THREE teams in strong contention for a spot in the quarterfinals see action on Friday in the PBA Philippine Cup which returns to the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Here’s a preview of the weekend doubleheader.
BARANGAY GINEBRA VS. TERRAFIRMA
When: Dec. 12, 5:15 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
The Kings will try to stretch their winning run against a Dyip side that is already out of the running for the playoffs.
The Gin Kings' 103-85 drubbing of Blackwater two days ago rewarded the team its first winning streak this season for an even 4-4 record.
A third straight victory would put Barangay Ginebra above the .500 mark for the first time in the season-opening confernce.
Eyes on the Top 4
With momentum on its side, Ginebra coach Tim Cone said the Kings are still targeting a spot in the Top Four and twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
That is, should Lady Luck be on their side, according to Cone.
In a tie for seventh spot with Meralco at the moment, the Kings will take on league leader Rain or Shine in Bahrain next week after their game against the Dyip, before they wrap up their campaign against Titan Ultra at the end of the eliminations on Dec. 21.
A sweep of their last three games would give the Kings a total of seven wins – good enough to make the Top 4.
Of course, that all depends on whether all the teams ahead of them, namely Rain or Shine (7-2), San Miguel (6-2), Converge (6-3), NLEX (6-3), Magnolia (6-3) and TNT (5-3) would not reach seven wins or beyond.
Mathematically possible, but the Kings need a lot of luck.
Graceful exit for Dyip
Terrafirma is currently on a long skid, seven straight losses to be exact after a 120-87 beating at the hands of Meralco two days ago.
With a 1-8 record, the Dyip are out of playoffs contention anew.
But that doesn’t mean they’ll just roll over and die against the streaking Kings as they try to end their remaining games in the eliminations on a high note.
MERALCO VS. PHOENIX
When: December 12, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
This is one interesting matchup since both the Bolts and Fuel Masters are fighting it out for a quarterfinals berth and the outcome of the game would have a big implication on the fate of their respective campaigns.
Fuel Masters fight for dear life
At 3-6 and at ninth spot, Phoenix is fighting for survival and need to win its last two outings including this one, to remain in the running for the quarterfinals.
The Fuel Masters are coming off a 106-98 win over Blackwater last week, giving them a bit of a momentum going to their game against the Bolts.
Dynamic duo
In the win against the Bossing, Phoenix unveiled its own version of the ‘Dynamic Duo’ in Jason Perkins and Ricci Rivero.
Perkins scored a second career-best 33 points, while Rivero added 25 as the two combined for more than half of the team’s total output.
They likewise combined for 16 rebounds and five assists, while shooting 19-of-30 from the field together.
Roller coaster ride for Meralco
It’s been an up-and-down campaign so far for the Bolts, who had to find time too, for their stint in the East Asia Super League.
But with the EASL out of the way at least until February, Meralco can now fully concentrate on its bid for the playoffs.
The Bolts resumed their campaign last Wednesday with a 33-point beating of the Dyip to raise their record at 4-4.
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