FAVORED teams Meralco and TNT made last-minute adjustment in their respective rosters in an all-out bid to emerge as the first-ever conference champion of the PBA 3x3 tournament.
PBA 3x3 news
The Bolts won’t be having veteran Tonino Gonzaga for Wednesday’s grand finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, but will be having versatile big man Maclean Sabellina back in the lineup.
Gonzaga, who played a big part in the Bolts’ championship run in Leg 2 along with a pair of runner-up finishes, is still nursing a hamstring injury that also made him missed the final leg of the standalone tournament last week.
Joseph Sedurifa however, is back in the Meralco roster of coach Patrick Fran as he teams up with Sabellina, Dexter Maiquez, and Alfred Batino in the fight for a historic first grand 3x3 champion and the P750,000 prize money that goes with it.
Hampered by a groin injury, Sedurifa also skipped the previous leg and was replaced by RJ Deles.
Not to be outdone, the Tropang Giga also tweaked their four-man team and re-inserted Samboy De Leon in lieu of Martin Gozum.
Even without De Leon, the quartet Almond Vosotros, Chris Javier, and Lervin Flores, along with Gozum were still good enough to finish runner-up to Leg 6 winner Limitless App.
On a roll after becoming the first team to win back-to-back leg titles, the Appmasters will continue to rely on the proven foursome of Brandon Rosser, Reymar Caduyac, Marvin Hayes, and Jorey Napoles in a bid to make it three in a row.
“Barring any injuries, of course. That’s the plan,” said coach Willy Wilson of keeping the same winning formula for the team.
Meralco, TNT, and Limitless App, together with guest team Platinum Karaoke , had been seeded outright in the knockout stage after emerging as the top four ballclubs with the most number of Tour points accumulated at the end of the six-leg meet.
The six remaining teams meanwhile, have been divided into two groups and will then dispute the remaining four quarterfinals berths and join the Bolts, Tropang Giga, Appmasters, and Platinum into the next round.
No.5 Terrafirma leads Pool A along with eight-ranked Sista Super Sealers and ninth-seed San Miguel, while no. 6 Pureoods is on top of Pool B together with no. 7 Pioneer Pro Tibay, and no. 10 Barangay Ginebra.
Pool play starts at 1 p.m. with the Dyip and Beermen kicking off hostilities, followed by the clash between the Titans and Kings at 1:25 p.m.
The top two teams in both groups will take the remaining berths in the next round.
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