CLOSING TIME?

Games today:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

5 p.m. — Ginebra vs San Miguel Beer

7:30 p.m. — Rain or Shine vs TNT

Another win by San Miguel Beer and TNT Tropang 5G will formally set up their showdown for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup crown.

But Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine won’t allow them to easily walk away with the precious finals seats as they fight to stay alive in Game 6 of their respective best-of-seven semifinals series today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Beermen brace for the Kings’ never-say-die charge to extend the series when they meet in the 5 p.m. curtain-raiser.

Meanwhile, TNT will have head coach Chot Reyes back after serving a one-game suspension following an accumulation of five technical fouls to try to finish off Rain or Shine at 7:30 p.m.

San Miguel held off Ginebra, 103-92, in Game 5 last Friday for a 3-2 series advantage — the team’s first back-to-back wins and taste of the lead after playing catch-up in the first four starts.

With a much healthier star center June Mar Fajardo, consistent CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz rediscovering his offense, the Beermen are now on the cusp of a championship round return after their last appearance in an unsuccessful title bid in the all-Filipino conference last year.

San Miguel coach Leo Austria has been in the league long enough to know that the Kings are very capable of bouncing back. There’s no easy game against Ginebra especially when its back is against the wall.

“You cannot count them out right away because of their never-say-die spirit. So, expect the next game, it will be a hard game for both of us,” Austria said.

“We have a chance to close out the series, but I’m sure it’s not easy to get that win,” he added.

A defiant Ginebra mentor Tim Cone believes his team is not yet done.

“The old cliché is, it takes four to win, it doesn’t take three. It’s not a five-game series, it’s a seven-game series,” he said.

However, the Kings will need to address their woeful field goal shooting and turnover issues haunting them in the series.

On the other hand, with Reyes back in the fold and a possible return of guard RR Pogoy after missing three games due to a hamstring injury, TNT is looking to bounce back from a 97-113 loss in Game 5 that narrowed its series lead to 3-2.

The already depleted grand slam-seeking Tropang 5G played sans Reyes, Pogoy and Kelly Williams (sprained ankle) last Friday, which the Elasto Painters capitalized on to extend the series.

Rain or Shine won two games in a semis series against TNT for the first time since losing in five games in the Final Four at the hands of the same rival in the season-opening Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup.

“This is a good sign. We don’t want to waste this opportunity. We have a chance (to force a Game 7), although it will surely be difficult,” Elasto Painters tactician Yeng Guiao said.

“As long as we have a chance, we’ll take what we have.”

Guiao said Rain or Shine will certainly go all out to take the series the full distance.

“I keep saying, one win. Make it a longer series. The longer the series, the better for our chances,” he said.

“So, we’re hoping for that. Another win and there will be a Game 7. At least now we’ll have a Game 6.”