ROS owner Terry Que stays positive despite 'frustrating' semis exit in PBA Govs' Cup

Felix Lemetti was a revelation for Rain Or Shine during the PBA Governors' Cup. PBA Images (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Rain Or Shine team co-owner Terry Que admitted on Monday that he was not impressed with how his team crashed out of the PBA Governors' Cup despite making the semifinals.

Even if they escaped Group B, tagged by some as the group of death, as the top seed, the Elasto Painters fell prey to the other top seed after the group stages, the TNT Tropang Giga, in the semifinals via a gentleman's sweep.

“We had a good start to the conference, but we had some challenges,” Que admitted.

“It’s frustrating but we have to learn from our mistakes and come back stronger next [conference].”

After back-to-back winless starts only to finish the eliminations strong to make the playoffs in both conferences last season, ROS started the Governors' Cup with a lot of fuel in its tank, racing to a 4-0 start before a June Mar Fajardo buzzer-beater for San Miguel snapped the hot run.

Despite the challenges imposed by the Beermen and Barangay Ginebra in the second round, the Elasto Painters still finished on top of their group.

However, they had to weather the fourth-seeded Magnolia Hotshots in the quarterfinals that reached the full five games.

Still feeling the fatigue factor especially since TNT had some more days of rest after eliminating NLEX in four games during their own quarterfinal tie, ROS struggled in the semifinals and was eventually whipped out in five, all the more that the team had to play without injured forward Caelan Tiongson who could have taken turns with Aaron Fuller in guarding Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

However, seeing that the young Elasto Painters lineup is now showing more signs of maturity, Que remains optimistic about their chances.

“Sabi ni Coach Yeng [Guiao], [stay] positive lang. So, positive din kami,” shared Que.

With a healthy roster, especially since Tiongson is expected to return once the PBA Commissioner's Cup kicks off on Nov. 26, and improved consistency, the Elasto Painters can aim to be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming conference.  

The team’s performance in the Governors’ Cup serves as a valuable lesson for the organization, and as the PBA season continues, Rain or Shine will be looking to learn from their mistakes and emerge as a stronger force in the league. 

Follow him on X: @IvanSaldajeno