Kings go for kill vs defiant Bolts

MANILA, Philippines — Will it be 2016 all over again with Barangay Ginebra cashing in on its 3-2 lead and securing the clincher in Game 6? Or will there be a repeat of 2017 with Meralco forcing another standoff at three wins apiece and setting up a blockbuster winner-take-all?

With history split on the outcome of similar situations, the title-seeking Gin Kings and the embattled Bolts throw everything at each other in tonight’s sixth match to further their respective causes in their battle for the PBA Governors’ Cup diadem.

The stakes in the 6 p.m. tiff to be played at an expectedly full-packed Smart Araneta Coliseum are higher on the part of Meralco, which teeters on the brink of blowing its fourth opportunity to score a franchise breakthrough. Aside from their 4-2 setback in 2016, the Bolts fell short against the Gin Kings in 2017, 4-3, and in 2019, 4-1.

“They only have three wins. (If) We win this game, we tie the series so that’s what we’re focused on right now,” said a defiant Bolts coach Norman Black.

His charges are staying upbeat that they can still salvage this and go all the way with back-to-back victories.

“Our mindset is ‘Let’s win this game then let’s do it again on Friday (Game 7).’ More than ever, we’re motivated to win the first championship for Meralco,” said gunner Allein Maliksi.

“We’ll give it our best shot,” added big man Raymond Almazan.

On the threshold of its fourth title in the last five Governors’ Cup meets, the Gin Kings treat Game 6 as a “life-or-death.”

“We’ll definitely go for it on Wednesday. We can’t afford to be forced to a Game 7 kasi we know how difficult it is dealing with Meralco’s defense. It showed in the latter part of Game 5, sobrang hirap,” said Ginebra skipper LA Tenorio. “So that’s our do-or-die game on Wednesday, not on Friday.”

The Gin Kings got on the hill after overhauling the Bolts’ 2-1 upper hand with big wins on Holy Wednesday, 95-84, and on Easter Sunday, 115-110.

“We know that trying to beat a good team like this three times in a row is nearly impossible. When I look at it, it seems close but it’s really very far away,” said Ginebra mentor Tim Cone.

Justin Brownlee, who became the first import to make 400 3-pointers in PBA history, as well as Scottie Thompson, Tenorio, Christian Standhardinger and hopefully a healthier Japeth Aguilar spearhead Ginebra’s closeout bid against the life-saving efforts of Meralco’s Tony Bishop, Chris Newsome, Maliksi, Aaron Black, Almazan and Cliff Hodge.