Proceed with caution

Games today:

(Ynares Center-Antipolo)

5:15 p.m. — Rain or Shine vs San Miguel

7:30 p.m. — Ginebra vs Phoenix

Barangay Ginebra shoots for a semifinals spot when it battles dangerous Phoenix Super LPG in the quarterfinals of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup on Friday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Game time is set at 7:30 p.m. with the Kings looking to maximize their twice-to-beat advantage by coming up with a victory that will send them to the best-of-seven semifinals against the survivor in the other quarterfinal pairing between Rain or Shine and San Miguel Beer.

The Elasto Painters, who are seeded third, will also look to make quick work of the Beermen in the first game at 5:15 p.m.

The Kings will be oozing with momentum after closing the elimination round with a massive 93-86 win over TNT Tropang 5G last Sunday to formally claim the second seed.

Ginebra coach, Tim Cone, however, refuses to get complacent.  

We didn’t talk at all about who we’ll play. We just wanted to come out and play up to our standard and make sure we put a good game together,” said Cone, whose wards enjoy a slight advantage after beating Phoenix in their eliminations game, 109-96, last 12 April at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“As it turns out, we ended up playing against Phoenix, and they have been good all conference long. We know we have our work cut out for us, but right now we’re just focused on playing one game.”

Cone was a reason to be cautious. The last time they beat the Fuel Masters, they were playing with James Dickey, who got eventually replaced by returning import Johnathan Williams.

Although Phoenix lost its last game, 104-116, against San Miguel Beer last Saturday, Williams still delivered a double-double performance of 26 points and 13 rebounds, proving he could be a major problem in the playoffs.

For head coach Charles Tiu, their objective is to limit the scoring production of do-it-all import Justin Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos as they try to force a rubber match on Sunday.

Abarrientos will be one of Ginebra’s primary weapons after emerging as the top local scorer in the Commissioner’s Cup with an average of 21.5 points in the elimination round.

“I thought we played them well last game, then (Jason) Perkins got into foul trouble and it changed the game. We allowed RJ to get going and that really hurt us,” Tiu told DAILY TRIBUNE in an online conversation.

“We need to find a way to stop Brownlee and RJ and find ways to score against them. We have to have the mindset that we can win the game.”

Also gunning for a semifinals berth is Rain or Shine as it faces San Miguel in the opener.

Like Ginebra, the Elasto Painters also hold a twice-to-beat advantage after finishing third in the eliminations with a 9-3 record.

But after winning their first seven games, the Elasto Painters struggled with consistency, posting only two wins in their last five assignments.

Even with the playoff incentive, Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao isn’t letting his guard down, especially against the Beermen, who boast depth and championship experience.

“Like I said previously, when you get a twice-to-beat advantage, the lower teams can still beat the higher teams. You can put the lower teams in the top four and no one will be surprised. It’s really just like a lottery,” Guiao said.

Jaylen Johnson will be Rain or Shine’s top option after averaging 23.64 points in the elimination round.

Meanwhile, San Miguel Beer head coach Leo Austria said they are banking on chemistry and winning tradition as they try to force a rubber match against the Elasto Painters.

If they succeed, the Beermen will face Rain or Shine again on Sunday.

“Even if you’re in the top four, you still have to win the first game,” said Austria, an 11-time PBA champion.

“We’ve had a lot of come-from-behind wins, but in this tournament, that’s a scary situation because every team has improved a lot.”

Boatwright, who led San Miguel Beer to the Commissioner’s Cup title in 2024, is expected to step up anew after ranking third among imports in scoring with an average of 32.4 points in five games.