Close game seen as San Miguel and Alaska begin semi-final series

San Miguel Beer is rumbling to a possible second jewel to a possible grand slam.

For Alaska Milk, it's a wonderful opportunity to avenge a painful loss to San Miguel in their last playoff faceoff two years ago.

The Beermen and the Aces, two teams with the steepest winning traditions in the league, clash in another playoff showdown, fighting for a spot in the 2018 PBA Commissioner's Cup finale.

Game One of their best-of-five semis series is set at 6:40 p.m. Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

For all their playoff battles in the past, one that will surely come to mind is the 2016 Philippine Cup finals where at 0-3 down, the Beermen chipped away at the Aces' series lead one game after another.

At the end of the series, San Miguel completed an epic title run that the Beermen and their fans would call "the Beer-acle run."

It's painful for the Aces, and it could still be rankling deep in their hearts.

But now comes an opportunity to slay the ghost of the past with its chance to avenge what's actually a series of playoff losses to San Miguel. The Aces were beaten by the Beermen in three finals in a four-conference stretch starting in the 2015 Philippine Cup.

"Kaya dapat namin paghandaan ng husto sila dahil siguradong gustong-gusto nilang makabawi," said San Miguel

Austria would play down their chance, but there's no denying they're the favorites in the series.

The Aces may be the higher seeded team but the Beermen are the titleholders who have overcome a scrambling 1-3 tournament start and will ride the momentum of a hot romp to the semis.

"SMB has been the best team in the PBA the past four years. That hasn't changed this conference. In fact, they added a legit NBA veteran to their team and the number one draft pick," said Alaska coach Alex Compton, pointing to the addition of Renaldo Balkman and Christian Standhardinger.

"This will be the strongest team we have ever faced, and we will need to be a team of destiny if we are to come out of this series victorious," Compton added.

Austria, indeed, will have a better core rotation to throw at Alaska than in their last three playoffs.

The Aces, meanwhile, will even have one less key personnel in the continued indefinite suspension of Calvin Abueva.

Compton and his troops will surely rely on their vaunted pressing defense in a bid to finally get one over San Miguel and go on with their pursuit of a first championship in five years.(SB) -

coach Leo Austria.