Tropang Giga test positive

We’ll follow the protocols, we have to do things in order

Games Today: (Ynares Sport Arena)

3:00 p.m. — Phoenix vs Northport 6:00 p.m. — Magnolia vs Alaska

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) suffered a major blow as some players tested positive for coronavirus just merely days into the Philippine Cup.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial yesterday said the game between TNT and Magnolia and the battle between Alaska and Terrafirma were called off after four Tropang Giga yielded positive results in their latest RT-PCR tests.

Marcial said they have already implemented health protocols and put the entire team under isolation pending another round of testing.

The Dyip, for their part, returned negative results, but players, coaches and staff were also isolated since they faced the Tropang Giga over the weekend.

“We’ll follow the protocols, we have to do things in order,” Marcial told Daily Tribune yesterday.

“Also, we need to confirm the cases by retesting the athletes. It might be a false positive case.”

Still, action continues as Magnolia guns for its second straight win when it battles Alaska at 6 p.m. while Phoenix and NorthPort collide in the 3 p.m. opener.

Newly-acquired forward Calvin Abueva powered the Hotshots past his former team Phoenix, 80-73, while the Aces opened their campaign with a 103-77 demolition of Blackwater.

Magnolia coach Chito Victolero is anticipating another dogfight against the Aces.

“It’s another dogfight, another grind out game. We also need to prepare not just physically, but also mentally,” said Victolero, who will again pin his hopes on the uptempo brand of game of Paul Lee, Jio Jalalon and Mark Barroca.

“We know that it’s going to be a tight battle on Wednesday.”

Meanwhile, Alaska mentor Jeff Cariaso is looking for his players to bolster their defensive efforts against Magnolia.

Banking on the 20-point explosion of Filipino-Italian gunner Mike DiGregorio, Cariaso is also eyeing for his frontcourt gunners Abu Tratter, Rodney Brondial and Yousef Taha to impose their height advantage against the Hotshots.

“Obviously, the focus is defensively, I think our rotation was a little slow and we were confused a few times,” Cariaso said.

“I can’t think of an area where we don’t have anything to work on.”

“Through repetitions, as the season prolongs, we hope to be better defensively as the games go on.”