Eucalyptus liniment curling out of the tunnel, sneakers biting the humid maple of the Smart Araneta Coliseum — the PBA quarterfinals closeout picture is set. Converge and Barangay Ginebra each lead their Season 50 Governors' Cup series 2-1 and each plays Game 4 tonight.
Converge FiberXers vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
Converge took a 2-1 lead over Rain or Shine with a 105-89 romp last Tuesday. A win in the 7:30 p.m. game would send the FiberXers to the Final Four for the first time since the franchise debuted in Season 47, and into a best-of-five semifinal against NLEX.
Coach Delta Pineda's camp has extra fuel. The last time Converge reached the quarterfinals, it held a twice-to-beat advantage over Ginebra in the Philippine Cup and lost both games.
"I always come out with a chip on my shoulder so I think being up now, 2-1, we're not going to settle for less," guard Juan Gomez de Liaño said.
Rain or Shine is not folding. "We won't let go," coach Yeng Guiao said. "As long as we can, we will try to push this to the limit. Wherever that limit is, we will get there."
Barangay Ginebra vs San Miguel Beermen
Ginebra missed its sweep bid in Game 3, losing 98-101 in Dasmariñas. The Gin Kings fell 15 points behind before clawing back for a crack at an endgame steal, and they want that same fight in the 5:15 p.m. closeout.
"Proud of the way we battled. Hopefully we bring that same battle but this time we can make some shots and handle the ball better in Game 4," coach Tim Cone said, after ruing the "fumble-litis" that hit his side in the failed closeout.
San Miguel, which kept the series alive, has rediscovered its spark. "I hope we can sustain what we started," coach Leo Austria said. "You can see it in the players' eyes, the fire is there. The sense of energy is there. They really don't want to lose."
Ginebra already owns the Commissioner's Cup title this season, so a Governors' Cup run keeps a golden double alive. Clearing San Miguel would also open a possible shot at revenge against Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and TNT, the side that beat them in the last two Governors' Cup finals.
PBA quarterfinals closeout: what to watch
Both games turn on the same question: who closes. Converge has been in this position before and lost twice with a twice-to-beat cushion; Ginebra has been in this position before and let a sweep slip away in Dasmariñas.
Analysis: the pressure sits differently on each side. Converge is chasing a first Final Four with a lead it has never converted, while Ginebra is chasing a second title this season, with a revenge series against TNT as the prize for finishing off San Miguel.
This report draws on the original preview published by philstar.com.
