Ginebra, Converge clash
WITH only two playing days in the elimination round left, Barangay Ginebra and Converge fight for third place in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Game time is 5:45 p.m. with the winner moving up to third place with a 9-3 win-loss record behind frontrunner Bay Area Dragons and second-running Magnolia Hotshots.
The Kings and the FiberXers have identical 8-3 records, although Ginebra can still sneak into second placewith a victory over Converge and a loss by Magnolia to Rain or shine at the close of the elimination phase on Friday
In case the Ginebra and Magnolia end up in a tie at 9-3, the Kings would emerge as the No. 2 seed with a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals by virtue of their 103-97 win over the Hotshots last Oct. 23.
The No. 3 team will play the No. 6 team in a best-of-three series in the quarterfinals.
Ginebra defeated NorthPort, 122-105, in their game last Nov. 27.
Converge, on the other hand, saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of Northport, 97-112, last Nov. 20.
Before the loss to NorthPort, Converge had been the hottest team in the conference until coach Aldin Ayo opted not to play import Quincy Miller as a disciplinary measure for missing their morning practice after his birthday celebration.
The 3 p.m. match will pit Meralco (4-6) against NLEX (4-7).
NLEX kept its slim hopes of making it to the next round by beating Barangay Ginebra, 120-117, last Friday.
That snapped the Road Warriors’ five-game slide and put them in the company of Rain or Shine and Meralco as contenders for the last quarterfinals berth.
