DEFENDING champion TNT will face top-seed NLEX while San Miguel battles Rain or Shine in the PBA 50th Season Commissioner's Cup quarterfinal round which begins on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
TNT and San Miguel, winners of the pro league's last two conferences, will now try to go deep again in this Commissioner's Cup but will have to win twice against their highly-ranked opponents in order to advance.
READ Ginebra outplays TNT, secures No. 2 seed
TNT was relegated to the No. 8 spot after its loss to Barangay Ginebra, 93-86, in the final game of the eliminations on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena. The Tropang 5G arranged a quarterfinal clash against NLEX, which finished No. 1 with a 10-2 win-loss record.
San Miguel, meanwhile, ended up at No. 6 with a 7-5 slate and a face-off against third-seed Rain or Shine, which ended the eliminations with a 9-3 win-loss mark.
NLEX and Rain or Shine both hold twice-to-beat advantage.
Meantime, sister teams Ginebra and Magnolia will face separate foes in the playoff, instead of facing each other in a Manila Clasico quarterfinal.
The Gins Kings, at No. 2 in the team standings, will go up against Phoenix Super LPG while Hotshots will meet Meralco again but as the No. 5 seed against the No. 4 Bolts, who have a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
A win by Magnolia and TNT on Sunday would have set up a blockbuster Manila Clasico quarterfinals.
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