IT'S final.
NLEX will pick No. 1 in the PBA Season 51 Rookie Draft - a privilege it secured after Blackwater’s loss to Barangay Ginebra in the final elimination-round game of the 50th Season Governors’ Cup.
Blackwater finished 11th pin the Governors’ Cup after its 101-96 loss to Ginebra to earn the No. 1 selection, which goes to the team which had the worst performance in the season about to end.
READ For NLEX to lose PBA No. 1 draft pick, this must happen
The Bossing, who have never come close to a championship since entering the league as an expansion team in the 2014-2015 season, also placed 11th in the Philippine Cup and 12th in the Commissioner’s Cup.
However, the Bossing have already given up their first-round draft pick to the Road Warriors as part of the deal involving Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser in February 2024.
With the good fortune, NLEX faces the prospect of selecting first in the Season 51 Draft right after a playoff campaign that could even end with a first-ever PBA championship in the season-ending Governors' Cup.
NLEX is one of the two No. 1-seeded teams in the quarterfinals after topping Group A with a 9-3 win-loss record. The Road Warriors battle Phoenix Super LPG in the best-of-five quarterfinals.
Titan Ultra, meanwhile, is set to pick No. 2 after finishing ninth in the Philippine Cup, 11th in the Commissioner’s Cup, and 12th in the Governors’ Cup.
Ginebra, on the other hand, is picking at No. 3 on draft rights obtained from Terrafirma in the Maverick Ahanmisi deal in October 2025.
The Gin Kings will pick high even after clinching a quarterfinal berth in the Governors’ Cup with the victory over Blackwater, and a possible title if they go on to deep run in the playoffs.
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