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| Muntinlupa forfeited its last two games due to a lack of available players. MPBL (file photo) |
MANILA--In what seems like a weird finale to its campaign, the Muntinlupa Cagers decided to forfeit their last two games and bowed out of postseason contention.
The Quezon Huskers, one of the Cagers' last two opponents, the other being the Pampanga Giant Lanterns, confirmed on Thursday that they received a memorandum from MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes last week informing them of Muntinlupa's situation.
"The Muntinlupa management cited injuries to key players apart from those who are trying out with PBA teams as the basis for their decision," Duremdes said in the memo.
The Huskers were supposed to face the Cagers on Friday night at the Olivarez College Coliseum in Paranaque.
Muntinlupa's decision to opt out of finishing the MPBL season came at an intriguing time since, prior to its decision, the team still had a chance of making the play-in games.
If the Cagers pulled off huge upsets against the Huskers and Giant Lanterns, they would have qualified directly to the postseason.
Instead, Quezon and Pampanga will be given 20-0 forfeiture wins, and Muntinlupa crashed out of contention with a 10-19 record.
The Cagers actually started the season red-hot, going 10-2 12 games in, but including the two forfeitures, they finished the season on a 17-game losing streak.
Already locking in the top seed in the South Division Playoffs, the Huskers moved up to 25-4 to end the regular season.
On the other hand, the Giant Lanterns moved up to 21-8, officially clinching a playoff spot, and can still get a home game in the Round of 16 depending on how Batang Kankaloo and the Pangasinan Heatwaves finish their regular season.
Batang Kankaloo will host Pangasinan in the final game of the regular season on Tuesday night at the Caloocan Sports Complex.
Whoever wins in the said clash will get the last outright playoff spot in the North Division, dropping the other to the play-in games.
However, Pampanga can finish inside the Top 4 if Batang Kankaloo loses first to Sarangani on Saturday night before beating Pangasinan.
If Batang Kankaloo sweep their last two games or the Heatwaves, after ripping the Imus Braderhood earlier Thursday, 108-72, at the Batangas City Sports Coliseum, prevail against them on the road, the Giant Lanterns fall to the fifth seed, giving the winner of the Tuesday night game the fourth seed and homecourt edge against Pampanga in their first-round series.
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