Rain Or Shine spotless

MANILA, Philippines — Take it from Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao: Playing against an import-less opponent is no breeze.

So it didn’t surprise Guiao that his full-strength Elasto Painters needed to work double time before taking out all-Filipino Phoenix, 116-99, in the PBA Governors’ Cup yesterday.

The 48-minute hard labor at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium earned for ROS a spotless 4-0 card that kept them glued atop Group B.

Guiao and his charges matched the franchise’s all-time best conference start first posted in the initial stages of the 2012 Governors’ Cup that it eventually won.

“Mahirap talaga kalaban ‘yung team na they’re trying their best to compensate for the absence of the import,” said Guiao, whose troops played catch up in the first, trailing by as many as 12, before drawing level at the break and fully wresting control in the second half.

The Phoenix locals were forced to tackle Aaron Fuller and the E-Painters by themselves after replacement import Le Bryan Nash measured three-fourth inches over the height limit of 6-foot-6.

Moreover, the Fuel Masters couldn’t reactivate original import Jay McKinnis due to technicality after failing to place him on the reserve/injured list when Nash came in.

“Phoenix is a good team. They have the materials and they’re well-coached. Nag-worry talaga ako ‘nung una kasi if you give them the feeling they can stay with you even without an import, delikadong kalaban ‘yun, eh,” said Guiao.

“At a certain point, you have to put some distance between you and them. Mabuti sa fourth quarter nakalayo kami, kung hindi, we will have a long night against Phoenix even if they don’t have an import.”

Without a foreign threat, Fuller muscled his way to a 20-20 game of 28 points and 22 rebounds against Phoenix (0-3). He punched in 11 in the third as he led ROS to an 84-76 spread that the E-Painters eventually stretched to 20 in the final canto before settling for the 17-point winning margin.

Adrian Nocum, who whipped up a 19-point storm in the second period to spark ROS’ fightback, backed up Fuller with 21 plus two assists and three blocks. Jhonard Clarito, with 15-9, also helped up as did Andrei Caracut (13), whose 11-point spree highlighted by a four-ball and a triple ignited the E-Painters’ fourth-quarter barrage.

Jayjay Alejandro and RJ Jazul shot 12 apiece to pace Phoenix.

Meanwhile, redemption on the road is the theme as San Miguel Beer (2-1) and NLEX (2-1) duke it out tonight at the Aquilino Pimentel International Convention Center in Cagayan de Oro City.