Beermen eye outright semis seat vs Bulls

MANILA, Philippines - San Miguel Beer, foiled by Burger King the last time out, takes a second crack at an outright semifinals berth as it plays Barako Bull in a duel between the league-leader and cellar-dweller in the Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo today.

Rain or Shine, meanwhile, seeks an outright playoff crack at a semis seat as it tangles with Coca-Cola in the other game.

Possibilities in rankings abound in the classification round although the teams are expected to get a clearer picture after today’s twinbill.

The Beermen, for one, could formalize their claim on the top spot with a victory over the Energy Boosters.

Barako Bull, with a dismal 2-11 win-loss card, is playing its last game in the classification round. The Energy Drink ballclub has long settled for No. 10 spot, needing to win two in a row in the wildcard round to make the quarterfinals.

The Elasto Painters are also playing their last game in the preliminary phase, and they’re out to enhance their bid for a second-place finish.

The Asian Coating team, however, could be in for a tough night versus the Tigers who need to win at least two of their three remaining games to secure the No. 8 spot, which carries with it even odds going to the next round.

Tournament format calls for the third- and fourth-ranked teams after the 14-game classifications to have a twice-to-beat advantage over No. 10 and No. 9, respectively, while No. 5 squares off with No. 8 and Nos. 6 and 7 duel in a pair of knockout matches in the wildcard.

“The other possibilities are out of our hands. We must do our part first then we’ll see what happens,” said Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia.

Garcia and his chargers gained solo second place Wednesday after a 107-93 win over Barako Bull.

Meanwhile, Sta. Lucia scored a 104-95 victory over Purefoods at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City last night to force a four-way for fourth place with their victim. Burger King and Talk n Text with 7-6 slates. – Nelson Beltran