Rain or Shine looks to keep its surge alive and seize solo leadership as the Elasto Painters battle the struggling Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters in the PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
A victory in the 7:30 p.m. showdown would give Yeng Guiao’s streaking squad a 5-1 record and a temporary hold of the top spot, breaking its current tie with TNT Tropang 5G and Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots at 4-1.
The Elasto Painters are on a roll, but Guiao admits there’s still work to be done after surviving a pair of nail-biters — a 96-95 escape against Meralco and a 112-111 thriller over the Titan Ultra Giant Risers.
“We cannot win close games every time,” Guiao said. “If we rely on breaks or luck, there will be a day that it won’t go our way.”
One such break came when Anton Asistio was fouled while attempting a three in the dying seconds against the Risers. Down by three, Asistio calmly drained all four free throws to snatch the win. Rain or Shine then followed up with a convincing 106-91 rout of Terrafirma to solidify its momentum.
Phoenix, meanwhile, continues to struggle for form. The Fuel Masters fell short in a gritty 83-80 loss to Magnolia, marking their fourth defeat in five games after earlier setbacks to TNT, NLEX, and Converge.
Coach Willy Wilson’s team now faces mounting pressure to turn things around, with their playoff hopes slipping and the coveted Top Four twice-to-beat incentive drifting further away.
Despite the rough start, veterans Jason Perkins and his teammates remain determined to fight back and keep their postseason aspirations alive.