Nothing is exactly on the line for NorthPort, but the Batang Pier can still throw a wrench as the race for the twice-to-beat advantage heats up for San Miguel, Ginebra, and Converge in the PBA Philippine Cup.
With their playoff hopes long dashed, NorthPort Batang Pier will take on a different mission when they face the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo — play spoiler.
At 2-8, NorthPort is already out of contention in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup, but the the Batang Pier can still leave a mark by derailing San Miguel’s quest for a twice-to-beat advantage.
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A win by the Batang Pier would deny the Beermen (7-3) an automatic spot in the top-4 and thrust them into a complicated race for playoff seeding.
For NorthPort, it’s one final chance to salvage pride in what has been a turbulent conference, marred by injuries and the exits of key players like Arvin Tolentino and William Navarro.
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Despite the odds, the Batang Pier have shown flashes of grit behind the efforts of Joshua Munzon and Calvin Abueva, and now aim to close out strong against one of the league's heavyweights.
San Miguel, meanwhile, has everything to lose — and NorthPort has nothing to fear.
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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.]