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.