Ynares Center in Antipolo will host a PBA Governors’ Cup double-header that features four of the best teams in the league and has plenty of playoff implications. In the first game, one team shoots for a second seed while another aims to go from fourth to third. In the second game, one team looks to improve its chances of finishing No. 2 while the other hopes to keep its playoff hopes in its hands.
What Tonight’s Game Means for TNT
As already mentioned, all four quarterfinals berths in Group A are filled, with TNT and the Converge FiberXers joining the NLEX Road Warriors and San Miguel Beermen. The seedings, however, are undetermined as of this writing, and tonight’s TNT vs. Converge matchup will have a bearing on where the teams end up.
For the Tropa, a win assures them of the third seed and opens up a pathway to the second seed if NLEX beats San Miguel on October 21. In such a scenario, the Beermen and Tropang 5G will end up with identical 8-4 records, but TNT will be No. 2 because it beat San Miguel twice in this PBA Governors’ Cup.
What Tonight’s Game Means for Converge
Converge at the moment is tied at 7-4 with TNT but is No. 4 since the Tropa won their previous outing in this PBA Governors’ Cup, 110-107. So, aside from possible payback, the FiberXers could leapfrog the Tropang 5G for No. 3 if they beat the latter. A loss, on the other hand, drops Converge to 7-5 and the fourth seed.
What Tonight’s Game Means for Phoenix
Phoenix is already assured safe passage to the PBA Governors’ Cup quarters, but it can improve its seeding with a win over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel later tonight. The Fuel Masters, believe it or not, can even finish No. 1 in this scenario: Phoenix beats Ginebra, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters beat the Magnolia Hotshots on October 21, and the Fuel Masters win over Rain or Shine on October 23. In that scenario, Charles Tiu’s side will finish 7-3, and Magnolia and Rain or Shine will end up both at 6-4.
Other possible scenarios include:
- Phoenix wins both remaining games and Magnolia beats Rain or Shine: Phoenix finishes second behind Magnolia.
- Phoenix beats Ginebra but loses to Rain or Shine, and Magnolia beats the Elasto Painters: Phoenix and Rain or Shine end up tied at 6-4, but the latter gets the No. 2 seed because it will have two wins over the former.
- Phoenix loses to Ginebra but beats Rain or Shine by eight points or more, and Magnolia wins over the Elasto Painters: Phoenix and Rain or Shine end up tied at 6-4, but the former gets the second seed by virtue of a superior point differential.
- Phoenix loses to Ginebra by four points or more and to Rain or Shine, and Ginebra also beats Blackwater: the Fuel Masters end up at No. 4.
What Tonight’s Game Means for Ginebra
In a word, it means survival. Ginebra needs to beat Phoenix tonight to make sure its PBA Governors’ Cup playoff hopes are in its hands when it faces the Blackwater Bossing on October 23. A win over Phoenix and then against the Bossing gets the barangay to an even 5-5 and out of a potential logjam at 4-6 with Blackwater and the Meralco Bolts (where the quotient might not favor Ginebra).
Today’s PBA Governors’ Cup double-header begins at 5:15 p.m. with TNT taking on Converge. Phoenix versus Ginebra tips off later in the evening at 7:30 p.m.
