NLEX is on a streak, but coach Yeng Guiao is the first one to tone down expectations.
"We're not yet contenders, we're not yet a top level team," stated Guiao. "We're just having a good run."
Some, if not most, would tend to disagree after the Road Warriors outlasted Rain or Shine 122-114 Wednesday to stretch its winning roll to three and keep at least a share of the leadership in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Kevin Alas continued his fine play for NLEX as he led the locals who complemented yet another monster game for Aaron Fuller and spelled a first-ever win by the Road Warriors over the Elasto Painters this season.
It was actually the fifth straight win in all for NLEX since it ended the Commissioner's Cup with back-to-back victories, but Guiao maintained his side is still a work in progress.
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"We have to learn how to win games like this if we want to go up to the next level," he said .
"It's nice to beat a top team, the contenders and to beat them in a hard game... to be able to finish the game strong, make the hard decisions and make the right plays," Guiao added.
"It's still a learning process for us. But to beat Rain or Shine is testimony to the progress that we have made. "
Fuller wound up with game-highs of 33 points and 20 rebounds with Alas adding 24 and 10 which more than made up for a bonehead play that saw him committing a foul on Chris Tiu during their jump ball, 6.3 ticks left in the first OT.
Tiu sank the two charities, but Alas quickly atoned by getting the inbounds and driving hard for a scoop shot that knotted the count at 110 and forced the second extension.
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"Kevin Alas is playing consistently. I called him off because he committed a stupid foul in the jump ball, but he made up for that in the next play," noted Guiao.
The loss dropped Rain or Shine to an even 1-1 slate despite JD Weatherspoon notching 20 points and 16 rebounds and Beau Belga, James Yap and Maverick Ahanmisi leading eight locals who scored at least 10 points.
A couple of scoring droughts, most notably in the second extension, proved to be the E-Painters' downfall.
Weatherspoon's two charities actually gave Rain or Shine a 112-111 edge, 3:51 left in the game, but his side went scoreless over the next three minutes, enabling NLEX to unleash a 9-0 surge capped by a Larry Fonacier triple.
Drives by Alas, Alex Mallari and Fuller sparked and fueled that telling run and it was also Alas who found Fonacier in the left corner for the trey that made it 120-112, only 61 ticks left.
Rain or Shine did have a chance to win outright in a game that had a total 14 deadlocks and 11 lead changes after Ahanmisi's tough drive pegged a 101-all count, 23 seconds left in regulation.
After Fuller missed his own drive, E-Painters coach Caloy Garcia drew up a play for the last 14 seconds, but Chris Tiu, cold off the bench, lost the ball.
A little earlier, Rain or Shine rallied behind Weatherspoon and Yap to come charging back from the game's biggest difference at 81-90 and even take a 99-96 advantage, only to fire blanks in the next 4:15 that allowed NLEX to regain the upper hand, 101-99.
