SAN Miguel and Barangay Ginebra begin their quarterfinal duel in the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup. Rain or Shine and Converge face off in the other Final 8 playoff. Here is a preview.
RAIN OR SHINE VS. CONVERGE
When: Tuesday, October 27. 5:15 p.m.
Where: Smart-Araneta Coliseum
Independent teams begin title bid
Rain or Shine and Converge start their quarterfinal showdown on Tuesday at the Big Dome. There is a lot of interest in this series as two independent squads will look to go deep into the playoffs.
Rain or Shine is seeking a return trip to the semifinals, while Converge will try to make it to the Final Four for the very first time in franchise history.
Previous playoff duel
Rain or Shine already has experience beating Converge in a playoff series, having won the last two games of their best-of-three quarterfinal playoff against the FiberXers in the 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup.
Prolific offense
Expect Converge to lean heavily on its offensive firepower that leads the league in points, field goal percentage, and fastbreak points. The offense of Juan Gomez de Liano, Justin Arana, and Justine Baltazar are also one of the reasons why they are in the race for the Best Player of the Conference honors in the Governors’ Cup. Rain or Shine will have its hands full with Converge's weapons.
BARANGAY GINEBRA VS. SAN MIGUEL
When: Tuesday, October 27. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Smart-Araneta Coliseum
Sister teams in QF duel
Ginebra and San Miguel usually clashed in either the semifinals or the finals, but for the first time in seven years, the sister teams will face off in the quarterfinals.
In the 2019 Governors’ Cup, the Gin Kings defeated the Beermen, 100-97, utilizing their twice-to-beat advantage in the first game. This series will be a best-of-five this time.
Momentum for both sides
San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra go to the quarterfinals with momentum by winning two straight games. The Beermen closed the eliminations by coming back from a 20-point deficit to beat NLEX, 135-133. The Gin Kings built their first winning streak of the conference with a 101-96 win over Blackwater.
Players to watch
Jeremiah Gray put together a strong showing over the last two games of Ginebra with an average of 11.5 points while shooting 5-of-11 from three-point range. Grey’s presence has given Barangay Ginebra a boost from the locals that are much needed.
Don Trollano lit up for San Miguel against NLEX when he had 23 points. He did not by shooting the threes, but scoring on higher percentage shots where he made 8-of-10 from twos, making him a dangerous threat even more.
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