Back to the grind

After a 10-day break, the PBA returns to action with a Commissioner’s Cup doubleheader at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today. Meralco takes on guest squad Eastern in the first game then Barangay Ginebra engages San Miguel Beer in the nightcap. Both contests are vital in keeping hopes alive for a top two finish entering the playoffs. Eight of 13 contenders will advance to the quarterfinals but the top two placers gain a twice-to-beat advantage in the pairings.

There are 78 games scheduled in the single-round eliminations with the final bill at the PhilSports Arena on Jan. 31. The plan is to finish the quarterfinals before the PBA calls a ceasefire for Gilas to prepare for the FIBA Asia Cup third qualifying window against Chinese-Taipei on Feb. 20 and New Zealand on Feb. 23, both on the road.

At the end of the elims, five teams will make their exit, leaving the top eight finishers to battle in the quarters. No. 1 will meet No. 8 and No. 2 will face No. 7, with the higher seeds enjoying a twice-to-beat edge. In the other series, No. 3 will tackle No. 6 and No. 4 will tangle with No. 5, both best-of-three affairs. Survivors will then proceed to the best-of-seven semifinals on the way to determine the protagonists in the best-of-seven finals.

The race for the top eight spots is tight so that from now until the end, every game counts. Eastern has a 6-2 record, Meralco 3-2, Ginebra 4-2 and San Miguel 3-3 Some teams have played more than others and that could be an advantage or disadvantage. Latecomers get the chance to plot where they’re going ahead of earlybirds and can make adjustments in time for a big push.

Eastern’s challenge is staying invigorated with a taxing schedule playing in EASL, D-1 in the Hong Kong league and PBA. After Eastern plays Meralco today, it will move to Hong Kong for an EASL contest against Suwon KT Sonicboom on Tuesday. The next day, Eastern takes on Pegasus K in the D-1 league and on Jan. 12, it will face Friends in another D-1 outing then on Jan. 15, San Miguel in EASL. On Jan. 17, it’s back to the PBA against Terrafirma at the PhilSports Arena.

When the schedules are too hectic, Eastern juggles its rosters to keep players fresh for the three leagues. There are D-1 players like Joshua de Villa and Leung Shiu Wah who are not in the PBA lineup. De Villa is a Filipino resident in Hong Kong while Leung is a two-time Asian Gamer with the Hong Kong national team. Assistant coaches Wong Ka Kit and Oscar Lata Alonso take charge of D-1 when head coach Mensur Bajramovic is unavailable. Glen Yang, Chris McLaughlin, Yuet Yeung Pok, Muhammad Sulaiman, Adam Xu and Leung Ka Hin are Eastern players who play in the three leagues.

Meralco is coming off back-to-back losses to Blackwater and Converge but the good news is Chris Banchero and Allein Maliksi are back after sitting out four games due to injuries. San Miguel is 2-1 since coach Leo Austria’s reinstatement and the Beermen are hoping to bounce back from a 99-91 OT defeat to Eastern. Ginebra is coping with a short rotation and Jamie Malonzo’s return is a boost. Last Christmas Day, Ginebra found a way to win in the dying seconds with Scottie Thompson draining a triple to beat Magnolia, 95-92. San Miguel import Jabari Narcis is not in Justin Brownlee’s class but he’ll try to prove otherwise tonight.