FIRST place will be on the line as top dogs Meralco Bolts and Star Hotshots figure in a much anticipated battle for supremacy in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.
Showing consistency throughout the tournament, the Hotshots and the Bolts, both at 7-2, test each other to see who stays at the top in their scheduled 7 p.m. encounter at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.
Three hours prior, skidding Alaska (4-4) is facing a must-win situation when it takes on woeful and still winless NLEX (0-9) at 4:15 p.m. in the appetizer.
Currently, Star and Meralco are tied for first place and their meeting will decide which team takes the lead in this crucial part of the elimination round.
Both teams are safely through to the playoffs. Both are looking to finish in the top two to gain a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.
A lot will be at stake as the victor will boost its bid of ending up at the top while the loser will slip significantly in the standings.
The Hotshots, with returning import Ricardo Ratliffe dominating, are currently the league’s hottest team. They are riding a three-game winning streak and they are hoping to keep that alive against the Bolts, which lost their last outing.
After starting the tournament on fire with four straight wins, the Aces are currently in the middle of adversity as they are in the midst of a four-game slide.
They are hoping to get back on track against the Road Warriors to get some safe distance from the other teams chasing them for a spot in the top eight.
With only two games left in its awful campaign, NLEX wants to at least post a win and avoid a winless run by winning one of their remaining games.