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It’s win or go home for the remaining four teams fighting in Clark’s bubble, as the Philippine Cup semifinals of the only Philippine Basketball Association season 45 are rounded out with a couple of 5 games on Friday. .
Phoenix Super LPG and TNT Tropang Giga take the field first at 3:45 pm while Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Meralco meet at 6:30 pm in the gymnasium of the Angeles University Foundation.
Meralco and TNT extended the best-of-five series to the limit with the Bolts defeating the Gin Kings, 83-80, and the Tropang Giga stopping the Fuel Masters, 102-101, last Wednesday.
The Gin Kings are expected to bounce back as they aim for their 27th overall appearance in the Finals, the 10th in the Philippine Cup, since they joined the league in 1979.
“Tomorrow is a great game, a battle of adjustments and executions. We just have to play the game and we will execute it to the best of our abilities. Our motivation is that we support each other, ”said Stanley Pringle, who had 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists in Game 4’s loss to Geneva.
Grand Slam coach Tim Cone is optimistic. Game 5 should be a different story after a loss.
“Game 5 should be great. It will simply come down to execution. I don’t think either team wants to go home yet, ”Cone said.
Meralco coach Norman Black said transitional defense and rebounding would be the key to his attempt to make his fourth appearance in the Finals.
“We are up against a Geneva team that has both talent and experience in these situations. We will give everything to get a victory, “said Black.
Chris Newsome had 16 points, 11 rebounds, six steals and five assists, while Raymund Almazan made a big play in the closing seconds with a crucial block on Pringle.
“No hate, just love. Nothing personal here. It’s going to be a tough battle in Game 5 and we are not going to give in early, ”said Almazan, who scored 11 points in Game 4.
The Fuel Masters are hoping for their first championship appearance since joining the league in 2016, but they have to compete with a TNT team that saved their season last Wednesday behind Bobby Ray Parks Jr.’s 36 points.
Tropang Giga is looking forward to its 20th appearance in the Finals, the seventh in the Filipino conference. The Best of Seven Finals start on Sunday.
