PBA: Paul Lee admits having a tough time against Alaska's defense

Following Rain or Shine's semifinal loss against Alaska, Paul Lee admitted that he had a difficult time dealing with the Aces' choking pressure defense.

The Elasto Painter guard averaged 15.3 points per game from a 44.8 percent clip in the eliminations, but had been limited to 10.5 points from 11.2 percent shooting in the semifinals.

In the crucial Game 6, Lee shot a disappointing 2-of-11 clip from the field including 1-of-4 from beyond the arc.

"Masama. Credit din sa depensa nila," said Lee when asked about his performance in the series. "Team defense 'yung binuhos sa 'kin nung Alaska."

The guard, who came with valuable experience from his Gilas Pilipinas stint in the FIBA World Cup and the Asian Games, said he had a hard time penetrating Alaska's defense inside the two-point area.

"Pag atake ko sa middle, nakikita ko puro clog talaga sila," Lee said. "Binibigay nila sa amin 'yung outside shot pero hindi kami nagco-connect."

Rain or Shine shot poorly in rainbow country on Sunday, converting only seven treys out of 34 attempts. Alaska, meanwhile, hit 8-of-20, five of which came from shooter Dondon Hontiveros, for a higher clip of 40 percent.

Lee earlier addressed the Painters' excessive attempts from the three-point arc, saying that they "fell too much in love" with the three in Game Five. They went 10-of-39 in that match, which allowed the Aces to claim the crucial third win in the series.

With the semifinals exit, an All-Filipino championship trophy remained elusive for Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, who led his charges to two finals appearances last season.

"Siyempre malungkot pero ganun talaga," Lee said. "Meron pa naman kaming two conferences this season so kailangan lang namin na pagtrabahuhan 'yun." - RAF, GMA News