IT ALL comes down to one final game, one final push, and one last hurrah in the San Miguel Beer-Barangay Ginebra showdown.
Forget the stats. Toss out Ginebra’s victories in Games 1, 3, and 6. Set aside SMB’s triumphs in Games 2, 4, and 5. Let the sweeping drama of LA Tenorio’s Game 6 heroics drift into slumber.
It’s all about this one final game now, with the winners extending their journey to the championship stage and the losers - as the hecklers would say - packing their luggage for a Boracay vacation.
All square at 3-3 after Ginebra’s 88-87 steal on Sunday, the Beermen and the Gin Kings will duke it out at 7:30 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, for the last spot in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals and a chance to stop the TNT Tropang 5G from completing a Grand Slam.
However, the war against TNT can wait.
Right now, the Beermen and the Kings have only each other in their sights. It all boils down to heart, grit, and who wants it more.
June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, and many of their teammates may be battered and bruised, but they are not backing down. They’re marching forward with unyielding resolve to save their season.
“Wala nang (no more) injury,” said Fajardo, expressing his determination to fight through pain for a shot at the coveted All-Filipino crown.
Thompson echoed the same sentiment -- healing time for his hamstring injury can wait a little while.
For now, everyone’s bracing for a war to end a duel of attrition.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone said it’s a new game and they need to prepare accordingly.
San Miguel coach Leo Austria couldn’t agree more. / PBA.PH