San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo (15) challenges the shot of TNT’s Mo Tautuaa in their PBA Philippine Cup match last night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
/PBA MEDIA BUREAU
Games today
(Cuneta Astrodome)
4:30 p.m. – GlobalPort vs Rain or Shine
6:45 p.m. – NLEX vs Barangay Ginebra
ANTIPOLO – San Miguel Beer refused to lose a game it didn’t need to win on last night, rallying from four points down in the final minute to pull out a 98-94 win over TNT KaTropa that put the Texters in a playoff bubble in the PBA Philippine Cup at Ynares Center here.
June Mar Fajardo scored four straight points to knot things up at 94, before Alex Cabagnot drained the go-ahead triple with 23 seconds left as the Beermen, already assured of a twice-to-beat privilege two weeks ago, closed out their elimination round stint with a 10-1 record.
The Petron Saturday Special win also left the entire picture all muddled up, as No. 2 ranking – and the second win-once bonus in the quarterfinals – still hangs in the balance with three teams – Alaska, Rain or Shine and Star – still in it.
Rain or Shine, at 5-4, gets a crack to stay in that race at 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay when the Elasto Painters tangle with a GlobalPort crew that tries to make the playoffs formally.
The Aces will then take on Rain or Shine this Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. before Star battles also-ran Mahindra in the 7 p.m. contest with an Alaska win to win the second twice-to-beat privilege even if the Hotshots prevail over the Floodbuster. /MUSONG R. CASTILLO