A SMALL window of opportunity remains open for Blackwater to still make the PBA Philippine Cup playoffs.
The odds may not favor them, but the Elite are bent on making the most out of the chance offering itself to them.
"We need to win tomorrow to keep our hopes alive of barging into the playoffs," simply said Blackwater coach Leo Isaac, referring to his team's collision with Kia Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With a tournament-worst 1-7 win-loss record the Picanto are out of the race for inclusion among the top eight teams advancing to the playoffs following the 11-game eliminations.
As things stand right now, according to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon, six wins should be enough for a team to advance while five could result in ties for the last spot.
Sponsored content: That means Kia, even if it prevails over Blackwater and GlobalPort and San Miguel Beer next week, would only get to four wins at most.
Blackwater, on the other hand, is still in the running. But it needs to win, not only today but also against NLEX on Sunday and over Phoenix on Wednesday to officially make it.
Isaac was quick to stress to his charges the need to not get too far ahead of themselves and focus on the task at hand, knowing too well the pitfalls of facing a team with nothing to lose.
"We can't take Kia lightly," said Isaac.
Indeed, Kia coach Ricky Dandan said his team is out to play the role of spoiler to the hilt. "Even if we are out of the playoffs we've worked and prepared our team hard in practice," he said.
Sponsored content: "We intend to finish this conference with wins."
One thing that should help Blackwater in its bid is the expected return to action of Mac Belo, who sat out a 106-96 win over SMB last Friday due to a calf muscle injury.
Even without the forward, who averages 18.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, the Elite still managed to stun the Beermen through an all-around team effort anchored mainly on Mike Digregorio, Poy Erram, Allein Maliksi, Nard Pinto and James Sena.
For Kia to hit its immediate target of blunting Blackwater's thrust, key roles should be played by the likes of Rashawn McCarthy, Jackson Corpuz, Eric Camson, JayR Reyes and Ronald Tubid. (NC)
