Key tiffs for 4 PBA squads

MANILA, Philippines—NLEX, the hottest team in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup with a five-game winning streak, shoots for a better quarterfinal position Tuesday when the Road Warriors and the impressive Al Thornton battle Barako Bull at 4:15 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Today’s doubleheader is not only about NLEX seeking a lighter assignment in the first round of the playoffs. It is also about the survival of the Energy and two other teams as Globalport and San Miguel clash at 7 p.m.

The Road Warriors need to win this one to attain the highest position possible—as high as No. 4—even as the Beermen try to fan their flickering hopes of advancing with a win against the Batang Pier.

Globalport, like Barako Bull and idle Alaska, is at 4-6 with only two slots in the playoffs left.

The Energy and the Batang Pier would advance to the next round with a win while eliminating San Miguel from further contention.

As things stand, Rain or Shine and Talk ‘N Text, after convincing wins on Sunday, will be the top two seeds and will play No. 8 and 7, respectively, needing to win only once to advance to the Final Four.

Defending champion Purefoods, which actually was the first team to reach eight wins, was bumped down to No. 3 because of an inferior quotient. The Star Hotshots now await the No. 6 qualifier in a best-of-three series for the right to march on.

Barangay Ginebra battles Alaska at the close of the elimination round tomorrow with a win practically eliminating the Aces.

But should Alaska win and both the Energy and the Batang Pier carve out victories today, Ginebra could go down to as low as No. 7.