Games today:
Araneta Coliseum
5:15 p.m.- Air21 Express vs. Ginebra
7:30 p.m.- Petron vs. Talk ‘N Text
Two games with great implications in the playoff race mark the end of the elimination round of the 37th PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Barangay Ginebra Kings face the Air21 Express in the first game, while the Petron Blaze Boosters take on the Talk ’N Text Tropang Texters in the main game.
Victories will be crucial for the four teams.
The Texters lead the standings with six wins and two losses followed by the B-Meg Llamados, who finished their elimination round assignment with six victories and three losses. Ginebra is at third place with a 5-3 (win-loss) record followed by the Alaska Aces who are 5-4.
The Barako Bull Energy, the Meralco Bolts and the Powerade Tigers are tied for the fifth to seventh spots with identical 4-5 slates.
Air21 and Petron are tied for the eighth ninth places with 3-5 records, while the eliminated Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are at the bottom with a 3-6 ledger.
The top two teams after the eliminations will advance to the semifinal round automatically, while the number three to six teams will march to the playoffs.
Four teams will be eliminated.
The Tropang Texters and the B-Meg Llamados are already assured of a playoff for an outright semifinal berths.
A win by Ginebra will allow them to tie Talk ‘N Text and B-Meg. In that case, a playoff game will ensure to determine who will get the two outright semis berths.
A loss by the Kings will send the Texters and the Llamados to the semis outright while Ginebra will settle for a quarterfinal berth.
Petron and Air21 are actually in do-or-die games but victories by the two squads will result to a five-way for the sixth and last playoff spot.
The tie will be broken by quotients to determine the pairings in the playoff games for the remaining quarterfinal berths.