Though a game up on San Miguel Beer, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters still consider themselves the decided underdogs in their crucial match Wednesday in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
"We can't be complacent only because San Miguel lost two straight games," said ROS coach Caloy Garcia, believing the Beermen are tougher to beat coming off a loss.
"They are still the team to beat this conference. Their import would have already adjusted so we are expecting that he would play better this time around and we just have to be ready," Garcia also said.
The E-Painters hope they can defy the odds to grab solo fourth place behind Barangay Ginebra (6-1), Meralco (5-1) and NLEX (7-2).
They're currently tied with the Star Hotshots at 4-2.
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The Beermen, meanwhile, will be out to check a two-game skid, hoping they draw the best from new import Terik Bridgeman in his second game in the local pro league.
San Miguel dropped its last game versus Alaska Milk, 79-90, on Saturday in Angeles City, with coach Leo Austria opting to sit out Bridgeman in the entire second half.
Bridgeman, a replacement to Wendell McKines, committed six turnovers and converted just one of four shots in the opening half of that game.
The Beermen failed to win with an all-Filipino line-up and allowed the Aces to end a long 14-game winless spell from the last conference.
June Mar Fajardo and his teammates have to recall their old form or they might fall deeper in the bottom half of the team standings. They're currently at eighth place at 3-3, just half-game ahead of GlobalPort (3-4).
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But the E-Painters can well pose a tough challenge especially as they're on a hot run with wins over Star (92-88), TNT KaTropa (105-73) and Kia (94-86) in their last three games.
Raymond Almazan is expected to be back in harness.
He's been discharged from brief hospital confinement after a 13-point, 14-rebound job in their win over the Hotshots the previous week. He was dehydrated playing with a fever then.
