SAN Miguel Beer (SMB) guns for no less than the twice-to-beat incentive when it battles Converge as the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup single-round elimination round heads to the final week on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Beermen have won their last four games and will be aiming for win No. 8 that would guarantee a top 4 finish when they collide with the FiberXers at 7:30 p.m.
SMB is fresh off a 120-111 road win against a fighting Rain or Shine side last Saturday in Cagayan de Oro City.
HARD TACKLE San Miguel Beer’s Rodney Brondial (right) and Magnolia’s Zavier Lucero battle for the rebound during the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup elimination round on April 16, 2025, at the Araneta Coliseum. PBA PHOTO
But the team of coach Leo Austria will face a Converge side that is coming off a long two-week layoff. And whether that long break could work to Converge’s favor or not is something the team will just have to find out.
The FiberXers, who last played on May 28, spanked lowly Terrafirma Dyip, 117-103.
Converge will be parading its young, quick and hungry roster that’s led by guard Alec Stockton and Schonny Winston, along with big men Justin Arana and 2024 top rookie pick Justine Baltazar.
The FiberXers are also awaiting the final negotiation between newly acquired guard Mikey Williams and management, hopeful that the two-time PBA champion and Finals Most Valuable Player could make it in time for the playoffs.
Williams will be coming off a two-year hiatus since he last led TNT to the 2023 Governors’ Cup crown.
The multitalented Filipino American guard was traded to Converge in exchange for Jordan Heading, who went to TNT, following a long-standing contract dispute.
The Beermen have a solid veteran roster that’s led by June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Juami Tiongson, Don Trollano and Marcio Lassiter.
Meanwhile, NLEX is out to seal the No. 1 seed with a win against NorthPort when both teams collide at 5 p.m.
The Road Warriors were the first to secure the twice-to-beat advantage for the quarterfinals (QFs) after beating the Magnolia Hotshots last week.
Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra guard Scottie Thompson continues to make heads turn with his stellar plays in Season 49.
While in a quest to chase for his eighth PBA title, the 31-year-old Thompson registered another milestone in his pro basketball career after reaching 1,000 offensive rebounds in Ginebra’s 97-79 thumping of arch-nemesis TNT on Sunday in their first meeting in the Philippine Cup.
