From boring to exciting
We are now into the homestretch, ensuring an electric frenzy heading into the incentive-laden quarterfinals.
Almost complete is the Top 8 cast from the 12 PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) teams.
They get the boot but the four ousted teams—Rain or Shine, Northport, Columbian Dyip and either TNT-Katropa or Meralco—get to enjoy an early, extended Christmas vacation.
And by the beauty of the tournament format that makes Commissioner Willie Marcial prouder than proud no end, the Top 4 quarterfinalists need only one win each to advance.
So far, only Magnolia and Alaska have officially secured Top 4 slots with their identical 8-3, win-loss records after completing the maximum 11 games.
With Ginebra at 8-2, it can end up no. 1 by beating TNT-Katropa on Nov. 4.
However, a Ginebra loss will make TNT tied for No. 8 with Meralco in case the Bolts (4-6) defeat the San Miguel Beermen on Nov. 3.
At 6-4, SMB is a quarterfinalist at either no. 5 or no. 6.
If the Beermen defeat the Bolts, they settle for a fifth-place tie with the loser in the Blackwater-Phoenix game on Nov. 4. The quotient breaks the deadlock.
The winner in the Blackwater-Phoenix match grabs a Top 4 tie and the coveted win-once bonus.
Placings after the eliminations are that important as they determine pairings that can be beneficial, especially among the Top 4.
No. 1 is pitted against no. 8, no. 2 against no. 7, no. 3 against no. 6 and no. 4 against no. 5.
You might find it bewildering, if not confusing, but the new format has transformed the league from boring to exciting.
Sometimes, a not-so-rated team crashing into the Top 4 gets to earn an air of exclusivity, as in an economy passenger suddenly thrust into the plush J.J. Bautista’s PAL Mabuhay Lounge reserved only for business and first class travelers. Sudden prosperity.
Instead of just being plain spectators before, PBA fans today have become instant mathematicians. They compute, they analyze.
Negotiating the twice-to-beat bonus was as complex as the Naia Expressway? Not anymore. It unlocks the key to a team’s probable advance to the Finals.
So blink not. Ride on.