Action heats up as PBA Comm’s Cup semis gets underway

Sports

FROM 13 teams, it’s down to four in the 50th PBA Commissioner’s Cup as the semifinal round gets underway today (Wednesday, May 20) at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Sister teams Meralco Bolts and defending champions TNT Tropang 5G clash at 5:15 p.m. while the Barangay Ginebra Kings and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters tangle at 7:30 p.m.

The semis is a best-of-seven affair.

Of the four semifinalists, TNT took the hardest route to reach the Final 4, needing to overhaul a twice-to-win handicap versus the No. 1 seed NLEX Road Warriors to advance.

Meralco, Ginebra, and Rain or Shine all had twice-to-beat bonuses in the quarterfinals.

Ginebra and Rain or Shine needed just one game to dispatch the Phoenix Fuel Masters and the San Miguel Beermen, respectively. Meralco took advantage of its twice-to-beat incentive to the hilt, beating the Magnolia Hotshots in a do-or-die Game 2 last Sunday to earn a seat in Final 4.

Ginebra and Meralco enjoy some sort of psychological advantage in their respective series.

In their elimination round encounters, Ginebra dominated Rain or Shine, 114-90, while Meralco turned back TNT, 110-106.

The battle of imports will see Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee going up against Rain or Shine’s Jaylen Johnson. Marvin Jones of Meralco will try to stand his ground against TNT’s highly touted import Bol Bol.(CCM)