MANILA, Philippines – A new lease on life has been granted to NORTHPORT, and the town is determined to seize the chance.

At the PBA Governors Cup on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the Batang Pier will therefore likely come out with extra ferocity against a Blackwater Bossing team clinging on for dear life.

A win for NorthPort would give it a 2 to 6 record and keep its hopes of at least competing for one of the eight quarterfinal slots alive after their historic 115 to 100 victory over Terrafirma the previous week.

But there’s more than that. The Batang Pier are still in a must-win situation following the Bossing when they play Magnolia on Thursday, Rain or Shine the following day, and TNT on March 15.

Coach Bonnie Tan at NorthPort prefers to concentrate on the current work. We just have time to look at one game, he added.

Because Blackwater is doing its best to hold on for dear life, it makes sense.

Blackwater began the season with a split of its first two games, but since then, the team has lost seven straight and is currently last in the standings with a 1 to 8 slate.

Despite the catastrophic predicament his Bossing are in and the significantly reduced possibilities, coach Ariel Vanguardia still has some glimmer of optimism. There is hope as long as we are alive, he remarked.

Vanguardia’s assertion should be supported by a cursory look at the standings.

With identical 2 to 5 records, Phoenix Super LPG and Rain or Shine are tied for ninth place, followed by Terrafirma with a 2 to 6 record. The Fuel Masters, Elasto Painters, and Dyip could be surpassed by NorthPort or Blackwater if they are unable to win more games.

Another possibility is that, depending on which team wins its games against the Batang Pier and Magnolia on March 8, either NorthPort or Blackwater might finish in a multi-cornered tie for ninth place on a 3 to 8 record.

The PBA quotient would then be used as the first tiebreaker to decide who would advance, followed by a one-game playoff between the two teams.