Beermen, Gin Kings promise series to remember

Game Friday (MOA Arena)

7 p.m. – San Miguel vs Ginebra

MANILA, Philippines – Just a little over four months after their last playoff battle, Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel Beer will do it again in the grandest stage of PBA playoffs, facing off for the 2017 Philippine Cup championship in a best-of-seven series beginning Friday at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

The Kings, then led by import Justin Brownlee and the same core group of the current Ginebra team, beat the Beermen in the Governors Cup best-of-five semifinal series that went the full distance, and subsequently bagged the championship over the Meralco Bolts.

The last two teams standing after the double knockout finish of the 2017 Philippine Cup Final Four, Ginebra and San Miguel figure in an anticipated playoff rematch that is likely to be a series to remember.

Both teams promised to wage an all-out fight in chase of a special feat during the pre-finals press conference at the Sambokojin restaurant in Eastwood, Quezon City on Wednesday.

San Miguel is determined to win the Philippine Cup crown for the third year in a row to be only the second recipient of the perpetual Emilio “Jun” Bernardino Trophy after TNT KaTropa, which won the special award for its all-Filipino three-peat from 2011 to 2013.

Ginebra, on the other hand, will be out to end a 10-year Philippine Cup title drought and pull off a rare back-to-back championships following their conquest of the 2016 Governors Cup diadem.

With so much at stake, there will surely be no such thing as sister teams in this battle.

“Yes, we are sister teams under the SMC Group pero hindi maiiwasan na magbuno kami (we can’t avoid to grapple),” said San Miguel skipper Arwind Santos.

San Miguel and Ginebra have had four previous championship showdowns, the last in the 2009 Fiesta Conference won by the Beermen and import Gabe Freeman in the deciding Game Seven.

Twice, they slugged it out in the all-Filipino finals, the last won by the Kings in six games in 2007. But the Kings have never won the league’s crown jewel since then.

“We want to prove we can win it again,” said Mark Caguioa, one of two remaining players – the other being Jayjay Helterbrand -- from that Ginebra champion team.

But the Beermen look as motivated and as determined.

“From day one, we’ve been wanting to win the perpetual trophy,” said Santos.

“We’re one task short of achieving the goal. We’ll be ready to battle from Game One to Game Seven, the whole 48 minutes or even more if needed,” said guard Chris Ross.

“We’re very happy to be in this position. I can’t wait to get it started,” said gunner Marcio Lassiter.

Ginebra is the clear underdog but the Kings love the challenge of defying the odds.

 “We’re excited going up against San Miguel. They’re going to be a handful for us but we’ll be ready,” said Caguioa.

 “There’s a huge task in front of us. We’re taking on obviously the best team in the league. It’s going to be a top battle and we hope to be up to the challenge,” said Sol Mercado.

“We have to slay a giant. But for sure, we’re going to battle,” said LA Tenorio.