PBA: Rain or Shine need Chan, Extra Rice Inc. to rediscover their stroke

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters hope to forge an early knot in their best-of-seven Philippine Cup Finals series against the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters when game two kicks off on Friday, but the team is no doubt hoping they can pull it off with some of their shooters finding their range on the court. 

 

2012 Governors' Cup Finals MVP Jeff Chan has waxed hot and cold, while the duo of JR Quinahan and Beau Belga, also known as Extra Rice Inc. have struggled to hit outside shots, throughout this conference's playoffs. 

[Related: Fonacier's late triple lifts TNT over Rain or Shine in Finals game one]

 

After starting the season norming 23 points over a five-game stretch, Chan has since cooled off. Though he had 27 points to help eliminate the San Mig Coffee Mixers in game six of their semifinals series, that has been the only time he's broken the 20-point markers in 11 outings, including Finals game one, where he was 3-of-12 from the field for 10 points. 

Jeff Chan	PPG	3PM	3PA	3P%	FGM	FGA	FG%
Eliminations	17.9	21	60	35.00%	72	175	41.14%
Playoffs	11.1	12	53	22.64%	37	112	33.04%

 

In fact, it was the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters which broke his hot start to the Philippine Cup, holding him to just four points in their sole elimination round meeting. 

 

Also absent so far in the playoffs is the outside shooting of Beau Belga and JR Quinahan. In the regular season, the two big men created match-up problems, thanks to their ability to hit from downtown, with Belga nailing 40.0 percent of his treys, and Quinahan 45.7 percent.

 

Beau Belga	PPG	3PM	3PA	3P%	FGM	FGA	FG%
Eliminations	9.6	20	50	40.00%	41	104	39.42%
Playoffs	7.5	5	25	20.00%	28	73	38.36%

 

JR Quinahan	PPG	3PM	3PA	3P%	FGM	FGA	FG%
Eliminations	9.3	16	35	45.71%	52	121	42.98%
Playoffs	5.9	5	29	17.24%	23	69	33.33%

 

That hasn't translated yet into the playoffs though. Both players have made just five triples each over a 10-game span (quarters to Finals game one), with Belga needing 25 attempts for 20 percent shooting, and Quinahan even more woeful, 29 tries for 17 percent. 

[Related: Three-point shooting woes led to Rain or Shine's defeat - Guiao]
 

Rain or Shine as a whole made just 4-of-21 from downtown in their first game versus Talk 'N Text, but they lost by just six points, 87-81, prompting head coach Yeng Guiao to say, "As bad as we played, I still think we had a chance to win this game in the fourth. We just didn't shoot well from outside." 

 

Game two is set for Friday at the SM MOA Arena. - AMD, GMA News