Semis cast still unsettled

Two teams are now safely in the PBA Philippine Cup semis after breezing through the quarters with No. 2 Barangay Ginebra and No. 3 Meralco advancing to start their best-of-seven series at the MOA Arena on Friday. The remaining two slots will be decided in knockout games at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium today. First will be No. 1 San Miguel Beer against No. 8 Terrafirma. Second will be No. 4 TNT against No. 5 Rain or Shine. Winners will face each other in the semis.

If Terrafirma survives, it will be the franchise’s first-ever semis outing. Since joining the PBA in 2014-15, the team has gone beyond the eliminations only twice in 23 conferences. The first was in the 2015-16 Governors Cup where the Dyip made it to the quarters but lost to Meralco despite a twice-to-beat advantage. In the ongoing Philippine Cup, Terrafirma not only reached the quarters but also notched its first playoff win in history, a 106-95 upset of San Miguel last Saturday. A repeat over the Beermen will mark Terrafirma’s first Final Four appearance in 10 years.

For San Miguel, losing two in a row to Terrafirma isn’t an option. The Beermen raced to a 10-0 record but has now lost two straight, first to Meralco then to Terrafirma. Coach Jorge Gallent will surely pull out all the stops to guarantee that San Miguel crosses the barrier. Terrafirma’s ambitious bid to bring down the league’s No. 1 squad is bolstered by its deadly four-headed monster with Juami Tiongson, rookie Stephen Holt, Isaac Go and Javi Gomez de Liaño playing like men on a mission. Terrafirma has to beat San Miguel twice to advance to the semis and the Dyip proved it’s no pushover in nailing the first do-or-die game. A barrage of triples buried the Beermen as Terrafirma took 50 percent of its field goals from beyond the arc, converting 15 to San Miguel’s nine. Coach Johnedel Cardel’s troops displayed incredible tenacity on defense to hold San Miguel to less than 100 points and 43 percent field goal shooting.

In the other knockout contest, TNT and Rain or Shine will square off to determine the team to meet the San Miguel-Terrafirma winner in the semis. The Tropa got the jump on the Painters in Game 1 of the quarters as Calvin Oftana erupted for 32 points and RR Pogoy 26 to fuel the 116-99 win. But last Sunday, Rain or Shine rebounded, 121-113, to force a winner-take-all showdown. Painters’ big man Beau Belga, the team’s second leading scorer, managed only six points but Jhonard Clarito, Andrei Caracut, Adrian Nocum and Santi Santillan delivered at least 20 apiece to burst TNT’s bubble. Coach Yeng Guiao’s squad has won seven of its last nine while coach Chot Reyes’ crew, three of its last five.

Terrafirma and Rain or Shine are clearly the underdogs only because San Miguel and TNT are perennial title contenders. Still, nobody can rule out a surprise ending. The Dyip and Painters are exceptionally motivated to prove that “independents” aren’t to be taken lightly. If trends continue, it will be San Miguel against TNT and Ginebra against Meralco in the semis. Can you imagine what the matchup will be like in the Finals?