For his child, Guiao wants series over now

Rain or Shine just doesn’t want further extension of the titular series, promising to do its best to deliver the Sunday punch on Alaska Milk and have the championship balloons fall in Game Five of the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.

Game Five is set at 5 p. m. with the Elasto Painters determined not to allow another delay in their date with destiny.

“The championship is postponed for now, but it’s well on its way,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, taking in stride their 99-111 defeat in Game Four.

“We still feel we will win this championship, not just on a Friday the 13th, but maybe on a Sunday the 15th. It’s a better day,” Guiao also said.

Guiao can well be the one aching the most to have the se- ries closed out in Game Five as he and his wife Jenny have to catch up with their kids in London to celebrate the graduation of their eldest child who just finished her master’s degree at Cambridge University.

They were supposed to depart Saturday but had to rebook as the Elasto Painters’ sweep bid in the series was foiled by the Aces Friday night.

“We will make some adjustments with our defense. (Rob) Dozier has just been scoring at will at the isolation at the post, so we have to look for something to solve that,” said Guiao.

Pierre Henderson-Niles will likely be a major part of their defensive scheme after getting a good rest in the second half of Game Four.

“He’s dealing with a back problem. We opted to rest him when Alaska’s lead was huge already in the second half, hoping it helps his recovery,” said Guiao. “We hope his back is a little better (for Game Five).”

The ROS players themselves are hardly shaken by their Game Four loss.

“We’re down to nine points and Maverick (Ahanmisi) took a three-point attempt. Had he made it, we would’ve been just six points down with five minutes left to play. Malamang tuloy-tuloy na ang momentum sa amin, and we would’ve closed out the series,” said ROS chief playmaker Paul Lee.

“It’s okay. Maybe, it’s really better to win it on Sunday,” said Beau Belga.

For the Aces, the goal is to continue fighting the E-Painters in each possession.