Three teams shoot for Magic 4

The fight for the PBA Governors Cup Magic Four reaches boiling point today as three teams gun for three slots and another shoots for the top seeding in a crucial twinbill in the penultimate playdate of the eliminations at the Araneta Coliseum.

It’s Sta. Lucia Realty versus San Miguel Beer at 4:05 p.m. and Pop Cola against Talk N Text at 6:10.

Complications abound in the homestretch of the elims that the smoke of battle may continue to swirl and billow after tonight’s games.

But certainly, the Realtors, the Beermen, the Panthers and the Phone Pals need to win their final assignments in the elims to have a chance at achieving what’s left in their respective bids.

Sta. Lucia must win to assure itself of at least the second spot in the Final Eight. It will settle for No. 2 if it ends up tied with Shell due to the win-over-the-other rule.

Talk N Text is hard-pressed to regain its winning ways to avoid complications of possible ties that may well ruin its bid for the Top Four which had looked already in the bad early on. Losing their last three games, the best the Phone Pals can get now is the No. 2 spot.

Tied with Red Bull at fourth place with identical 6-6 win-loss cards, Pop Cola and San Miguel simply face a must-win situation as they set out for tonight’s games. And even a victory will not guarantee outright entry into the Final Four for the two teams because of possible ties at the close of the elims Wednesday.

Curiously, the Realtors, the Beermen, the Panthers and the Phone Pals are all coming off sorry losses going into today’s games. Talk N Text lost its last three games, Sta. Lucia and San Miguel their last two and Pop Cola its last against Alaska.

Red Bull bounced back into the fight for the Top Four because of the skids of the teams previously occupying the upper half of the chart.

Alaska likewise benefited. The Aces have a chance to gain the last slot in the quarters without going through a playoff with a win versus Shell on Sunday.