Bolts face Painters; Texters vs Mixers Frontrunners fan drive for Top Two

MANILA, Philippines - Tournament leaders Talk n Text, San Mig Coffee, Rain or Shine and Meralco figure in a topnotch double-header tonight, each one pushing its bid for a Top Two finish in the elimination round of the PBA Philippine Cup.

The Elasto Painters and the Bolts clash at 5:15 p.m. then the Tropang Texters and the Mixers collide at 7:30 p.m. in a slam-bang bill that is expected to draw a huge crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

All assured of a playoff spot, Talk n Text (8-2), San Mig Coffee (7-2) and Rain or Shine (7-3) are now after a Top Two finish that guarantees twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinal round.

Meralco breathes under Rain or Shine’s neck at 5-4.

“We’re aiming for the Top Two. That’s our goal right now. San Mig is on our heels and we need to get as many wins as we can,” said Talk n Text coach Norman Black.

“We’re trying to keep ourselves alive for the Top Two spots. It’s getting a bit crowded right now especially with San Mig Coffee and Talk n Text playing well. We have to keep up,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.

Eight teams advance to the quarterfinals with the top two teams facing the last two qualifiers, enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage. The third and fourth seeds go up against No. 6 and No. 5, respectively, in best-of-three showdowns.

Pacing the field from the start, Talk n Text stakes its hold of the lead in going up against San Mig Coffee.

“Talk n Text really jumped out quickly against us in our last meeting and that really set the tone for the whole game. We’ve got to come out with a little more readiness this time around. They’re just too good of a team to fall asleep on,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.

The Texters regrouped after throwing away a double-digit spread in the third quarter, fighting furiously on both ends at the finish to drub the Mixers, 85-74, on Oct. 20.