Brutal mayhem in May?

MANILA, Philippines — This isn’t like the previous quarterfinal stage, where there was a built-in win-once edge, or in TNT’s case, twice-to-win disadvantage.

So it’s up to the protagonists in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals to try and get any advantage they could in what looms as a potential war of attrition. Or brutal May mayhem.

And as the Final Four kicks off today, the most immediate goal would be to gain a 1-0 upperhand in the race-to-four and possibly set the right tone for the rest of the proceedings.

The eighth-seeded defending champion Tropang 5G, fresh from their two-game reversal over top seed NLEX, and No. 4 Meralco, which survived a sudden death against No. 5 Magnolia, dispute the opening lead in their tiff at 5:15 p.m. at Ynares Center-Antipolo.

No. 2 Barangay Ginebra and No. 3 Rain or Shine, two teams aching to end years of heartaches, seek the same when they fire the first shot in their side of the draw at 7:30 p.m.

It’s not facing a do-or-die situation like last time in the quarters but just the same, Bol Bol-led TNT doesn’t feel any less threatened.

“As a complete team, they’re playing at a very high level,” Tropang 5G coach Chot Reyes said of Meralco, recalling how the latter bamboozled his troops in the elims, 108-99.

“They have so many offensive weapons that it’s incumbent upon us to defend well and rebound. They’re also one of the more physical teams and you see how teams are playing Bol so we have to be able to cope with that and play through that. They’re very well coached, too, so yeah, we have our work cut out for us.”

The two sister teams but fierce rivals from the MVP Group contest a finals seat for the second straight conference. TNT beat Meralco in the same stage in the preceding Philippine Cup, 4-1, but the Bolts feel they can compete better this time.

“With the way we are playing we deserve to be there, too,” said mentor Luigi Trillo.