Wizards remain upbeat despite mounting odds in D-League

DESPITE the tough odds, the PC Gilmore Wizards remain confident they will advance to the next round. This, they will try to prove today when they take on the Blackwater Elite for their second game in three days in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup at the Meralco Gym.

“That is our goal. Basta ma-sweep namin yung last five games namin malaki ang pag-asa,” said the Wizards’ head coach Art dela Cruz.

But with a 3-5 (win-loss) record, tying Café France at eighth and ninth spots, this would seem all but wishful thinking for the Wizards. As it is, their best shot is to finish the eliminations with a 5-5 mark that hopefully would gain them a tie at sixth spot and earn them a playoff for the last quarterfinals berth.

Winning three games in a row has become a great source of encouragement for Dela Cruz and the Wizards. PC Gilmore capped its winning streak with an, 84-75 win against DUB Unlimited on Tuesday to start the new year.

Blackwater is currently in sixth place with a 3-3 mark. A win against PC Gilmore would bring the Elite back in the hunt for a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals. The Elite could be rusty and out of shape though since they haven’t played since Dec. 5. Blackwater is also coming off a three-game losing skid after a 3-0 start.

In the other game, NLEX tries to extend its winning streak to six games when it battles RnW Pacific Pipes at 2 p.m. The Road Warriors (6-1) are secured of an outright passage into the semifinals unless they lose two of their last three games.

The tug-of-war for the two outright semi-final seats became anti-climactic after Café France(3-5) stunned Freego Jeans (6-3), 78-76, last Tuesday. That allowed Cebuana Lhuillier (8-1) to clinch the first outright semifinal regardless of the result of its last game against NLEX on Jan. 12. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio