As Rain or Shine shoots for a clean sweep in its best-of-seven title showdown against Alaska today in Game 4 of the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, guard Paul Lee hopes to make the final push for what he calls his “first championship” in the pro league.
“Isa na lang… isang panalo na lang kami,” said Lee yesterday when contacted by Tempo after the practice session of ROS at the Northeast Green Hills gym in San Juan.
“Sana makuha na namin, matagal ko na din hinantay to e. Buhos na lahat sa Game 4,” added the 6-1 versatile combo-guard.
“Kung papalarin, first ko to. Kasi nung nag-champion kami injured ako e. Eto talagang masabi ko na may naitulong ako sa team, may nagawa ako para manalo kami ng title. So sana nga,” Lee said.
Rain or Shine won its first and so far only PBA championship in 2012 when it bagged the Governors’ Cup, but Lee was sidelined with a dislocated left shoulder he sustained in Game 2.
The team went on to play in four other finals series with Lee on the roster, but suffered painful defeats twice to Tropang Texters and Star Hotshots. Lee missed a total of five games in the eliminations due to a left knee injury.
But in this finals, Lee isn’t just a contributor.
Truth is, he is among the top performers so far for Rain or Shine in this championship series against Alaska, holding a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven showdown following a 112-108 win in Game 3 last Wednesday.
Lee twice topped in scoring in the first two games of the finals, exploding for a personal conference best 20 points in Rain or Shine’s 105-97 win in Game 1, then he followed it up with a 17-point performance to match the output of Jeff Chan in a 105-103 victory in Game 2.