Defenders, Kamao brace for UNTV Cup title series

Games tomorrow (Pasig City Sports Center) 3 p.m. – NHA vs AFP 4:30 p.m. – Senate vs Malacañang-PSC

Senate and Malacañang-Philippine Sports Commission gear up for a fierce duel as they start their best-of-three playoff for the sixth UNTV Cup crown at the Pasig City Sports Center tomorrow.

Gametime is set at 4:30 p.m. with both teams going all out for the needed momentum in the short title playoff after pulling off a pair of reversals in their respective Final Four matchups in the event organized by UNTV president and CEO Daniel Razon for the country’s public servants.

The Senate Defenders booked their first trip to the finals with an 86-80 win over top seed Armed Forces of the Philippines Cavaliers while the Palace Kamao leaned on former top collegiate player Erick dela Cuesta and Christian Luanzon to stun the second-ranked NHA Builders, 88-82.

The Kamao seek to redeem themselves after losing the crown to the Cavaliers last year.

Apart from the P500,000 purse, the champion team will reward its chosen charity the top prize of P4 million while the runner-up gets P300,000 and P2 million for its own chosen charity.

Former PBA player Jeff Sanders, Marlon Legaspi and Harley Ng are again expected to lead the Defenders’ charge.

Meanwhile, AFP and NHA tangle in one-game match-up for third with the winner to donate P1 million to its own chosen charity and the loser P500,000.

The third and fourth placers will also receive P200,000 and P100,000, respectively.

Game 2, according to Razon, will be held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with Game 3, if necessary, also set at the Big Dome in anticipation of another huge crowd.