Texters seek first of two vital wins vs Batang Pier
TNT clashes with Global Port today gunning for the first of two wins it needs to safely make it into the upper half of the standings in the Smart Bro-PBA Philippine Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With a 5-4 card, the Texters need to defeat the Batang Pier in their 4:15 p.m. tiff and then crowd-darling Barangay Ginebra on Sunday to gain a twice-to-beat privilege in the first phase of the quarterfinals.
The Batang Pier are safely in with a fourth-best 7-3 record and just awaiting their final ranking.
Star shoots for a place in the first phase later versus Blackwater at 7 p.m.
Blackwater hasn’t made it past the eliminations in its PBA existence and a win would boost the Elite’s chances, with a game coming up against Mahindra also on Sunday.
A victory by GlobalPort would seal No. 4 for the Batang Pier and a quarterfinal date with the No. 9 qualifier. They will need to win just once to advance to the second phase for the right to play the winner between Nos. 5 and 8 in a best-of-three series.
As things stand, only Meralco has been ousted from the season-opening conference, with Rain or Shine, Alaska and tournament leader and defending champion San Miguel Beer still locked in a race for the top two slots.
Finishing 1-2 would mean automatic slots in the Final Four, and the Elasto Painters can gain top ranking with a win over NLEX on Saturday.
Alaska, which still has to clash with Barako Bull, and San Miguel would figure in a KO match for No. 2 in the event Rain or Shine and Alaska win their final games.
This match is vital for Blackwater, as a win will give the Elite some sort of cushion in their bid to make the playoffs for the first time.
Should the Hotshots prevail, the Mahindra-Blackwater match on Sunday would be for the final playoff spot, while a win by the Elite in their last two games would give Star the 10th position.
