Different look in PBA semis

MANILA, Philippines — PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said yesterday the new playoff format in the ongoing Governors’ Cup will trigger more exciting games with matchups that could defy tradition. . The usual scheme of crossover quarterfinal pairings where No. 1 plays No. 4 and No. 2 plays No. 3 in separate best-of-five series was used to reward the top group placers with the incentive of facing the lowest-ranked teams.

In the semifinals, the winner of Group A No. 1-Group B No. 4 meets the winner of Group B No. 1-Group A No. 4 while the winner of Group A No. 2-Group B No. 3 battles the winner of Group B No. 2-Group A No. 3. The semifinal pairings mean the top seeds of both groups may clash before the finals. The semifinals and finals are best-of-seven affairs so the format guarantees a battle royale either way.

The new format was submitted to the PBA Board of Governors for discussion and approval during the annual planning meeting in Osaka last July. It was then presented to media at the pre-season press conference last August.

The quarterfinal pairings are Group A No. 1 TNT (8-2) against Group B No. 4 NLEX (5-5), Group A No. 2 Meralco (7-3) against Group B No 3 Ginebra (6-4), Group B No. 1 Rain or Shine (7-3) against Group A No. 4 Magnolia (5-5) and Group B No. 2 San Miguel Beer (6-4) against Group A No. 3 Converge (6-4). In the semifinals, the winner of TNT-NLEX will meet the winner of Rain or Shine-Magnolia while the winner of Meralco-Ginebra takes on the winner of San Miguel Beer-Converge. Since the records of the eight quarterfinal qualifiers show that each posted at least five wins, seedings may hardly matter in the semifinals. The tweak in the semifinal format could usher in something unexpected and exciting in the finals for fans.