Kings, Bolts eye semis

We certainly would have chosen a different opponent for the quarters if it was within our power.

Barangay Ginebra tries to end the grand slam aspirations of San Miguel Beer as it goes for the win at the start of the quarterfinal round 2019 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The twice-to-beat Gin Kings and the Beermen collide at 6:45 in the evening with the latter hoping to stay alive to keep their triple crown dream alive.

In the first game, Meralco shoots for a semifinal berth as it faces Alaska at 4:30 in the afternoon.

“We certainly would have chosen a different opponent for the quarters if it was within our power, but San Miguel it is. Control what you can control, and that is preparing ourselves the best we can,” Ginebra head coach Tim Cone said.

“It’s always such a great challenge going against them. Both teams are extremely motivated. It should be a great fight,” he added.

After a promising 4-0 start in the tournament, San Miguel was plagued with injuries and internal problems and lost five of its last seven games to finish with 6-5 record and settle for No. 5 spot in the quarters.

Now, the Beermen need to beat the Gin Kings twice in order to stay in the hunt for the franchise’s second grand slam.

“This game is really tough for us. They’re trying to prevent us from getting the grand slam. It’s a tough assignment for us with the twice-to-beat disadvantage that we have,” Austria said.

“Everybody wants to win. And there are a lot of contenders this conference. The top six teams are legit contenders for the title. You can’t pinpoint what will happen,” he added.

Austria is expecting the return of Greg Slaughter from injury to help the cause of Ginebra.

“I’m sure he’ll be back. He’s one of the reasons why Ginebra is in top four,” Austria said.

Arwind Santos, Kelly Nabong and Ronald Tubid will continue to miss the game due to the team-imposed suspension as an aftermath of the brawl during their practice that also involved former import Dez Wells.

Meanwhile, the Bolts are wary of the Aces, whose 0-5 start was negated by their strong second half in the elimination round as they won five of their last six assignments to catch the last quarterfinals berth.