Ginebra hoping to stay sharp

MANILA, Philippines — After playing its “Manila Clasico” rival at the height of the Christmas revelry, Barangay Ginebra quickly tackles a tough test in hungry holder San Miguel Beer no less.

And good thing for coach Tim Cone, the Gin Kings (4-2) go into today’s PBA Commissioner Cup duel with the Beermen (3-3) in high spirits from their 95-92 comeback thriller against Magnolia on Dec. 25.

Then there’s a big boost from Jamie Malonzo, who’s back in harness after sustaining a calf injury in April last year.

“It (Clasico win) takes a little bit of pressure off us because we remain towards the group on top. If we had lost, we would have dropped down to the middle or bottom,” said Cone, whose charges sat at fifth before the league’s year end break.

“It’s really hard to come into a game and be ‘must-win, must-win.’ That puts a lot of pressure on you. We need to come into (the) San Miguel (game) feeling confident and comfortable with our game. We do that, we usually perform pretty well against them. But when we come in having to win a ‘must-win,’ it’s really tough against a team as talented as San Miguel.”

The Beermen are in need of the W more in the 7:30 encounter that serves as the main fare of the PBA’s opening salvo for 2025 after the equally explosive gig between Meralco (3-2) and guest team Hong Kong Eastern (6-2) at 5 p.m.

Leo Austria-coached SMB bowed to Eastern in its last assignment, 99-91, to drop to seventh and will need to start making big moves now to reclaim its familiar position in the upper rungs.

Like San Miguel, sixth-running Meralco, the reigning Philippine Cup titlists, look to end its early struggles and make a stronger push for the playoffs.