MANILA, Philippines -- Forty-eight minutes of energy.
This is what the San Miguel Beermen need to show as they stake their undefeated record against rivals Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA Philippine Cup on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, head coach Jorge Gallent said.
The Beermen are currently unblemished in three contests thus far in the PBA Philippine Cup heading into the colossal matchup with the 3-1 Gin Kings.
Ginebra just came from a big momentum-boosting win over the Magnolia Hotshots on Sunday, the same day San Miguel drubbed the Phoenix Fuel Masters.
Gallent, speaking to reporters after their 116-102 triumph, acknowledged Ginebra’s strength as a team.
“Definitely [the game will be a gauge for the season]. Ginebra’s one of the strongest teams here,” he told reporters.
“So we just have to prepare against them and we have to be consistent and we have to give our 48 minutes of energy for us to have a chance of beating them,” he added.
The defending Philippine Cup champions will continue to bank on their depth, with the likes of Jericho Cruz and Terrence Romeo putting up big numbers off the bench.
Of course, regular starters June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez and Marcio Lassiter also have the tendency to heat up and scorch the competition.
On the other hand, Ginebra will try to rely on their offensive and defensive identity to try and notch San Miguel’s first loss of the conference.
Also on Friday, the TNT Tropang Giga will face the NorthPort Batang Pier at 4:30 p.m.
NorthPort is currently at 3-1 in the conference, while TNT is holding a 2-2 card.