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Defending champion San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra are in a good position to get a little more comfortable in the top half of the standings when both teams meet on Friday in the continuation of the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup.
Both teams have a similar 4-2 record, but that’s probably where the comparisons end. The Gin Kings lost their last two games after a good start in the first four games, while the Beermen shrugged off two straight losses to start the bubble and are now at the top of a three-game winning streak.
It’s not exactly what one would call a high-stakes matchup at this point in the conference, but it’s just as important as any other game in a bubble that leaves little room for error. The winner can take third place solo in the standings and reinforce their control in one of the four twice-to-beat spots, while the losing team will find themselves at a disadvantage in the last three games by falling out of the top. . four.
For brewers, it’s about maintaining momentum. Things weren’t looking too good after losing Terrence Romeo to a shoulder injury last October 16, but San Miguel moved on instead of retiring and scored impressive victories against Terrafirma, Alaska and Meralco to revive their hopes of getting there. to the playoffs.
As has been the case during their all-Filipino rule, the heaviest brewers have relied on the stars who continue to carry the bulk of the workload. Frontcourt stars Mo Tautuaa and Arwind Santos in particular have been incredibly instrumental to an SMB team that continues to discover a little more each day without June Mar Fajardo.
After a slow start, Tautuaa got it back, averaging 21.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists in the last three wins. He’s doing a lot of damage on the inside by shooting 60.5 percent and taking just three triples, looking more comfortable as the man in the middle for the Beermen. Santos, meanwhile, is averaging 14.2 points (including a whopping 46.7 percent on 3s) and 10.7 rebounds in this conference while leading the PBA in double-doubles with five.
The guards have also been shouldering their fair share of responsibility. Lassiter (15.6 points, second among all SMB players) and Alex Cabagnot (13.8 points) are also scoring in double figures, and while Chris Ross is still trying to find his rhythm inside the bubble (7.5 points, 25 percent off shots), his playmaking (4.6 assists) and disruptive defense (2.8 steals per game, the best in the league) have proven to be more than enough to compensate.
As for the team, San Miguel’s shooting numbers in the last three games are above his conference averages. The Beermen have scored 95.3 points during the streak, nearly four points better than their 91.8-per-game average that currently ranks in the bottom three. Shooting has also been dropping: SMB’s 45.7 percent of field goals and 36.1 percent of shots during the streak would have ranked second in the entire league if they had held for an entire conference.
The Gin Kings, however, remain an entirely different challenge. It is not exactly reasonable to think that Geneva is in trouble; Sure, a two-game slip is never really ideal, but both losses – a 102-92 loss to Manila Classic rival Magnolia and an 85-82 overtime loss to Rain or Shine – were still games that could be played. win.
Guinevere made just 38.7 percent of his shots against the Elasto Painters on Tuesday, but that could be an aberration; the team still outscores all teams in shooting at 45.9 percent. The Gin Kings don’t try many 3s (28.3 per game, last four), but they do when they take them (39.4 percent, first). Ball movement (24.3 assists, first) and rebounds (43.0 per game, third) have also been indispensable strengths.
Stanley Pringle and Scottie Thompson have been prolific despite the slide. Pringle has been lethal inside the arc (60 percent), where most of his 22.0 points have come from the bottom two. Thompson has been a versatile force, with 15.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in respectable shooting percentages in losses.
Prince Caperal has cooled off from a tremendous conference start (6.5 points, just a triple in both losses), but the good news for Geneva is that Japeth Aguilar is picking up his pace. He averaged 13.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in the last two and even played 38 minutes in the last game against Rain or Shine.
If an edge can be found anywhere, it will be at the other end of the floor. SMB and Geneva still make a living choking off opposing offensives; both keep teams to just 90 points per game, tied for second-best in the conference so far.
The Gin Kings will have to clean up after allowing a Magnolia median offense to shoot 49.4 percent against them and letting Rain or Shine hit big clutch baskets during a fight. San Miguel, on the other hand, could use its fourth quarter against Meralco, who only scored 13 points after scoring more than 20 each in the first three quarters, on Wednesday as a model of what kind of effort should be sustained until 48 minutes. .
Burnout could also be a factor. Guinevere took two days off after that Rain or Shine routine; San Miguel saw two players in Santos (41) and Tautuaa (37) play over 36 minutes, and three more played over 28 in a close match on Wednesday.
San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra will meet at 6:45 pm, just after NorthPort and Magnolia meet in the first game (TV5, One Sports and PBA Rush)
