The PBA bubble is back and so is business for all teams eyeing playoff slots or fighting for survival in the Philippine Cup.
Eight teams plunge into action today as the PBA resumes the bubble with a heavy four-game schedule that includes an early morning game—the first time in the long-running league—at the AUF Sports Arena & Cultural Center in Angeles City, Pampanga.
Interestingly, to San Miguel Beer, the most successful franchise in the PBA and the only remaining original franchise in the league, and Blackwater, belong the distinction of being the first teams to play in the morning. This has become possible as the PBA seeks to hasten to finish the elimination round on November 11 as originally planned.
The Beermen and the Elite collide at 10 a.m., with the six-time defending All Filipino Champions eyeing to extend their winning to run to four that will bolster their bid for one of four quarterfinal slots offering twice-to-beat advantages.
The Elite are seeking to rebound from back-to-back losses to remain within the magic 8. They are currently holding precariously the eighth spot with their anemic 2-4 win-loss slate, in a tie with the Magnolia Hotshots.
The league got the green light from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to continue the bubble last Saturday, but the teams were allowed to practice on Sunday, and the Beermen took no time to take the opportunity to practice in the morning so they would have some feel of morning game.
“Lahat naman makakalaro sa umaga. Naka ensayo kami ng maaga, mga 8:30 a.m. (last Sunday), pero siyempre ‘di natin alam effect niyan sa mga players,” said SMB coach Leo Austria.
“Our concern is we have to play five games in seven days,” added Austria.
With the bubble now presumed to be safer than ever after all the 12 teams tested negative of coronavirus, the elimination round is expected to be over in just nine straight days beginning today. After that, it’s playoff time already.
The PBA briefly postponed games on Friday as it prepared to comply with the additional health protocols recommended by the IATF.
Of the eight teams seeing action today, only three of them are on winning momentum, and San Miguel Beer is one, with the two others being Alaska and NorthPort.
Phoenix, which suffered a 105-97 loss to Alaska a day before the PBA suspended the games, goes up against Terrafirma Dyip in the second game at 1 p.m., followed by the 4 p.m. tussle pitting NorthPort and Talk ‘N Text Tropang Giga.
The Dyip are still winless in five games. With still six games to play, the Dyip are still in contention, but they need to start winning.
The Batang Pier have also won their last outing at the expense of the Dyip, who they defeated last Oct 24 (107-96), but that may not have much effect on their rhythm because of the long layoff.
Even the pacesetting Tropang Giga have lost in their last game, falling to sister team NLEX Road Warriors, 109-98, also on the day before the suspension.
Ginebra and Alaska clash in the nightcap at 6:45 p.m. in a game between teams that met in the finals of the 2012 Commissioner’s Cup.