SAN Miguel and Rain or Shine completed the Final Four cast of the PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Beermen turned back upset-conscious Terrafirma Dyip, 110-91, while the Elasto Painters survived a furious Tropang Giga fourth quarter comeback for a 110-109 win in their respective sudden-death games.
The contrasting wins sealed the two teams' clash in the best-of-seven semifinals that begins on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Takeaways after the first round of the Philippine Cup playoffs
GUIAO MAGIC DOING WONDERS AGAIN FOR RoS
Less than two years since coming back to Rain or Shine, Guiao guided the franchise back to the PBA semifinals in what could be the first major step in its bid to win another championship that is long in coming. The Elasto Painters haven’t been in this position since the Final Four of the 2019 Philippine Cup while Guiao’s last semis stint was in the 2018 Philippine Cup with the NLEX Road Warriors. Now back together again, Guiao and Rain or Shine are threading the same path they’ve taken in the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup when the team last won its second league title.
EVERYBODY STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH SAN MIGUEL
The Beermen didn’t wilt under pressure and quelled the bid of the Dyip to pull off perhaps the greatest upset in PBA history. June Mar Fajardo again delivered in the most important game of the season for the team and San Miguel reminded everybody it still is the reigning, defending all-Filipino Cup champion. Which team wanted the league’s crown jewel will still have to topple the mighty Beermen to reach the top.
ALL EYES ON TERRAFIRMA MANAGEMENT
Why fix it when it ain’t broke? The Dyip are indeed, running smoothly as a team, and their recent showing in the playoffs where they took the Beermen to the limit is concrete proof of it. It is the fervent wish of the team, from coach Johnedel Cardel to veteran Aldrech Ramos, to keep the core of the franchise together for another season – or more. But will Terrafirma management oblige? The ball is definitely in the hands of management now.
WILL THERE BE CONTINUOUS REVAMP AT TNT?
The Tropang Giga failed to reach the semifinals the entire season given the additions of big man Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, back-ups Jewel Ponferada and Barkley Ebona, and rookies Kim Aurin and Henry Galinato - their two conferences ending up in quarterfinal exits. Coach Chot Reyes returned to the coaching position beginning in the Philippine Cup, and given the nature of the Tropang Giga's exit after losing back-to-back to Rain or Shine in the playoffs, expect the veteran coach to tinker with the TNT roster. Of course, noted too, were the injuries that haunted the team’s campaign, notably the ACL suffered by BGR that will keep him out for most of next season. But a season like this is simply unacceptable for the flagship franchise of the MVP group. So expect drastic steps in the offseason for the Tropang Giga.
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