MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel Beer, which was already pushed to the brink during its previous game, is prepared for yet another difficult assignment when it takes on Barangay Ginebra at the PhilSports Arena to begin their PBA Governors’ Cup semi final match.

After a demanding matchup against the resilient Converge FiberXers in an intense quarter finals series that lasted the entire five games and concluded only last Sunday, the Beermen have had little time to rest and recuperate.

The Gin Kings, on the other hand, are well-rested and somewhat well-prepared for the best-of-seven match after eliminating the Meralco Bolts in a clean three-game sweep of their own last eight series on September 30.

Nevertheless, SMB coach Jorge Gallent expressed confidence that his team will do well, given their performance in defeating Converge’s challenge.

The head coach of the San Miguel Beermen, Jorge Gallent, remarked that facing Barangay Ginebra in the upcoming PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup semifinals will be a huge challenge. Gallent underlined that San Miguel would need to step up their game to play against a well-coached club like Ginebra, which also has a roster full of good players, after their victory over the Converge FiberXers.

Gallent emphasized that the Beermen needed to perform at their best if they were to have a chance against the defending champs. He emphasized that the Beermen would have to play their “A-game” in every game of the series in order to contend with Ginebra. With stars like Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson in Ginebra’s lineup and coach Tim Cone, a man renowned for his strategic acumen, in charge, Gallent agreed that San Miguel needed to concentrate on carrying out their game plan precisely.

Gallent’s message highlights the high stakes and the necessity of faultless execution to beat Ginebra’s difficult challenge as the Beermen get ready for the rest of the series.e

In reality, the two teams split their two group stage games. On August 27, Ginebra relied primarily on Justin Brownlee’s career-high 51 points to defeat SMB 108-102, but on September 15, SMB rallied with a 131-82 victory, which also saw Marcio Lassiter take the lead on the league’s all-time 3-point list.

The importance of San Miguel’s first two matches with Barangay Ginebra was minimized by coach Jorge Gallent, who emphasized that the previous matchups are now irrelevant. “This is back to zero,” he declared, stressing that both sides are starting over in the semifinals and that the results of the previous games are now meaningless. Instead of focusing on the past, Gallent is obviously focused on the present and getting his troops ready for the task at hand.

The head coach of the San Miguel Beermen, Jorge Gallent, stressed the value of flexibility in the series against Barangay Ginebra as the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup semifinals proceeded. It’s all about changes in a series, Gallent emphasized, adding that the Beermen need to approach every game with a different perspective. He mentioned that the series begins “0-0,” and their main goal will be to get ready for Ginebra as much as possible.

When these two teams faced up in the semifinals of the same event in 2023, Ginebra won all three games and defeated San Miguel. Tim Cone, the head coach of Ginebra, did admit that the forthcoming series will bring fresh difficulties, especially with important players Jeremiah Gray, Jamie Malonzo, and Isaac Go out with injuries. Cone is aware that San Miguel, who is captained by six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, will be a formidable obstacle for his group.

Cone stated, “We deal with what we have and figure out a way,” showing faith in his team’s capacity to adjust in spite of the injuries. He added that the main focus of the series would be stopping Fajardo.