San Miguel enters the game against NorthPort with a twice-to-beat advantage on the line in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup quarterfinals. A loss will complicate things for the June Mar Fajardo-led team.
With a twice-to-beat incentive on the line, San Miguel Beer will look to handle business against the already-eliminated NorthPort Batang Pier in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup on Sunday, June 15.
The match starts at 5:00 p.m. at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
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Currently at 7-3, the Beermen are gunning to become the third team to secure the playoff bonus after NLEX and Magnolia and avoid a complicated tie-breaker scenario.
A victory over NorthPort (2-8) will lock them into the top-4, simplifying their path in the postseason.
But a slip-up could prove costly.
If San Miguel falls to the Batang Pier, the Beermen would need Rain or Shine to defeat Barangay Ginebra in the final game of the elimination round to force a four-way tie for third — involving Ginebra, San Miguel, and Converge — where quotient rules would come into play.
In the worst-case scenario where San Miguel loses and Ginebra wins, the Beermen could slide all the way to the no. 5 seed and would need to beat Converge twice in the quarterfinals.
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That makes Sunday’s game anything but a formality.
NorthPort, meanwhile, has nothing to lose and will aim to end a rough campaign on a high note. Still adjusting to roster shake-ups and missing key players, the Batang Pier could play spoiler if the Beermen aren’t locked in.
For San Miguel, it’s a chance to assert control — and stay out of the chaotic playoff math.
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(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]