Closing time?

Games today:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

5:15 p.m. — San Miguel Beer vs Ginebra

7:30 p.m. — Converge vs Rain or Shine

Denied last time, Barangay Ginebra gets another shot at finishing off lifeline-seeking San Miguel Beer in crucial Game 4 of their Philippine Basketball Association Season 50 Governors’ Cup best-of-five quarterfinals series today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Head coach Tim Cone hopes the Kings will get the job done this time when they return to battle at 5:15 p.m.

Ginebra looked confident to close the series last Tuesday, however, the Beermen foiled the Kings’ series sweep bid with a slim 101-98 escape in Game 3.

Ginebra had its chances to tie the game but Scottie Thompson missed a triple with seven seconds left. The Kings got the offensive rebound but RJ Abarrientos’ potential game-winning four-pointer missed its mark.

“You know, we had a couple of decent looks to tie the game and even the four by RJ to win it, but it didn’t go in,” Cone lamented.

“(But) I’m proud of the way we played, I’m proud of the way we battled, so hopefully we bring that same battle, but this time we can make some shots and handle the ball better in Game 4.”

San Miguel has no time to celebrate.

The Beermen know their backs are still against the wall and must play perfect basketball to drag the showdown to a decider on Sunday.

“We’ll still do our best. If we can still improve from our game today, we’ll do that,” said San Miguel behemoth June Mar Fajardo, who had an efficient outing in Game 3 with 18 points on 7-of-7 field goal shooting while grabbing 13 rebounds.

“For sure, Ginebra will do everything to close the series. But we’ll also do our best to extend the series. So, we’ll prepare well for Game 4,” the nine-time league Most Valuable Player said.

Defending champion TNT, which swept top-seeded Magnolia in the quarters, awaits in the best-of-five semifinals the survivor between Ginebra and San Miguel.

Meanwhile, Converge wants a date with history as it goes for the jugular against Rain or Shine at 7:30 p.m.

The FiberXers hold a 2-1 series lead over the Elasto Painters after scoring back-to-back wins, including a 105-89 blowout in Game 3 last Tuesday.

Converge is one win away from the franchise’s breakthrough semifinals since joining the league in 2022.

Although holding a virtual twice-to-beat advantage, head coach Delta Pineda downplays their position as the FiberXers brace for a tough fightback from Rain or Shine.

“Maybe we just got lucky. I guess we got from a lot of prayers. It’s just that their outside shooting didn’t go in (last game). So, we still need to prepare. The series isn’t over yet. We expect a tougher Rain or Shine in the next game,” Pineda said.

Pineda will bank on import Cameron Clark to once again lead Converge’s offense alongside prized rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño, Justin Baltazar, Alec Stockton and ageless Calvin Abueva, who had a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds aside from providing energy off the bench in Game 3, to close out the series.

“I always come out with a chip on my shoulder. I think us being up now 2-1, we’re not going to settle for less. We know the capabilities of our team, our potential as one unit,” Gomez de Liaño said.

“Just like what I said, let’s just do the right thing. We continue to move the ball, get stops, we run. That’s the kind of playing style that Gov (Pineda) is trying to let us play.”

Rain or Shine has a lot of adjustments to make, especially after Converge made life difficult for reinforcement Aaron Fuller.

Fuller was limited to four points on 2-of-11 shooting against the FiberXers’ stifling defense. He was scoreless in the second and third quarters, barely getting touches and good looks the whole game.

The winner of the Converge-Rain or Shine series will take on NLEX in the semis.