MERALCO’S compact schedule for the PBA Philippine Cup kicks off on Friday that would have the reigning champion playing six games in 21 days before setting its sights in preparing for the Basketball Champions League Asia.
Under the revised schedule released by the league on Tuesday, the Bolts’ May 9 outing against the Northport Batang Pier will push through as scheduled at the Philsports Arena.
READ: Meralco Bolts to represent PBA in Champions League Asia
But two days later, the team clashes with grand slam-seeking TNT Tropang 5G at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium before facing league-leader Magnolia on the 14th also at the same venue.
On May 21, the defending champions travel to Ynares Center in Antipolo to take on Blackwater and then battles NLEX on the 24th at the Philsports Arena.
Meralco will have its final game of the eliminations on May 30 when it goes up against Barangay Ginebra at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Bolts schedule had to be compressed after the PBA Board and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas agreed to send the team as the country’s representative to the BCL Asia, the annual continental club men’s basketball competition organized by FIBA and formerly known as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.
The franchise earned the right play in the June 9-15 meet for winning the Philippine Cup.
The Philippines won the event four times in the past.
Meralco however, has to turn things around in a snap as it is currently in a three-game losing streak after winning its first two outings.
The All-Filipino conference eliminations will end on June 15, with the playoffs set to start on the 18th.
Also affected by the rescheduling was the rematch between Barangay Ginebra and TNT originally set on May 30 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum – the first between the two teams since the Tropang 5G defeated the Kings in an epic overtime win in Game 7 to win the Commissioner’s Cup championship.
The slot has since been replaced by the game between Ginebra and Meralco.
The Tropang 5G-Kings matchup meanwhile, has been booked instead on June 8 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The ‘Manila Clasico’ for the conference on the other hand, will be played as scheduled on June 1 at the Big Dome.
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