Mark Cardona and Asi Taulava celebrate with their teammates after the NLEX Road Warriors defeated the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 111-06 , to end their elimination round campaign on a high note. ( PBA.INQUIRER.NET )
Games today
Mall of Asia Arena
3:00 p.m.- Blackwater vs. Mahindra
5:15 p.m.- Brgy. Ginebra vs. Talk ‘N Text
Going into the match, the Alaska Aces needed to get a win and hope for a favorable outcome in the day’s other game to clinch an automatic semifinal berth.
The Aces did their part when they hurdled the Barako Bull Energy, 108-100, and got a huge bonus from NLEX when the Road Warriors took down the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the second game, 111-106.
With the win and the Rain or Shine loss, Alaska earned the number one seeding and advanced to the semifinal round outright.
The second and last automatic semis seat went to the San Miguel Beermen.
Alaska and San Miguel both finished the eliminations with identical 9-2 (win-loss) but the Aces got the number one seeding via the winner-over-the-other rule.
A victory could have given the Elasto Painters an outrights semis spot while relegating Alaska and San Miguel to a playoff for the second Final Four berth.
Calvin Abueva and Vic Manuel keyed Alaska’s crucial win.
Abueva finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Manuel piled up 21 markers and seven boards.
“I was very scared of (Barako Bull) coming to this game. But fortunately, we started that third quarter and our guys really created some separation and that carried us and allowed us to weather the storm in the fourth,” said Alaska coach Alex Compton.
Alaska trailed by as many as 10 points in the first quarter but went to work in the second stanza to wrest the upper-hand at the turn, 50-48.
Alaska went full throttle in the third with Manuel sparking an 18-4 rally that gave the Aces a 68-52 lead.
Barako Bull got back into the game in the fourth, moving within 90-92 on a drive by Jeric Fortuna in the final 5:33.
Manuel and Abueva then joined forces as they delivered crucial baskets to lift the Aces to the critical victory.
Cyrus Baguio, RJ Jazul, and Sonny Thoss each added 11 points for Alaska, who pulled off a 77-34 bench scoring advantage.
Willy Wilson came away with 23 points and 14 rebounds to lead the quarterfinal-bound Energy, who finished the eliminations with five wins and six losses.
Sean Anthony, meanwhile, helped the Road Warriors snap a four-game slide by firing a career-high 37 points.
Anthony scored NLEX’s last eight points to help his team finish the eliminations with a 5-6 slate.
Despite the win, NLEX will have a twice-to-win disadvantage in the quarters.
The elimination round will end today with a double-header at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Blackwater Elite (2-8) take on the felllow expanions team Mahindra Enfocers (2-8) in the first game, while the Barangay Ginebra Kings (6-4) collide with the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters (6-4) in the main game.
The first game will have two expansion teams gunning for their first-ever playoff appearance.
Alaska’s Cavin Abueva scoots in for a lay-up against Barako Bulls Willy Wilson and JC Intal in yesterday’s first game of the 41st PBA’s Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum. ( PBA.INQUIRER.NET)
PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
Under the tournament format, the number two to eights teams will play in the double-phase quarterfinal round. The bottom two will be eliminated.
The number three to six seeds will enjoy twice-to-beat edges over their lower-ranked foes.
Winners in the first phase of the quarterfinals will play in the second phase, which will be a knockout affair.
Quarterfinal survivors will advance to the semifinal rounds, which will feature two best-of-seven series. Semifinal winners will advance to the best-of-seven championship round.
Here are the scenarios going into today’s games.
The third-seed Rain or Shine will enjoy a twice-to-beat incentive against no 10. which will be the winner in the Blackwater-Mahindra match.
The no. 5 GlobalPort, which will be twice-to-beat, will face Barako Bull.
The no.4 spot will go to the winner the TNT-Ginebra matchup and will play the no. 9 Star Hotshots.
The loser of the Ginebra-Talk ‘N Text tussle will still have a twice-to-beat edge versus.
The quarterfinals begin on Christmas Day at Mall of Asia Arena.