TNT, San Mig Coffee, Alaska already there: RoS, Ginebra duel for last slot

Game today (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

5 p.m. – Barangay Ginebra vs Rain or Shine
 

MANILA, Philippines - Governors Cup titlist Rain or Shine, out to keep its place among the league’s elite teams, and Barangay Ginebra, aching to get out of the doldrums, slug it out for one last time tonight, disputing in a do-or-die match the last slot in the PBA Philippine Cup Final Four at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Elasto Painters and the Kings knock each other out at 5 p.m. determining which team joins the Talk n Text Tropang Texters, the San Mig Coffee Mixers and the Alaska Milk Aces in the two best-of-seven semifinal series.

Already set is the San Mig Coffee-Alaska matchup starting with Game One at 6:45 p.m. Thursday at the MOA Arena in Pasay City. Talk n Text pursues its three-peat bid in this all-Filipino conference versus the winner of the RoS-Ginebra tiff.

The Kings forced the rubber match in their quarterfinals showdown with the Elasto Painters as they once again came from behind to squeeze out a 79-77 decision Friday at the Big Dome.

Ginebra is now 3-1 versus Rain or Shine in the whole tourney with the Kings climbing back from a deep hole in each of their three wins.

The Elasto Painters, however, are confident they would have the last laugh in the end.

“I have utmost confidence in my team. These guys are tough and they know how to handle setbacks. We’re still very positive about our chances,” said RoS coach Yeng Guiao.

“We need to fix something things like our rebounding and our zone offense, but we will be okay Sunday,” Guiao added.

The Kings rode high on hustle plays by veteran Rudy Hatfield and young players Yousef Taha and Rico Maierhofer as they squared up their quarters series with the E-Painters Friday.

Hatfield, Taha and Maierhofer combined for 12 rebounds and 10 points in the payoff period preserving the efforts put in by LA Tenorio and Mark Caguioa earlier in shoving the Kings ahead, 70-62.

Hatfield asserted his presence at the finish and clinched the thrilling victory by intercepting Gabe Norwood’s throw-in intended for Jervy Cruz with 2.4 ticks left.

The Kings won’t celebrate, though, anticipating another tough grind today.

“We are far from having done anything. We’re just able to tie the series. I don’t expect it getting easier. Rain or Shine is a very tough team, resilient. It’s gonna be an interesting game Sunday,” said Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen.

The Kings barely lived on Friday with Jeff Chan’s potential series-clinching three-pointer in the dying seconds just rimming out.

The Kings went scoreless in the last 1:48 but made the needed stops in the dying seconds as they went on to avenge their blowout 65-82 defeat Wednesday.

Cruz nailed two charities then Paul Lee banged away a booming trey as Rain or Shine threatened at 77-79.

The Elasto Painters took control in the first half but the Kings got into the game in the third quarter, banking on the exploits of Tenorio.

PBA NOTES: Through Twitter, Smart Gilas coach Chot Reyes invited Japeth Aguilar to join the team in its coming campaign in the Dubai Invitationals. “Since you’re not with any NBDL team why not come home, practice with Gilas and play with us in Dubai. I think it’ll be good for you,” Reyes tweeted. “Thanks coach for considering me. I will definitely think about it,” Aguilar replied.