BARANGAY Ginebra took care of business by securing a quarterfinal spot in the PBA Philippine Cup following its come-from-behind victory over Rain or Shine in Bahrain this week.
Now, the Kings will try to make it one step further as it shoots for a Top 4 finish and a twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs.
Can they do it?
READ: Ginebra pulls off Bahrain comeback vs RoS, clinches playoff spot
A correlation of events are needed for that to happen during the final playdate of the eliminations on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
At the moment, four teams are still in the running for the remaining twice-to-beat advantage, namely TNT, Converge, Magnolia, and Barangay Ginebra.
The Tropang 5G and the FiberXers currently occupy third and fourth place with 7-3 and 7-4 records, respectively.
Meanwhile, tied for fifth place are Magnolia and Barangay Ginebra with similar 6-4 slates.
The Hotshots, Tropang 5G, and the Kings still have a game left to be played in the last day of the eliminations – with Magnolia and TNT taking on each other in the first game at 5:15 p.m. at the Big Dome followed by the match between Ginebra and also-ran Titan Ultra.
For the Kings to clinch a twice-to-beat bonus meant beating the Giant Risers, coupled by a Magnolia win over TNT.
Under such scenario, there will be a four-way logjam at 7-4 among the Kings, Tropang 5G, Hotshots, and the FiberXers.
Applying the quotient system, Converge has a +20 over the rest and will take the no. 3 spot, while the Kings will be in strong contention for the no. 4 seed as they only have a -2 quotient so far compared to the Tropang 5G (-8) and Hotshots (-10), as per the computation of PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III going to Sunday's pair of important games.
That’s the only way Ginebra will be able to secure a Top 4 finish heading to the quarterfinals which begins on Christmas Day.
Meanwhile, a win by both Ginebra and TNT will have Converge and the Tropang 5G completing the Top 4 in the quarterfinals.
Although TNT will end up tied with Rain or Shine at 8-3, the Elasto Painters will still take the no. 2 seed as they beat the Tropang 5G in their lone encounter this conference, 91-89, in Cagayan De Oro City.
Under such setup, Ginebra will take the no. 5 spot, and then Magnolia, Meralco, and NLEX.
In case Titan Ultra upsets Ginebra and Magnolia wins over TNT, the Hotshots will have a shot of making it to the Top 4 depending on their winning margin against the Tropang 5G since they will end up tied with Converge at 7-4.
Ginebra will fall at sixth place, and then Meralco and NLEX complete the Bottom 4.
The worst case though for both Magnolia and Ginebra comes if they both lose.
Such set-up will have TNT and Converge securing the last two quarterfinal bonuses, while sending Magnolia down at fifth place, Meralco taking sixth spot, and Ginebra and NLEX the seventh and eighth places.
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