Sister teams clash: Hotshots battle Gin Kings at PBA Philippine Cup playoffs

Game Wednesday
(Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
7:30 p.m. — NorthPort vs
Terrafirma (KO for eighth)

THE incendiary “Manila Clasico” confrontation between sister teams but fiery rivals Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia will headline the PBA Philippine Cup playoffs  firing off this week.

The Gin Kings took second seeding with a 7-4 card in the eliminations while the Hotshots wound up seventh at 6-5, setting the stage for another edition of their storied rivalry dating back to 1988.

As No. 2, the crowd darlings will carry a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinal round against the Hotshots, whose 1-3 record ending the preliminaries pulled them down to a disadvantageous seventh spot.

The two found themselves in this playoffs entanglement after closing losses last Sunday —  Magnolia to TNT, 93-98, and Ginebra to NLEX, 72-78 – sealed their positions.

Top seed and win-once-holding San Miguel Beer (10-1), meanwhile, will have to wait for its quarters opponent as Terrafirma and NorthPort will first battle it out for the last seat tomorrow at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

No. 3 Meralco (6-5), the only one to beat the erstwhile spotless Beermen, will go up against the No. 6 Road Warriors (6-5) in a best-of-three affair. The fourth-ranked Tropang Giga (6-5) will clash with No. 5 Rain or Shine (6-5) in a similar race-to-two for a semis berth.

For Ginebra and Magnolia, this will be their fifth post-elims duel since 2018.

The Hotshots prevailed in the Season 43 Governors’ Cup semifinals, 3-1, and Season 44 All-Filipino quarters, 2-0, before the Gin Kings got back in the Season 44 Commissioner’s Cup Last-8, 2-0, and Season 47 Commissioner’s Cup Final 4, 3-1.

For the two-conference Season 48, they are tied at 1-1 with Magnolia winning the PC encounter, 93-91, and Ginebra prevailing in their Easter Sunday CC showdown, 87-77. — Olmin Leyba