IT'S San Miguel Beer versus Barangay Ginebra in one side of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
The Beermen got their vengeance and made a quick semis passage with a 108-97 disposal of Season 48 all-Filipino finals tormentor Meralco and then the Gin Kings got their job done, also taking just one game to dispatch Converge, 88-80, Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
With that, the Beermen and the Gin Kings arranged a rematch of their Governors Cup Last Four face-off with the winner to shoot for the crown versus anyone among the grand slam-chasing TNT, Magnolia, NLEX and Rain or Shine.
The Tropang 5G clash with the Hotshots while the Road Warriors slug it out with the Elasto Painters in a pair of KO matches on Saturday also at NAS.
Done with their quarters task in one game were the Beermen and the Kings.
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June Mar Fajardo and his teammates asserted themselves against the Bolts while Japeth Aguilar practically ran a clinic once again for Converge young bigs Justine Baltazar and Justin Arana, leading the Kings to a semis passage for a shot at a third finals in Season 49.
Just like in their elims contest, Aguilar did a good job, collecting double-double numbers with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
RJ Abarrientos made a big impact with 21 points off the bench as Jamie Malonzo, Stephen Holt, Troy Rosario and Scottie Thompson had their good statsline as starters with Aguilar.
"It's really a collective team effort, team defense. We know di namin mare-replicate yung laro sa Pampanga (during the elims). Alam namin this is the quarters, they're (Converge) gonna be more aggressive, talagang they would fight for their conference, their season. We really just focused. Sabi namin as long as we're on the same page and we play our game, we have a chance," said Aguilar.
They got past the FiberXers, and they will now be up against the league's traditional all-Filipino power in San Miguel, with Aguilar facing an even tougher test in June Mar Fajardo.
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"We always say if you want to win the all-Filipino, you go through San Miguel at some point. That's the runway we're given and that's where we go through now," said Ginebra coach Tim Cone. "We would've preferred to play them in the finals. But this is the runaway given us. We take it." (SB)
The scores:
Ginebra 88 - Abarrientos 21, J. Aguilar 19, Malonzo 14, Holt 13, Rosario 10, Pinto 5, Thompson 3, Ahanmisi 3, David 0, Adamos 0.
Converge 80 - Arana 15, Baltazar 13, Stockton 12, Winston 10, Garcia 8, Racal 8, Caralipio 6, Corpuz 4, Delos Santos 2, R. Santos 2, B. Santos 0, Suerte 0.
Quarterscores: 21-26, 49-41, 73-59, 88-80
