the team but eventually drifted away. This season, Guiao tweaked the roster slightly, bringing in rookie Paul Lee and veterans J. R. Quinahan and Chito Jaime. Struck out were Doug Kramer, R. J. Jazul and John Ferriols.

Rain Or Shine has never failed to advance to the playoffs in the last three seasons but it’s only the team’s third semifinals appearance after the 2009 Fiesta Conference and the Governors Cup last season. The Painters fell to Barangay Ginebra, 4-2, in the 2009 Fiesta Conference and wound up fifth in the six-team round-robin semifinals in the last Governors Cup.

Blanking the Kings in the quarterfinals was no easy feat for Guiao this conference. Ginebra was seeded fourth and Rain Or Shine fifth although they ended the eliminations tied with Petron at 9-5. The quotient system decided the seedings. The Painters scrambled back from 17 points down to upset the Kings, 112-105, in overtime in Game 1 of the best-of-three series then took Game 2 handily, 106-91, to sweep.

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The semifinal duel with Powerade promises to be explosive. Rain Or Shine ranks No. 1 in the league in scoring with a 100.5 clip while the Tigers are second at 97.4. The Painters are No. 1 in three-point field goal percentage (.348) and Powerade is No. 2 at .347. Rain Or Shine is No. 1 in fastbreak points with a 13.5 average while Powerade is No. 2 at 11.3. Powerade is No. 1 in turnover points (19.9), steals (7.6) and free throw percentage (.732). The Tigers are also No. 1 in assists (22.5) while Rain Or Shine is No. 2 at 21.2.

Both teams are in the bottom half of the defensive standings. Powerade brings up the rear, giving up 95.6 points a game while Rain Or Shine is at No. 8 with 92.3. When they clash, don’t expect a low-scoring, defense-oriented collision. Instead, expect a lot of fireworks, high-octane offense and a breakneck pace.

Guiao is known for his equal opportunity style. None of his players is averaging at least 30 minutes a game. He makes extensive use of his bench, keeping fresh legs on the court for offense and defense. Guiao likes it physical and may surprise Powerade by stressing more defense than offense in the semifinals. His defensive specialists are Gabe Norwood, Jireh Ibanes and Ronnie Matias. His no-retreat bangers are Beau Belga, Quinahan and Ryan Arana.  Providing versatility in the frontline are Larry Rodriguez and Jervy Cruz. Lee, Jeff Chan, Ryan Buenafe, T. Y. Tang, Jonathan Uyloan and Jaime form the corps that can light it up from outside.

The Tigers aren’t without their riflemen. Gary David, Josh Vanlandingham, Celino Cruz, Rudy Lingganay, Jvee Casio, Marcio Lassiter, Sean Anthony, Will Antonio, Francis Allera and James Martinez are dangerous three-point gunners. Fans won’t ever forget Powerade dropping 22 triples on B-Meg in the slam-bang 131-123 overtime decision that showed the Llamados to the exits last Dec. 18.   Kramer, a leading candidate for Most Improved Player honors, has a point to prove in the series as he was dealt to Powerade by Guiao in the offseason. Also out to show they’re not over the hill are centers Romel Adducul and Alex Crisano.

Powerade is a team that’s aching for recognition. The eighth-seeded Tigers did almost the impossible by eliminating No. 1 B-Meg, sending PBA vice-chairman and Powerade representative to the PBA Board of Governors J. B. Baylon to the Redemptorist Church in Baclaran to walk on his knees from the back pew to the front in fulfilling a promise to the Lord.

Tigers coach Bo Perasol said there’s something special about his team. His battlecry is “Believe” and faith has driven Powerade to its first semifinal appearance since the transition Fiesta Conference in 2005-06 as Coca-Cola.    

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While Rain Or Shine and Powerade are settling their differences, the other semifinal pairing between Petron and Talk ‘N’ Text is just as thrilling.  The Texters beat Petron, then playing as San Miguel Beer, in the Philippine Cup finals last season. But Petron got back at the Tropa, upending Talk ‘N’ Text, 4-3, in the Governors Cup finals. Their semifinal encounter will break the 1-1 standoff in what could be considered a rubber match. When Petron and Talk ‘N’ Text square off, it’s more than just a game. It’s a bitter battle for prestige and bragging rights – it’s about upholding a winning tradition.

Petron is the league’s top defensive team, yielding only 82.7 points a game. Talk ‘N’ Text is No. 9 on the defensive stats but No. 3 in offense with a 93.9 average. It must be pointed out that despite giving up 93 points an outing, the Texters are allowing only a field goal percentage of .406 compared to Petron’s .415 so the Tropa can’t be considered a slouch on defense.

The Blaze Boosters are No. 1 in blocked shots and Talk ‘N’ Text is No. 2. In the rebounding department, the discrepancy is startling as the Texters are No. 1 with 52.1 a game while Petron is last at 46.4. 

Both teams are hobbled by injuries. Rabeh Al-Hussaini is listed in Petron’s playoff lineup but he may not be available until the finals if the Boosters go that far. Dondon Hontiveros and Jay Washington are out of the picture. Texters coach Chot Reyes said Ali Peek, Jimmy Alapag and Ranidel de Ocampo are doubtful for the series. Depth will make a difference particularly if the series goes six or seven. Petron coach Ato Agustin was stung twice by the Texters in the eliminations and isn’t the type to take losses sitting down.