MANILA: Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao certainly would have wanted to march on to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals under a different circumstance.

The Elasto Painters finished off a stubborn Meralco side that was without import Josh Davis on Tuesday night, 107-98, and Guiao later on admitted that this “took something out” of their win even though Rain or Shine fought very hard for it at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

“We got a really big break with their import not able to play, it’s just too bad,” the outspoken Guiao said. “It certainly took something out of it (win). We would have wanted them to have played their import and battled it out like they did in the first two games.”

Rain or Shine opened up a 30-11 lead late in the first quarter before blowing cold and allowing the Bolts back in it as the Painters needed a really big third quarter and a steady finish to complete their 3-0 sweep and become the first finalist.

“They (Bolts) really had a chance in this series,” Guiao added. “The scores don’t reflect how difficult this series was for us. We were the ones who had to make the adjustments.”

The firebrand coach, who is in his third title shot in the last four conferences, then paid some compliment on the Bolts.

“That team will be a lot better, if not in the next conference, in the next season because of the experience it gained here.”

Sophomore center Raymond Almazan and super guard Paul Lee combined for 22 of the 35 Rain or Shine points in the pivotal third as they got the Painters back in the groove after blowing that 19-point lead to even trail by five in the second frame.

Almazan, the 6-foot-7 sophomore out of Letran in the NCAA, scored 13 of his 14 and Lee had nine as they steadied the ship somewhat that allowed Rain or Shine to again gather momentum and finish off the Bolts.

Even without Davis, the Bolts didn’t just fold up as five players led by Cliff Hodge, Reynel Hugnatan and Mark Macapagal tenaciously tried to extend their tournament.

Meralco continued to bottle up Rain or Shine import Wayne Chism but simply could not match the firepower that the Painters packed owing to their very deep bench.

Rain or Shine will now just have to wait for the winner of the Purefoods-Talk ‘N Text series, which is tied at 1-1 going into Thursday’s crucial Game 3 also at the Big Dome.

The Tropang Texters will have momentum going into the tiebreaker, having won Game 2 convincingly with a strong finishing kick on Monday night.

Lee, who was named the game’s Best Player after also issuing six assists, refused to say which team he prefers as a Finals foe but vowed that he and his teammates will be ready for the best-of-seven title series.

Hodge and Macapagal scored 20 points each to pace the Bolts.

Davis was all dressed up but watched the game with his left arm in a sling. He hyper-extended his shoulder in Game 2 and would have been out of the next game had the Bolts managed to pull through.

Meanwhile, the league will fete a total of 15 players in grandiose ceremonies today for the PBA’s 40 Greatest Players list at the Resorts World in Pasay.

Two-time MVPs Willie Miller, James Yap and Danny Ildefonso banner the new inductees into the list as they join the 25 named before them when the league celebrated its Silver Anniversary in 2000.

Asi Taulava, Eric Menk, Kelly Williams, Jay-Jay Helterbrand, Arwind Santos, Mark Caguioa and Jimmy Alapag, one-time MVPs all, and Jason Castro, Marc Pingris, Kerby Raymundo, Chito Loyzaga and Marlou Aquino are the other new members of the elite list.