Games today:
(Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
5 p.m. — TNT vs Magnolia
7:30 p.m. — Rain or Shine vs NLEX
It will all boil down to who wants it more, as four teams go after each other’s throats for the coveted Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup semifinals seats in a sudden-death Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Forced to use their twice-to-beat incentives, pressure will be on the side of Magnolia and NLEX as they try to avert complete collapse that would put all their elimination round efforts to naught.
The third-seed Hotshots get another crack at advancing to the next round in a winner-take-all showdown with suddenly confident grand slam-seeking TNT at 5 p.m. followed by the No. 2 seed Road Warriors’ final battle with surging Rain or Shine at 7:30 p.m.
Momentum is on the side of the Tropang 5G after dealing Magnolia a heartbreaking, 89-88, defeat last Wednesday that evened the odds for a semis seat.
RR Pogoy was the man of the moment in TNT’s all-important win over its elims tormentor, dropping 30 points while Calvin Oftana, Kelly Williams, Jordan Heading and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser pitching in the numbers.
“I don’t want to go on an early vacation,” Pogoy said.
Indeed, the Tropang 5G staved off elimination last game, but it will be a different ball game this time.
The Hotshots are hell-bent on getting past the initial round of the playoffs after quarters exits in the Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup.
Paul Lee, Zav Lucero, Jerom Lastimosa, William Navarro and Ian Sangalang must do a better job on both sides of the floor to get Magnolia through to the best-of-seven semis.
On the other hand, the Elasto Painters will rely on their experience to pull another shocker over NLEX following a 92-89 victory the last time out to drag the series to a knockout match.
The Road Warriors sputtered late after erasing a 16-point deficit as Jhonard Clarito showed the way at crunch time for Rain or Shine with a 20-point, 21-rebound performance.