Magnolia is feeling assured of its possibilities of sneaking in because the final crew to qualify for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals after closing the eliminations on Friday with a lopsided win over import-less Meralco.
“If I’ve to guess, I’ll guess by myself crew,” import Ricardo Ratliffe after anchoring the Hotshots to a 129-92 rout of the Bolts at Philsports Enviornment in Pasig Metropolis and ending the preliminary section of the midseason convention at 6-6.
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The victory, with Ratliffe posting 31 factors and 19 rebounds, allowed Magnolia to play one other do-or-die recreation set for Sunday at Ynares Heart in Antipolo Metropolis for the appropriate to face high seed and twice-to-beat NorthPort, the Cinderella crew of the match.
Which crew the Hotshots will face was being decided at press time.
Rain or Shine was enjoying TNT within the nightcap, needing a win to safe a quarters berth, the No. 6 spot and a best-of-three assembly with Converge. If that occurs, Magnolia tackles NLEX within the KO match as the 2 groups ended with comparable information.
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However a Rain or Shine loss will put the ElastoPainters in a three-way tie with Magnolia and NLEX, which owns the superior tiebreak among the many three groups and can therefore tab No. 7 spot and the appropriate to face the No. 2 seed.
The implications
The E-Painters, who got here into their face-off with the Tropang Giga at 6-5 after two straight losses however can be significantly rewarded with an upset of TNT, will sq. off with the Hotshots within the do-or-die recreation with a loss.
“I believe we’ve an excellent shot [of making the playoffs], so long as we proceed how we’ve been enjoying,” stated Zavier Lucero, who was Magnolia’s high native scorer with 22.
“We didn’t begin off the convention very nicely, however you need to play your finest basketball towards the tip of the eliminations,” he added.
Meralco ended eliminations with a 7-5 card, however got here into the competition already assured of putting fifth and assembly No. 4 Barangay Ginebra in a best-of-three duel.
Hong Kong Japanese additionally completed with a 7-5 document, however the idle visitor crew can be relegated to seventh with a Rain or Shine triumph, and should defeat TNT twice within the quarters.
Raymond Almazan scored 23 factors for Meralco, which as soon as once more performed minus import Akil Mitchell resulting from a nagging again drawback.
Mitchell missed the final two matches, but it surely looks like the Bolts had been saving him to be in his finest form for the playoffs.
