Games today:

(Philsports Arena)

4:30 p.m. — Magnolia vs Terrafirma

7:30 p.m. — NLEX vs Rain or Shine

Terrafirma will try to dig deep into its bag of tricks to finally end an eight-year playoffs drought when it battles wounded Magnolia in a crucial outing in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup today at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Already knocking at the door of a quarterfinals seat, the Dyip only need to hurdle the skidding Hotshots in their 4:30 p.m. tango to advance into the next round.

“I know it’s going to be hard because Magnolia will be our last game, but we will try our best,” Terrafirma head coach Johnedel Cardel said.

The Dyip is riding the crest of their 110-108 escape over NorthPort that hiked their win-loss record to 5-5 bunched with Rain or Shine, TNT and Meralco at the middle of the standings.

“Maybe this win would give us a boost to get us into the quarterfinals,” Cardel said as he found himself on the brink of a first-ever post-season appearance as Terrafirma coach in six years.

The Dyip last saw action in the quarters back in the 2016 Governors’ Cup under playing coach Manny Pacquiao.

But Terrafirma still needs to pull off an upset or risk the complications of a sudden death for the last quarters seat in its last elims assignment. The Batang Pier (5-6) is currently at ninth spot praying for a tie at the end of the elimination round that would force a playoff.

“We’ll just leave it to fate if we get tied with other teams but hopefully, we won’t get into that situation where we have to play a knockout game to secure a playoffs berth,” Cardel said.

So far, only unbeaten and twice-to-beat San Miguel Beer (10-0) and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (7-3) have already occupied seats in the quarters.

Magnolia, on the other hand, is backpedaling after losing two straight including a devastating 51-74 beating at the hands of the Bolts last Sunday. It was the franchise’s all-time lowest-scoring output.

The Hotshots, hobbled by knee injuries to key players Jio Jalalon and Calvin Abueva, are tied with NLEX with a 5-4 slate.

Meanwhile, the Road Warriors clash with the Elasto Painters at 7:30 p.m.

NLEX is out to arrest an alarming three-game skid with its last coming from a 103-120 drubbing from San Miguel last Sunday.

Top scorer Robert Bolick is expected to suit up for the Road Warriors after skipping the previous game following the birth of his son.

Rain or Shine, on the other hand, seeks to recover from a 102-108 loss to Magnolia last 20 April in Tiaong, Quezon.