Kings show value of late games with standings-shaking win vs Painters
Barangay Ginebra underscored the urgency of every game in the closing stretch of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup elimination by showing how one win could shuffle the team standings drastically.
By the end of Sunday’s double-header, the Gin Kings found themselves making a significant leap in the standings—from a momentary fourth seed to a temporary second.
Earlier, Meralco dealt Blackwater a 108-93 beatdown, improving to a 7-3 record and forging a tie with Ginebra. But because the Bolts had routed the Gin Kings last Friday, they claimed the third spot, leaving Ginebra just below despite identical records.
The second game, however, triggered another shake-up at the top.
Ginebra made quick work of the Elasto Painters, 114-90, climbing to an 8-3 card—good enough for a temporary hold of second place in the conference.
“Every game is crucial for us. We have to control our own destiny. We’ll focus on us because we never know what may happen with the other teams,” Scottie Thompson told the Inquirer.
“We’re not too high or too low. Like every game, we treat it as a playoff game, even if we’re in the elimination round. We have to be better defensively, though, but getting this momentum is such a big thing for us.”
As it stands, the Gin Kings are in position to finish the preliminaries with a twice-to-beat advantage.
If the playoffs started today, they would face seventh-seeded San Miguel Beer, which holds a 5-5 record.
Far from settled
Even Rain or Shine’s Gian Mamuyac, who was on the receiving end of the rout, was struck by how quickly the standings shifted in a single game day.
“That’s what makes this conference great,” he said.
“We really don’t know what to expect. Even the fans don’t know who’ll end up in the top four. We’ll just have to get our ninth win,” Mamuyac added.
The final playoff picture, however, remains far from settled.
Ginebra could still slide down the standings if it drops its final elimination game against TNT on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Rain or Shine, meanwhile, can keep its push for a higher seed alive if it prevails over lowly Titan Ultra on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
