Middle-of-pack quarterfinalists start showdowns

MANILA, Philippines — With the race to the playoffs and positional battles done, it’s time for the last eight teams standing in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup to take the fight to a whole new level.

First up are the four middle-of-the-pack quarterfinalists, who battle on equal footing in a pair of best-of-three duels beginning today at the PhilSports Arena.

Defending champion San Miguel Beer, which finished fifth in the elims with a 7-5 slate, and Converge, the fourth seed with 8-4, clash at 3 p.m. both with strong determination to take the 1-0 headstart in the short series.

Barangay Ginebra, ranked third at 9-3, and NorthPort, the No. 6 at 6-6, mix it up at 5:45 p.m. with the same objective.

The top two teams of the elims – No. 1 Bay Area (10-2) and No. 2 Magnolia (10-2) – hit the court on Friday, needing to beat No. 8 Rain or Shine (6-6) and No. 7 Phoenix (6-6), respectively, just once to advance to the semis.

Though posting three more wins than the Batang Pier and carrying the psychological edge from their 122-105 romp in the elims, the Gin Kings aren’t falling into complacency.

“We had a tough time against them the last game. We’re only able to do a little bit of a breakaway early part of the fourth quarter,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.

“They are a talented team. They’re a tough matchup particularly for us because we like to play big and they like to play small and quick.