Barakos seek playoff vs wounded Tigers

It could be a walk in the park for Red Bull Barako as it seeks a playoff crack at an outright semifinals berth today against an import-less and injury-plagued Coca-Cola side in the San Mig Coffee PBA Fiesta Cup at the Astrodome.

Talk n Text, beaten by Barangay Ginebra, 92-97, Wednesday, now goes out with the same objective as Red Bull Barako as the Phone Pals take on the San Miguel Beermen in the day’s other game in the penultimate playdate of the classification round.

The double-round classification phase ends on Christmas Day with Giñebra likewise gunning for a share of second place in the leaderboard against Alaska Milk. The General Admission section of the Astrodome will be open to the public for free in this game set at 5 p.m.

A four-way tie at second play would ensue should Red Bull, Talk n Text and Ginebra all win their last assignments. In this case, the two teams with the highest quotients slug it out for the second semis berth in a one-game playoff while the next two teams dispute in a separate playoff the No. 4 spot or the second outright seat in the quarterfinals. It would be Red Bull (+27 quotient) versus Ginebra (+8) in the first playoff and Talk n Text (-4) against Air21 (-31) in the other playoff.

Should the Barakos, the Phone Pals and the Kings all lose, the Air21 Express (9-7) automatically join the Purefoods Chunkee Giants (10-6) in an early passage to the semis.

Coca-Cola, San Miguel and Alaska aren’t likely to give in easily against Red Bull, Talk n Text and Ginebra since they’re out to improve their placings in the lower half of the chart.

Both the Tigers and the Beermen are aching to avoid the No. 9 seeding which will have the toughest task among all the teams in the post-classifications phase. The Aces, meanwhile, are still looking to salvage a playoff crack at an outright quarterfinals berth.

However, the Tigers face a very tough challenge against the Barakos today as they will miss the services of import Omar Thomas who’s suspended for a flagrant foul on Dennis Espino in their last game. Thomas was also meted a fine of P150,000 for his unsportsmanlike conduct.

Coca-Cola is also short-handed by injuries to Rob Wainwright and Johnny Abarrientos.

A loss will send Coca-Cola to last place. In that eventuality, the Tigers play the No. 8 team in a survivor playoff, needing to win two straight games to make the wildcard plays.

The wildcard plays will involve the Nos. 5, 6, 7 and either the No. 8 or No. 9 team playing in a pair of best-of-three playoffs. Winners in the wildcard plays advance to the best-of-five quarterfinals duels against the No. 3 and No. 4 squads.