THE quarterfinals of the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup are ready to roll with interesting and intriguing pairings.
The playoffs officially start tomorrow, but as early as now, a lot are already anticipating an unpredictable war.
Top seed San Miguel Beer, who has only lost once this tournament, is a heavy favorite to go all the way and against whoever lower-ranked team it will face.
The Beermen steamrolled in the eliminations, finishing at 10-1 and showing everyone why they are the defending champions.
They will have a twice-to-beat advantage against either Rain or Shine or Blackwater, who are currently disputing the No. 8 seed and the last quarterfinals ticket as of this writing in a playoff.
Longtime rivals Alaska and Barangay Ginebra are set to tango again in the quarters for the second conference in a row.
This time around, it will be the Aces, who are seeded No. 2, who will have a twice-to-beat edge over the inconsistent No. 7 Gin Kings.
Alaska is seeking revenge as Ginebra eliminated the Aces during last Governors’ Cup in the same stage, wherein the Gin Kings had a twice-to-beat edge.
The two best-of-three affairs between the middle teams are equally intriguing.
Scorching No. 3 Star, which is enjoying a renaissance, being one of the hottest teams heading into the playoffs with four straight wins, and dangerous No. 6-ranked Phoenix Petroleum are set for a tight encounter.
No. 4 Talk ‘N Text and No. 5 GlobalPort is another fresh series to look forward to as both present a lot of offensive firepower.
