Playoff positioning at stake as PBA Governors’ Cup action returns

After the fun-filled PBA All-Star Weekend, the league will resume hostilities in the Governors’ Cup on Wednesday with playoff positioning still at stake. Four games are still to be played, with six teams about to see action on the final two play dates of the eliminations, both to be played at the PhilSports Arena.

At the moment, seven playoff slots have been locked up, with TNT Tropang Giga, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, NLEX Road Warriors, San Miguel Beermen, Meralco Bolts, Magnolia Hotshots, and Converge FiberXers already secured of a quarterfinals seat. Who plays who in the next round, however, will only be determined after Friday, the last day of the eliminations, while the last playoff seat will be settled come Wednesday.

So, where exactly do things stand right now?

At this point, TNT and Ginebra are assured of a top four finish and the twice-to-beat advantage that comes with it, as the worst each would finish would be at identical 8-3 records. The Tropang Giga are also a lock for a top-two spot, which would mean a quarterfinals date with either the seventh or eighth seed.

That means the other two top four slots are still up for grabs, and in contention are the Beermen, Road Warriors, Bolts, and Hotshots. Only the Road Warriors and Beermen still have games, though, and an NLEX win coupled with two San Miguel losses will result in a four-way tie at 7-4 among San Miguel, NLEX, Meralco, and Magnolia. In such case, the quotient system will be applied, with the Beermen and Bolts getting the inside track at the top four and the Road Warriors falling to the curb.

Finally, the last quarterfinals slot is a toss-up between the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters and the Northport Batang Pier. Northport, though, must beat TNT on Wednesday to force a tie with the Fuel Masters at 4-7. At which case, the two will play a knockout game for the final playoff ticket, as what happened last conference between the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and NLEX.