The full PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoff field for Season 48 is set, and it is glorious.
For those wondering, here’s how the quarterfinal picture looks like, with the top-4 seeds having twice-to-beat advantages:
With practically every quarterfinal matchup being a must-watch, how do the teams stack up against one another?
Here’s a bigger picture of the PBA playoffs.
(1) Magnolia Hotshots vs. (8) TNT Tropang Giga
The Hotshots have looked dominant in their run so far in the Commissioner’s Cup, only losing two games—both of which were out of town games. Count their perfect run from PBA on Tour, Magnolia looks like a team that has figured some stuff out.
Meanwhile, the Tropang Giga have missed some key personnel from their Governors' Cup title run, mostly due to injuries. But they may finally see some semblance of full strength after getting back Jayson Castro and RR Pogoy during the team’s 116-96 win over Phoenix, allowing them to avoid a playoff and enter the quarterfinals outright.
How did these two teams fare during the elimination round?
Magnolia and TNT faced off against easch other last November 5, which kicked off the Commissioner’s Cup and the new PBA season.
There, the Hotshots had a wire-to-wire victory against the Tropang Giga, winning 110-102.
A lot has changed since then for TNT, most notably the team replacing the injured Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as import in favor of his older brother Rahlir.
(2) San Miguel Beermen (7) Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
The Beermen may have found the right import to complement their loaded squad in Benny Boatwright. Since the high-scoring Boatwright took over, the Beermen have yet to lose a game and they enter the playoffs with a five-game winning streak.
However, the same can be said for the Elasto Painters. With the arrival of Demetrius Treadwell, Rain or Shine has looked like a completely different squad. ROS enters the playoffs with a *six* game streak.
How did these two teams fare during the elimination round?
The match between SMB and ROS was a close one, with the Beermen only escaping with 115-110 victory last November 29. This was actually Tree Treadwell's first game, where he struggled for eight points. He has picked up the slack, and Rain or Shine hasn't lost since.
While it will be a tall task for Rain or Shine to beat San Miguel twice, coach Yeng Guiao is optimistic with his chances given the team’s recent performances. Either way, something has to give as the PBA's hottest teams face off in round 1.
(3) Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (6) NorthPort Batang Pier
Brgy. Ginebra looks as steady as ever as the champs still get a strong top-4 record all while incorporating new import Tony Bishop after the sudden unavailability of resident reinforcement of Justin Brownlee.
Opposite the Gin Kings is NorthPort, who despite limping to the finish had an overall solid conference.
How did these two teams fare during the elimination round?
The two teams met just last January 7, with Ginebra taking down the Batang Pier, 103-93.
This will be a rematch of last year's Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals, incidentally the same 3-6 pairing. Can the Gin Kings also repeat as winners? Or will NorthPort have one big surprise up its sleeve?
(4) Phoenix Fuel Masters (5) Meralco Bolts
The Fuel Masters had a shot at securing the second-seed in the standings, but just fell short against the Tropang Giga in the final game of the eliminations.
Still, the Fuel Masters will have the golden opportunity to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2020 as they are armed with a twice-to-beat edge.
Meralco, despite fielding three imports this conference, still managed a strong 8-3 record. The Bolts are hoping Shonn Miller, their third reinforcement already, is the one.
How did these two teams fare during the elimination round?
Phoenix has shown this conference that it can compete against some of the best teams in the league, and the Fuel Masters proved just that after defeating Meralco last January 10, 93-83.
That win proved pivotal in the Fuel Masters getting their playoff bonus and the Bolts missing out on theirs. Can Phoenix zap the Meralco once more? Or will the Bolts stun the Fuel Masters?
The PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals begins on Wednesday, January 17, with Phoenix taking on Meralco, followed by Magnolia going up against TNT. The games continue to Friday, January 19 with Rain or Shine vs. San Miguel and finally, Ginebra vs. NorthPort.