MANILA, Philippines –Two of the four twice-to-beat privileges will be up for grabs Friday with the three league-leading sides in the PBA Governors’ Cup seeing action in a crucial double-header at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Talk ‘N Text and San Mig Coffee, the finalists in the previous conference, collide in the main game at 8 p.m. after Barangay Ginebra seeks the first of the premium slots against Alaska at 5:45.
Alaska also needs a win to safely make it to the quarterfinals and avoid the prospect of fighting it out with Barako Bull and Meralco for the last two berths in the playoffs.
Ginebra gets going less than 48 hours after an impressive outing against sister squad San Miguel Beer, which the Gin Kings dismantled with clinical precision, 105-98.
A victory by Ginebra and whoever wins in the second game gain the luxury of awaiting a quarterfinal foe that they need to beat just once to make the Final Four.
If Ginebra loses, it can still secure a twice-to-beat slot by winning its last game. The loser of the main game will also have the same chance as the Gin Kings.
Ginebra and Talk ‘N Text will clash on Sunday, while the defending champion Mixers will still battle Rain or Shine in the final game of the single-round elimination on Monday.
By prevailing today, the Gin Kings and either the Mixers or the Texters will avoid the complications of a tie and the possibility of losing out in the quotient system and being relegated into the bottom half of qualifiers.
That could happen if San Mig beats Talk ‘N Text today and then loses to Rain or Shine on Monday and Ginebra wins over Alaska but bows to the Tropang Texters on Sunday. Air21 can also get in the mix with a win over San Miguel Beer tomorrow.
In that scenario, Rain or Shine, Ginebra, Talk ‘N Text, San Mig and the Express will all have 6-3 records and with no KO matches scheduled, the team with the inferior quotient drops to No. 5 and will play in the quarterfinals needing to beat No. 4 two straight times.