Wide-open race for playoffs looms
Games today (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 5:15 p.m. – Air21 vs Meralco 7:30 p.m. – Alaska vs Powerade Game tomorrow (Lapu-lapu City) 6:45 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs Talk n Text
Powerade and Alaska Milk battle for a guaranteed playoff shot at the quarterfinals while Meralco and Air21 fight to stay alive as the PBA Commissioner’s Cup elimination round hits its final week at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.
Talk n Text and Rain or Shine, meanwhile, depart for Lapu-lapu City to play an equally crucial match tomorrow. The Tropang Texters take a second shot at formalizing entry into the playoffs while the Elasto Painters play a third straight do-or-die game.
The playoff race has turned into a spirited battle with no team formally clinching a playoff berth and no squad has been eliminated with four playdates left in the elims.
Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine made the race tighter with victories over Talk n Text and B-meg on Sunday and Wednesday, respectively.
Complications abound with only the Tropang Texters and the Llamados almost there in the playoffs with five wins each.
Powerade and Barangay Ginebra are right behind the frontrunners at 4-3, followed by Alaska Milk and Barako Bull at 4-4, Air21 at 3-4 then Rain or Shine, Meralco and Petron at 3-5.
“We can’t be distracted with so many possibilities. We just want to focus on getting a crucial win. We will definitely be undersized as compared to Alaska, but we will find a way to compete,” said Powerade coach Bo Perasol.
On a swashbuckling ride from last conference, the Tigers can have a shot at an outright semifinal berth with a sweep of their last two games against the Aces and the B-meg Llamados.
The Aces, however, are expected to wage a battle to avoid complication of ties for the sixth and last slot in the quarterfinals.
Any tie for the sixth spot will be resolved by one playoff game, meaning quotient will be a crucial factor in the race.
Coaches Ryan Gregorio and Franz Pumaren are well aware where their teams stand.
“It’s must-win game for us. We should go back to our basic that is playing aggressive defense and try to execute our offense smartly,” said Pumaren.
“There’s a small window of opportunity for us to make the playoffs. Of course, we will do whatever it takes to have a chance for the last bus,” said Gregorio.
“Our season is on the brink. Our survival instincts will again be tested. We will keen on fighting until the fighting is over,” Gregorio added.
NOTES: Powerade is retiring Kenneth Duremdes’ jersey in a brief ceremony today…… Barako Bull import Rodney White might leave because of a family matter…..the video of Mick Pennisi’s funny flop in their game Wednesday has become viral in the internet, landing on the main page of Yahoo! Sports and Larry Brown Sports. “Here is Mick Pennisi of the Philippine Basketball Association committing a flop that would make even Vlade Divac moan. Pennisi’s agitating defense apparently got under Will Mcdonald‘s skin, prompting Mcdonald to go Barkley on Pennisi and plunk the ball off his head during a stop in play. Pennisi reacts like he was just shot by a sniper from across the arena. But that’s not even the worst part of this. By our count, a full second goes by before Pennisi makes his reaction. It’s so bad that it’s awesome,” said Larry Brown Sports. “There we were, ready to anoint Chicago Bull center Omer Asik the finest flopper in the NBA, especially after his latest dive in Chicago’s win over the Orlando Magic on Monday. But then ‘Lost Letterman’ alerted us about this fantastic fall from a fellow named Mick Pennisi, who dove as if he was under cannon fire following a shot to the head from Will Mcdonald in a PBA game,” said Kelly Dwyer on his Ball Don’t Lie column at Yahoo! Sports.