Beermen attempt to stitch up twice-to-beat playoff edge—and catch No. 1 NLEX on the helm

NLEX already has a twice-to-beat privilege all sewed up, and 5 different groups are scampering for the final 3 of the ones bonuses with one among them, conventional powerhouse San Miguel, seeing motion and desiring to be best the remainder of the best way to take action.

The Road Warriors shut out their unexpected removal around run towards also-ran NorthPort within the 5 p.m. contest at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, with the win giving them brief grasp of No. 1 spot and what must be the lightest task within the first around of the playoffs.

“I’m just surprised at how the team is playing,” trainer Jong Uichico mentioned after the playoff bonus-clinching 107-99 victory over Magnolia final week.

“They’re in reality acting smartly and I’m simply glad that they’re profitable and the paintings they’ve been putting in place throughout practices are paying off.

“It’s hard if you keep working without being rewarded. But at least, they get rewarded for their hard work with the number of games that we’ve won,” he added.

San Miguel then takes the ground subsequent at 7:30 p.m., in search of the primary of 2 wins that might knock the Road Warriors out of that spot since they may each finally end up tied with 9-2 data after the single-round classification with the Beermen to win the tiebreak as a result of the winner-over-the-other rule.

NLEX has gained its final two video games and is on this place with the Road Warriors responding to train Jong Uichico and letting Robert Bolick do his factor at the ground.

Should the Road Warriors win and San Miguel splits its final two video games, the Beermen’s final task additionally being the Batang Pier, NLEX will peak the eliminations and can draw protecting champion Meralco within the quarterfinals.

TNT, Rain or Shine, Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia are the 3 different squads in search of that quarterfinal bonus, and of the 3, the Tropang 5G have a slightly tricky path to get that, as no longer even a win over the Hotshots on Friday would ensure them of the privilege.

Ginebra may just grasp the important thing for the Tropang 5G for a top-four end, as a win over the Elasto Painters when each groups shut out eliminations subsequent week will give TNT that trip.

That turned into the situation for the Grand Slam-seeking aspect after dropping badly to Ginebra the final time, a 19-point debacle that now calls for TNT to overcome Magnolia by way of a margin larger than that and hope for a Rain or Shine win for them to make the highest 4.