Petron, RoS figure in vital games today

Games today (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

5:45 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs Meralco

8 p.m. – Petron vs San Mig Coffee

MANILA, Philippines - Petron Blaze and Rain or Shine, teams in the hunt for the Top Two, and San Mig Coffee and Meralco, in a mad scramble for the two remaining spots in the Magic Six, collide in a pair of crucial match-ups tonight in the PLDT MyDSL PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Elasto Painters and the Bolts battle at 5:45 p.m. then the Boosters and the Mixers clash at 8 p.m. in a slam-bang double-header ushering in the final week of the elimination round of the all-Filipino tourney.

Petron and Rain or Shine, at joint second with 9-3 win-loss records, are out to stay within striking distance of pacesetting Barangay Ginebra (10-2) while San Mig and Meralco, sharing fifth place at 5-7, press their bid for spots in the best-of-three quarterfinals series.

“We need to keep the fire burning. All our effort is focused on gaining a twice-to-beat advantage. The moment we slip, Petron is going to pounce on the opportunity,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.

“We have our hands full against a San Mig team building up steam. Definitely, our work is cut out for us especially with Junmar (Fajardo) not even near 100 percent,” said Petron coach Gee Abanilla.

San Mig Coffee and Meralco will be out to formalize entry into the quarters and at the same time enhance their bid for the Top Six.

“We’re responding and playing a little better, but we’ll have to find out if that’s enough to beat a team amongst the leaders like Petron,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.

“James (Yap) is expected to suit up, so that’s a huge bonus for us. Needless to say, we’re in a must-win situation, so we have no margin for error. We have to be ready,” Cone added.

“Our mentality has not changed. We are still on survival mode. We are conscious of our situation, and every victory counts,” said Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio.

“We are up against the hottest team in the league. Rain or Shine has won five straight and they are functioning so well. We must disrupt their flow, and the antidote is our tough defensive stance,” Gregorio also said.

Petron and Rain or Shine won their initial matchups with San Mig and Meralco, but the Boosters and the E-Painters consider the surging Mixers and the Bolts as big threats.

“Meralco is playing beyond expectation without their top point guard (Mike Cortez). (Jared) Dillinger has been keeping his team above water with his heads-up play. We need to be able to slow him down a little bit,” said Guiao.

The Bolts topped the Air21 Express, 92-88, in overtime on Jan. 4 then drubbed the Alaska Milk Aces, 74-65, last Saturday.

The Mixers, meanwhile, stopped the Barangay Ginebra Kings, 83-79, in their first game in 2014 then overcame the Express, 67-60, in a defensive battle Sunday.

“I don’t think we’re peaking. But I’ve told the players we just want to get better little by little. The key for us is to get there,” said Cone.

The Mixers are hopeful they can compete with the Boosters with or without Yap.

Yap was again out due to back spasm Sunday but PJ Simon, Marc Barroca and Yancy de Ocampo ably carried the fight as San Mig Coffee slammed the quarterfinals door on Air21.

The Boosters were also triumphant in their last game, boosted by the return of Fajardo.

“A lot of guys did a terrific job, but Junmar was a big key. He gave us a different look. It’s really different with him on the floor, offensively and defensively,” said Abanilla.

Fajardo missed their last three games due to a bruised knee. And Petron went 1-2 without the 6-foot-10 Cebuano behemoth.

In his return, Fajardo collected 12 points, six rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 24 minutes of action.