Playoff picture clearer after Wednesday’s twinbill

THE 2009 Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference numbers game will be a bit clearer after Wednesday.

Depending on the outcomes of the crucial games pitting Barangay Ginebra versus Coca-Cola and Talk N Text against Alaska, the hopes and fears of the concerned teams should either be fanned or quashed.

Such are the battles for survival, which the games have veritably turned into.

Consider the first game.

Coke needs to sweep its last two matches in the 14-game classification round to wind up at No. 8 and a winner-take-all shot against the No. 5 squad in the wildcard's knockout pairings.

Coach Kenneth Duremdes' charges could even lose a game and still be at No. 8 if Alaska drops one of its two final matches.

Ginebra's goal is higher.

The Kings are aiming to go 2-0 in their own last two matches to land at No. 2 and earn the second automatic semis seat along with early qualifier San Miguel Beer.

The defending champions could even afford to lose one game and still play off for the No. 2 slot if Talk N Text loses to Alaska in the nightcap.

Uichico doesn't want to look that far ahead, preferring to focus on the task at hand. He even has an ample summation of the game.

“Both teams are playing for survival, them to evade ninth and us to get to the semis,” he quipped.

Curiously, Ginebra won their first encounter, which was the first for both teams, before the Kings went on their four-game slide that kept them in the cellar for quite a while.

The Tropang Texters and the Aces will be among those eyeing the first game with more than passing interest since it will also help point them to their spots in the next round.

A Ginebra loss to Coke and a TNT win will put the Texters in a playoff with Rain or Shine for the No. 2 slot while Alaska will be hoping for a Tigers loss to keep alive the Aces' hopes of playing off for the No. 8 spot.

There are other scenarios involved, but the aforementioned should suffice.

The tension is unbearable enough as it is.


Source: http://www.pba.ph/content/view/2636/1/