EYES ON SECOND LADDER
Games today (PhilSports Arena) 4 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs San Miguel Beer 8 p.m. – NorthPort vs Ginebra * SMB, Ginebra with twice-to-beat advantage
Second seed San Miguel Beer and No. 3 Barangay Ginebra set their course on the shortest road to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four, bent on following the lead of top-ranked semifinalist Magnolia.
After the Hotshots blitzed past No. 8 TNT Sunday, 109-94, the Beermen and the defending champion Gin Kings look to make quick work of seventh seed Rain or Shine and No. 6 NorthPort, respectively, as they hit the playoffs today.
But the Elasto Painters and the Batang Pier have their own model to emulate – fifth-seeded Meralco. The Bolts took down No. 4 Phoenix in a lung-busting 116-107 triple overtime win and dragged the twiceto-beat Fuel Masters to a sudden death on Sunday for the right to face the Hotshots in the next phase.
Both SMB and ROS go into the 4 p.m. match as the league’s hottest teams.
The Beermen, who welcomed back June Mar Fajardo after a six-month absence in time for the playoffs, have won their last five. The rejuvenated Elasto Painters are even better, going on a six-match streak after a 0-5 start to salvage their quarterfinals spot.
“Forget about the five-game streak. As I told the guys, that was our first ladder. Our first goal was to get into the Top 4 for twice-to-beat and we did that. So now, we have to work on Ladder 2, our quarterfinal stint,” said SMB coach Jorge Gallent.
SMB now has a virtually full-strength squad with Fajardo, Vic Manuel, Terrence Romeo and Jeron Teng back in the fold to join forces with import Bennie Boatwright, veteran Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter, Don Trollano and Jericho Cruz.
ROS mentor Yeng Guiao expects efficient reinforcement Tree Treadwell, veterans Beau Belga and Gabe Norwood and fast-maturing young guns Andrei Caracut, Santi Santillan, Jhonard Clarito, Adrian Nocum and Keith Datu to come out fighting.