TEAMS continue to jockey for the best possible position with four squads in desperate need of a win plunge into action in the homestretch of the elimination round of the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.
In a critical game, TNT KaTropa and the GlobalPort Batang Pier, both at 5-4, go to war at 7 p.m. at the Cuneta Astrodome tonight with a lot at stake. The same can be said between the tiff between the Blackwater Elite (5-5) and the Star Hotshots (4-4) at 4:15 p.m. in the opener.
The Tropang Texters and the Batang Pier are in a mad four-team logjam with the Alaska Aces and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at third to sixth places with each having a two games left.
Their tussle today will have huge implications. The victor will earn a spot in the quarterfinals while the loser will put itself in further danger as it will slip down the bottom half.
The Batang Pier is coming off a loss while the Tropang Texters managed to have a solid outing in its last game.
GlobalPort bowed to San Miguel, 100-106, last Saturday in Cebu while TNT KaTropa routed Mahindra, 104-92, a week ago.
As of now, only San Miguel Beer (8-1), who is already a lock at No. 1, and current second-running Phoenix (6-4) are the two teams which have already qualified in the next round.
The No. 2 seed and the twice-to-beat advantage that goes along with it as well as the six other slots in the quarters are being hotly contested by the teams still in the running.
Three teams NLEX, Mahindra and Meralco are all ousted and one more squad will eventually join them in an early vacation.
The battle between the Elite and the Hotshots are just as pivotal. The victor will also gain an upper hand in terms of positioning while the defeated team will also be in harm’s way.
Star is fresh from an impressive 88-77 drubbing of TNT KaTropa last week while Blackwater suffered a 90-99 defeat at the hands of Barangay Ginebra last Friday.