BARANGAY Ginebra and San Miguel Beer shoot for berths in the next round when they take on separate foes at the start of the quarterfinals of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup.
The number 3 ranked Gin Kings face off against longtime rival No. 6 Alaska in an evenly matched tussle at 7 p.m. The number 2 seed Beermen are heavily favored when they take on number 7 NLEX in their 4:15 p.m. clash at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today.
The Gin Kings and the Beermen have been consistent throughout the tournament, thus, they will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage over their respective opponents and only need to win once to advance to the semifinals.
Should they prevail, they will face each other in a best-of-five semifinals series.
Both the Aces and the Road Warriors are looking to force a knockout game and extend their lives.
Even though Ginebra dropped its final assignment in the elimination round, it is now refocused and looking forward to the task ahead because it knows that Alaska won’t be an easy adversary to defeat.
“We’re looking at a tough game against Alaska. Everyone knows what they’re capable of,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.
After having an uncharacteristic sluggish start in the tournament, the Aces are peaking at the right time and they will enter the playoffs with a four-game winning streak.
Even if his team is one of the league’s hottest right now, Alaska coach Alex Compton still insists the Aces need to be at their absolute best to beat Ginebra.
“Definitely, we need to play the best Alaska basketball in order for us to win and extend our lives. We’ll be facing a tough and confident Ginebra team. It will take no less than a perfect performance from us,” said Compton.
Being the defending champion and continuing to perform at a high level, San Miguel is expected by many to have the upperhand against NLEX, especially with new returning import Elijah Millsap now re-accustomed to his squad.
Beermen coach Leo Austria reminded his wards to keep pushing hard.
“We need to continue playing with pride and with a lot of effort. In the PBA, any team has a chance,” he said.
Unlike San Miguel, NLEX has been having a rollercoaster campaign and it hopes it can gather itself in the most crucial time.
