MANILA, Philippines – Which team—Barangay Ginebra—will win all six games, or will the result between the Gin Kings and the Meralco Bolts need to be decided in a crucial Game Seven? All eyes are on the Smart Araneta Coliseum this Wednesday when the high-stakes best-of-seven quarterfinals match of the PBA Philippine Championships takes place.

In the event that the Gin Kings win Game Six, the series will end. The Meralco Bolts, though, aren’t prepared to give up just yet. They are adamant about advancing the series to Friday’s pivotal Game Seven in San Jose, Batangas.

Coach Luigi Trillo of Meralco is so confident and upbeat as his squad prepares for this crucial matchup. He said, “It’s not over,” inspiring his team to give it their best for one more chance to defeat the Gin Kings.

Sixth game, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the famous Big Dome, looks to be an exciting fight. Barangay Ginebra is determined to advance and cement their fate, while the Bolts are just as determined to prolong their season. In order to win the series, the Gin Kings—who are renowned for their tenacious play and fervent fan base—will try to take advantage of their home-court advantage.

On the other hand, the Bolts will depend on their perseverance and resolve to thwart Ginebra’s schemes. The stakes are extremely high, and the atmosphere is electrifying. Fans are counting down the seconds till tip-off, wondering if Ginebra will win or if Meralco will force a thrilling Game Seven. The setting is set for a historic match between these two strong teams that will go down in history.

Coach Tim Cone of Barangay Ginebra remarked, “I want to apologize that there are fans in Batangas but if we do not see them, I’d be very, very happy.”

Naturally, the Gin Kings want to wrap up the series as soon as possible in order to conserve strength and stamina for a potential championship matchup to face the San Miguel Beermen.

They understand full well that it won’t be simple, especially when facing up against their enduring adversaries.

“We have confidence in our guys. We’ll come back immediately. We have an additional day or two of preparation so that we may be ready to compete in Game 6,” Trillo said.

A series will inevitably involve some unpleasant experiences. Although it is painful, the series is not yet over,” Trillo added following their disappointing 84 to 89 Game 5 loss that gave the Kings a 3 to 2 series lead.

“We are focused on the subsequent game, we’ll regroup and (Consultant) coach Nenad (Vucinic), we as a community (coaching staff) are going to glance at the video as well as determine what we can accomplish.”

In fact, the Bolts faltered after getting off to good starts in Games Two and Five, finding it difficult to sustain their momentum. Although the squad played well, coach Luigi Trillo underlined the need for a great finale, saying, “We need to finish it.”

Particularly in the last two games, the Gin Kings’ primary players—Christian Standhardinger, Scottie Thompson, LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar, and Stanley Pringle—made a major improvement. Their efforts gave the squad a significant lift and demonstrated their tenacity and will to finish the series.

The Bolts will have to deal with their late-game problems as the series goes on in order to successfully compete against a strong Ginebra team. Both sides will need to give it their all on the court since the stakes are high and the pressure is on, which will make for an exciting continuation of this playoff matchup.