THE PBA begins year 2025 on Sunday with a Commissioner’s Cup double-header at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum that has the potential to become one of the most exciting playdates of the conference.
Preview of the two games to open the new year below:
EASTERN VS. MERALCO
When: Sunday, January 5. 5 p.m.
Where: Smart-Araneta Coliseum
First game of 2025
The new year for the PBA begins with Eastern and Meralco facing off. The Hong Kong-based guest team is in a share of second place with Converge with a 6-2 win-loss record. The Bolts, meanwhile, are in sixth with a 3-2 slate.
Eastern tries to create new winning streak
Before 2024 ended, Eastern got back to its winning ways with a 99-91 overtime victory over San Miguel last December 22. The guest team had won two and three straight matches this conference, and they will go for back-to-back in the match against Meralco.
Meralco seeks to snap losing skid
After clustering three consecutive wins, the Bolts have lost two straight games including a 110-94 defeat to Converge on Christmas Day.
Cansino activated for the match
Meralco has been ravaged with injuries early in the conference, but it looks like players are starting to come back. CJ Cansino has been activated for the game against Eastern, 11 days after Chris Banchero and Allein Maliksi made their comeback. Maliksi, however, has been relegated again to the injured/reserved list, but it appears that Meralco is starting to get healthy again.
Defense yet to show up for the Bolts
Known as a defensive team over the years, Meralco hasn’t been showing that side of its game this conference by giving up at least 100 points in all but one of their matches.
It is actually Eastern which has been notable on defense, limiting its opponents to 94 points per game, second-best in the conference, while collecting 15 steals in its recent win over San Miguel.
SAN MIGUEL VS. BARANGAY GINEBRA
When: Sunday, January 5. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Smart-Araneta Coliseum
Sister teams clash again
Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel go up against each other in a marquee match-up to open 2025. The Gin Kings and the Beermen battle for the first time since their Governors’ Cup semifinals where the former won in a six-game series against the latter. In the Commissioner’s Cup setting, however, SMB was victorious over Barangay Ginebra last season, winning the tussle via a 3-0 sweep in the semifinals.
Jamie Malonzo activated
After being sidelined for nine months, Jamie Malonzo is expected to make his return to the court after being activated for Ginebra’s match-up against San Miguel. Malonzo dealt with a calf injury that also kept him out of Gilas Pilipinas, but looks set to play again for the first time since April when he got hurt in a Philippine Cup clash against NorthPort.
SMB goes for first win against contender
The Beermen own a 3-3 win-loss record entering the match-up, but the victories come against Phoenix, Terrafirma, and Blackwater, squads that are in the bottom half of the standings. Beating Ginebra on Sunday will bring SMB back on track in its title defense and a huge win in Leo Austria’s return as head coach of the Beermen.
Ginebra goes for back-to-back wins
Barangay Ginebra shoots for its second straight win after its ‘Christmas Clasico’ victory over Magnolia, 95-92, after the Gin Kings came back from a 22-point deficit. It has a 4-2 record and will go for two in a row again after doing so at the start of the conference.
Keys to the game
In its previous game against Eastern where it lost in overtime, 99-91, last December 22, San Miguel committed 22 turnovers. The Beermen have an average of 19.5 turnovers over the past two matches. SMB must avoid those errors that could pump up the Ginebra crowd at any time.
Barangay Ginebra has been one of the best shooting teams in the league so far, making 47.36 percent of its shots this conference, third in the league. Limiting the Gin Kings’ shooting could help the Beermen’s chances of winning the ballgame.
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