San Miguel Beermen eye No. 2 slot, battle Air21 Express

WESLEY Witherspoon (No. 12) defends an off-balanced shot by Rain or Shine’s Raymond Almazan. Witherspoon will lead the Express against the Beermen tonight. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer battles Air21 in the only PBA Commissioner’s Cup game slated Wednesday, with the Beermen looking for a win that would give them No. 2 spot in the playoffs sta rting next week at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Beermen have a 6-2 record and can avoid complications of a playoff by winning their 8 p.m. clash with the Express, who will fall at either seventh or eighth—and with a twice-to-win disadvantage—regardless of the outcome.

As things stand, Talk ‘N Text already qualified as No. 1 and will play the No. 8 squad needing to win just once in the quarterfinals to advance to the Final Four. Globalport and Barako Bull were the teams that got the boot.

Alaska, which is running third, and Meralco, which is at fourth, are assured of places in best-of-three series although both have a game left with the Aces still in the hunt of finishing as No. 2 and getting the second twice-to-beat privilege.

For that to happen, the Aces must hope for an Air21 upset Wednesday night and then beat San Mig Coffee on Easter Sunday to catch up with the Beermen at 6-3.

Tying San Miguel would mean a one-game playoff for the No. 2 spot and the right to play No. 7 also needing to win just once.

Like San Mig Coffee, idle Rain or Shine is at 4-4 and will close out its elimination round stint against Barangay Ginebra also on Sunday.

Should the Elasto Painters prevail against the 3-5 Gin Kings, they would put Ginebra in seventh spot. The teams currently ranked third to sixth—Alaska, San Mig Coffee, Rain or Shine and Meralco—could end up tied at 5-4. If so, their quotient will determine their seeds.

Air21 will be coming off successive losses, the last an 82-87 decision at the hands of Meralco on Monday night.

Wesley Witherspoon will again spearhead the offensive attack of the Express.