Games Today
(JCSGO gym, Cubao)
3 p.m. – CaféFrance vs Batangas
5 p.m. – Cignal vs Racal
Cignal-San Beda and Racal, two teams already assured of outright semifinal berths, dispute the best record at the elimination round today in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup at the JCSGO gym in Cubao, Quezon City.
Both squads expect to treat the 5 p.m. contest as if it were a playoff since both want to end the eliminations on a high note and go to the semis riding finals with momentum on their hands.
They are tied for the top spot with identical 7-1 records, Cignal having gone unbeaten since losing its opening assignment and Racal securing the semis berth following Thursday’s win over CaféFrance.
CaféFrance battles Batangas in a non-bearing game at 3 p.m., looking to not only redeem itself from that 82-78 defeat to Racal at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City but also enter the quarterfinals on a winning note.
The Bakers, with a 6-2 record, will enter the quarters as the third seed plus a twice-to-beat advantage against the sixth-ranked team.
Coach Boyet Fernandez has boosted his chance of winning a record seventh D-League title as Cignal has never lost a game after falling to AMA Online Education in the opener last January.
Cignal has gotten productive numbers from Robert Bolick, Jason Perkins, Andreas Cahilig and Davon Potts during the run.
Meanwhile, Racal booked a semis berth behind the 24-point performance of Letran star Rey Nambatac against CaféFrance.
Nambatac helped the Tile Masters erase a nine-point third quarter deficit, then made the key plays late to foil the Bakers’ bid to pull off an escape act.