Meralco, Barako battle for semis ticket; leaders Rain or Shine, Talk ‘N Text collide

AKTV/Paul Ryan Tan

Rain or Shine tries to pad its lead going into the semifinal stage while Meralco seeks a slot in the top six in the final day of the elimination round of the PBA Governors’ Cup Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The league-leading Elasto Painters battle streaking Talk ‘N Text in the main game at 6:30 p.m. while the Bolts gun for their fifth win against Barako Bull in the opener at 4:15 p.m.

At 7-1, Rain or Shine is already safe in the semis but the wards of coach Yeng Guiao still look for more wins to move closer to their first-ever finals stint in the league.

“This is the opportune time to prove that Rain or Shine is for real,” said Guiao, whose team is coming off a 103-92 demolition of Petron Blaze last week in Dumaguete City.

“A win will solidify our hold on first place and get us closer to the historic finals appearance, the first for the franchise. We are ready to take on this challenge and we will offer no excuses.”

The Elasto Painters are up against the Tropang Texters, who have won their last four games for a 5-3 win-loss mark.

Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes knows the Elasto Painters will be a tough challenge for his squad.

“Best team with the best import coming off a long rest,” said Reyes.“We need to figure out how to stop them. They’re very confident team right now with good reason.”

In the opener, Meralco tries to avoid any complication as it seeks a win that would guarantee them a spot in the next round.

“The drive for five continues for us. We want to give ourselves a chance to nail one of the six slots available,” said Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio, whose team is holding a 4-4 mark.

“We do not want to leave anything to chance that is why we will make sure we come out with incredible energy combined with high basketball intelligence.”

Barako Bull (3-5) needs to win against the Bolts to force a three-way tie for sixth place. A double playoff will ensue in case of a Barako Bull victory, with the top team via quotient drawing a bye.

“Meralco is on a roll but my players are veterans of knockout games. These are kind of games they live for,” Baculi said.

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