By JONAS TERRADO
Game Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. – NorthPort vs NLEX
NLEX and NorthPort dispute the last semifinals berth in their do-or-die PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals clash Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The winner of the 7 p.m. affair gets the right to face Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in a best-of-five semis which starts after the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
Shortage of manpower will be NLEX’s concern after PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial suspended Poy Erram and Paul Varilla for one game after taking part in a scuffle that marred the fourth quarter of NorthPort’s 115-90 win that forced the knockout duel.
Erram and Varilla, who hit NorthPort import Michael Qualls during the fracas that occurred with four minutes to go in the fourth, were also fined a total of P110,000 after being summoned Tuesday afternoon by Marcial at the league office in Libis.
Both players were tossed for Flagrant Foul 2 infractions which will merit an automatic P20,000 fine.
NLEX is hoping to avoid the embarrassment of becoming the fourth No. 1 team to be eliminated by a No. 8 seed in the quarters.
Barangay Ginebra did the trick first in the 1999 All-Filipino Cup over Mobiline, San Miguel Beer stunned Talk ’N Text in the 2002 Governors’ Cup and Powerade shocked B-Meg in the 2012 Philippine Cup.
But the Road Warriors are hoping to beat the Batang Pier for the first time in three meeting this conference.
Qualls is expected to inflict trouble anew after delivering 39 points in the first quarterfinal meeting.
