THE final twice-to-beat advantage in the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup is up for grabs in the last day of the elimination round on Friday at the Philsports Arena.
TNT will face Rain or Shine in the final game of the elims with the Tropang Giga out to clinch a quarterfinals incentive with a victory.
But idle Converge is still in the hunt for the twice-to-beat advantage as well, eagerly waiting which team they will face in the next round.
A TNT defeat will send it into a tie with the FiberXers and at least one more team, depending on the result of the first match-up of the day between Magnolia and Meralco.
As mentioned in a previous article, Barangay Ginebra and Meralco have already sealed their places at Nos. 4 and 5, leaving the Nos. 2 and 3 spots still to be determined.
READ: Ginebra, Meralco meet again in quarterfinals
Let’s see how TNT and Converge can get that coveted playoff edge.
How TNT can secure the twice-to-beat advantage
To avoid any complications for the second seed, TNT simply needs a victory over Rain or Shine to finish with a 9-3 win-loss slate.
The Tropang Giga will end up in a tie with NorthPort at first place, but will go down to No. 2 for quarterfinal seeding purposes after the Batang Pier beat them in the elimination round.
The No. 2 ranking may actually be secured by TNT even before their game against the Elasto Painters if the Hotshots triumph over the Bolts the first match-up of the day.
How Converge can secure the twice-to-beat advantage
Converge will seal No. 2 without breaking a sweat if Meralco wins over Magnolia in the first game, then Rain or Shine beats TNT in the second game. That will force a quadruple tie for second place among the FiberXers, Tropang Giga, Gin Kings, and Bolts.
In breaking the tie, Converge will take the No. 2 spot thanks to a superior quotient among the four teams with 1.0742, with TNT falling to No. 3 with a quotient of 1.0320. Ginebra gets No. 4 with 0.9710, followed by Meralco at No. 5 with 0.9271.
The FiberXers get the No. 2 on the strength of their 16-point win over the Bolts, 110-94, last Christmas Day. Converge has a +21 point differential also due to its seven-point win over the Gin Kings last December 21, and its two-point defeat to the Tropang Giga last January 11.
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