DEFENDING champion Barangay Ginebra considers itself as the underdog when it takes on sister team San Miguel Beer in Game 1 of their PBA Season 48 Commissioner's Cup best-of-five semifinal series on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings and the Beermen reached the Final Four after dispatching the NorthPort Batang Pier and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, respectively, in the quarterfinals.
They collide at 8 p.m.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone admitted that playing San Miguel won't be a walk in the park.
For one, outside the Beermen's usual deadly local roster of star center June Mar Fajardo, Terrence Romeo, guards Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter, Jericho Cruz and Don Trollano, the Gin Kings will have to contend with sweet-shooting import Bennie Boatwright.
San Miguel is 4-0 since Boatwright came in to take the spot of Ivan Aska, while the team has won six straight dating back to the last half of the elimination round.
Cone admitted that even while they are sister teams with the Beermen, each time Ginebra faces SMB, he considers it more like "brothers fighting for attention of the big bosses."
"It's a real rivalry, not that friendly either to be honest," shared Cone, who admitted he has developed good relationship with Ross and Lassiter since they were part of the Gilas squad that captured the Southeast Asian Games men's basketball gold as well as the Asian Games championship in Hangzhou, China in 2023.
"But when it comes down to it (PBA championship), we're not friendly when the game starts. I guess it's one of the best rivalries," he added.
San Miguel routed Ginebra 95-82 in their lone elimination round face off on December 16 where Ross torched the league's most popular squad with 22 points, while Trollano had 16 in his debut in an SMB uniform after being part of the three-team trade.
Meanwhile, top seed Magnolia will also be shooting for a quick head start in their own semifinal series against Phoenix at 4 p.m.
The Hotshots were the first team to reach the Final Four after dispatching the TNT Tropang Giga 109-94.
Phoenix, the only independently owned squad left standing in the tournament, reached the semis after outlasting Meralco 88-84 in their rubber match last Sunday.
Magnolia clobbered Phoenix 107-92 in their only encounter this season.
American Tyler Bey, along with veteran guards Mark Barroca, Paul Lee and Jio Jalalon, and Calvin Abueva and Ian Sangalang will be leading Magnolia against a Phoenix side that has a number of young players.
The Fuel Masters though will have import Johnathan Williams and Jason Perkins leading the way for the Dennis Uy-owned franchise.
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