By JONAS TERRADO
Game Today
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
6:30 p.m. – Phoenix vs TNT KaTropa
TNT KaTropa and Phoenix, two teams that endured roller-coaster rides in the eliminations, dispute the eighth and final quarterfinals berth when they meet in a one-game playoff tonight in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The KaTropa and Fuel Masters meet at 6:30 p.m., the winner earning the right to face the top seed defending champion San Miguel Beermen, who hold a twice-to-beat advantage.
Both teams made it to the sudden death match after a wild and woolly race for the remaining quarterfinal slots came to an end this week.
TNT and Phoenix won their final matches but had to rely on the results of the other games just to get this chance.
TNT routed NLEX, 101-75, Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena while Phoenix survived GlobalPort’s last-ditch rally, 104-100, two nights ago at the Big Dome after leading by a high of 31 in the third quarter.
The two squads each finished the elims at 5-6 for a share of seventh to 10th with GlobalPort and Blackwater.
GlobalPort wound up as the seventh seed despite the loss to Phoenix on a superior quotient while Blackwater was eliminated for having the worst ratio among the four teams.
TNT heaved a sigh of relief late Friday after Barangay Ginebra San Miguel escaped with a 100-92 triple overtime victory over Rain or Shine, a Ginebra loss would have led to an early exit for the KaTropa because an inferior quotient based on a five-way tiebreaker.
Ginebra finished fourth at 6-5 for a best-of-three series with Rain or Shine which starts tomorrow at the Mall of Asia Arena.
NLEX, which had the same record as Ginebra and Rain or Shine, fell to sixth and will take on No. 3 seed Alaska (7-4) in the other best-of-three duel.
Phoenix holds a psychological edge over TNT after a thrilling 74-72 victory in their only meeting last Feb. 7 at the Mall of Asia Arena, with Doug Kramer scoring the game-winner off a Matthew Wright assist in the dying seconds.