MERALCO and Barangay Ginebra collide in Game Five of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals at the Angeles University Foundation Sports Arena and Cultural Center.
The winner of the 6:30 p.m. match will move on to the championship against either TNT or Phoenix Super LPG.
The Bolts forced a decider after beating the Gin Kings, 83-80, on Wednesday, with Reynel Hugnatan providing the heroics for the team. Hugnatan scored 19 points including the go-ahead jumper in the dying moments of the match.
In this bubble, Meralco is no stranger to knockout games as the Bolts beat San Miguel twice in the quarterfinals to advance.
“Just like in our battle with San Miguel, we have to win two games to move to the next stage. We're halfway through,” said Black.
Another win by Meralco will send them in its first-ever finals appearance in the Philippine Cup, which came just several months after the Bolts lost to Barangay Ginebra in the Governors’ Cup finals.
The Kings, on the other hand, are eyeing to regain their winning form following the sorry defeat in Game Four.
Stanley Pringle and Jared Dillinger produced the offense but Ginebra wasn’t able to protect its lead in the end game.
The days leading up to Game Five saw the PBA admitting that it made an incorrect non-call late in Game Four when Meralco’s Nards Pinto tugged the jersey of LA Tenorio with the league saying that a foul should have been called.
But Ginebra coach Tim Cone said they were no longer concerned about the non-call as they focus on their strategies for Game Five.
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