The PBA Governors’ Cup Finals is scheduled to resume Friday, April 22 at the Mall of Asia Arena, with the league hoping for a smooth staging of Game 6 which was delayed following a fire that hit the Smart Araneta Coliseum two days ago.
But what the fans of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel are hoping for in the 6 p.m. match is for their beloved team to finish off Meralco and win a fourth Governors’ Cup title in the last five editions.
Ginebra holds a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, but its first crack at the championship was delayed due to the blaze that hit the Araneta’s Red Gate section earlier in the day.
Instead of a potential clincher, the Gin Kings were given additional days to hone their strategies against a Bolts side determined to force a deciding Game 7.
Meralco immediately used the delay to practice on the day of the originally-scheduled match, a move coach Norman Black would like to see pay dividends.
It could also give players like Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar and Meralco’s Chris Banchero more time to improve their conditions.
Aguilar has played the last two games after being sidelined by a calf injury, but has been given limited minutes while slowly trying to get his timing back.
Banchero is seeing action in all of the past five matches of the series despite dealing with an injury on his upper body since the semifinal win over Magnolia Pambansang Manok.
A Bolts victory will set the stage for what could be a fitting finale to the 46th season that endured multiple delays related to the pandemic on Sunday at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Scottie Thompson and import Justin Brownlee are expected to lead Ginebra's goal of wrapping up a rough and tumble campaign with a championship to savor.
But import Tony Bishop, Chris Newsome and Aaron Black wouldn't mind having to endure a long route to the Philippine Arena as long as Meralco can send the series to a do-or-die scenario.