Games today:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

5 p.m. — Phoenix vs Blackwater

7:30 p.m. — Ginebra vs San Miguel Beer

It’s not often for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to come out on top when pitted against San Miguel Beer.

Last month, the Gin Kings won in their first meeting in Group B of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup.

Making a repeat in a game with much at stake is a different story.

Ginebra coach Tim Cone expects the vengeful Beermen to charge at them with their full might to grab a playoffs spot and take the solo lead in their rematch today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We always have tremendous battles against San Miguel. Oftentimes, we come out at the short end. We don’t beat them as much as they beat us. But we’re capable so we’re coming into this game hoping we can repeat,” Cone said.

The magnitude of the 7:30 p.m. duel weighs a lot for both squads.

The Gin Kings, Beermen and idle Rain or Shine are in a three-way logjam on top of the standings with identical 5-2 slates. Another win will secure them a quarterfinals berth.

Ginebra is on a four-game win streak while San Miguel has won its last three outings.

Proving their 108-102 win over the Beermen last 27 August was no fluke will boost the Gin Kings’ confidence.

“We escaped with the win the last time we played them. Now we’re hoping to see if we can find that same intensity level coming in to play San Miguel,” said Cone, whose wards defeated the Elasto Painters, 124-102, last Friday.

Resident import Justin Brownlee, who dropped 51 points against San Miguel in their first meeting, banners the Gin Kings along with Stephen Holt, Scottie Thompson, rookie RJ Abarrientos and Japeth Aguilar.

As much as Beermen coach Jorge Gallent wants to put a premium on slowing down if not stopping Brownlee, he is also wary of Ginebra’s locals who can explode anytime.

“Ginebra has Holt. They have Abarrientos. They have Japeth whose been really playing well. We’ll focus more on Justin but we can’t focus on him alone. We also have to look at how Holt, Abarrientos and Japeth get their points,” Gallent said.

“(But) definitely, we’re gonna do a better job against Justin.”

San Miguel primed for its revenge game by torching Phoenix, 139-127, last Friday in the return of import Jordan Adams.

Adams, reactivated from the reserve list after being replaced by Sheldon Mac for one game, dropped 49 points in an efficient 16-of-27 field goal shooting in his comeback.