PBA: Rain or Shine stars Chan, Lee battling injuries in finals

Before the Commissioner's Cup finals series against Talk 'N Text, Jeff Chan was still unsure whether he would play for Rain or Shine due to a nagging plantar fascia injury.

He had sat out most of the semifinals against Meralco, seeing action for just five minutes in Game One and then totally resting for the next two games. The Elasto Painters managed to close out the Bolts without him.

The Tropang Texters, however, are a different story. To win the championship, Rain or Shine would need the presence of their best sniper.

"Jeff is a vital cog in our offense," said coach Yeng Guiao about the southpaw shooter after his team punched their finals ticket for the fifth time in nine conferences. "Kung kaya namin na ma-rehab siya in time, we're trying to get him back in the finals."

Chan would heed the call of duty. He has not fully recovered despite a week of break, but he resorted to taking pain relievers to be able to help the team chase their second championship.

"I wanna help my team, kahit may pain 'yan o wala," he said after contributing 17 points in the Painters' 116-108 finals Game Two victory. "Tsaka ako naman pag may pain sa game, di ko naman pipilitin."

But while the medicine temporarily numbs him from the pain during the game, the effect wears out shortly after and lets him feel the price of his resolve. He said, however, that he is determined to see through the whole series.

"As long as hindi siya lumala, as long as makalaro, I'll play," he said.

His teammate Paul Lee, who hurt his ankle in the first half of Game Two, made a similar decision and simply gritted his teeth as he continued to lead Rain or Shine on Friday night.

In his 25 minutes on the floor, the guard finished with 20 points and four assists, toughing it out despite the pain and just allowed the adrenaline to carry him through the buzzer.

The pain greeted him full-on inside the locker room when he removed the tape wrapped around his ankle and as the euphoria of victory wore off, but Lee said he would not let the injury bother him.

"Kailangan mag-sacrifice lang. Kung gusto namin talagang manalo ng championship, 'yung mga ganito, dapat isantabi na muna," he said.

Lee, who is in the running for the Best Player of the Conference award, said he is prepared to risk everything for the sake of winning the trophy for his team.

"Kahit ano mangyari sa 'kin ngayong series, tatapusin ko lahat talaga. Kasi gustong-gusto ko talagang magchampion." -- JST, GMA News