FOR most of the teams, their few remaining eliminations games in the PBA Philippine Cup are opportunities to improve their standings and perhaps cop coveted spots. For others, especially those languishing at the bottom, those matches are battles for survival.
A case in point is Powerade, which knows the playoff door is fast closing and is set to go all-out when it tackles Meralco today at the Araneta Coliseum.
"We are going to take our chances. We will fight to survive this conference," said Powerade coach Bo Perasol.
His Tigers have no other choice. In a format where the last two teams are eliminated after the 14-game eliminations, they are currently running ninth with only four games left to play.
Even getting to eighth or seventh spot is no guarantee of an extended stay since those teams go into the quarterfinals with twice-to-win handicaps against the two top-ranked teams.
Perasol couldn’t care less. He just wants his team to forget its four-game slide and advance, no matter what lies in the horizon. Besides, Meralco should prove to be a high enough hurdle.
The Bolts have won two straight and are aiming to stay in the middle of the pack. To do that, according to coach Ryan Gregorio, they must stifle the man who scorched them with 31 points and powered the Tigers to an 81-66 victory the first time they met last Oct. 30.
"Gary David will be the focal point on defense. He scored 31 points the first time we met and exploded for 36 in their last game against Air21 (last Friday)," said Gregorio. "We have prepared hard to limit his scoring options. Hopefully, we will be successful."
Macmac Cardona is completely healed from the ankle injury that limited him to just eight minutes and four points in their first meeting. Proof of that were his 23 points and seven assists in leading Meralco to a 95-93 win over Air21 last Wednesday.
A win by the Bolts will draw them level with B-Meg Derby Ace and Alaska.
But that logjam will be very brief as the Llamados and Aces collide in the other game in their respective bids to claim solo fourth.
After the eliminations, teams ranked Nos. 3 and 4 collide with the No. 5 and 6 teams, respectively, in the best-of-three quarterfinals.
The defending champion Llamados have won four straight and have been drawing sterling efforts of late from their backcourt that features playmakers Roger Yap and Jonas Villanueva and 2-guards James Yap and PJ Simon.
Noli Cortez, Business Insight Malaya
