BARANGAY Ginebra is in danger of missing the quarterfinals for the first time in 18 years following Sunday's loss to Magnolia in the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup.
The Gin Kings failed to ride the momentum of their 129-111 win over Rain or Shine last Friday, dropping a 112-93 loss to Magnolia last Sunday that was their fifth in eight games in the group stage.
With the defeat, Ginebra returned to a tie for last place with Meralco in the Group B standings on a 3-5 win-loss record. Onlt the top four teams from the group will clinch quarterfinal berths.
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If they fail, it will mark the first time that the Gin Kings will not make the quarterfinals since the 2007-08 Philippine Cup where they lost in the first round of the wildcard phase to Air21.
Since then, the only conference where Ginebra nearly missed the quarterfinals was during the 2021 Philippine Cup semi-bubble where the Kings had to beat Phoenix Super LPG in a playoff for No. 8 spot. Ginebra, however, later lost to eventual champion TNT in the quarterfinals.
Coincidentally, Phoenix will be the next opponent of Ginebra on October 18 in a game with quarterfinal implications. The Fuelmasters, currently in a share of second place with Rain or Shine in Group B with a 4-3 win-loss slate, also need a win to boost their chances of making it to the top four.
The Gin Kings will close the eliminations against Blackwater - a game originally scheduled on August 9 but moved to the final day of the elims on October 23 after it was postponed by rain.
The match-up likely to determine the fate of Ginebra since Blackwater is also in the hunt for a quarterfinal berth. The Bossing hold the fourth spot as of Sunday with a 3-4 win-loss record.
One thing going for Ginebra is that one of its three wins this conference came against Blackwater, which they beat by a mile, 115-85, to gain an advantage in the quotient in case ties need to be broken.
Ginebra, however, lost to Phoenix Super LPG, 81-78, in the eliminations, making its game against the Fuelmasters an important one. The Gin Kings need to either win or, to be safe, with by four points or more to assure that it will win the tiebreak if the Gin Kings and the Fuelmasters end up in a tie in the win-loss record.
Another loss by Ginebra against Phoenix Super LPG would make that quarterfinal berth even more difficult to obtain.
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