BOTH TNT and San Miguel Beer brace for war as they pursue their respective bids in a crucial tiff in the homestretch of the PBA Commissioner's Cup eliminations at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo Sunday.
Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.
"It's gonna be a huge war," said TNT coach Chot Reyes of the highly anticipated tiff where the Tropang Giga continue to fight for Top Two finish against an SMB side in chase of the eighth and last berth in the quarterfinals.
The Tropang Giga go for a 9-3 win-loss closing card in playing the Beermen Sunday then the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters Friday over at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
But they're locked in a wild and wooly race for the Top Two with NorthPort (8-3), Eastern (7-3), Meralco (7-3), Converge (8-4) and Barangay Ginebra (7-4), and there's no guarantee that they can claim a coveted twice-to-beat incentive in the quarters even if they sweep their last two assignments.
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"I think (our chances of making it) is very remote. Because even if we win the last two games, chances are we'll figure in a tie, at malamang out kami (for the Top Two)," said Reyes. "Our faith is no longer in our hands. We'll just focus on what's in front of us, and right now it's San Miguel Beer."
Coming from their Governors' Cup title run, the Tropang Giga started flat in the Commissioner's Cup and dropped their first two games against Eastern (84-105) and NorthPort (95-100). With that, TNT would have an inferior quotient if it ends up tied with the two - or in a different logjam involving the two or any of them.
But Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and his teammates are definitely going all out in their last two games and hope for the best.
For the Beermen, at 5-6, a win could mean an outright crack at the eighth and last berth.
But it's still a virtual knockout setto for the Beermen, with the Magnolia Hotshots (4-6) and the NLEX Road Warriors (4-6) right behind them in the chart.
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At least, June Mar Fajardo and his teammates have gained an inside track in their race on their 116-113 escape win over the Phoenix Fuel Masters Friday.
San Miguel automatically barges into the playoffs if it beats TNT then both Magnolia and NLEX fail to sweep their last two games.
The Hotshots have tough assignments in the Eastern dribblers and the Meralco Hotshots. The Road Warriors, meanwhile, will still have to through games against Rain or Shine and Eastern.(SB)
