RAIN or SHINE has been on the brink of the quarters for weeks now.
Stalled by successive losses, the Elasto Painters are now in a tight spot, taking a last shot at an outright entry into the PBA Commissioner's Cup Last Eight as they play the TNT Tropang Giga in the final game of the elims at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig Friday night.
A win will not just seal Rain or Shine's quarterfinals entry but will even salvage a Top Six spot.
A loss, however, might mean relegation to tie for seventh to ninth spots with NLEX and Magnolia at 6-6. And this scenario would send the E-Painters to a knockout duel with the Hotshots for the eighth and last quarters seat.
Scenarios abound. Favorable for Rain or Shine and NLEX would be a loss by Magnolia to Meralco in the 5 p.m. curtain-raiser. A Magnolia defeat would mean outright elimination and automatic playoffs entry for the Elasto Painters and the Road Warriors.
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Rain or Shine and TNT clash in the 7:30 p.m. mainer - a virtual warmup tiff for the Tropang Giga after having been given a free ride to the Top Two by Barangay Ginebra's 91-87 win over the Meralco Bolts Wednesday night.
But the Tropang Giga themselves did their part in winning their last two games versus the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters (106-70) and the San Miguel Beermen (115-97).
And Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and his teammates are determined to get going, hoping to keep their streak and momentum going into the post-elims play.
But the Elasto Painters will surely be there fighting.
Half-game behind the sixth-running Eastern team of Hong Kong (7-5), Rain or Shine can catch up with a win over TNT. In case of a tie between ROS and Eastern, the former takes the better position on the winner-over-the-other rule.
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Coach Yeng Guiao's troops blasted the Eastern dribblers, 99-81, on Dec. 4 to start a five-game streak. However, the E-Painters lost four of their next five outings. (SB)
