Big Chill, NLEX battle for No. 1

MANILA, Philippines — Early semifinalists Big Chill and NLEX aim for a strong finish when they shoot for the No. 1 spot against separate opponents on the final day of eliminations in the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup Thursday.

Big Chill battles the dangerous Hog’s Breath Cafe at 2 p.m., while NLEX tries to recover from a heartbreaker in its 4 p.m. duel against ousted Zambales M-Builders at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

The Superchargers, a game ahead of the Road Warriors at 11-1, already secured an outright semifinal stint but can seal the top spot with a victory.

Also assured of a Final Four slot, the Road Warriors can still wrest the top spot with a win coupled by a Big Chill loss since the former champions hold a superior quotient in the event of a tie.

“We’re just hoping we can finish really good in preparation for the next round,” coach Boyet Fernandez said of his Road Warriors, who hope to rebound from a 74-78 upset loss to Cagayan Valley just two days ago.

The Superchargers and the Road Warriors earned Final Four tickets as incentives for finishing in the top two, while the next four squads square off in the quarterfinals.

“It will give us a little bit of a break so we can try to keep on improving,” said Fernandez.

No. 3 Jumbo Plastic (10-3), toting a twice-to-beat advantage, will clash with Blackwater Sports (8-5) in the quarterfinals, while No. 4 Hog’s Breath Cafe (9-3) will hold the same bonus in its duel against Cagayan Valley (9-4).

The Superchargers picked up their 11th win Monday after edging Boracay Rum, 94-91.