SMB, Alaska, RoS figure in crucial tiffs

MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel Beer, Rain or Shine and Alaska Milk step up their fierce, three-cornered fight for the two outright Final Four berths as they clash in a vital twinbill in the Smart Bro PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.

The Beermen and the Aces, the title protagonists in this tourney last year, slug it out in what promises to be a slam-bang game at 7 p.m., succeeding the Rain or Shine-Meralco tiff at 4:15 p.m.

The Elasto Painters could face a tough challenge from a Meralco side which looks to end its short stint in the all-Filipino conference on a winning note.

The Bolts are out of contention for the 10-team post-elims play with a 1-9 win-loss slate.

At 9-1, the Beermen have got the inside track in the fight for the Top Two. They automatically clinch a semifinal spot with a win over the Aces tonight.

“We’ll play hard in a bid to get it against Alaska Milk. We don’t want to rely on wins by other teams,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria.

Junmar Fajardo and his teammates ride the momentum of a scorching seven-game run as they tangle with the Alaska squad that is coming off a 105-111 loss to Rain or Shine.

The Aces need to sweep their last two games against the Beermen and the Barako Bull Energy to have a shot at the Top Two.

Obviously for matchup purposes, Alaska has reactivated 6-foot-8 center Samigue Eman.

“I can feel that they’re preparing hard for us. Like us, they don’t want to go through the quarterfinals,” said Austria.

The E-Painters, tied with the Aces at 7-2, are heavily favored in each of their last two games versus the Bolts and the NLEX Road Warriors.

Even then, the E-Painters aren’t about to relax.

“Meralco will be playing without pressure. That’s always dangerous for the opponents. We have to start strong and try to win the game early,” said ROS coach Yeng Guiao.

“If they hang with us in the endgame, we could be in trouble. Meralco’s record does not reflect their real strength. We have to be strong mentally to win this game,” Guiao added.

The Beermen clinch the top seeding if they beat the Aces.

They would be in a tight spot, though, if they lose the game and end in a three-way tie with the Aces and the Elasto Painters.

In this scenario, Rain or Shine gains the No. 1 spot and leaves SMB and Alaska to fight for the No. 2 seeding due to a superior quotient. The E-Painters have beaten the Beermen and the Aces early on.