Rookie star back to help Painters

Rookie star back to help Painters
By WAYLON GALVEZ
December 15, 2011, 10:35pm


Rain or Shine star rookie Paul Lee hopes
to dish out another solid numbers against
Ginebra in their duel game.

Games Friday (Smart-Araneta Coliseum)

5:15 p.m. — Meralco vs Petron

7:30 p.m. — Rain or Shine vs Ginebra

MANILA, Philippines — After missing the team’s final game in the elims, rookie sensation Paul Lee is excited to be back for Rain or Shine, especially now that they will be facing Barangay Ginebra in a best-of-three quarterfinal showdown in the PBA Philippine Cup starting Friday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

“Very excited to return to action, it’s the playoffs and it’s against Ginebra,” said Lee in Filipino, the second overall pick of Rain or Shine in the last PBA Rookie Draft who averages 13.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists this conference.

The game between Rain or Shine and Ginebra is set at 7:30 p.m., right after the other series opener of Petron Blaze and Meralco at 5:15 p.m.

The winner between Rain or Shine and Ginebra will face the winner in the other quarterfinal series between B-Meg and Powerade.

The Powerade Tigers forced a do-or-die against the twice-to-beat Llamados after pulling off a 97-88 win Wednesday night.

The sudden-death is set on Sunday at the Big Dome.

Talk ’N Text clinched the first semifinal spot when it downed Barako Bull, 81-79. The Tropang Texters will either sister team Bolts or the Boosters in the semis which is a best-of-seven affair.

In their lone encounter during the elimination round, the Painters stunned the Kings, 94-93, last Oct. 2 where Lee collected 21 points with eight assists, five rebounds and two steals to outshine his idol, Mark Caguioa.

Caguioa only had 16 points and five boards.

The 11-year veteran Caguioa leads his team in scoring with 13.9 points, while also averaging 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in this all-Filipino tournament.

Rain or Shine mentor Yeng Guiao is equally excited to face Ginebra.

“Definitely excited, because we feel that it’s always a treat playing them particularly in a playoff series,” said Guiao.

“There will be some difficulties along the way, like the crowd factor. But you have to accept that when playing against Ginebra.”

“The good thing when you play them we always feel that we get better after playing Ginebra, playing against the odds. We like to play as the underdogs. They’re more experienced, but we feel whether we win or lose, we’ll learn many things on this series since we’re a young team,” added Guiao.

Source: The Manila Bulletin