This is the first time Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao and his former team NLEX Road Warriors will face each other in the PBA playoffs.
Yeng Guiao and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are headed for a familiar — and formidable — challenge as they battle the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, June 18.
The match starts at 5:00 p.m. at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
[RELATED STORY: PBA quarterfinals: No. 2 NLEX targets semis return vs dangerous Rain or Shine]
Rain or Shine enters the match with a twice-to-beat disadvantage against second-seeded NLEX. It's a high-stakes meeting laced with history, as it marks Guiao’s first playoff showdown against his former squad since parting ways with the Road Warriors.
While Rain or Shine closed the eliminations with an 80-98 loss to Ginebra last June 15, the team strategically rested key players, with young guns Adrian Nocum and Jhonard Clarito taking on bigger minutes. Nocum dropped 13 points in just 16 minutes, showing flashes of readiness for the playoff spotlight.
[ALSO READ: Cone praises hot-handed Holt after Ginebra's crucial win over RoS: 'This is Stephen all the time’]
The Elasto Painters will also look to avenge their 95-109 defeat to NLEX in the eliminations, a game where the Road Warriors’ depth and pace proved too much.
Now, with everything on the line, Rain or Shine will have to summon all their grit and experience — not least from Guiao — to extend the team's stay in the All-Filipino conference.
[ALSO READ: Winning a PBA Grand Slam? Pingris, Barroca, Reavis recall San Mig Coffee’s 2014 feat]
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
——
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]