A Gargantuan Task

Beat Petron? Tall task for RoS
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

The Rain or Shine Elastopainters and their fiery mentor Yeng Guiao are in a bind.

Down 0-2 in their PBA Governor’s Cup Semifinals matchup against powerhouse Petron Blaze Boosters, the Elastopainters are finding it difficult to defend the crown they won a season ago behind a roster of no-names and journeymen. Forget that the games have been surprisingly close until maybe a late 4th quarter breakaway (Boosters’ Elijah Milsap going HAM in Game 1), the Elastopainters are one win away from being eliminated.

And it seems that there’s just nothing they can do about it.

Star point guard Paul Lee, the league’s reigning Rookie of the Year, was supposed to lead this team to the promised land after failing to join his pals in their title romp last year. He’s out with a muscle tear. Jay-R Quinahan, the 6”6 defensive stalwart and ½ of the Elastopainters’ vaunted “Extra Rice, Inc.” is also out with an injury. Throw in a high fever to energy guy and KKS-christened “Dukot King” Ryan Arana and you have yourself a bunch of undersized guards and hybrid forwards duking it out with the most top level-heavy roster in the entire PBA.

Silver lining? Miracle waiting to happen? Destiny? Ray of hope?

The way the Elastopainters have been staying within striking distance with the Boosters is reason enough to hope—every boxer has a puncher’s chance of knocking out the champ on any given day. Still, with the way the Boosters have been playing we don’t see how they’ll lose three straight games en route to the Finals.

“It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile, winning is winning.” – FF1