BARANGAY Ginebra and Magnolia Chicken Timplados begin their much-anticipated semifinal duel in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday at the Philsports Arena.
The Gin Kings square off with the Hotshots in Game One at 5:45 p.m.
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It will be the first time that Ginebra and Magnolia clash in the Final Four since the 2018 Governors’ Cup with the Hotshots winning the series and eventually winning the championship.
Ginebra did beat Magnolia, 103-97, in their elimination round encounter on Oct. 23, but head coach Tim Cone said it wasn’t an easy win after Nick Rakocevic had 21 points and 17 rebounds in the game.
“He gave us fits when we played them the first around in the eliminations,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone. “He was dominant especially on the boards. We couldn’t keep them off the boards. Not only is he long and tall but he is incredibly quick to the bounce.”

Ginebra advanced to the semifinals with a sweep of NorthPort, defeating the Batang Pier in Game Two, 99-93, last Sunday, although Cone wasn’t satisfied with the performance of his team in that series. Cone even warned that the same effort won’t cut it if they want to beat Magnolia in the semifinals.
A chance to advance to the finals will hopefully be enough for Ginebra to fuel itself against its chief rival.
“Been awhile since we played them. We have so many battles with that team. We know them well. They know us well. They know what we want to do. Hopefully, the fans would come out because it’s Manila Clasico.”
Ginebra would also want to give Cone a victory in his 65th birthday.
Magnolia, on the other hand, defeated Phoenix Super LPG, 102-95, last Friday, the twice-to-beat second seeds easing past the No. 7 squad.
The Hotshots got a scare after Rakocevic rolled his ankle during the game, but eventually finished the contest to help in the win over the Fuel Masters.
“Hopefully, everyone will be a hundred percent. But it’s the playoffs. If you are not 100 percent, their heart will be a hundred percent,” said Magnolia assistant coach Jason Webb.
In the first game, top-seed Bay Area faces San Miguel at 3 p.m.
The Dragons get an acid test in their title bid as guest team when they face the Beermen, the winningest ballclub in the league in terms of championships, winning 28 titles including the 2022 Philippine Cup and the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup, the previous time the conference was held.
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