Rain Or Shine's James Yap advises his teammates not to relax as they head for the homestretch of the PBA Philippine Cup. Photo courtesy of the PBA Media Bureau

MANILA, Philippines — After playing 6 games for Rain Or Shine, two-time PBA Most Valuable Player James Yap acknowledges that he has yet to fully grasp his team's system in the ongoing Philippine Cup.

Yap is averaging 11.2 points per game on a 38.3% clip, to go along with 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the Elasto Painters, who are second in the league standings with a 5-2 win-loss record.

He had 10 points in 20 minutes when Rain Or Shine routed Phoenix, 97-82, last Sunday to warm up for a showdown against league-leading San Miguel on Friday.

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"I'm getting there," Yap said after the game when asked if he has fully adjusted to his new team's system. "Hindi pa talaga 100%, kasi bago pa ako.

"Kaya nga crucial sa akin 'yung practice every day, kailangan 'yung focus ko andoon talaga."

(Not totally 100% because I'm still new. That's why practicing every day is crucial. I need to really be focused in games.)

Yap, who spent the first 12 years of his PBA career with the Purefoods franchise before being traded to Rain Or Shine in the offseason, acknowledged that at times, he still gets lost in the schemes they run.

"Meron pa akong mga nakakalimutan na play," he revealed. "Nawawala pa ako. So masasabi ko na hindi pa ako 100%."

"Sana, itong quarters or semis, makapag-adjust."

(There are plays I lose track of. I hope in the quarterfinals or semis, I can adjust.)

Even as he tries to master the Rain Or Shine playbook, Yap will still be called upon to contribute in their games especially now that they're in the final stretch of the elimination round.

"Malalakas 'yung mga natira naming games," said Yap. "So dito namin mate-test kung saan kami. Maganda ito sa amin."

(We'll be up against strong teams down the stretch so this is where we'll be tested. This will be good for us.)

The tough series of games begins Friday against defending champion San Miguel, which has won 6 in a row. A victory over the Beermen will be massive for Rain Or Shine, as it will allow them to gain some separation from the tightly clustered teams in the middle of the pack, all of whom are raring to seize the second seed.

"Wag lang mag-relax," said Yap. "Alam namin na No. 2 kami, pero kung titingnan natin 'yung standing, dikit-dikit eh. Isang talo mo, nasa baba ka na kaagad. Kailangan alagaan namin kung nasaan kami ngayon."

(We can't relax. We know we're No.2, but the standings are tight. If you lose, you drop all of a sudden. We need to take care of where we are right now.)

(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)