Final Placing in the PBA Determined in Talk and Text - Ginebra Tiff

Coaches Chot Reyes and Siot Tanquingcen insist they’re not yet done with their job in the elimination phase of the PBA Philippine Cup.

They say their teams need to get going and crank up for the playoffs.



The Tropang Texters and the Kings have this similar mindset as they square off Sunday night in the final game of the eliminations at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We’ll go all out to try get the win and gain momentum for the playoffs,” said Reyes whose TnT team is assured of a quarterfinals twice-to-beat advantage whatever happens in the 7:30 p.m. game.

“We need to keep playing. You don’t come into the game na nasaisip mo non-bearing na ito. Hindi pwede iyon. Somehow, it will carry over or create bad habits,” said coach Tanquingcen whose Ginebra Kings, on the other hand, are already guaranteed of a spot in the best-of-three quarters.


For final placing, Talk n Text is chasing top spot while Ginebra has a shot at third behind TnT and B-Meg. “We’re hoping Jared Dillinger and Ryan Reyes can play but that will be a game-time decision. Jimmy Alapag is the one that is surely out. Still, we’ll fight to win,” said Reyes. “We’ve achieved the first step of avoiding the top seed or the second seed. Nonetheless, we’ll continue to play hard and see where we fall,” said Tanquingcen.

Final placing will be determined after Sunday’s twinbill which features Rain or Shine against Alaska in the other game.

If Talk n Text beats Ginebra, the Texters emerge the elims topnotchers and they play the eighth-seeded Powerade Tigers in the quarters.
If they lose, the Texters settle for second place and face the seventh-seeded Barako Bull Energy.

Whichever they play, the Texters need to win just once to advance to the semis.

A win by Barangay Ginebra over Talk n Text hands B-Meg the top seeding. Otherwise, the Llamados stay at second.
Ginebra, meanwhile, finishes either third, fourth or fifth.

But whatever happens, Petron, Ginebra, Rain or Shine and Meralco are the teams figuring in the two best-of-three quarters matchups.

Most possibly, it’s Ginebra versus Rain or Shine except in case the Kings win over the Texters and the Elasto Painters lose to the Aces.

In such scenario, Ginebra faces Meralco while Petron tangles with Rain or Shine in the quarters. (SB)