Youth-laden ROS faces titleholder TNT in Governors’ Cup semifinals

IT WAS A GREAT TEST of toughness against Magnolia and because of it, Rain or Shine (ROS) coach Yeng Guiao believes his youth-laden charges will be better equipped when they challenge titleholder TNT in the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals.

“We’re a young team and to beat Magnolia in a (sudden death) Game 5, where everything was at stake (was a big morale boost),” Mr. Guaio said after finishing off the Hotshots, 114-110, Saturday night.

That series was an up-and-down for the Elasto Painters, who showed stern stuff bouncing back from deflating losses in Games 2 and 4, 69-121 and 100-129, respectively, and getting the job done in a thrilling KO.

As Magnolia was the more playoffs-experienced team, Mr. Guiao told his young guns like Jhonard Clarito, Adrian Nocum, Andrei Caracut, Keith Datu, Anton Asistio and Felix Lemetti to watch the Hotshots’ veterans closely and pick up a thing or do.

Well, that’s exactly what the E-Painters’ did with big help from the ever dependable Aaron Fuller.

In the best-of-seven semis, it will essentially be the same for ROS against the Tropang Giga, who have at their disposal the likes of Jayson Castro, Kelly Williams, RR Pogoy, the fast-maturing Calvin Oftana and prolific reinforcement Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

And just like Magnolia, the Chot Reyes-coached TNT is a heavyweight with defensive orientation.

The best-of-seven Final Four between TNT, the topnotcher of Group A, and ROS, the No. 1-ranked squad of Group B, will blast off on Wednesday.

The protagonists will engage in a playoffs showdown for the second straight conference after fighting in a best-of-three in the Season 48 Philippine Cup quarterfinals. That went the full distance with Elasto Painters prevailing by the skin of their teeth in the decider, 110-109. — Olmin Leyba