Games Wednesday

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

3 p.m. — TNT vs Meralco

5:45 p.m. — Magnolia vs San Miguel

Already keeping a hold of the top spot, Magnolia zeroes in on an outright quarterfinals entry against dangerous San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner's Cup on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Hotshots and the Beermen collide at 5:45 p.m. right after an equally-important battle between TNT Tropang Giga and Meralco in the curtain-raiser at 3 p.m.

Bay Area and Converge — the hottest team in the tournament — had already made their way to the quarterfinal round after hammering victories in contrasting fashions, and Magnolia can formalize its entry with a win over a San Miguel team that is desperate to keep its head above water.

The Beermen had found themselves in an unfamiliar territory as the Philippine Cup champions and winners of the all-Filipino tournament six of the last eight seasons, could only win three of their seven games so far.

At a stage where every game counts, the Beermen will need to get every win they could get to keep their playoff hopes alive, beginning with their encounter with a solid Hotshots team that also has unfinished business in this import-laden conference.

With the Dragons and the FiberXers, who own the league-best seven-game winning run, breathing down their necks, the Hotshots want to create some space and boost their chances of securing one of the top two berths that carry a twice-to-beat incentive.

TNT and Meralco, two teams which are constantly figuring in the playoffs, are also in an unfamiliar territory in the closing stage of the elimination round.