WHAT HAPPENS IF SMB, NLEX, MAGNOLIA END UP TIED AT EIGHTH?

THE battle for the eighth and final quarterfinals spot has intensified after San Miguel’s loss to NorthPort on Tuesday in the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup.

The Beermen suffered a 105-104 defeat to the Batang Pier at the Ynares Center to falter to a 4-6 win-loss record and lose for the second straight time - and for fourth overall in the last five games. The defeat sent SMB into a three-way tie for eighth-place alongside Magnolia and NLEX.

READ: Kadeem the redeemer as NorthPort averts major collapse vs SMB

Assuming that this three-team logjam stands at the end of the elimination round, what will happen?

Under PBA rules, ties concerning the No. 8 spot by three or more teams will be broken by determining which squads have the superior quotient, the two of whom will battle for that last berth in the quarterfinals.

The last games of the three teams are not expected to be easy, as they all involve squads who are still in the hunt themselves for higher seedings in the next round.

Remaining games for the three teams

San Miguel: Converge (January 24), TNT (January 26)

Magnolia: Eastern (January 26), Meralco (January 31)

NLEX: Rain or Shine (January 25), Eastern (January 29)

Standings as of January 22, 2025

TNT 6-2

NorthPort 8-3

Converge 8-3

Eastern 7-3

Meralco 7-3

Rain or Shine 6-3

Barangay Ginebra 6-4

San Miguel 4-6

Magnolia 4-6

NLEX 4-6

Phoenix 3-8

Blackwater 3-8

Terrafirma 0-11

Bad news for Magnolia in a three-way tie with SMB, NLEX

As things stand, that scenario would be bad news for Magnolia.

The Hotshots only have a 0.9833 quotient or a -3 point differential among the three teams. Magnolia won over NLEX, 99-95, last December 20, but lost to San Miguel, 85-78, last January 12.

PHOTO: Mark Cristino

San Miguel and NLEX, therefore, will have the superior quotients.

The Beermen will end up with a 1.011 quotient or a +2 point differential due to their aforementioned seven-point win over the Hotshots, even though they lost to the Road Warriors by five, 104-99, last December 8.

The Road Warriors have a 1.0051 quotient or a +1 point differential following that five-point win over SMB and the four-point defeat to Magnolia.

So again, in the event of a three-way deadlock among the three squads, it’s going to be San Miguel against NLEX for the No. 8 spot in the quarterfinals, with the Hotshots being ousted outright.

2025-01-22T04:13:29Z