Undefeated San Miguel Beer and second-running Magnolia rekindle their Commissioner’s Cup Finals rivalry as they battle for a victory crucial to their respective bids for a twice-to-beat armor in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup on Friday, April 26.

The Beermen’s most potent offense challenges the Hotshots' signature defense anew in their first meeting since SMB defeated Magnolia in six games in the last conference’s finale.

Tip-off of the mouth-watering clash is at 7:30 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with a collision between Phoenix and Meralco – two teams that are eager to keep their tournament hopes alive – serving as a fitting appetizer at 4:30 p.m. 

The Fuel Masters are currently at the 11th spot with a 3-6 record while the Bolts are slightly ahead at 10th with a 3-5 slate but both still have a legitimate shot at landing at the Top 8.

Toting a perfect 7-0 record, the Beermen, who have manhandled their last two opponents behind their torrid outside shooting, looked invincible so far in their title-retention bid although the Hotshots are currently on a streak of their own with four wins in row for a 5-2 slate.

Marcio Lassiter, who continues to prove that he’s one of the deadliest snipers the league has ever seen, has been leading SMB’s hot shooting from deep. 

He even moved up to the fourth spot of the all-time 3-point shooting list after a blazing two-game stretch that saw him bury nine triples and provide perfect complement to June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez who tend to be the focus of the opposing defenses.

However, if there’s a team who has proven to have enough manpower to match up against SMB’s high scoring guards, that should be the backcourt of Magnolia which features linchpins in Jio Jalalon and Mark Barroca.

The Hotshots also have enough firepower to keep up with the Beermen’s three-point shooting with Paul Lee also etching his name as one of the league’s premier gunners when he also became the 10th player in league history to reach 1,000 triples.

Magnolia is also looking to earn the tag as the league’s streak busters as it sets sight on ending SMB’s seven-game winning run after it halted Rain or Shine’s five-game win streak with a 108-102 victory in Tiaong last time out.

Magnolia is looking to solidify its claim on one of the top 2 spots heading into the home stretch of the eliminations with Barroca and Ian Sangalang hoping to sustain their resurgence.