Hotshots, Road Warriors dispute last ticket to PBA playoffs
GOOD thing for both Magnolia and NLEX, it’s not yet the end of the road for both teams.
Bad news is they have to decide among themselves which is going even further, and which is facing outright elimination.
After narrowly extending their stint in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup,, Magnolia and NLEX now face off in a do-or-die battle on Sunday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.
The stakes? The final spot in the playoffs.
The Hotshots and the Road Warriors will clash at 7:30 p.m. for the right to face top seed NorthPort in the quarterfinals, in a match where the winner will take all.
Both teams have survived three elimination games and are determined to make it four, pushing to secure a spot in the playoffs alongside NorthPort, TNT, Converge, Meralco, Barangay Ginebra, Rain or Shine, and Eastern.
It’s a second chance neither team expected, but now both are hungry to seize it.
“Two weeks ago, we were on the brink of elimination, but now we have a chance for the quarterfinals, so we’ll take it,” said NLEX coach Jong Uichico.
Magnolia’s Chito Victolero echoed that sentiment, saying, “We’re grateful for the chance to play for No. 8, and we’re grabbing that opportunity.”
“I’m proud of my players. They’ve worked hard for this, and we’ve been preparing like it’s game day, so we truly deserve to be here,” he added.
Fueled by survival instinct and taking advantage of Meralco’s loss of Akil Mitchell to injury, the Hotshots surged back into playoff contention with a dominant 129-92 victory over the Bolts.
Two nights before, NLEX made their own statement, outclassing Hong Kong Eastern 94-76. That win also marked the end of San Miguel Beer’s playoff hopes, as the Beermen were eliminated from the postseason for the first time in a decade.
Also missing out on the playoffs this year are Terrafirma and Blackwater.