The PBA Commissioner’s Cup is down to its final two play dates, and the only thing that’s been decided are the teams that will definitely not make it to the quarters: Terrafirma Dyip, Blackwater Bossing, and Phoenix Fuel Masters.
Everything else is up in the air at the moment, though we know for certain that these six teams are through to the quarters:
- NorthPort Batang Pier (9-3)
- TNT Tropang Giga (8-3)
- Converge FiberXers (8-4)
- Meralco Bolts (7-3)
- Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (7-4)
- Hong Kong Eastern (7-4)
These teams are in because they’ve won seven games already in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, and no other team can reach that same number of wins.
We’re also sure Ginebra will finish in the top six—along with NorthPort, TNT, Converge, and Meralco—and avoid the twice-to-win disadvantage of being a seventh or eighth seed. That’s because the crowd darlings have a superior quotient (1.135) to Rain or Shine (0.950) and Eastern (0.920) in case they wind up tied at 7-5. That’s what’s going to happen if Ginebra loses to Meralco (Jan. 29) and Eastern loses to NLEX (NLEX) while Rain or Shine beats TNT (Jan. 31).
Battle for Top Two: Who Gets Where?
Surprisingly, with two play dates left, the top two seeds are yet undetermined. And there are actually five teams with a shot finishing at nos. 1 and 2: NorthPort, TNT, Meralco, Eastern, and Converge.
We broke down the possible scenarios in the race for the top two seeds of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup:
| Scenario | Outcome |
| TNT wins over Rain or Shine, Meralco loses one of its final two games (Ginebra and Magnolia). | TNT finishes 9-3, tied with NorthPort. But it gets top spot as it beat the Batang Pier. Meralco drops to 8-4. |
| TNT wins over Rain or Shine, Meralco beats Ginebra and Magnolia. | NorthPort, TNT, and Meralco will have identical 9-3 records. But Meralco (1.077) and TNT (0.985) will end up no.1 and no.2 due to a superior quotient over NorthPort (0.942). |
| TNT loses to Rain or Shine, Meralco beats Ginebra and Magnolia. | NorthPort and Meralco wind up tied at 9-3, but the Bolts get top seed after beating the Batang Pier. |
| TNT loses to Rain or Shine, Meralco loses one of its final two games, and Eastern beats NLEX. | NorthPort gets top spot at 9-3. TNT, Meralco, Eastern, and Converge end up at 8-4. Eastern (1.097) ends up at no.2 with a superior quotient over Converge (1.000), Meralco (0.956), and TNT (0.943). |
| TNT loses to Rain or Shine, Meralco loses its final two games, and Eastern beats NLEX. | TNT, Converge, and Eastern finish with identical 8-4 records. NorthPort stays at no.1 with Eastern taking no.2 thanks to its superior 1.125 quotient as against 0.980 for Converge and 0.9512 for TNT. |
| TNT loses to Rain or Shine, Meralco loses one of its final two games, and Eastern loses to NLEX. | TNT, Converge, and Meralco will end up at 8-4. NorthPort stays at no.1, with Converge (1.074) taking no.2. TNT (1.032) falls to third while Meralco (0.970) winds up at fourth. |
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is another team that can get to 8-4 if it beats Meralco. However, the highest it can end up is at fourth. That can only happen if NorthPort and TNT finish at 9-3 and Converge, Meralco, and Ginebra wind up in a triple tie at 8-4.
PBA Commissioner’s Cup Winds Down
The elimination round of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup concludes with twin bills on Wednesday, January 29, and Friday, January 31. On Wednesday, Eastern takes on NLEX and Ginebra collides with Meralco at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. On Friday, the Bolts go up against the Magnolia Hotshots while TNT takes on Rain or Shine at PhilSports Arena.
