THE PBA is planning to hold another Christmas game during the ongoing 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup. And depending on how the schedules will play out, the December 25 match could even be a finals game.
PBA Christmas Day game
For the second straight year, the league is intent to play another match during the holidays, similar to that in 2021 when it held a doubleheader highlighted by a ‘Christmas Clasico’ between Magnolia and Barangay Ginebra.
“May Christmas game. ‘Yun ang plano talaga,” PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said.
The ongoing Commissioner’s Cup is currently in the elimination round phase. And with the league targeting to play on Christmas, the playdate could actually be in the playoff round, with the possibility of a finals.
“End of semis or start ng finals. Depende kasi kung matatapos ng maaga ang semis, depende rin kasi sa mga laro natin kung walang mapopostpone,” said Marcial.
The league’s first and only Christmas finals game came in 2002 when Coca-Cola finished off Alaska in Game Four, 78-63, to capture the All-Filipino Cup best-of-five finals.
In the most recent Christmas game, Magnolia defeated Barangay Ginebra, 117-94, in a Governors’ Cup game that drew 4,843 fans as the Smart-Araneta Coliseum was only on limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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