Meralco tries to ride the crest of last week’s title conquest when the PBA 3×3 Third Conference enters its halfway stage.
The Bolts nipped TNT Triple Giga a week ago, 19-18, to become the first team to win multiple leg championships in the final conference of the season.
Now they try to extend their reign as Leg 4 kicks off on Monday at the Ayala Malls Makati Circuit.
Coach Patrick Fran will again lean on the tried and tested quartet of Alfred Batino, Joseph Sedurifa, Jeff Manday, and JJ Manlangit as the team goes for a back-to-back championship.
But the rest of the field are out to stop Meralco in its bid.
Eyeing its first crown this conference, TNT shuffled its roster and reactivated Samboy De Leon and many-time scoring king Almond Vosotros to team up with Matt Salem and Gryann Mendoza.
Cavitex Braves also tapped Clint Doliguez from NLEX to boost the team of coach Kyles Lao and go with the trio of veterans Jorey Napoles, Philip Paniamogan, and Bong Galanza.
Guest team MCFASolver relegated Terrence Tumalip in the reserved list for in liue of Raphael Banal, while Northport added rookie draftee out of San Beda Damie Cuntapay to its lineup composed of Jan Sobrevega, Gwyne Capacio, and Alain Madrigal.
Cavitex gets to test Meralco’s mettle early on as the two are together in Pool A along with Terrafirma.
Pool B has TNT, Pioneer Elastoseal, Northport, and Blackwater, while in Pool C are MCFASolver, San Miguel, Barangay Ginebra, and Purefoods.
Eight teams will make up the knockout stage on Tuesday – two from Pool A, and three each from Pool B and C. The last team standing will win the top purse of P100,000.
TNT faces Pioneer Elastoseal at 10 a.m. to kick off the 13-game schedule on opening day of the pool phase.