Beermen seek inside track to elims top 2

DEFENDING champion San Miguel Beer begins its final push for the No. 1 playoff ranking today against Mahindra as the Smart Bro-PBA Philippine Cup eliminations enter its final three weeks at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

The 7 p.m. game against the Enforcers could be considered as the lightest of the Beermen’s last four assignments as San Miguel—locked in a three-way tie for the lead with Alaska and Rain or Shine—jockey for the inside position for at least a top two finish.

GlobalPort and NLEX, teams with solid shots at finishing in the upper half of the standings, lock horns in the 4:15 p.m. contest, a crucial one considering the implications it will have on the loser.

San Miguel will be clashing with NLEX on Wednesday next week before taking on Alaska and then Talk ‘N Text, in that order, to complete its elimination-round schedule.

The Aces, meanwhile, still have games against Meralco, Rain or Shine and Barako Bull and San Miguel, while Rain or Shine will still tangle with the Tropang Texters, the Bolts, the Road Warriors and the Aces.

Finishing in the top two will seed the teams directly into the Final Four, with the next eight teams to play in the quarterfinals that would favor those who land on the third to sixth spots.

Tournament format calls for the last two teams to be eliminated. Nos. 7 to 10 will square off with Nos. 6, 5, 4 and 3, respectively, needing to beat the higher-ranked teams twice to advance to the semifinals.

San Miguel, as well as the Painters and the Aces, would need to at least beat each other when they clash later on, just to be able to gain the inside track since the winner-over-the other rule will play a great part in breaking ties.