Globalport guns for q’final twice-to-beat edge vs Aces

GLOBALPORT shoots for the last twice-to-beat incentive Tuesday when it squares off with No. 1 Alaska in the penultimate elimination-round playdate of the PBA Governors’ Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Game time is 4:15 p.m. with the Batang Pier looking to seal their best-ever elimination-round performance with a win—and the No. 4 seeding—and push the defending champion Star Hotshots down into the bottom half.

The scenario is simple for Globalport if it wins, but a loss could even relegate the Batang Pier to as low as sixth place in the standings.

Star, which has a two-game streak going, guns for a third straight win against ousted Blackwater in the 7 p.m. contest.

If Globalport wins, it would close out the elimination round with a 7-4 record, which the Hotshots won’t reach even with a win over the Elite. A loss, however, would drag the Batang Pier into a three-way tie for No. 4 with the idle Barako Bull Energy and, possibly Star at 6-5.

Should that happen, Globalport could have the worst record when the tie is broken via the quotient system, since the Batang Pier defeated Star by just two, 91-89 last May 12, but lost to Barako Bull, 123-114, last June 7.

The Hotshots, on the other hand, bamboozled the listless Energy on Sunday, 117-89.

“Our spirits are high, we know what’s at stake,” Globalport coach Pido Jarencio told the Inquirer.

Jarrid Famous has been an awesome force underneath for the Batang Pier, who are also drawing a lot of firepower from the streak-shooting Terrence Romeo and rookie Stanley Pringle.

The trio will be Globalport’s main weapons against Alaska, which is coming off a hard-earned 82-77 victory over San Miguel Beer just last Saturday in Panabo, Davao del Norte.

Romeo Travis, the hero in that win over the Beermen, could get much-needed rest with nothing else at stake for the Aces, who will be drawing the lightest assignment in the quarterfinals.

Tournament format calls for Nos. 1 to 4 to square off with Nos. 8 to 5, in that order, needing to win just once in the quarterfinals to make the Final Four.

San Miguel is No. 2 and Rain or Shine, after closing out the eliminations with six straight wins capped by a 96-89 decision of Meralco on Sunday, is No. 3.

The last playdate tomorrow will have KIA battling Meralco and NLEX taking on Barangay Ginebra.