Long wait almost over as PBA set for bubble return on Oct. 11
LOCAL fans longing for basketball entertainment need not wait too long as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is set to return in a “bubble” setting this weekend.
After seven months of oncourt inactivity and going through a tedious process of getting to resume its coronavirus pandemic- hit season, the PBA is finally coming back with the resumption of the Philippine Cup beginning on Sunday, Oct. 11, in a “controlled” setup at Clark City in Angeles, Pampanga.
“We’re happy and we’re ready to go,” said PBA chairman Ricky Vargas of their return since suspending their Season 45 in March when the pandemic began to take further toll in the country.
Under the PBA bubble, which is similar to that employed in the National Basketball Association, players, coaches, and staff of the teams and the league will be holed up in one location for the duration of the tournament and will be shuttled to and from the hotel and the playing venue.
Games will be played at the Angeles University Foundation gym with the Quest Plus Hotel inside Mimosa serving as the official home of all the participants.
To guard against the spread of the coronavirus, the league has scheduled regular swab testing of all participants and set up protocols which it vowed to strictly enforce.
All the teams are now in Clark and are expected to abide by the guidelines put up.
Those caught violating league restrictions will be fined heavily and suspended, particularly the players.
“If they (players) go out of the bubble, they will not have a salary for one month, fined P100,000, and suspended for five games in the next season. And once they go out they cannot return to the bubble,” said PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial.
Players had the option to opt out from participating in the bubble, but it had to be done prior to entry.
To ensure that players are taken care of inside the bubble, Mr. Marcial said they will make sure that proper amenities are available.
Recreational amenities for video games, billiards, and table tennis, among others, are to be provided.
Participants, too, can make use of golf and watersports facilities in Clark.
It will be a compressed tournament for the PBA, lasting only two months and will feature two games daily in the elimination round. And the league expects to crown a champion by the second week of December.
Return action kicks off with a double-header on Sunday pitting the TNT Tropang Giga and Alaska Aces at 4 p. m. and the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings against the NLEX Road Warriors at 6:45 p.m.
In between games, the AUF court will be thoroughly disinfected.
Oct. 12 matches, meanwhile, will have the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters taking on the Meralco Bolts at 4 p.m. followed by the Blackwater Bossing versus Northport Batang Pier at 6:45 p.m.
Tournament format will see a single round-robin elimination, with the top eight teams advancing to the quarterfinals and the top four having twice- to- beat advantage. The semifinals will be a best-of-five affair, and the finals best-of-seven.
All games in the bubble will be shown live on One Sports and PBA Rush with livestream on ESPN5.com. Games on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday will be simulcast on TV5.