TNT and MCFASolver - the only teams to triumph in the PBA 3x3 Season 3 Second Conference so far - blitzed into the quarterfinals of Leg 6 after sweeping pool play Monday at Ayala Malls Trinoma.
Fresh from earning the distinction as the first team to win four legs in a single conference last week, the Triple Giga kick-started their quest for a record-extending No. 5 in mid-season conference with Pool A victories over Cavitex, 19-16, and Terrafirma, 21-20.
Almond Vosotros, Ping Exciminiano, Chester Saldua and comebacking Gryann Mendoza marched into Tuesday's KO rounds as No. 1 seeds of their group even as the Braves took the No. 2 seeding and last quarters ticket at 1-1.
Cavitex's Jorey Napoles, Bong Galanza, Ken Ighalo and Tonino Gonzaga bounced back with a 21-14 win over the Dyip (0-2) to nose out their victims.
MCFASolver's Brandon Ramirez, Louie Vigil, TH Tumalip and Yutien Andrada, who shattered TNT's three-leg streak with their conquest of Leg 4, used the broom on Ginebra, 18-13, San Miguel Beer, 20-18, and NorthPort, 21-20, in overtime, to top Pool C.
Sponsored content: The Gin Kings, meanwhile, bounced back versus the Batang Pier, 21-18, and the Beermen, 21-19, to finish at 2-1 and clinch the No. 2 spot of Pool C into the quarters.
This boosted Ginebra's bid to crack the Magic 10 in next week's Grand Finals. The Gin Kings ran 11th in the team standings after the first five legs with 128 tour points behind No. 10 NorthPort's 149 card. The Batang Pier (0-2 after Day 1) have the chance to join the Last-8 with a victory against SMB (also with 0-2) in their faceoff to end the elims Tuesday morning.
Over in Pool B, Leg 5 runner-up Pioneer Elastoseal secured its quarterfinal entry with a pair of wins over Meralco, 18-17, and Blackwater, 21-16, against a 10-12 loss to Purefoods.
The Smooth Razor finished with 1-2 and now await the outcome of the elims windup duel between Meralco (1-1) and Purefoods (1-1) to determine its fate in the quarterfinal race.
The chase for the P100,000 winner's prize in the sixth and last leg and precious points in the positioning for the conference finale heats up as the 11 teams make their final push Tuesday.(OL)
