The Rain or Shine comeback in Game 1 of the PBA Governors' Cup quarterfinals started on a humid Smart Araneta Coliseum floor and ended as a 124-120 win over the Converge FiberXers on Wednesday.
Rain or Shine trailed by as much as 21 points, 48-27, in the first half before flipping the best-of-five series opener. The Elasto Painters now lead the series, 1-0.
Rain or Shine comeback erases a 21-point hole
The first half was a giveaway in the most literal sense. Rain or Shine missed free throws and coughed up 13 turnovers before the break, handing Converge extra possessions on top of the FiberXers' own hot shooting.
“We missed free throws, we had 13 turnovers in the first half,” Guiao said. “So total we gave up 27 extra possessions to the other team in the first half. That was really the main problem. We gave away too many opportunities.”
The 48-27 deficit was the largest Rain or Shine faced all night. The climb back required stops first and shot-making second, and the Elasto Painters got both once the second half settled into a grind.
Yeng Guiao credits toughness and a matchup experiment
Guiao said the coaching staff tinkered with matchups during the comeback, and the adjustment held well enough to keep Converge from rebuilding the cushion. He put the result down to his players' willingness to absorb contact and contest everything.
“We said if we could just solve those problems, we can get back in the game. Which happened. We experimented with matchups and it worked somewhat. That got us the win. So it's just the toughness of the guys. It's toughness. It's our buwis buhay attitude.”
That phrase — a readiness to put the body on the line — is the thread running through the comeback. Rain or Shine needed it on both ends once Converge's early shooting cooled.
Aaron Fuller and Adrian Nocum carry the offense
Fuller had nine points at halftime and finished with 33 points, 14 rebounds and two assists. Nocum filled the sheet with 26 points, nine assists, five rebounds, three steals and a block.
Caelan Tiongson added 17 markers and Deo Cuajao 15, the two locals Guiao singled out for hitting shots when the offense needed a release valve.
“Deo caught fire, Caelan caught fire. And then we somewhat solved their import. Their import was so good, he wasn't missing in the first half.”
Cameron Clark cools after a hot first half
Converge import Cameron Clark scored 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the first two quarters, the engine behind the 21-point cushion. He finished with 28 points and eight rebounds on 11-of-17 shooting as Rain or Shine tightened its defense on him.
The drop-off mattered. Clark's first-half efficiency forced Rain or Shine to change its coverages; after the break his looks got harder and his shooting cooled, and the FiberXers never found a second reliable source to hold the lead.
Game 2 moves to Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Game 2 is set for Friday, 7:30 p.m., at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. Guiao was already framing the series as a test of repetition rather than one hot night.
“The question now is can we do it two more times? Can we still do that twice? This isn't the old format where you win once or twice and you advance. Now you really have to win in a series. And when it's a series, there's no luck there. No lucky game, no one or two lucky games. You need three good games. You need to be consistent. That's the only way you get to the next round.”
Rain or Shine needs two more wins in the best-of-five to advance. Converge needs to rediscover the defensive pressure that built the 21-point lead and hold it for four quarters instead of two.
This report is based on the original account by philstar.com.
