NLEx, Rain or Shine manage to find wins amid major changes

Two teams adjusting to major changes found a lot of success Sunday night, with NLEx streaking to a fourth straight win to solidify its hold of the Group A lead in the PBA Governors’ Cup and Rain or Shine slowly rising out of a flat start to jump out of the bottom of Group B.

The Elasto Painters looked like they’ve moved on from the trade that shipped out former captain Gian Mamuyac, who was dealt to Phoenix for draft picks.

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“Mamu was such a big part of our team,” said Caelan Tiongson, whose hot shooting sustained Rain or Shine’s bounce-back from a 0-2 start.

“Losing Mamu created a kind of a different air in the gym. He was a loud and hopeful leader for us, Tiongson said after finishing with 21 points built around five triples in his team’s 110-99 victory over Barangay Ginebra late Sunday evening at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Discovering themselves

“So it took us a couple of weeks to really adjust,” he continued. “And I think it takes effort from every single one of our guys. How one person is going to make up for the energy and leadership he brought. So we’re all kind of figuring it out now.”

The Road Warriors, meanwhile, discovered a lot about themselves after trouncing San Miguel Beer, 110-96, also on Sunday.

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NLEx took an early lead and then withstood a Beermen rally to escape with a fourth straight victory while dealing its opponents a first defeat in the tournament.

And the Road Warriors are doing it despite adjusting to new coach Jimmy Alapag, who took over the team before the conference started, replacing former head coach Jong Uichico.

The transition has been seamless, it seems, going by NLEx’s 4-0 start. And the win against San Miguel also revealed part of the team’s character.

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“I think anytime you play a team like San Miguel, with all their championship experience, it’s always a great test for a young team,” Alapag said after guiding the Road Warriors to the solo lead in Group A.

“I thought we were very resilient, especially in the second half,” said Alapag.

Rain or Shine couldn’t have picked a better time to assemble a mini-streak of its own.

Urgency

Coach Yeng Guiao’s wards face a tough stretch—albeit one with enough preparation time squeezed into it—where they face gritty squads Magnolia, Meralco and Phoenix.

The Hotshots and the Bolts may be struggling to find their footing this conference, but they by no means represent a trouble-free assignment. The Fuel Masters, meanwhile, currently lead Group B with a 3-1 card.

Guiao admitted that dropping their first four games forced the Painters into a sense of urgency that fueled their latest wins.

Phoenix hopes to build on its hot start when it battles tricky Blackwater on Wednesday in a 5:15 p.m. duel at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Converge, which has also started well this conference, looks to continue collecting early wins when it faces TNT in the second game.

Converge currently totes a 3-1 record after having its three-game run snapped by San Miguel recently, while TNT is trying to improve on a 1-2 slate. INQ