
Originally Posted by
Jay P. Mercado
This is going to be a very interesting and crucal weekend for 8 out of the 10 PBA teams. The remaining three playdates will determine the placing and ultimately, find out who the Top 6 teams that'll enter the semifinal round.
ROS - has to treat their last elimination game against TNT as their first game of the semifinals. A win would give them 8 wins, and coupled by a B-Meg loss to Powerade on Saturday, would give the E-Painters a three-game advantage against the rest of the pack. That means that they would only need one win (out of five) in the semis to earn at least a tie for a Finals slot and two wins for a sure Finals berth. If they end up with a 7-2 card, they would need three wins to earn a tie and four for a guaranteed Finals berth.
2. TNT - The Tropang Texters would want to avoid any complications of going through the quotient to break a logjam at 5-4. They have control of their destiny, and a victory against ROS would equate to a second place finish. This would put them in a very good position to capture their 6th consecutive Finals appearance, the second best record in league history behind the 8 consecutive Finals appearances of Crispa, Toyota and Alaska.
3. B-Meg - similar to TNT, they need to pull off a win against the Tigers on Saturday to avoid quotient complications. Likewise, B-Meg wants to remain perched near the top of the standings to give them a good shot at a Finals berth. A 5-4 record would put them at least 2 games behind ROS and a one-round semifinals of 5 games per team may be too short to recover.
4. BGK - Two intangible factors going for the Gin Kings - Jaworski's retirement on July 08, fueling more motivation for Ginebra to be in the semifinals, and Mark Caguioa's possible final run for an MVP award. BGK is an odds-on favorite to beat Barako in their last game, but what worries fans is their inconsistency to close out games. Siot Tanquincen's heavy reliance on his veterans may also prove to be his own undoing as he needs to make BGK succeed this conference to keep his job.
5. Petron - Petron has the easiest opponent this weekend, going up against the hapless Air 21 team. I can't see the Blaze Boosters losing this game, and they'll definitely wind up with a 5-4 card, assuring them of a semis slot. What may be a source of concern with this team is the on and off games of their key players, Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot. Despite the return of Jay Washington from the fold, Petron is having difficulty winning because of the inconsistency of Santos and Cabagnot. Does this have anything to do with Rajko Toroman's shadow hovering over the shoulders of Ato Agustin? Regardless, Petron has to find immediate solutions in their effort to defend the Governor's Cup they won against TNT last season.
6. Meralco - another team that's peaking at the right time - reminds me of how they performed last conference with Earl Barron as reinforcement. They have Barako as their last opponent and chances are, with the way Mario West is playing, they will beat the Energy Coffee Masters and enter the semis. I don't see them going further though, as they'll find the competition much more difficult to crack come playoffs.
7. Powerade - Saturday's game would be crucial, especially for Gary David. Will David torment the Llamados once more as he has done so in the AFC? David needs this win to have better chances to win the MVP award this season. If the Tigers lose and gets eliminated, David may have to kiss his MVP dreams goodbye. So much is at stake, especially for a team that's rumored to be disbanding this season. They would definitely want to end the season with a flourish - a semifinalsappearance is coveted, a repeat Finals seat will be rewarding.
8. Barako - a long break has allowed the team to recharge after a couple of back-to-back debilitating losses against ROS and TNT. Now, they end up playing back-to-back games this weekend, first against a motivated BGK team and second, against a streaking Bolts. Will the veteran-laden Energy lineup find its fountain of youth once more and rekindle their chances of earning a semis slot? Chances are they won't, especially since it appears that their two remaining opponents have more to lose than them. In terms of motivation, Barako may not be able to approximate their opponents that will lead them to possible victories.