IN the last playdate of the elimination round, a lot is still at stake for three teams as they jockey for the best possible placing in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup today.
Red hot Star Hotshots (6-4), winner of three straight, want to continue their surge to have a good shot at ending up with the No. 2 seed when they face already eliminated but still dangerous Mahindra (3-7) at 4:15 p.m. at the Cuneta Astrodome in a crucial tiff for the Hotshots.
Following that is an equally vital game as the Alaska Aces (6-4), also seeking to have a good shot at finishing as the No. 2 team, play struggling Rain or Shine (5-5), which needs to earn a victory to secure its place in the quarterfinals and avoid harm’s way, at 7 p.m. in the main event.
Both the Hotshots and the Aces, who are currently tied for second and third places, have good chances of having a shot at ending up as the No. 2 seed and claiming the last twice-to-beat incentive left with their fate all in their hands.
Should both of them take care of business against their respective foes and earn victories, they will arrange a hot duel and figure in a playoff to dispute the No. 2 seed.
If one wins and the other loses, the victor, whoever it may be between them, will automatically gain the No. 2 ranking and the incentive with it in the next round.
On the other hand, in the event that both of them lose, things will get interesting.
In that case, they will both end up in a wild six-way tie, or even possibly a seven-way logjam for second place with GlobalPort, TNT KaTropa, Phoenix and Barangay Ginebra as they will all finish with similar 6-5 records.
Should that happen, the quotient system will come to play and the top two teams with the highest accumulated quotient among all of them will then get the chance to figure in a playoff for the No. 2 seed.
To avoid all of that, the Hotshots and Aces are both motivated to list much important victories.
With Allein Maliksi continuing his ascent in leading Star, the Hotshots demolished Meralco by 47 points, 120-73. The Hotshots played like a juggernaut which could not be stopped in that contest.
Alaska likewise had the same outcome the last time out, routing Phoenix by 21, 106-85, last Friday.
While for the Elasto Painters, all they need to do is win to complete the eight-team cast for the quarters and avoid complications.
Whould they lose, they would have to face Blackwater (5-6) in a playoff for the No. 8 seed and last ticket to the playoffs.
The Painters aren’t exactly having the best of stretches, having lost three in a row coming in.
For Mahindra, what it can do is finish its run on a positive note and finish at No. 10.