Batang Pier advance

Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

GlobalPort’s prolific backcourt of Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle ridiculed the Rain or Shine defense all game on Sunday night and towed the Batang Pier to a 117-99 ripping of the Elasto Painters to seal a quarterfinal berth in the PBA Philippine Cup.

After getting the job done on the floor, the league’s modern day version of the most lethal guard combination and the rest of the Batang Pier will now await the results of three more games at Cuneta Astrodome to know where they really stand.

“Right now, we just have to wait,” GlobalPort coach Franz Pumaren said after getting a career-high 44 points from Romeo and 28 from Pringle that had the Batang Pier closing out the elimination round with a 6-5 record.

“Hopefully, we can land in a best-of-three [series],” he went on. “It doesn’t matter to us if we are No. 3, 4, 5 or 6 [in the final rankings]. It will be hard if we end up seventh or eighth.”

Romeo torched the Painters in the second and fourth quarters, tossing in 39 of his total, while Pringle dropped all but eight of his in the middle two quarters to form a two-sided battering the physical Rain or Shine defense didn’t have an answer to.

It was the third straight defeat for the Painters, who, just two weeks ago, were looking very good in the race for the No. 2 spot but are now in danger of missing the playoffs altogether.

Barangay Ginebra formally advanced to the playoffs after scuttling NLEX, 90-80, in the nightcap.

Like GlobalPort, the Gin Kings would need to await the results of the final playdate this Wednesday to know their ranking.

Rain or Shine battles Alaska this Wednesday in a game that not only closes the elimination round but will also determine who will own the second twice-to-beat privilege, a race that’s  now down between the Aces and the Hotshots.

The Hotshots clash with the Floodbuster also this Wednesday.

Should Star win, it would have to hope that Rain or Shine  turns back Alaska for it is the Hotshots’ only route to second seeding.