SCENARIOS: Why Magnolia can't afford to lose its last two elims games

SCENARIOS: Why Magnolia can’t afford to lose its last two elims games

FOLLOWING its disappointing loss to Meralco on Sunday, Magnolia is now facing a must-win situation in its next two games.

The Hotshots battle Terrafirma on Friday, and will close the elimination round of the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup with a game against TNT on Sunday.

The remaining games won’t be a cruise since Terrafirma is still aiming for a win and a place in the quarterfinals. TNT, on the other hand, is also looking to lock up its position in the third to sixth spots which will ensure its place in the best-of-three quarterfinals.

COLUMN: Magnolia gives PBA a blackeye

Here is a part of the team standings with their remaining opponents indicated.

3. NLEX 5-4 (Rain or Shine on Friday, Barangay Ginebra on Sunday)

TNT 5-4 (Converge on Wednesday, Magnolia on Sunday)

Magnolia 5-4 (Terrafirma on Friday, TNT on Sunday)

6. Rain or Shine 5-5 (NLEX on Friday)

Meralco 5-5 (San Miguel on Saturday)

Terrafirma 5-5 (Magnolia on Friday)

9. NorthPort 5-6

Magnolia can’t afford to lose in the two remaining games and end up with a 5-6 win-loss record. Why? Because it can still go down the ladder, even as low as playing for the No. 8 spot in the quarterfinals, with a pair of defeats.

A check at possible unofficial scenarios showed that Magnolia will end up in a playoff for the No. 8 if it wounds up in a tie a four-way tie with anyone among Rain or Shine, Meralco, and NorthPort or NLEX, Meralco, and NorthPort at sixth place on 5-6 win-loss cards.

Their loss to Meralco had a lot to do with that predicament.

The Hotshots scored a franchise low in points in a game when they were shocked by the Bolts, 74-51, to fall to their second consecutive defeat. That 23-point defeat will play a role in breaking the deadlock. It had an effect in the quotient even though Magnolia won against Rain or Shine and NorthPort during the eliminations.

In both situations, Magnolia will face NorthPort in a playoff for the No. 8 spot in the quarterfinals. The Hotshots and the Batang Pier have quotients of 0.96337 (-10 point differential) and 0.96053 (-12) respectively in a four-way tie with Meralco and Rain or Shine. The Batang Pier will have a 0.96959 (-9) quotient while the Hotshots have 0.8876 (-29) in a four-way tie with NLEX and Meralco.

meralco vs magnolia

PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

Magnolia’s fate remains in its hands as a win will be enough for the Hotshots to avoid that playoff scenario. A sweep of the two remaining games will ensure Magnolia of playing in one of the two best-of-three quarterfinals.

Magnolia must shape up now to avoid a possible early exit.

[DISCLAIMER: Scenarios are unofficial and not binding information. They are solely done to give readers a picture on the possible outcomes at the end of the elimination round.]