The Battle For the Eighth Spot: The Final Stretch

We are now in the final stretch of the elimination round for the 2020 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup with teams already jockeying for positions in the stacked-up standings in time for the playoffs. While the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings have already clinched the number one seed with a win on Monday, the seven other teams who are still battling for positions could still switch places depending on the results of the games to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Considering how close the win-loss slates of each team that is still contending for a spot in the playoffs, the final two days of the elimination round are critical especially for the teams that are battling for the final playoff berth: the NLEX Road Warriors and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

Unfortunately for the Road Warriors, their playoff hopes received a heavy blow after NLEX lost to the Alaska Aces on Monday. NLEX currently stands at ninth place with a 4-6 record with one more game remaining on their schedule. Meanwhile, the Elassto Painters are in eighth place with a 5-4 slate with two games left on their schedule. 

How can either Rain or Shine or NLEX clinch the final playoff berth?

Rain or Shine still has to play against the TNT Tropang Giga on Tuesday before finishing the elimination round against the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters on Wednesday. A sweep of their final two games will improve their record to 7-4 and will give them the eighth spot. Even if they only win one of their last two games and NLEX wins against the TerraFirma Dyip on Wednesday, that will still move Rain or Shine to 6-5 and NLEX will move at 5-6. 

The slightly good news is: NLEX is still alive in the race. They only need to hope that Rain or Shine will drop both of their games and make sure that they (NLEX) take care of business against the Dyip. If this happens, both teams will have an identical 5-6 record. However, NLEX beat Rain or Shine on November 4 which will give them the tiebreaker. 

Either way, whoever takes the final playoff berth will have a harder job ahead as they are going to be pitted against the Gin Kings who are armed with a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.  

Photo is from People's Journal