The Gin Kings became the 7th team to advance in the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup after scoring a 90-80 comeback victory over NLEX Sunday at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Down by as much as 17 points in the first half, Ginebra had to use a big second-half push to beat the Road Warriors behind a season-high performance from LA Tenorio.

THE battle for the No. 2 seed is bound to further intensify as Alaska Aces and the Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters figure in a crucial tussle in the homestretch of the elimination round of the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association.

With several teams still in the running for the No. 2 ranking and the twice-to-beat incentive that comes with it, the battle between the Fuel Masters (6-4) and the Aces (5-4) at 7 p.m. at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City tonight will have a lot at stake.

Moments after a painful 120-73 defeat on Saturday night, head coach Norman Black didn’t hold back in his assessment of Meralco’s campaign in the Philippine Cup.

“We basically had no chance of winning this conference and we played like it,” he said after the Bolts absorbed their worst franchise defeat in the 47-point rout at Ynares Center in Antipolo.

PLAYING in his first year in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), GlobalPort Batang Pier rookie Von Pessumal said he is very excited over the opportunity given him. He, however, recognizes that building a steady PBA career is a process, which is why he is submitting to it every step of the way.

Selected by the port masters in a special draft for Gilas Pilipinas cadet members, the sweet-shooting Ateneo star shared that he is settling well in the local pro league, in part because of the style of play in the PBA and the role he is given in GlobalPort.

Meralco’s woeful conference ended with a whimper.

Star dealt the Bolts an emphatic 47-point mugging, 120-74, Saturday, in the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup at Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Allein Maliksi had a hot-shooting night, firing five treys to lead the Hotshots with 25 points, all coming from the first three quarters, while Paul Lee and Jio Jalalon both chipped in 15 markers.

THE Star Hotshots did themselves a favor yesterday by beating the Blackwater Elite, 111-95, in a key PBA Philippine Cup match at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City that had a lot of playoff implications.

By emerging triumphant, the Hotshot improved to 5-4, throwing them back in the quarterfinal picture of the season-opening Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) tournament while dropping the Elite to 5-6 with their playoff chances in doubt.

A STRONG finish pushed Mahindra to its third win as it walloped NLEX, 106-96, wrapping up its campaign on a positive note despite already being eliminated in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City last night.

Alex Mallari had a career game, scoring a career-high 30 points to go with 10 rebounds and just missing a triple-double by one assist to lift the Floodbuster as he continues to show his vast improvement.

STANDING on the fringes of the playoff picture in the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup, the Star Hotshots look to strengthen their quarterfinal bid as they take on the Blackwater Elite today in a key ball game at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Set as the curtain-raiser at 4:15 p.m., the Hotshots (4-4), currently ninth in the standings and are outside looking in for a spot in the next round of the season-opening Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) tournament, try to pad their record and throw themselves back in the mix of possible playoff qualifiers against Blackwater (5-5), itself out to fortify its hold of a quarters seat in its final elimination round game.