NorthPort eyes playoff berth

We’re hoping to reach the quarterfinals.

MICHAEL Qualls will be tested anew when NorthPort battles Ginebra.

NorthPort faces Barangay Ginebra for a chance to clinch a spot in the playoffs of the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Action kicks off at 7 p.m. with the Batang Pier looking for their fifth win to catch the bus headed to the quarterfinals.

Also looking to boost its chances for the next phase is Rain or Shine, which will battle the red-hot Meralco side in the first game at 4:30 p.m.

Sister teams NLEX and Meralco have already secured the twice-to-beat incentive with identical 8-2 win-loss marks while Ginebra, who has superior quotient over close pursuers, already claimed the bonus following a victory over Columbian, 113-90, late Friday.

TNT KaTropa, which fashions a 7-2 mark, is still playing Magnolia at press time for a chance to formally claim the twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals of this season-ending conference.

On the other hand, San Miguel Beer and Magnolia have also secured their playoff tickets after posting 6-4 and 5-5 marks, respectively.

That makes the final stretch of eliminations doubly exciting as Alaska, NorthPort, Columbian and even Rain or Shine collide in a mad dash for the last two playoff spots.

NorthPort is coming in with massive momentum following an upset of NLEX, 102-94, last week.

New recruit Christian Standhardinger erupted for 23 points and 19 rebounds while import Michael Qualls posted 36 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the Batang Pier, who continue to miss the services of rookie Robert Bolick.

Head coach Pido Jarencio said they are looking to make it to the playoffs despite their inconsistent performance.

“We’re hoping to reach the quarterfinals. By then, it’s going to be a different story. We’re going to have some momentum at that time,” Jarencio said, knowing that the Kings serve as a massive roadblock to their bid.

Against the Dyip, the Kings were unstoppable.

Justine Brownlee led the scoring parade with 26 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, three steals and four blocks while Stanley Pringle and Jeff Chan had 20 markers apiece for Ginebra, which also drew 19 points from Japeth Aguilar and 16 points from Art de la Cruz.

Ginebra coach Tim Cone admitted that they would continue to miss center Greg Slaughter, who is still recovering from a thumb injury.

“He’s still day to day. He cannot move his thumb. There’s still significant swelling and he can’t grip anything. It’s still a long way to go,” said Cone, hoping that the gentle giant from Ateneo de Manila University would be back in time for the quarterfinals.

“We’ll see if he will be available in the playoffs.”

With Slaughter out, Cone will be banking on Joe Devance and Jared Dillinger to space the floor.

“It’s nice to have Joe back. He just wanted to get his feet wet,” he said, referring to the sweet-shooting slotman.

“On the other hand, Jared came to me and told me that he might be able to play a couple of minutes. So it’s a good opportunity for them to get a feel of the game.”