Reigning champion EcoOil-La Salle shoots for an all-important win against also-ran AMA Online in the 2023 Philippine Basketball Association D-League Aspirants' Cup Thursday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Running behind Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda (4-1) with a 3-1 slate, the Green Archers are expected to encounter little problem in putting away the Titans in their 4 p.m. duel and earn a share of the lead.

With a 0-5 record AMA Online has bombed out of contention.

The top two teams after the single-round eliminations earn an outright berth in the semis. The next four teams advance to the quarterfinals with the No. 3 and 4 seeds enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage.

In the first game at 2 p.m. CEU (2-2) battles PSP (2-3), with both teams seeking a crucial win to bolster the chances of landing in the third or fourth spot.

"We can't play relaxed," La Salle deputy coach Gian Nazario said.

"We can't just abandon our system. We're still on the learning curve. We know we'll have struggles and it's something that we like. It will make us better."

CEU mentor Jeff Perlas also expects the same mentality from his wards as the Scorpions seek to bounce back from the 93-72 loss against Perpetual the other day.

"It's a challenging stretch for us but it's all about our desire. If we want to reach the summit, it may not be a championship but just getting better. We have to climb it. There will be struggles but it's how we bounce back from a loss," Perlas said.