ONE more win is all San Miguel needs to get back to the finals yet again. The Beermen are aiming to do that right away as they look to finish off ailing Barangay Ginebra in their best-of-seven semifinals showdown in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.
The Beermen, ahead by a commanding 3-1 edge, will gun for the first finals berth in Game 5 at 6:30 p.m. tonight at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City even as the Gin Kings are bound to fight desperately to extend the series.
Motivated to have an easier route back to the finals, San Miguel showed everyone exactly why it is the three-time defending champion.
The Beermen stamped their class emphatically and manhandled the Gin Kings from start to finish in Game 4 last Thursday, taking it with authority, 102-81, to take a 3-1 series lead and move a win away from a fourth straight finals appearance in this particular conference.
It’s now about finishing the job and keeping the level of intensity moving forward for the Beermen according to SMB coach Leo Austria.
“Energy is the big factor for us in this series. That’s what helped us in our last game,” said Austria. “We need to carry that with us to close out and move to the finals.”
While the four-peat seeking Beermen are in a good spot in their continuing quest for another successful title defense, the same can’t be said for the Gin Kings, who are now on the brink of elimination.
After pinning Ginebra’s Game 4 loss on himself, Gin Kings coach Tim Cone hopes his team can move forward and display the never-say-die spirit it is known for now that it’s win or go home time.
“It’s a tough one to swallow but we move forward from it. We hope to play better and hope to extend our run,” said Cone.
Meanwhile, Magnolia is gunning for a similar 3-1 lead as it is currently going for a third straight win against NLEX in their own best-of-seven semis affair as of this report.
