Expect all 12 teams to go all out as the PBA 3×3 Season 2 rolls the final leg of the First Conference on Saturday at Robinson’s Place Antipolo Expansion.
From two-leg champion TNT to Terrafirma 3×3, just about everybody will try to go for broke in a bid to rule Leg 6 of the standalone tournament and the chance to win the P100,00 prize money that goes with it.
The Tropang Giga of coach Mau Belen, the only team so far to rule a leg twice this conference after initially winning Leg 1, have retained the quartet of Almond Vosotros, Lervin Flores, Samboy De Leon, and Ping Exciminiano as they eye to finish their campaign the same way they started it.
But the others are not about to be left behind by deciding to adjust their rosters and challenge TNT for the championship.
Leg 3 winner Meralco of coach Patrick Fran will be parading Leo De Vera, Reymar Caduyac, Joseph Manlangit, and Tonino Gonzaga, Pioneer Elastoseal coach Lester Del Rosario opted to have Reggie Nal Morido, Clint Doliguez, Christian Vonne Lodrico-Rivera, and Reeve Ugsang as the Katibays try to improve on their semifinals finish the previous leg, while Platinum Karaoke is bringing in Raphael Banal, Terrence Tumalip, Nico Salva, and Brandon Matthew Bates.
Cavitex Braves and San Miguel Beermen, who topped Leg 2 and 4, respectively, are going the way of TNT by keeping their respective rosters intact.
The Braves still have Jorey Napoles, Dominick Fajardo, Reuben Saldua, and Bong Galanza, while the Beermen retained Jeff Manday, Ken Bono, Wendell Comboy, and Rafael Verano.
Ditto for J&T Express, twice runner-up this conference including the previous leg, as Marvin Hayes, Joseph Sedurifa, Robert Datu, and Robin Rono will again lead the campaign of the guest team.
The tournament’s final leg also serves as the last chance for teams in the lower half of the standings such as Blackwater, NorthPort, Barangay Ginebra, Purefoods, and Terrafirma to earn needed points and qualify in the grand finals set on Oct. 30 at Robinsons Novaliches.
As champion of Leg 5, TNT leads Pool A with Platinum Karaoke and Purefoods TJ Titans, runner-up J&T is on top of Pool B with Barangay Ginebra and Terrafirma, Cavitex heads Pool C along with Blackwater and San Miguel, while in Pool D with Pioneer Elastoseal are Meralco and NorthPort.
The 11 a.m. encounter between Platinum Karaoke and Purefoods TJ Titans opens a busy 12-game schedule in Saturday’s pool play, before the top two teams in each bracket advance in the knockout stage set on Sunday.