MAGNOLIA and Rain or Shine join earlier qualifiers San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinals of the PBA Philippine Cup.
The Hotshots turned back a hot charging comeback by Terrafirma Dyip to prevail, 108-100, while the Elasto Painters routed the NLEX Road Warriors, 120-104, in a pair of contrasting outcomes Friday at the Philsports Arena.
The victories shoved Rain or Shine and Magnolia to the next round. The Elasto Painters finished the eliminations with a 6-5 record, while the Hotshots improved to 6-4 with still a game left against TNT on Sunday.
Their respective losses derailed the march of the Dyip (5-6) and Road Warriors (5-5) to the quarterfinals.
The takeaways in the penultimate play date of the PH Cup elims
- MAGNOLIA restored its shattered pride with its win over Terrafirma and booked a place in the quarterfinals. The victory came in the aftermath of the Hotshots’ 74-51 loss to Meralco in a game where they were held to the lowest output in franchise history. The team still has a game left against TNT for a shot at a possible no. 3 seed heading to the playoffs.
- SHAUN Ildefonso played his most memorable game yet as a pro as Rain or Shine advanced to the quarterfinals for the second straight conference. Ildefonso finished with 14 points in a performance highlighted by a three-point shot off the board, and what he admitted was his first-ever in-game slam dunk. The son of two-time MVP Danny I is fresh from signing a new two-year contract, and chances are, there are more to come from the young, athletic guard.
- NLEX is the next team on the slide as the all-Filipino Cup eliminations wind down. The Road Warriors suffered their fourth straight loss despite the return of main man Robert Bolick to active duty. The team once occupied the top two spots but is now teetering on the verge of missing the playoffs just like the fate that befell Blackwater and Northport. The Batang Pier though, are still in contention for a quarterfinals berth through a possible playoff.
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