Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao believes defending champions TNT Tropang Giga are in ready to make the necessary adjustments against crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra in Game 5 of the PBA Finals.
If he was to pick, Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao is taking the TNT Tropang Giga to come out victorious against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in their crucial Game 5 bout of the Governors’ Cup Finals this Wednesday night.
“Sa tingin ko TNT just because they are in a better position to make the adjustment,” Guiao said on One News' Play by Play.
But Guiao is also a firm believer this war of attrition between the two powerhouse teams vying for the crown will go the distance.
“I think it’s going all the way to Game 7,” the fiery coach spoke on his prediction between the TNT-Ginebra title series.
[ALSO READ: In Photos: Down but still not out, TNT looks for answers in PBA Finals vs Ginebra]
Even before the series started, Guiao was seeing that the championship series would go to Game 6 or Game 7, which according to him, will be a great thing to see for the basketball fans.
But while Ginebra got all the momentum heading to Game 5 after winning Games 3 and 4, Guiao insisted it’s a tall task to beat a talent-laden Tropang Giga side three times in a row.
He was speaking from experience as his Elasto Painters managed to win just one game before bowing out in five in their semifinal clash against TNT.
[ALSO READ: TNT shows no mercy in disposing of Rain or Shine in Game 5, marches on to PBA Finals]
But if there’s one team who can do it, it's the Gin Kings as per Guiao.
“For you to beat TNT twice in a row and probably thrice in a row, pinapangarap namin ‘yun kasi nakalaban namin ‘yung TNT.”
[ALSO READ: TNT looking to repeat history with pivotal Game 5 win over Ginebra in PBA Finals]
“Certainly they (Barangay Ginebra) can win Game 5, but it’s really hard to beat TNT three times in a row.”
[ALSO READ: Ginebra takes a shot at crucial 3-2 lead vs TNT in PBA Governors' Cup Finals]
The seven-time champion coach also noted that the two-day rest in between Games 4 and 5 will be beneficial for two-time Best Import Rondae Hollis Jefferson and Brgy. Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee.
Both imports are logging nearly 45 minutes per game through the first four games with RHJ playing the whole Games 2 and 3 that resulted in contrasting results for the Tropang Giga.
[ALSO READ: No rest for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in hot shooting night to put TNT up 2-0 over Ginebra]
Brownlee was even seen hobbling and holding onto hamstring in a Game 3 Ginebra win but shrugged off any injury concerns and described those sequences as “just getting old.”
[ALSO READ: PBA: Justin Brownlee downplays injury concerns after hard-fought Ginebra win in Game 3]
When all is said and done, it boils down to who has fresher legs the rest of the series as per Guiao.
“Sa’kin kasi, whoever stays fresh for Game 5,6, and 7— that means you’ll get to use a little bit of your bench to be able to manage their minutes and their load— palagay ko ‘yun yung may advantage in the end.”
Game 5 tips off at 7:30. It will be aired on RPTV, PBA Rush, and streamed via Pilipinas Live.