Rain or Shine hopes to extend streak to increase chances of making playoff round

Game today:

Hoops Dome, Lapu-Lapu City

6:45 p.m.- Talk ‘N Text vs. Rain or Shine

No one’s going to give an inch when the defending champions Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters collide in a crucial out-of-town game of the 37th PBA Commissioner’s Cup tonight at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City.

Oponganons will be treated to a surefire battle with the Texters and the Painters gunning for a win to boost their playoff drives.

But this game will be more important for the Painters as a loss will mean elimination for them.

Winner of two straight games and is on its third do-or-die game, Rain or Shine is tied for the ninth and 10th spots with the Petron Blaze Boosters on their identical 3-5 (win-loss) records.

Rain or Shine has to win against Talk ‘N Text and hope that its final standings will be enough to earn a tie for the sixth spot. Only six of the 10 competing teams will advance to the playoffs and multiple ties for the sixth place will be broken through playoff games.

Rain or Shine struggled early in the tournament but its late surge enabled them to stay in contention.

“The morale of the team was low at the start of the tournament after we lost our semifinal series against Powerade in the previous conference. Our import also failed to adjust right away and that also contributed to our early struggle,” Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao told reporters yesterday when the two teams graced the grand opening of the Insular Square in barangay Tabok, Mandaue City.

Although they have the smallest import in the tournament, Guiao said they opted to stick with Duke Crews “since there will be no assurance that we could get a better import.”