PBA Philippine Cup 2014 Results: Latest Standings, Final Scores After Game 32
The first conference of the 2014-15 Philippine Basketball Association season is nearing the halfway mark, with 32 of 66 games complete. Only the Alaska Aces remain undefeated, and they have the inside track on one of two byes to the semifinals.
Ultimately, 10 of the 12 squads will qualify for the knockout portion of the Philippine Cup. But those byes are important because the other eight teams must win two other rounds just to reach the final four, where the rested top seeds will be waiting.
Let's check out how things are shaping up at this stage of the campaign before looking ahead to some key games on the horizon through the weekend.
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Current Standings
| 1 | Alaska Aces | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | Barangay Ginebra San Miguel | 5 | 1 |
| 3 | San Miguel Beermen | 4 | 1 |
| 4 | Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters | 4 | 2 |
| 5 | Rain or Shine Elasto Painters | 4 | 2 |
| 6 | Meralco Bolts | 3 | 2 |
| 7 | GlobalPort Batang Pier | 3 | 3 |
| 8 | NLEX Road Warriors | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | Purefoods Star Hotshots | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | Kia Sorento | 1 | 5 |
| 11 | Blackwater Elite | 0 | 5 |
| 12 | Barako Bull Energy | 0 | 5 |
Latest Results
| Nov. 9 | Blackwater Elite | GlobalPort Batang Pier | 72-87 |
| Nov. 9 | Purefoods Star Hotshots | Barangay Ginebra San Miguel | 66-89 |
| Nov. 11 | Kia Sorento | Alaska Aces | 75-85 |
| Nov. 11 | Meralco Bolts | Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters | 72-80 |
| Nov. 12 | GlobalPort Batang Pier | Rain or Shine Elasto Painters | 83-86 |
| Nov. 12 | Barangay Ginebra San Miguel | Barako Bull Energy | 94-75 |
Upcoming Schedule
| Nov. 14 | Alaska Aces | Blackwater Elite |
| Nov. 14 | NLEX Road Warriors | Purefoods Star Hotshots |
| Nov. 15 | Rain or Shine Elasto Painters | Meralco Bolts |
| Nov. 16 | Barako Bull Energy | Kia Sorento |
| Nov. 16 | San Miguel Beermen | Barangay Ginebra San Miguel |
The Alaska Aces figure to stretch their winning streak to six as they face off with the winless Blackwater Elite on Friday. It's usually about this point when a team starts thinking about running the table, but Alaska's head coach is trying to downplay the early success.
Coach Alex Compton told Richard Dy of Spin that the current winning streak won't mean anything if the team doesn't continue to improve in the weeks ahead.
"5-0 means that we'll not lose seven games in the elims. That's all it means. There's no playoffs, it's quotient system, and you get 11 games so I'm OK at that," he said. "It's a good start. It's better than being 0-5. But the goal is not to be undefeated in the elims. The goal is to get better and win the championship."
It's a wake-up call to his players so they don't overlook a Blackwater side that's desperately seeking to get in the win column.
Saturday brings an important clash between two teams in the middle of the pack right now. The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and the Meralco Bolts each have two losses so far. The former has an extra win, but both are still within striking distance of one of the coveted byes.
The winning side will move one step closer to securing a spot in the knockout rounds. It's also a chance for Meralco to show continued signs of improvement after finishing 13-19 in the elimination stages of the three conferences last season.
Finally, Sunday brings about a marquee matchup between the San Miguel Beermen and the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, which are a combined 9-2 so far. It's a game that could end up deciding which team gets the second bye if the Aces stay on track for the top spot.
Snow Badua of Spin notes that Beerman guard Ronald Tubid is dealing with an ankle injury but is hoping to be ready for the key game:
Even though there's still half of the elimination round to play, the next couple of days represent a key stretch on the road to the next phase of the Philippine Cup conference.
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