The quarterfinals begin at 4:30 p.m. with the third-seeded Meralco taking on the sixth-seeded NLEX, while the main event takes place three hours later with the fourth-seeded TNT taking on the fifth-seeded Rain or Shine.

In their only meeting of the conference, the Road Warriors defeated the Bolts 99-96, while the Tropang Giga narrowly defeated the Elasto Painters 108-107 in their first meeting.

What can we expect from the first quarterfinal game?

MERALCO vs NLEX

• When: May 10, 3:00 p.m
• Where: Smart Araneta Coliseum

Bolick vs. Newsome

Offensive versus defensive. An exciting player matchup will pit Chris Newsome’s defensive brilliance against Robert Bolick’s attacking prowess. Bolick is a serious candidate for the Best Player of the Conference title because he leads the league in assists with 7.0 per game and scoring with an average of 27.4 points per game. In the meantime, Newsome, who is renowned for his unrelenting defense, will contain Bolick. The veteran of Meralco also makes a big offensive contribution, averaging 15.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game.

Bolts at a peak

Following a three-game winning streak in the elimination round, Meralco enters the playoffs with a positive attitude. The Bolts prevailed over formidable opponents, including a noteworthy victory over San Miguel, the number one seed. Their outstanding effort moved them up to No. 3 in the elimination round from a possible playoff position for the eighth slot. Interestingly, Meralco is the only group in this conference to have defeated each of the three SMC teams.

RoS looking at their First Semis in 5 years

Rain or Shine will play TNT in the quarterfinals in an attempt to end its five-year semifinal drought. The team led by Coach Yeng Guiao has proven to be dependable, winning six of its past seven games to guarantee a postseason berth. Rain or Shine is confident about its chances in the best-of-three series given its recent performance.

Can TNT use Chot’s magic still?

After a difficult conference, TNT’s head coach, Chot Reyes, makes his postseason debut. Reyes led TNT to the quarterfinals, where they will take on Rain or Shine, despite experiencing highs and lows. The seasoned coach is committed to helping TNT succeed and outperform their last postseason run.