Old corporate rivals start Final 8 show

Old playoff rivals Barangay Ginebra and Meralco are at it again, and so do San Miguel Beer and TNT KaTropa.

But they clash right at the start of the post-elims play this time in an interesting pair of best-of-three showdowns between bitter corporate rivals firing off the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Eight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.

It’s the two ball clubs of San Miguel Corp. versus the two teams of the MVP Group pitted against each other in a new episode of their seething rivalry.

TNT and Meralco were the more consistent in the elims, but SMB and Ginebra bucked their scrambling starts and mounted late charge to set up their quarterfinals matchups.

The Texters and the Beermen take the floor first at 4:30 p.m. before the Bolts and the Kings start their own showdown at 7 p.m.

Top seed Rain or Shine and No. 2 Alaska Milk take the first of their two shots at the semifinals versus GlobalPort and Magnolia tomorrow, also at the Big Dome.

Ginebra and Meralco were title protagonists in the last two Governors Cups while San Miguel and TNT figured in playoff face-offs in three of the last four PBA tourneys.

The Beermen ruled the 2017 Commissioner ’s Cup on a 4-2 conquest of the Texters in their best-of-seven finale. In the earlier all-Filipino tourney, SMB beat TNT in the deciding Game Seven in the semifinals.

“That’s the reason why TNT is a very dangerous opponent. They’re aching to redeem themselves, they’re raring to get back at us,” said SMB coach Leo Austria.

In their elims tussle on June 16, the Beermen withstood the Texters, 99-94, in an intense battle marred by a scuffle between

Arwind Santos and Anthony Semerad, and exchanges of technical infractions by Marcio Lassiter and Terrence Romeo.

Meanwhile, the Kings reigned over the Bolts in each of their two championship duels in the last two years with Justin Brownlee up against Allen Durham.

However, Arinze Onuaku, a huge, hulking version of Durham, now stands in Ginebra’s way.

“We’re familiar foes. We’ve battle each other a lot in the playoffs over recent years, and every series has been close and tight with incredible moments,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.

“Meralco is always especially good when they have a dominant inside import, and Onuaku is definitely that. Our ability to defend the paint will be crucial,” Cone also said.

“It’s good to be back in the playoffs after missing out last conference. Now the goal is to get to the next round. We have been off for a couple of weeks so we must get going right away versus Ginebra,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.

Onuaku delivered 24 points and 23 rebounds in a double-double game complemented well by Chris Newsome, Jared Dillinger and Anjo Caram as the Bolts topped the Kings, 93-82, in their elims tiff on June 1.