Magnolia and San Miguel are the top two seeds for a reason.
The Hotshots and the Beermen duke it out for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown as they renew their rivalry over four years since their last championship showdown.
Determined to avenge its losses to San Miguel in the 2018 and 2019 Philippine Cup finals, Magnolia gets a crack at ending a five-year title drought.
The Hotshots last won a championship in the 2018 Governors’ Cup before finding themselves on the losing end in their two previous finals appearances.
Meanwhile, San Miguel eyes a PBA record-extending 29th title and its second in four conferences after ruling the Philippine Cup last season.
“Magnolia has been the No. 1 one team since, I think, four to five months ago. So, it’s gonna be hard for us to beat them,” San Miguel head coach Jorge Gallent told reporters in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals press conference Thursday.
“But, you know, we are kinda positive about it. We’re gonna try, really, our best to get the championship in this conference,” Gallent added.
Aside from the hot streak, San Miguel has also been resting for almost a week, since they defeated Ginebra on Sunday.
For his part, Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero said that the minimal rest will not be an issue for the team, which barged into the finals on Wednesday after defeating the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 89-79.
Here is the FINALS (Best of seven series) schedule of the games:
- Game 1 🐔 Magnolia (light) vs 🍺 San Miguel (dark)
📅 February 2, 2024 - 🕜 7:30pm
🏀 Mall of Asia arena
- Game 2 🍺 San Miguel (light) vs 🐔 Magnolia (dark)
📅 February 4, 2024 - 🕜 6:15pm
🏀 Mall of Asia arena
- Game 3 🐔 Magnolia (light) vs San Miguel (dark)
📅 February 7, 2024 - 🕜 7:30pm
🏀 Araneta Coliseum
- Game 4 🍺 San Miguel (light) vs 🐔 Magnolia (dark)
📅 Feb 9 (Awarding of BPC and best import) - 🕜 7:35pm
🏀 Araneta Coliseum
