THREE teams that are leading the race for two of the twice-to-beat incentives in the quarterfinals see action in the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup on Tuesday. Here’s the rundown of the games.
MERALCO VS. NORTHPORT
When: Tuesday, January 14. 5 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
NorthPort looks to formalize entry to quarterfinals
NorthPort looks to seal its place in the quarterfinals on Tuesday with a win over Meralco. The Batang Pier are at No. 1 with a 7-1 record after their huge 119-116 win over Barangay Ginebra last week. Another win over a marquee team will surely boost NorthPort’s chance at securing a place in the top two places in the team standings and securing a twice-to-beat edge.
Go up or stay down
Meralco is currently at seventh place in the standings with a 5-3 win-loss record, and its game against NorthPort could determine its quarterfinal seeding. A win could bring the Bolts as high as second place with a shot at one of the two twice-to-beat incentives in the quarterfinals, but a loss will keep them in seventh position and in danger of being at a twice-to-beat disadvantage.
Lights out or shot down
NorthPort shot the lights out in its win against Ginebra, making a conference-high 14 threes. A similar effort will enhance the Batang Pier’s chances of winning against Meralco.
Meralco’s last three wins saw it limit opponents to less than 100 points. The Bolts will have to do a better job against NorthPort, which has scored 100 points or more in all its games.
CONVERGE VS. RAIN OR SHINE
When: Tuesday, January 14. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Important game in their bid for twice-to-beat
Rain or Shine and Converge will be facing off in a crucial match-up, with the two teams eyeing twice-to-beat incentives in the quarterfinals. The Elasto Painters are in second spot with a 5-2 win-loss mark, while the FiberXers share third place with Eastern and Barangay Ginebra on 6-3 slates.
Winning streaks snapped
The Elasto Painters’ five-game winning run was snapped last Saturday when they were defeated by Phoenix, 93-91. The FiberXers’ four-game winning streak also ended last Saturday in a 98-96 loss to TNT. Both will look to cluster wins again in their key game.
Guards look to redeem themselves
Andrei Caracut and Alec Stockton didn’t have their usual games in their previous outing. Caracut scored eight points but shot 2-for-10 from the field in the loss to Phoenix. Stockton had nine points, only the second time he was limited to single digit in scoring, in their defeat against TNT.
Crucial week for Rain or Shine
Aside from playing Converge on Tuesday, Rain or Shine is also set to battle No. 1 NorthPort in their next game, a crucial stretch for the team.
“Sa amin, ‘yun ang mga crucial games talaga. Tingin ko ‘yung Converge game, NorthPort game, these are also the teams that are trying to get to the top seeds so dito talaga ang labanan,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.
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