Another titular affair between two powerhouse sister teams is in books as San Miguel Beer takes on Barangay Ginebra in a repeat of their finals’ clash since last year’s Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.
The Grand Slam-seeking Beermen will look to repeat their 4-1 series triumph over the crowd favorites, while BGSM is keen on taking home a cup they have yet to win in this era.
But beyond what this marquee matchup promises on paper, there are key storylines to look out for when action unfolds at the Commissioner’s Cup Finals this Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Kraken vs Godzilla
Pundits, scribes, and basketball-loving fans of any jersey color will get the chance to finally see two giants of the league go head-to-head in a championship series as Greg Slaughter and JuneMar Fajardo relive their rivalry in a grand stage they last shared nearly a decade ago in Cebu.
“This is the first time we square off in the finals, and so it brings back good memories of our home in Cebu,” said Ginebra’s Slaughter after their 96-94 semifinal closeout of Rain or Shine.
The fit-again 7-footer had the chance to do so in the 2016-17 Philippine Cup, but an ACL injury forced him to sit out Ginebra’s finals trip against San Miguel Beer. The last time he met the four-straight league MVP in the finals was back in 2009 when Slaughter-led University of Visayas beat Fajardo’s University of Cebu in the Cesafi finals.
JB vs RB
In contrast with the earlier example, Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee and SMB’s Renaldo Balkman have both hit the floor in the same finals series though in matching uniforms when the two imports carried the San Miguel Alab Pilipinas to an Asean Basketball league championship recently.
Both were former teammates and replacement imports. The two also carried their respective teams out of the cellars early in the conference to a finals’ appearance and everyone knows both want to bring their team to ultimate glory.
The similarities end, of course, when either of the two men finally lift the Commissioner’s Cup.