Boosters battle Batang Pier; Bolts clash with Aces

WITH the standings all muddled up and each one of the teams still having a chance, a clearer playoff picture should emerge after today’s PLDT MyDSL Philippine Cup double-header at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Three of the four teams tied for sixth spot and a Petron Blaze side trying to stay in the hunt for a top two berth take the Big Dome floor in Cubao.

Alaska and Meralco battle at 5:45 p.m. with the winner claiming a temporary tie for fifth spot with idle Barako Bull, while the Boosters try to get back on track against Globalport and put the Batang Pier’s playoff march on hold at 8 o’clock.

Barangay Ginebra remains at No. 1 with a 9-2 card with Petron hoping to reclaim solo second again at 9-3 after blowing a chance to tie the Gin Kings with a loss to Barako Bull last Wednesday.

Tournament format calls for the top two teams to clash with Nos. 8 and 7, respectively, in the playoffs, needing just a win to advance to the Final Four.

The bottom two teams will get the boot.

No. 3 battles No. 6 and the fourth- and fifth-ranked squads clash in separate best-of-three series for the other two semifinal spots.

The winner of the Alaska-Meralco tiff enters the top six, which the Batang Pier could join if they upset the Boosters, who are likely to be still without cornerstone June Mar Fajardo because of a recurring knee injury.

Sol Mercado returns after a one-game absence for the Batang Pier, who missed his 20-point average in a recent loss to Rain or Shine.

The Elasto Painters are tied with the Boosters at 8-3. They are certainly hoping for a Globalport win to get the inside track to the No. 2 spot heading into the final two weeks of the eliminations.

“Our defense is lacking,” Alaska coach Luigi Trillo said of his Aces. “Sometimes we show up (to play defense) and sometimes we don’t.”

Petron, meanwhile, will be coming off a sorry 92-88 loss at the hands of the Express on Wednesday after blowing control in the endgame. It was the third loss in the last four games for the Boosters.

Fajardo, the statistical points leader, has missed the last three games and was supposed to return against the Express before the coaching staff decided to give him more rest at the last minute.