In a game that is seen to test its mettle against the barometer of success in the season-ending conference, San Miguel is not the one to show some letup.

Playing in the second game of a grueling three-game stretch in five days, the Beermen are not giving in to their tired legs as they challenge the Kings to a marquee duel at 5:45 p.m., more so fatigue, when it faces off against Barangay Ginebra on Friday, Feb. 17, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

SMB is looking to solidify its place atop the standings while Ginebra is aiming for a huge bounce back after an embarrassing loss to Magnolia last Sunday, Feb. 12.

Serving as a fitting curtain-raiser to the huge showdown is an equally enticing match between the streaking TNT and idle Meralco at 3 p.m.

SMB head coach Jorge Gallent, despite logging the franchise’s most points scored in a PBA game in more than three decades with that 145-132 win over NorthPort, wants to see more from his charges especially on the defensive end.

“Our defense was terrible today,” Gallent said in the aftermath of their victory over the Batang Pier which opened the three-game stand up until Sunday against the TNT Tropang Giga.

“If we play Ginebra we have to stay sharp. We have to be sharp, we cannot start sluggish, we have to be sharp for 48 minutes. Ginebra is a team that you have to play 48 minutes. If not, they will try to take advantage because they have a good coach and they are well-disciplined,” said Gallent.

The veteran coach, who took over the reins from former head coach Leo Austria before the start of the conference, also challenged his team to step up in the crucial stretch of their elimination schedule as they vie for one of the four twice-to-beat incentives in the quarterfinals.

“It’s gonna be tough. This week is gonna be tough for us but this will test our character. Right now we have finished playing Northport, so tomorrow we’ll be thinking about Ginebra, we’re not thinking about the game on Sunday,” he added.

The Kings are actually coming off a similar situation, playing four games in an eight-day span last week, winning the first three games before fatigue finally caught up to them in the 118-88 drubbing at the hands of rival Hotshots.

Having benefited from a couple of days rest, Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson and the rest of the Kings are expected to be back in their best forms when they attempt to get back on track against an equally formidable lineup that has Cameron Clark, June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez.

“As I told the players, those are the 50-50 games we have to play hard. If we stay sluggish against teams like that then we will have problems in the end,” stressed Gallent.