THE haze is slowly being lifted out of the PBA Philippine Cup, but the emerging scenario is certainly not so pretty for defending champion Ginebra.
Only when the 11-game eliminations wind up this week at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga, would the eight qualifiers and their placings in the quarterfinals be known. And they might not include the Kings.
Only a couple of things are clear: TNT, at 10-1, would be No. 1 and cellar-dweller and winless Blackwater is the first team out. The other scenarios are still very much up in the air.
With two games left in its schedule, Meralco could grab No. 2 and the last twice-to-beat advantage in the last eight. Even if the Bolts win one against either NLEX or Ginebra and drop into a tie with Magnolia at 7-4, coach Norman Black’s side would still take second due to its win over the Hotshots.
Due to its 90-100 loss to Magnolia last Sunday, San Miguel Beer, at 6-4, could only hope for fourth at best or fifth at worst no matter the outcome of its upcoming last game against Alaska.
After winding up the eliminations with a 6-5 card following an 88-91 overtime loss to NorthPort last Sunday Rain or Shine would edge out the Beermen for No. 4 should the latter lose to the Aces. But the Elasto Painters would drop to as low as sixth if they drop into a logjam at 6-5.
NLEX may just make it more crowded at 6-5 should the Road Warriors beat Meralco. Or coach Yeng Guiao and his charges may see themselves in a tie at 5-6 with Ginebra, Alaska and NorthPort or just Alaska and NorthPort.
The Batang Pier need to win over Meralco to also go 6-5. A loss to the Bolts would relegate the former to as low as a playoff for eighth, with a win there resulting in a win-twice handicap against the Tropang Giga.
Quarterfinal pairings see No. 3 versus No. 6 and No. 4 against No. 5 in best-of-three duels with a playoff reserved only for the No. 8 spot.
Ginebra may not make it that far after falling to Alaska 75-89 last Friday. Now at 4-6, the Kings must win over the Bolts to go 5-6 and complete the quarterfinals cast, eliminating Terrafirma, Phoenix and Alaska, should the latter not get to 5-6.
If Ginebra and Alaska wind up tied at 5-6, they go into a one-game playoff to decide the last qualifier.
If the Kings and Aces drop into a tie with Terrafirma and Phoenix at 4-7, then they automatically bow out due to inferior quotient in the initial tiebreak while the Dyip and Fuel Masters play off for the last quarterfinals slot.
