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If NorthPort was up in the clouds as the PBA Commissioner’s Cup No. 1 team entering the playoffs, the Batang Pier is now firmly back with feet on the ground after taking a severe spanking from Barangay Ginebra in two games of their continuing best-of-seven semifinal series.

However, NorthPort isn’t out of contention yet. It takes four wins to clinch but if Ginebra zooms to a 3-0 lead at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today, sound the death knell for the top seed. To survive a 0-3 deficit and win the series, NorthPort would need to beat Ginebra in four straight knockout games and that’s an impossible dream. The immediate priority is to win Game Three and seize momentum.

In the elims, NorthPort beat Ginebra, 119-116, with Kadeem Jack scoring 32 points, Arvin Tolentino 29 and Joshua Munzon 27. But coach Tim Cone used a short nine-man rotation with Jamie Malonzo and Jeremiah Gray sitting on the bench. In Game One of the semis, Cone went with 14 players to win, 115-93, and 15 to take Game Two, 119-106. In both setbacks, NorthPort was limited to an average of 99.5 points. In contrast, the Batang Pier was No. 1 in offense during the elims with a lofty 109.7 clip.

Defense was never a strong point for NorthPort and in the elims, it ranked No. 12, giving up 105.5 points a game. In the semis, the Batang Pier is allowing 117 points a contest. So it isn’t just NorthPort’s offense that’s sputtering but also its defense. NorthPort’s inability to cut the passing lanes has resulted in Ginebra averaging a whopping 36 assists in the semis. Ginebra is hitting at a rate of 52.7 percent from the field with shot selection and finding the open man at a premium.

In Game Two, Justin Brownlee tied his conference-low 10 points but dished out 11 assists as five locals scored in double figures. Japeth Aguilar, displaying renewed confidence after a strong showing in Gilas’ recent game against New Zealand, erupted for 31 points. Ginebra tortured NorthPort off the glass, grabbing more rebounds, 54-37, and scoring more second chance points, 14-5, from a 15-8 advantage on the offensive boards. Malonzo is averaging 15.5 points in the semis and Gray chipped in six points in Game Two.

Tolentino was the elims’ second leading local scorer with a 23.0 clip but in the semis, he’s been held down to 10 points a game. Munzon’s clip has also dropped from 18.4 in the elims to 12 in the semis. Ginebra’s defense has gone up several notches in the semis and NorthPort is reeling in only its third semifinal appearance since entering the league in 2012-13. If NorthPort peaked too early, Ginebra appears to be climbing at the right time.