RACAL and CaféFrance seek crucial victories on Thursday to bolster their bids for a coveted playoff berth in the Philippine Basketball Association D-League Foundation Cup.
The Tile Masters are coming off an exhilarating 93-88 repeat victory over Phoenix on Tuesday that propelled them into the top of the team standings with an 8-2 (win-loss) record.
They hope to keep the win streak going when it battles an equally determined Tanduay Rhum Masters, who are out for revenge in their 6 p.m. encounter at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City.
“Big game for us. If we win this one, I think we’re in [the top 2],” said Racal Coach Caloy Garcia after the team completed a sweep of their two-game elimination series against reigning Aspirants Cup champion Phoenix Accelerators (7-3).
A fifth straight win by Racal would secure for the team one of two coveted semifinal berths being hotly contested.
The Tile Masters defeated the Rhum Masters, 96-90, in their meeting on June 23. But Tanduay has improved since, winning four of its last five games to stay in contention for a coveted semifinal berth.
“This will be a tough matchup. We just have to stay focused and do what we have to do and everything will be fine,” said Garcia of the rematch. Tanduay (7-3) underscored its intention to finish in the top 2 after elimination by acquiring forwards Jaymo Eguilos and Kevin Ferrer, who buried a buzzer beating 3-pointer to lift Tanduay to its second straight victory—a 75-74 decision against defending champion CaféFrance on Monday.
“We’ve got nothing to lose. Hopefully we could build on these back-to-back wins,” Tanduay Coach Lawrence Chongson offered after their repeat victory against the Bakers.
Still reeling from that painful loss, CaféFrance (7-2) try to bounce back in their 4 p.m. game against AMA Online Education (3-5).
The defending champions defeated the Titans, 92-86, in their first meeting on June 21 and remains a favorite in their rematch.
Only four of the seven competing teams will advance to the next round with the Top 2 teams earning a twice to beat advantage in the semifinals.