The PBA Philippine Cup semis are all set, with the San Miguel Beermen taking on Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the TNT Tropang 5G squaring off with the Meralco Bolts. The Beermen, Gin Kings, Tropa, and Bolts, perhaps unsurprisingly, are the only teams to have won a title in the PBA’s post-COVID era, so fans can most certainly expect an exciting series both ways.
And, just like any other series, each matchup in this PBA Philippine Cup semis will feature major storylines and burning questions that will define how the series will go. So, to pump you up for these two semis showdowns, we’ve identified these questions and storylines to give you a better idea of the likely tenor of each clash.
(1) San Miguel Beermen vs. (5) Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
Overriding Storyline of This Series: Revenge or Repeat
It just feels like no season passes without San Miguel and Ginebra meeting at some point in the playoffs. Their last one, in fact, happened in the last PBA Philippine Cup semis, with the Beermen coming out on top after seven grueling games en route to winning the championship.
The two fabled franchises will meet again in the semis of this PBA Philippine Cup thanks to Ginebra’s dramatic buzzer-beating win over the Converge FiberXers on the last Sunday of 2025. San Miguel is obviously looking to replicate what it did in the last PBA Philippine Cup semis, when it booted out Ginebra in a hard-fought series that went the distance. The 2020 Philippine Cup champs, however, would want nothing short of revenge for the heartbreak the Beermen inflicted on them last conference.
Major Question of This Series: How much do Scottie Thompson and Japeth Aguilar have left?
These past three seasons, Ginebra has been at its best when its two leaders—Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson—are locked in, playing with high energy and leading the way. But Aguilar is already 38 and about to turn 39, while Thompson is 32 with a recent spate of nagging injuries. The two veterans showed up against Converge, with Thompson averaging 13.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, and Aguilar putting up 13.0 points and 6.5 rebounds. They’ll need to do more against a juggernaut like San Miguel.
(3) TNT Tropang 5G vs. (6) Meralco Bolts
Overriding Storyline of This Series: Defense
TNT is known for its prolific outside sniping, but don’t let that fool you, because this team is among the most tenacious when it comes to defense. Meralco, of course, has hung its hat on that side of the ball and is arguably the most hard-nosed defensive team in the PBA. In fact, the Bolts have been a defensive-first team for the past several years already. In this conference specifically, TNT is holding teams to 95.3 points per game, while Meralco is holding opponents to only 90.6 points.
So, expect this series to be a defensive battle in many respects. The Tropa, for their part, will need to contain Chris Newsome, CJ Cansino, Chris Banchero, and Aaron Black, in particular. The Bolts, on the other hand, must figure out a way to contest TNT’s three-point shooters, which should prove to be a Herculean task given the Tropa’s dribble-drive offense and their crisp ball movement off penetrations.
Major Question of This Series: Can Meralco score enough against TNT’s defense?
TNT’s defense hasn’t been as suffocating as it was last season, but that doesn’t mean it can’t turn up the heat in the PBA Philippine Cup semis. Between that and Meralco’s penchant for going on dry spells this conference, it’s fair to wonder if the Bolts can score enough against the Tropa should the latter flip the switch on defense and start swarming Newsome and company. Meralco, for the conference, is averaging 112.5 points per game, but it scored only 98 in its lone encounter with the Tropa, whose 117.1 points average is fourth in the PBA.
PBA Philippine Cup Semis: When to Start and Where to Watch
The PBA Philippine Cup semis start on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It will be the league’s first twin bill of the year, with TNT and Meralco opening hostilities, followed by the nightcap between Ginebra and San Miguel. The PBA Philippine Cup semis will be televised live on RPTV and livestreamed on the One Sports YouTube channel.
