Different paths

Grand Slam-seeking San Miguel Beermen and NLEX Road Warriors seem to be miles apart in terms of their campaign halfway through the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup.

The Road Warriors are now sporting a 7-2 win-loss record while the Beermen are at 3-3 following their defeat to Alaska, 90-79, recently.

In that Pampanga game, coach Leo Austria paraded new import Terik Bridgeman, who turned in a woeful performance—two points on 1-of-4 shooting as the Aces ended a 14-game losing run dating back to the last conference.

Based on that game against Alaska, Bridgeman, who replaced Wendell McKines, isn’t the guy who can step up San Miguel’s Grand Slam drive.

Bridgeman played for Cactus Tbilisi in the Georgian Superleague, averaging 11.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots in 28 games.

The Road Warriors have virtually clinched a crucial Top Four finish in the eliminations by trouncing GlobalPort, 109-99, while the Beermen are still unsure if they can win enough to get to the next round.

“Seven wins can give you a tie for a spot in the top four, but we don’t want a tie because if we go to quotient, you can never tell; we want to be sure,” said Guiao.

The Batang Pier and Talk ‘N Text were the two teams Guiao earlier expressed doubts if they can beat during a fellowship night tendered by NLEX recently in Pasig City.

“We have two more games left against TNT and Star. Pag may natsambahan kami roon, we’re guaranteed of a Top Four spot,” added Guiao.

A victory against KaTropa on Sept. 13 would give NLEX a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.

Aside from defending champion Barangay Ginebra, which is on top of the heap with a 6-1 mark and already in the quarterfinals, NLEX, no doubt, is one of the hottest teams in the ongoing Governors’ Cup—a stark contrast to the Road Warriors’ performance two conferences ago since Guiao took over as their head coach.