TOP seed Barangay Ginebra goes for the kill against GlobalPort, with the Gin Kings wielding a twice-to-beat advantage in the Philippine Basketball Association quarterfinals on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings seek an easy trip to the semifinals when they take on the Batang Pier at 7 p.m.
GlobalPort clinched the last berth in the semifinals when it beat Alaska, 107-106, last Sunday, which halted the Aces’ 13 straight playoffs appearances.
Powerhouse San Miguel Miguel enjoys the same advantage when it tackles Phoenix at 4:15 p.m.
“GlobalPort has the ability to make tough shots during big moments and that makes them incredibly dangerous down the stretch,” said Barangay Ginebra Head Coach Tim Cone, who admitted he is worried about the late-game heroic of Terrence Romeo that sealed GlobalPort’s entry to the quarterfinals.
Trailing 103-104 with nine seconds left, Romeo buried a cold-blooded three-pointer to put his team ahead. Alaska had its chance to tie the game but Calvin Abueva, who was impressive the entire match, missed a floater.
In the next possession, GlobalPort import Justin Harper split his free throws, but Simon Enciso’s three-point attempt was way off and Ping Exciminiano’s follow up went short to hand the Aces the loss.
“Harper has the ability to shoot and spread the floor for [Stanley] Pringle and Romeo, which may cause problem for our defense,” Cone said. “No doubt, we’re in a battle.”
Expected to man the scoring chores for the Gin Kings are import Justin Brownlee and LA Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar.
Barangay Ginebra finished the eliminations tied at No.1 with a 9-2 won-loss record. It had a four-game win streak, the last one a 94-80 victory over Mahindra.
Brownlee fired 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Aguilar added 14 markers and nine boards.
San Miguel Beer, meanwhile, looks determined to barge through the semifinals after capping its elimination campaign with a 9-2 card.