San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra are both looking to pick up crucial victories against separate foes as the Top 4 race in the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup continues to heat up on Sunday, Jan. 7, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Beermen hope to keep their spot inside the Top 4 when they clash against the already eliminated but still dangerous Terrafirma Dyip in the curtain raiser at 3 p.m. while the Kings face off against the playoff-bound NorthPort Batang Pier in the second offering at 6:15 p.m.
A tight race for the last three remaining seats in the Top 4 which dangles a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals is expected heading into the final stretch of elimination, making every win and loss more crucial to their playoff fates.
Both powerhouses are actually sporting an identical 6-3 record for a tie in the fourth to fifth spots, trailing the third-running Meralco which has a 6-2 slate and just a full game behind second placer Phoenix which boasts a 7-2 record.
The Bolts are playing top-seed Magnolia Hotshots as of press time and its result could give a clearer picture for the Top 4 race. Regardless of the outcome though, both SMB and Ginebra are looking to pick up as many wins as possible in the eliminations.
The Beermen, though, is expected to have a huge boost heading into the crucial stretch of their campaign after activating seven-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo to the lineup after being sidelined for four weeks due to a hand fracture.
There’s also no better timing for his return as guys like Terrence Romeo, Don Trollano, Marcio Lassiter and new import Bennie Boatwright all finally finding their grooves together.
Still, the wards of Jorge Gallent are not the one to come complacent against the Dyip who simply have nothing to lose in the game after getting booted out from the playoff race after Rain or Shine’s win over TNT last Friday.
The Kings, on the other hand, are expected to have their hands full against the Batang Pier who are riding the crest of their 109-86 win over the hard-luck Blackwater Bossing.
Ginebra, however, certainly has more than enough firepower at its disposal, spearheaded by Scottie Thompson, Maverick Ahanmisi, Christian Standhardinger and import Tony Bishop to match up against a young but feisty NorthPort team led by Arvin Tolentino, Joshua Munzon and do-it-all import Venky Jois.
