PBA 3×3 Second Conference Leg 1 winner TnT and its rivals get more buildup time for the next battle with the league taking a break this week while the FIBA international window is in play.
“Leg 2 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) 3×3 will be set on March 5 and 6, Saturday and Sunday,” PBA 3×3 chairman Dicky Bachmann said.
The pro league is giving way to the Smart Araneta Coliseum’s hosting of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup Asian Qualifiers games from Feb. 24 to 28.
After holding the games at the Big Dome, the PBA has booked its Governors’ Cup on Wednesday to Sunday hostilities at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City for this week.
Tomorrow’s double-header featuring Alaska versus NLEX and San Miguel Beer against Phoenix marks the first PBA games there since TnT and Meralco played the deciding game of their Governors’ Cup semifinal series on Dec. 23, 2019.
The three-a-side hoopfest, which holds matches in the mornings, won’t be following the 5×5’s Ynares-Antipolo swing. Instead, the PBA 3×3 will join the Governors’ Cup when it returns to the Quezon City venue in early March, taking its old weekend slot.
The PBA 3×3 kicked off its second tournament over the weekend with 13 teams, including debuting guest squad Master Sardines, in a spirited fight.
Tropang Giga crew Almond Vosotros, Samboy de Leon, Lervin Flores and new recruit Rey Mark Acuno reigned supreme, beating Meralco in the first leg finale, 21-19, to cap an unbeaten run.
“First leg pa lang ito; kailangan pa namin magtrabaho to be a better team sa mga susunod,” said Mr. De Leon. — Olmin Leyba