The protagonists meet in Game Six at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tomorrow.

“The big advantage is still on their side. But we’ll take a lot of encouragement and hope (on our Game Five win),” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.

The fiery Rain or Shine coach remains positive of their chance to win a second title for the Asian Coating Inc. franchise, and a very first all-Filipino crown  in his personal record books.

“We’ll try to delay or postpone the celebration of San Mig Coffee. If we can delay it enough, it can be our celebration,” said Guiao, a six-time PBA champion coach all in import-reinforced tourneys.

Guiao, also a lawmaker representing District I of Pampanga in Congress, is on line to break his standoff with Tommy Manotoc as the league’s sixth winningest coach behind Baby Dalupan (15), Tim Cone (15), Norman Black (10), Chot Reyes (9) and Jong Uichico (8).

But Guiao knows they have to buck overwhelming odds.

“The way the series is going they’re not getting tired. We have to win it on merit,” said Guiao.

And after they chopped down their best-of-seven series deficit to 2-3, Guiao vowed they would fight it out to the very end.

“I told the boys we can’t lose that sense of destiny. Even if we’re behind, it’s not over. We have to believe in ourselves and stay positive. A win like this can turn around the complexion of the series,” Guiao said.

Believe the Elasto Painters did in Game Five which they won on second-half explosion of Jeff Chan and valuable contributions of Paul Lee, Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga, Chris Tiu, Ryan Arana and Jireh Ibanes.

Chan exploded for 23 points in the second half and a total of 24, but not lost on Guiao were the roles played by Tiu, Belga, Arana and Ibanes.

Tiu and Belga helped spark Rain or Shine’s decisive final-half runs while Arana and Ibanes provided the spunk and intensity on the defensive end.

Tiu, a complete non-factor in the first four games, made his presence felt with nine all-important points.

Chan best described their showing: “Ayaw talaga namin ibigay sa kanila yung series (We just didn’t want to give the series to them).”

At the end of the game, the E-Painters huddled at midcourt and agreed to heed their coach’s call: Fight to the very end.

As San Mig Coffee was drooling over the prospects of pulling the plug on Rain or Shine’s title bid in Game 5, Guiao came out with a battle cry that proved pivotal in helping them live to fight another day in the 2014 PLDT myDSL PBA Philippine Cup.

“I told them not to show any signs that they’re no longer going to put up a fight, that they’re giving up,” said Guiao after they ran away with an 81-74 victory Sunday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Guiao is reminding his players to make the Mixers bleed for their points as Rain or Shine attempts to drag the race-to-four affair to a seventh game.

“Even in their body language, even in the way they carry themselves. Never show me that you are going to give up anything in this series, even if we’re down 1-3. Pag pinakita nila sa akin yun, sabi ko, ‘tatapusin ko yung career nila dito (in the PBA),” said Guiao, who was of course kidding although it was evident he wants the Painters not to lower their guards.

“Kahit na siguro discourage sila, kahit na masama pakiramdam nila, they just need to keep that to themselves. They will not or they can’t show it to the rest of the team even in their body language,” said Guiao.

“That’s part of staying positive in this series,” added Guiao as they aim for another victory in Game 6 tomorrow also at the Big Dome.

Rain or Shine is looking to be the fourth team to win a seven-game series after falling behind 1-3, and just the second team in PBA Finals history to win it all since Ginebra first did the trick in 1991 First Conference against Shell.

Jeff Chan best typified Rain or Shine’s steely resolve in the previous game as he exploded for 24 points, connecting 7-of-16 shot from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line while adding two rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes of action.

The 6-foot-2 Chan almost single-handedly carried the Painters in the fourth period when he scored 14 points, punctuated by a fadaway jumper over PJ Simon at the left corner with the shot clock about to expire for a 79-72 advantage with 48.3 seconds remaining in the game.

“Attack mode lang, kasi ayaw ko i-give up yung game. Gusto ko pa maglaro,” Chan said. “Saka ang goal namin umabot ng Game 7. Hopefully din, sa Game 6, para di ganun kahirap, magkasabay na gumanda ang laro namin ni Paul (Lee), para mas maganda kalalabasan.”

The 6-foot Lee, Rain or Shine’s top playmaker who averaged 25.5 points in the series’ last two games, struggled in Game 5 as he scored just eight points on 3-of-9 shooting but his fallaway jumper off the taller 6-foot-7 Joe Devance gave the Painters a 74-69 lead with three minutes to go.

The Mixers have the initiative and the momentum on their side as they go for a big 3-1 lead in a duel that had lived up to all the frills of an evenly-matched championship series.

After going through tough, full-stretch quarterfinals and semifinals series versus Talk and Text and Barangay Ginebra, San Mig Coffee seems to have gained its second wind as it shoots for a third straight win following back-to-back victories in Game Two (80-70) and Game Three (77-76).

It’s the Mixers’ first successive victories in their last 10 outings. The first time they went back-to-back in the tourney, the Mixers stretched it to a five-game run, enabling them to salvage a spot in the best-of-three quarterfinals.

Petron Blaze’s Junmar Fajardo, meanwhile, is tipped to be named the Best Player of the Conference before the Mixers and the Elasto Painters resume their battle at 8 p.m. with the San Mig Coffee looking to close in on a first-ever back-to-back championships for the Purefoods/San Miguel Foods franchise.

Coming back from the trauma of losing Game One on extra lapses with two wins gives the Mixers a morale boost to edge closer to the all-Filipino crown.

It could have been 3-0 had San Mig Coffee not blown away Game One, 80-83, as the Mixers wavered at the finish that enabled the E-Painters to steal the game.

“Our defense is holding up and we need to continue with that,” said San Mig coach Tim Cone whose troops held the E-Painters (averaging over 90 points a game through the semis) to a measly 76.3 norm in the finals.

Cone himself is surprised with what they have been done.

“Hard to imagine that we can beat RoS three times in a row, but that is our challenge going into Game Four and we’re certainly going to take it on,” said Cone.

“We were lucky to escape with a win in Game Three, but we need to be more than lucky. We need to be more solid to beat a team like RoS,” Cone also said.

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao was disappointed but not discouraged by their Game Three loss.

“I’m not really discouraged because I know at a certain point, we could just have broken the game away,” said Guiao.

“We learned our lesson on that and we just have to take that lesson into Game Four,” Guiao added.

Rain or Shine slowly opened a nine-point gap, 39-30, only to lose it quickly on San Mig Coffee’s eight-point flurry, pounding the E-Painters’ defensive lapses in the final minute of the first half.

Mark Barroca beat the shot-clock buzzer with a one-hand floater then PJ Simon and Alex Mallari struck with back-to-back treys to make the game close, 38-39, at the half.

“Those back-to-back baskets were crucial for us,” said Cone.

Guiao played a small rotation (by his standard) in Game Three as he missed the services of the injury-hit Ryan Araña and opted not to field in rookie guard/forward Alex Nuyles.

Araña said he would rejoin their practice yesterday and see if he can suit up in Game Four.

Moments after their 77-76 Game 3 defeat to the Mixers, Guiao told scribes covering the series that he still relishes the idea of their series reaching the full Game 7, which will could still be to their advantage.

“I’m not really discouraged ‘we’ll have other opportunities. The good thing about it is if we can keep the series going longer, maybe six or seven games, I still feel we’ll come out the winners in this series,” said Guiao.

In Game 3, rebounding proved to be the downfall of the E-Painters when the Mixers outhustled them in that department.

“It’s our strategy, but SanMig is doing a good job of preventing us from going full throttle into the open court. We cannot run without the ball,” said Guiao.

Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum, the Mixers grabbed 49 rebounds, while Rain or Shine was able to snatch only 39, an advantage, which forward Marc Pingris said has helped them a lot during the playoffs.

“‘Yung 3 bigs namin, Joe (Devance), Rafi (Reavis) tapos ako, kailangan talaga lumamang kami sa rebound. ‘Yung sa Ginebra, marami silang malalaki pero lumamang kami sa rebounds kaya nanalo kami,” said Pingris who had eight boards in Game 2.

Rain or Shine actually were outrebounded in seven out of the total nine playoff games, including the three games played thus far in the Finals.

“If we cannot at least even the rebounds, the other team is always going to have more possessions. That’s a concern which we have to address in the next game,” said Guiao.

But Guiao still believes their fast-paced offense will be the key to their success as shown in their 21-9 edge in the turnover points department.

“That only says that when we are running, we’re able to score. Yes, we’re forcing turnovers, but we must also get those rebounds to get into the transition as much as we can,” said Guiao.

San Mig now holds a 2-1 series lead and will try to inch closer to the title when they meet Rain or Shine tonight also at the Big Dome.

For sure, Alex McLean and James Mays are itching to show their wares on the floor. They’d rather be playing than sitting in the stands cheering for their new teammates. McLean, 28, will play for Rain Or Shine and Mays, 27, for San Mig Coffee. In the second conference, the last two Philippine Cup finishers Air 21 and Meralco will be allowed to recruit an import up to 6-11 while the limit for the rest is 6-9. McLean is listed 6-8 and Mays, 6-9.

From what they’ve seen so far in the Finals, McLean and Mays are blown away by the enthusiasm of the fans and their passion for the game. They know the responsibility on their shoulders because the expectation is they’ll bring their teams back to the Finals in the Commissioner’s Cup.

McLean is a 240-pound forward from Liberty University, an NCAA Division I school in Virginia. He has played in Poland, Paraguay, Argentina, Iraq, Egypt, Qatar, China and Lebanon in a journeyman career. In 2011, McLean averaged 22.4 points, 14.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals with Jin Qiang Sichuan in the Chinese league. He shot 54.8% from the field, 40% from beyond the arc and 72.2% from the line.

Before moving to Liberty, McLean played at Suffolk Community College in Long Island, New York, and averaged 17.1 points and 13.2 rebounds in 2004-05. He initially agreed to transfer to Southeast Missouri State then changed his mind to enroll at Liberty. Writer Mike Ashley described McLean as “powerful in the paint, a quality post player” and said he can run the floor despite his bulk. In his first year at Liberty, McLean hit at a 14.5 clip and grabbed 8.9 rebounds.   He was second in rebounding in the Big South Conference to former Rain Or Shine import Arizona Reid.

Liberty coach Ritchie McKay called McLean “a monster around the basket.” He added, “(McLean) is a self-made player, he’s a work-out guru and loves to improve.” In his second and last year at Liberty, McLean was tasked to become a defensive stopper on the low block and to develop a go-to offensive move. He did as he was asked and raised his scoring clip to 15.8 points.

McLean never played high school basketball because he was considered too short at 6-2 as a senior. Instead of sports, McLean concentrated on music, playing bass, piano and drums for the Bay Shore High School band. But late in his senior year, McLean had an incredible growth spurt and was encouraged to play basketball. He turned down music scholarship offers from several schools, including California at Berkeley and Hofstra, and also received interest to study at Julliard. McLean decided to pursue a career in hoops instead.

McLean’s cousin Garnett Thompson of Providence was naturalized by Lebanon in 2012 to gain eligibility to play for the national team. His brother Phil was a runner on the St. John’s University track varsity.

Mays earned a reputation as a scrambling defender in four years at Clemson University, an NCAA Division I school in South Carolina. Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said Mays was “the key guy in our pressure defense, our best on-the-ball defender and the point of the press.” Writer Al Featherston said Mays was “a disruptive force in the middle of Purnell’s zone press.” Purnell called Mays “a difference maker,” adding that “his ability to defend, rebound and provide a low-post presence is vital.” As a junior in 2006-07, Mays drove from half court to score the game winner over George Tech, compiled 22 points and 15 rebounds against Maryland and keyed a come-from-behind victory over Miami with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He averaged 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 28.1 minutes that season.

A lithe 230-pound post player, Mays has played in the NBA D-League, China, Puerto Rico and Turkey. What gives Mays a distinct advantage in the PBA is his experience in FIBA competitions as a naturalized player with the Central African Republic national team. He averaged 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds at the FIBA African Championships in Madagascar in 2011.

Mays gained extensive experience playing in NBA summer leagues with Charlotte, Indiana, Toronto, Oklahoma City, Utah and San Antonio. He had tryouts with Washington, Sacramento, Denver and Brooklyn but never made it to the NBA. In the 2012-13 NBA D-League, Mays averaged 16.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists with the Springfield Armor.

Alex Mallari and Joe Devance made three straight baskets on brilliant passes by Marc Pingris as the Mixers spurted ahead, 77-74, then held on to take the crucial two-games-to-one lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Mixers again held the Elasto Painters way below their scoring average, making the necessary stoppages at the finish to pull off a first-ever Game Three win in their best-of-seven face-offs.

“We thought we needed to break the pattern. It’s really a big win,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.

“It came down to the last possessions, and that’s really our goal,” Cone also said.

With a precarious 77-76 lead in the last 1:20 of play, the Mixers made two big defensive stops to come through with a follow-up to their 80-70 victory in Game Two.

The Elasto Painters eventually lost it as Jeff Chan missed three-point shot from way, way out at the buzzer.

The Mixers disallowed the E-Painters to execute their play in the last 10.6 seconds with Mark Barroca hounding Paul Lee, forcing the RoS guard to kick the ball out to Chan with a few seconds to work out a shot about 28 feet away from the basket.

Earlier, Barroca and his teammates forced the E-Painters to commit a 24-second shot-clock violation.

Offensively, Devance shone brightest for the Mixers at the finish, firing away six of his 13 points in the final canto.

Ian Sangalang, Barroca, Mallari and Pingris added a basket each as the Mixers outscored the Elasto Painters, 14-12, in the payoff period.

In the tight, seesawing game, Rain or Shine led by one in each of the first three quarters.

“It’s an awesome game and it’s really fun to be part of. It’s tough on their part,” said Cone of the game marked by five deadlocks and 18 lead changes.

Rain or Shine slowly opened a nine-point gap, 39-30, only to lose it quickly on San Mig Coffee’s eight-point flurry in the final minute of the first half.

Barroca beat the shot-clock buzzer with a one-hand floater then Simon and Mallari struck with back-to-back treys in the decisive run.

“Those back-to-back baskets were crucial for us,” said Cone.

The E-Painters set the pace most of the first half, though, the Mixers won the rebounding battle, 24-18, and shot better from the field with a 45.2-percent clip.

Rain or Shine established control, 34-27, midway through the second period on an attack by Chan, Beau Belga and Larry Rodriguez.

Lee buried a triple, drove past Barroca then nailed two charities off a foul by Justin Melton for a 20-19 lead at the close of the first quarter.

Lee, held to 13 points in Games One and Two, had made 14 just in the opening half.

The scores:

San Mig Coffee 77 – Simon 14, Devance 13, Yap 13, Sangalang 12, Barroca 8, Pingris 7, Mallari 5, Reavis 4, Melton 1, De Ocampo 0.

Rain or Shine 76 – Lee 23, Chan 11, Cruz 10, Almazan 7, Belga 6, Rodriguez 6, Quiñahan 5, Norwood 4, Tiu 2, Ibañes 2, Tang 0, Teng 0.

Quarterscores: 19-20, 38-39, 63-64, 77-76

Voting for the Best Player of the Conference has started, with the result to be announced prior to the start of Game 4 of the ongoing finals between San Mig Super Coffee and Rain or Shine tomorrow at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Representatives of the teams, media and Commissioner’s Office are the ones who vote, with their decision based on statistics.

The numbers favor Fajardo and Santos, who emerged as one-two, respectively, in the average statistical points department although their Petron Blaze team only got as far as the semifinals.

The 6-foot-10 Fajardo led all comers with an average 38.8 SPs, anchored on norms of 16.39 points, 14.89 rebounds and 2.56 blocks in 18 games.

Santos, the reigning season MVP, was not too far behind with 35.8 SPs built around averages of 17.14 points, 10.67 rebounds and 1.43 blocks through 21 outings.

What may sway the voters in favor of Fajardo are his 16 double-doubles to Santos’ 11.

Yet a darkhorse may still win out, with the 6-foot-9 Aguilar, GlobalPort’s Jay Washington and another King in rookie Greg Slaughter rounding out the top five from which the voters must choose from.

Despite a dip in his performances during the semifinals, Aguilar still managed to hold on to third-running spot with 35.2 SPs, followed by Washington’s 34.5 and Slaughter’s 33.6.  

Aguilar showed a vastly improved game in only his second conference with Ginebra, logging 17.13 points, 9.04 rebounds and 2.78 blocks in 23 contests, while Slaughter proved he is worthy of being made the top overall pick in the rookie draft with averages of 15.43 points and 10.09 boards, also in 23 outings.

For his part, Washington was off to his finest season start in years, averaging 19.17 points and 9.92 rebounds through 12 games before being sidelined by a foot injury.

Although they lost an explosive guard in Sol Mercado, both Manalo and coach Pido Jarencio are convinced that 10-year pro Alex Cabagnot is the perfect guy for their relatively young squad.

Cabagnot was acquired from Petron Blaze in a one-on-one trade with Mercado the other day.

“He’s the perfect leader Globalport needs at this point,” said Manalo. “He is also the mentor we were looking for to guide our rookies RR (Garcia) and Terrence (Romeo).

“In getting Alex, we had to sacrifice Sol who we wish the best for,” added Manalo.

Being part of the coaching staff of Petron Blaze (now San Miguel Beer) before, Jarencio sees no problem dealing with Cabagnot whom he described as very efficient and an excellent leader inside the court.

Cabagnot, according to Manalo, is also cut out to Jarencio’s run-and-gun style of offense because of his speed and creativity.

He also has a feathery touch from the 3-point shooting area.  Despite coming off an injury, he normed 11 points, six asssists and two steals in the last conference.

Bonbon Custodio, the veteran guard out of University of the East, is another welcome addition to Globalport. He was taken from Air21 in exchange of Jonas Villanueva.

Jarencio has had a great interest in Custodio even before the 6-foot guard made a name in the UAAP, knowing the flamboyant guard has the moves and courage to make things happen.

“With Alex, Bonbon, RR and Terrence, rest assured that this team will run and run in our bid to fulfill our goal” said Manalo.

With Jarencio now calling the shots, plus the acquisition of Cabagnot and Custodio, Manalo is hoping the team will advance to the Final Four of the coming conference.

“That’s our immediate goal and hopefully we can realize our dream,” added Manalo.

Point guard Alex Cabagnot was dealt to Globalport yesterday in exchange for Sol Mercado in a switch of PBA veterans. Both teams are hoping the trade would improve their respective lineups.

The trade has been approved by Commissioner Chito Salud.

The other day, Petron/San Miguel dropped Gee Abanilla as head coach and promoted assistant coach Biboy Ravanes to take Abanilla’s place. Petron lost the semifinal series against Rain or Shine and this reportedly triggered the coaching change.

The 31-year-old Cabagnot, now on his 10th season in the PBA, is expected to play a crucial role in the development of Globalport’s young guards RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo.

“Alex will be one of our leaders,” said Globalport team manager BJ Manalo.

“He can be a mentor to our young players, we know Alex he’s a veteran and he is an experienced player. He also played with coach Pido Jarencio when they we’re with Petron. So he knows how coach Pido works, at least andun na yung relationship.”

If the trade is approved, Cabagnot will be playing for his fouth team in the PBA. Besides Petron, he previously played for Sta. Lucia Realty and Coca-Cola.

Cabagnot, who is 6-1, has evolved as one of the league’s best point guards and njoys a reputation of being an effective closer.

Like Cabagnot, the 6-foot-1 Mercado will also join his fourth team.

After he was originally selected by Alaska as the No. 5 overall pick back in 2008, Mercado was dealt immediately to Rain or Shine where he played three seasons. He was traded to Meralco in 2010, and then was shipped by the Bolts to the Batang Pier middle of last year.

In other trade developments, involving Globalport, Petron, Barako Bull and Air21, Globalport is moving Leo Najorda to Barako Bull for Jonas Villanueva who in turn will be shipped to Air21 for Bonbon Custodio.

Petron/San Miguel will also deal Yousef Taha and its 2016 second-round pick to Barako Bull for Rico Maierhofer. Taha will then go to Barako then to GlobalPort for Justin Chua, who will then be shipped to Petron/San Miguel for Jason Deustchman and the 2016 second-round pick.

Barako will get Deustchman, Najorda, and a future draft pick and GlobalPort will get back former player Taha and Custodio besides Cabagnot.

Robert Non, chief of basketball operations of San Miguel Corporation, announced the change yesterday.

Petron is one of three teams under the San Miguel group competing in the PBA. The others are Ginebra and San Mig Coffee.

Abanilla’s departure was widely speculated following the unremarkable performance of Petron in the ongoing PLDT myDSL PBA Philippine Cup where it was eliminated in the semifinals by Rain or Shine.

The ouster was apparently unacceptable to San Miguel management especially with a strong Petron lineup that includes Arwind Santos, Junemar Fajardo, Chris Ross and Alex Cabagnot.

Abanilla lasted just two conferences with the Boosters whom he steered to the finals in last season’s Governors’ Cup.

Abanilla, however, will not be jobless. He will be the Petron team manager, replacing Siot Tanquingcen, who joined Barako Bull as team consultant.

Though Ravanes will have the official title of head coach, sources said he would jointly coach the Boosters with the team’s consultant, the American Todd Purves.

The set up is similar to the one the team had when Olsen Racela handled the squad during the Philippine Cup last season with former national coach Rajko Toroman of Serbia as consultant with an active role.

Purves, however, will not be a surprise addition. He has been with Petron since the Governors’ Cup.

Ravanes, 55, played 15 seasons in the PBA, first with Shell, then Alaska and lastly with San Miguel Beer from 1980 to 1994. He has career averages of 6.5 points and has a reputation of a defensive specialist.

On the other hand, Purves was the coach of the Indonesia Warriors that won the 2012 ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) title against San Miguel Beermen under the late coach Bobby Parks, and lost to the same team last year with coach Leo Austria, who is also an assistant coach with Petron Blaze

Abanilla, who took over from Racela before the Governors’ Cup last Season, steered the Boosters to a 7-0 start in the all-Filipino conference but finished with a 10-4 card in the elimination round.

They lost in the best-of-seven semifinals, 4-1, to Rain or Shine.

“No, it’s not true,” said Agustin when contacted yesterday in his hometown in Lubao, Pampanga where he reportedly is resting after losing the decider, 110-87.

The loss was so one-sided that many believed Agustin may have lost the confidence of management although the series went to seven games.

He said no one from management has contacted him since the defeat last week.

“Wala naman din ako nakaka-usap tungkol sa ganyan,” he said regarding a possible coaching change which to many is standard procedure in San Miguel teams when a coach fails to deliver.

“I spoke kay Sir Al (team manager Alfrancis Chua), pero tungkol sa import ang pinag-usapan namin. So wala, hindi totoo na nag-resign ako,” added Agustin.

Rumors spread like wildfire yesterday from popular social networking sites Facebook and Twitter that the 50-year-old Agustin, a former PBA MVP and one of the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players, stepped down.

“Sabi ko nga, management naman talaga ang may decision when it comes sa trabaho. Kung sabihin na ako pa din, ok. Kung sabihin na hindi na, ok lang din. Pero so far, wala naman sinasabi sa akin,” said Agustin.

New head coach Biboy Ravanes and consultant Todd Purves will have at their disposal a lineup souped up by new trade acquisitions Sol Mercado and Rico Maierhofer.

Out to make an immediate impact in its PBA return, San Miguel Beer entered into a complex trade deal with Globalport, Barako Bull and Air21 involving five other players and two future draft rights.

The Beermen, reverting back to their old banner from Petron Blaze, acquired Mercado from the Batang Pier in a straight swap for Alex Cabagnot and got Maierhofer from the Energy Cola for Jason Deutchman and their second round picks in the 2016 and 2017 Rookie Draft.

Part of the deal approved by commissioner Chito Salud was the transfer of Leo Najorda from Globalport to Barako Bull, Jonas Villanueva from Barako Bull to Air21 and Bonbon Custodio from Air21 to Globalport.

A more complex trade proposal, involving San Miguel’s Yousef Taha and Globalport’s Justin Chua, was nixed due to technicality.

A league rule prohibits traded players from returning to their former teams until after two conferences.

Taha was supposed to be traded back to Globalport for Chua.

Earlier, San Miguel Beer effected a coaching staff overhaul, with Ravanes elevated from assistant to head coach and Gee Abanilla moving from head coach to team manager.

Ravanes is to work closely with their foreign consultant Purves, the same strategy the team applied during the time of Olsen Racela and Rajko Toroman.

San Miguel Beer has actually been rebuilding the past three years but with not much success.

Meanwhile, Meralco gave two-time MVP winner Danny Ildefonso a contract-extension deal for the rest of the season.

Ildefonso was previously signed to a brief contract in the Philippine Cup.

Coaches Yeng Guiao of Rain or Shine and San Mig’s Tim Cone agree Game Three of the PLDT MyDSL PBA Philippine Cup Finals is vital as it was in their two previous best-of-seven showdowns.

Rain or Shine took the 2-1 lead in their 2012 Governors Cup finale and 2012-2013 Philippine Cup semifinals duel and the E-Painters went on to rule both series.

The Elasto Painters snatched a thrilling 83-80 victory in the series’ opener last Friday but the Mixers struck back with an impressive 80-70 win in Game Two Sunday.

That makes tonight’s Game Three a must-win for both teams and a must-see for the fans and supporters bracing for a slam-bang duel between two teams going all-out for the needed momentum in a series reduced to a best-of-five affair.

Guiao’s concern is how to impose their up-tempo game.

“They have been able to keep the game low-scoring which is to their advantage,” said Guiao whose troops were limited to a paltry average of 76.5 points in the first two games.

Cone said they expect a strong fightback from Rain or Shine but added the Mixers will be more than ready to foil them.

“The two days between games will help us. We feel we’ll be ready for anything they throw at us,” said Cone.

Despite their Game Two win, Cone has opted to downplay his wards’ chances.

“All we did was tie the series. They still dictate it. We’ll have to be ready to make in-game adjustments to the new things they will bring to the table,” said Cone.

Guiao said it will boil down to adjustment.

“Winning Game One gives us that advantage, the adjustment advantage. Now, we can go make the adjustments and the series is still even,” said Guiao.

Through the semifinals, Rain or Shine had been the second best team offensively with an average of 93.35 points a game.

San Mig Coffee is No. 10 through and through, averaging 84.08 through the semis and 80 in the series’ first two games.

The E-Painters should also forget fatigue coming into play.

“Coach Tim did a good job pacing his boys. They don’t look tired. We have to win the series on merit and not assume that they will burn out in time,” said Guiao.

Ryan Araña, hurting his left collarbone in a collision with Rafi Reavis, escaped without a major injury but will be a game-day decision for Guiao.

The Beermen acquired Sol Mercado and Rico Maierhofer yesterday in separate trades approved by Commissioner Chito Salud just days after Biboy Ravanes was appointed head coach of the former Petron Blaze team in lieu of Gee Abanilla, who was kicked upstairs as team manager.

Mercado fills the team’s need for a big point guard while Maierhofer is expected to boost a frontline anchored on center June Mar Fajardo and reigning MVP Arwind Santos.

San Miguel Beer, the flagship franchise of the San Miguel Corp., the lone remaining pioneer in the PBA, won 17 titles–including a Grand Slam in 1989–before switching to Petron during the 2010-11 season.

“We want to strengthen the lineup and improve it further,” SMC basketball operations chief Robert Non said yesterday.

GlobalPort, Barako Bull and Air21 were involved in the trades and filled up their own needs in return.

The Energy got Jason Deutchman and San Miguel’s 2016 and 2017 second round draft picks for Maierhofer and also gave up oft-injured point guard Jonas Villanueva to GlobalPort for forward Leo Najorda.

The Batang Pier got veteran Alex Cabagnot for Mercado and gave up Villanueva to the Express for combo guard Bonbon Custodio.

Non said another one-on-one deal will have to wait for another conference involving San Miguel center Yousif Taha.

Taha was supposed to be included in the Maierhofer package but Salud turned that down due to league rules stating no player can be traded back to their mother teams after just one conference.

The Fil-Kuwaiti suited up for GlobalPort before being traded to Petron before the season started. He was supposed to be dealt to the Batang Pier for rookie Justin Chua.

Non said both parties have agreed to the trade. “Na-delay lang ng isang conference,” he said.

Although his charges took Game 2 via an 80-70 decision last Sunday, Mixers coach Tim Cone insisted the Elasto Painters still have the edge.

“All we did was tie the series. They still dictate it,” said Cone. “We’ll have to be ready to make in-game adjustments to the new things they will bring to the table in Game 3.”

Set to start at 8 p.m., the game is expected to be critical, with 40 of the 50 teams that won Game 3 in a race-to-four battle going on to wrap the series, including 23 of 37 in the finals. San Mig authored the latest win in its semifinals battle against Ginebra.

Cone said Rain or Shine has the advantage of doing little tinkering to an original game plan that worked well for the Elasto Painters in their 83-80 win in the series opener.

Painters coach Yeng Guiao said their primary concerns are sinking their shots and getting past the Mixers’ tough defense.

“We were missing shots we should be making and at the same time San Mig is playing good defense on us. So both points we have to address them,” he said, adding they intend to step on the gas all the way.

“We will be going back to our original gameplan, which is to keep the game fast,” Guiao said.

Ryan Arana will miss the game due to a shoulder injury he suffered early in Game 2. Top gunners Jeff Chan and Paul Lee have also been held down by Marc Pingris, prompting Guiao to make some double-edged adjustments in their offense.

“They’re concentrating on Paul and Jeff so we have to look at other options, whether it be at the post, transition or Gabe (Norwood) scoring more,” related Guiao.

The ploy is clearly meant to tire Marc Pingris out and prevent him from dishing out his series averages of 12 points, 12 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 blocked shots.

“In the past we stuck with Paul and Jeff. Pingris is playing them so we want to overload him, if he’s going to play 38 to 40 minutes,” said Guiao.

“Sabi ko nga, habang tumatagal ang game it will take its toll on him,” added Guiao. “We want to keep him active. Kinukuha niya ‘yung dalawa so we will not look to them to win it for us, but we will go to them to keep Pingris busy.”

Cone said the break from last Sunday’s game helped his team to brace for the expected fightback by the same team that foiled his bid during the 2012 Governors Cup finals.

“The two days between games will help us and we feel we’ll be ready for anything they throw at us,” said Cone. “Game 3 has been pivotal in our past series against each other and it will be no less now.”

“We have to prepare well and play aggressively from the start. And it starts in our practices,” said Tenorio, referring to the kind of preparations the crowd favorites have adopted going into their last four games in the eliminations.

Ginebra leads the pack with a 9-1 win-loss record, with sister team Petron Blaze a full game behind. The top two teams at the end of the 14-game eliminations will enjoy twice-to-beat advantaged in the eight-team quarterfinals.

To secure one of the coveted slots Tenorio said the Kings must crank up their game at least a notch higher than what they did in an 83-82 squeaker over Meralco last Dec. 28.

“We cannot play like we did against Meralco in our last four games. Very physical ang Meralco, parang minama kami,” said Tenorio. “And come playoff time, lahat ng teams ganoon, hindi lang Meralco. There will be no easy calls.”

Jay-R Reyes and Japeth Aguilar made crucial triples in the stretch but Meralco’s failure to cash in on its free throws in the last 15 seconds prevented the Bolts from repeating their 100-87 win over Ginebra the first time they met.

Tenorio said Meralco’s speed and physicality, especially on Ginebra big men Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar, were the reasons why the Bolts managed to push them to their limit.

“Alam nila paano kami laruin,” said Tenorio. “Malalaki kami pero tinatalo kami sa offensive rebounds. They are bullying us and they are playing physical defense on us.”

Immediately after that game, the Kings agreed on a pact, knowing their last four opponents could take up Meralco’s cue.

“It all started in practice. The past days before that game, masama ang practices namin. So after the Meralco game, we all agreed we can’t practice like that,” Tenorio bared.

Ginebra next takes on San Mig Coffee on Sunday before tangling with Barako Bull and GlobalPort. The Kings cap their elimination campaign against defending champion Talk N Text on Jan. 19.

“The next four games will prepare us for the playoffs,” said Tenorio. “Come playoff time, hindi na puwedeng palaging lucky shot in the end.”

But Petron coach Gee Abanilla foresees Barangay Ginebra sustaining its romp to nail the top playoffs seeding, leaving Petron, Rain or Shine and Talk n Text to fight for No. 2.

“They have the edge and the momentum. They look a cinch to get the No. 1 spot,” Abanilla told The STAR.

As the tourney resumes with a double-header at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City tomorrow, the Gin Kings pace the field with a 9-1 win-loss card.

“They have a good schedule and they’re really playing well. Mukha talagang mauuna na sila sa itaas (They’re likely to clinch the top spot),” said Abanilla.

Petron is a full game behind Ginebra at 8-2, and Abanilla said they’re going through a tough grind to close out their 14-game elimination round stint.

In their last four games, the Boosters tangle with the Barako Bull Energy Cola, the Globalport Batang Pier, the San Mig Coffee Mixers and the Meralco Bolts – four teams all determined to spark a rally to make the Top Six or the best-of-three quarterfinal series.

The good news for the Boosters is that Junmar Fajardo has started to do some shooting in practice.

“He looks good now, unlike the past few days where he dragged his foot. There’s a good chance he’ll be back in our game against Barako (on Wednesday) but it will still depend on the assessment of the doctor,” said Abanilla.

Through eight games in the elimination round of this all-Filipino conference, the 6-foot-10 Fajardo has accumulated 43.5 SPs as the sophomore center averages 15.5 points, a league-best 17.3 rebounds with 1.6 assists and 3 shot blocks.

However, Fajardo has missed the Boosters’ previous two games as they lost to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (97-83) but won against defending three-time champion Talk ’N Text (105-91) to stay at second place with 8-2 win-loss record.

Fajardo, who sustained a strained MCL on his right knee last December 23 during a team practice session, is expected to return to action when Petron Blaze clashes with Barako Bull on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.

Not far behind is Japeth Aguilar of the league-leading Kings with 41.2 SP.

Aguilar, the high-leaping 6-foot-9 forward of Ginebra averaged 19.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and a conference-best 3.8 shot blocks through 10 games.

Aside from his thunderous slam dunks that usually end up in weekly top plays on TV, Aguilar also boasts of two highlight reels of buzzer-beating triples delivered against Talk ’N Text (97-95) last Dec. 8 and Meralco (83-82) last Saturday.

Petron Blaze forward Arwind Santos, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) last season, is currently at No. 3 with 37.3 SP, with averages of 16.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 shot blocks in 10 games.

Last season’s Philippine Cup BPC winner Jayson Castro of defending three-time champion Talk ’N Text, ranks fourth with 37.0 SP as he leads the league in scoring with 20.7 points while adding 5.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.0 steals.

Ginebra’s Greg Slaughter, this year’s top pick in the PBA Rookie Draft, is the only freshman in the Top 10 of the BPC derby. Slaughter has 15.4 points and 10.4 rebounds, with 2.1 shot blocks and has a total of 36.5 SP.

Aguilar and Slaughter’s teammate LA Tenorio is currently at seventh spot with 31.3 SP, averaging 10.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, a league-best 7.5 assists and 1.7 steals. He’s behind Globaport’s Jay Washington with 36.4 SP.

Completing the Top 10 in the BPC race are Sol Mercado of Globalport (30.3 SP), and Petron Blaze teammates Marcio Lassiter (29.9 SP) and Chris Lutz (28.8 SP). Interestingly at 12th spot in 40-year-old center Asi Taulava of Air21 with 27.6 SP as he averages 12.6 points and 13.0 rebounds in 10 games with the Express.

Taulava, Fajardo, Slaughter, Santos and Washington are the only players to average double-double (points/rebounds) so far this conference. The BPC award will be given during the finals series of the AFC tournament.

On the other hand, the 7-foot Slaughter enjoys a big advantage in the Rookie of the Year as Terrence Romeo of Globalport is running second with 23.8 SP, while Ian Sangalang, the No. 2 overall pick of San Mig Coffee, has 20.1 SP, followed by Raymond Almazan of Rain or Shine (17.8 SP) and Globalport’s Justine Chua (14.6 SP).

The 6-10 Fajardo sustained a knee injury during a scrimmage when he stepped on the foot of teammate Doug Kramer last Dec. 23 and when Petron took on Barangay Ginebra on Christmas Day he languished as the Kings rolled to a 97-83 victory.

Coach Gee Abanilla told the Bulletin yesterday that “there is improvement in his health” as a special medical team is attending to the needs of the 24-year-old prized center from Cebu.

“Our medical team is doing everything for him to get better. He has daily treatment. It’s a little swollen, but June Mar is already doing some strengthening on the knee, some rehabilitation program,” said Abanilla.

Doctors diagnosed Fajardo with a strained MCL and because of this, he missed Petron’s 105-91 win over defending three-time champion Talk ‘N Text in the next assignment.

Ginebra leads the standings with a 9-1 card, followed by Petron with 8-2 while Rain or Shine is third at 7-3. Talk ‘N Text is at fourth with 6-3, while carrying similar 4-6 cards are Globalport and Alaska and in hot pursuit are Barako Bull with 4-7, San Mig and Meralco at 3-7 and Air21 at 2-8.

The league-leader in rebounds with 17.25 per game and averages 15.5 points and three shot blocks per game, Fajardo is very crucial in their playoff bid as they eye one of the top two spots in the quarterfinal round, noted Abanilla.

Petron has four games left in its schedule and after playing Barako Bull, it will next meet Globalport on January 10, San Mig Super Coffee on January 15, and Meralco on January 18.

“Malaking adjustment for us ‘yung pagka-wala ni June Mar. Kasi our system revolves around him, talagang dumadaan sa kanya ‘yung bola. Kung andun din s’ya sa loob, it’s easier for some players to be open. Without him we can’t post up,” said Abanilla.

The good thing about their game against TNT, Abanilla said other players were able to step up like forward Doug Kramer, who started at center and finished with eight points and 10 rebounds, while Yousef Taha and Jason Deutchman combined for 12 points and 10 boards.

“We’re able to survive the two games without June Mar, but just the same, talagang mahirap pa din kung wala s’ya,” said Abanilla, adding that Fajardo will only play if he’s one hundred percent sure he feels no pain on his knee.

His Ginebra teammate LA Tenorio admitted that the 6’9” center is the main reason why the Gin Kings are now on top of the standings with 9-1 record.

Aguilar, who almost gave up on his PBA career after trying it out in the NBA, is the team’s leading scorer in the season-opening conference, averaging 19.8 points, while grabbing 9.5 rebounds and a league-best 3.8 blocks through the team’s first 10 games.

But more than Aguilar’s solid numbers, Tenorio has recognized his teammate’s newfound confidence, especially during crunch time when the team needs a big lift.

Proof of that was Aguilar’s buzzer-beating three-point shot on Saturday, enabling Barangay Ginebra to squeak past first-round tormentor Meralco, 83-82.

“Kaya naman kami nasa sitwasyon na ito is because of Japeth din. Of course, tiwala din kami sa kanya until the end,” Tenorio said of his fellow Gilas Pilipinas mainstay.

In that game, Aguilar’s three-pointer actually capped his seven-point contribution to the team’s last 10 points as the Gin Kings snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. He finished the game with 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks to avenge the team’s 87-100 first-round loss to Meralco this season.

Then, on Christmas day, Aguilar’s heroics were even more pronounced when he banged in 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in leading Barangay Ginebra to a 97-83 win over sister team Petron Blaze, fashioned out before a sellout crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena.

For his sensational performance, Aguilar was bestowed the Accel-PBA Player of the Week for the period of Dec. 23 to 29.

He bested Rain or Shine gunner Jeff Chan, who was also instrumental this past week in the E-Painters’ sensational run that vaulted them to solo third spot in the standings with their 7-3 record heading into the brief New Year’s break.