MANILA — Meralco goes for one final push to the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals as it battles San Miguel in a crucial encounter at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Saturday night.
The Bolts and the Beermen will play at 6:45 p.m. with the former needing no less than a win to bolster their bid to make the Final 8.
A win by Meralco and a loss by TNT to Ginebra at the said arena on Sunday night will give Meralco the last quarterfinal spot outright.
Otherwise, if the Bolts lose, they must hope for a KaTropa loss to the Barangay to gain a second chance through a playoff for the eighth seed. A Bolts loss plus a KaTropa win will give the latter the eighth seed without going through the wildcard game.
Whereas, the knockout match will be forced as well if both Meralco and TNT win.
On the other hand, it may seem like a non-bearing game for SMB as it is already assured of at least the sixth seed, but the team can move one place up with a win over Meralco and a Blackwater victory over Phoenix also on Sunday night.
In the curtain-raiser at 4:30 p.m., NLEX and Rain or Shine entangle in a match that will still mean a lot to the former.
While it also looks like a non-bearing clash since the Road Warriors already clinched a quarterfinal spot and the Elasto Painters are already out of the running, the former needs to beat the latter to lock in the seventh seed or else, it could fall to eighth place if the Bolts and the Barangay prevail. (Ivan Stewart Saldajeno/PNA)
