MANILA – Pending approval from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) announced the restart of its Philippine Cup on Oct. 9.
In an announcement yesterday, PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas said the games will be played at the Angeles University Foundation (AUF) gym in Angeles City, Pampanga.
Just like the National Basketball Association, the PBA will use a full bubble format, with players and crew staying in at Quest Hotel in Mimosa, and being transported to the practice facility and playing area.
Once approved by the IATF-EID, the teams will enter the bubble on Sept. 26 and will start the scrimmages the next day.
When the league resumes Oct. 9, two games will be played daily, seven days a week, according to Vargas.
Tournament format will be single-round robin elimination. After it, top four teams will have a twice-to-beat game in the quarterfinals against the fifth to eighth team. Semifinals will be best-of-five and finals will be best-of-seven.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial also said that defending Philippine Cup champions San Miguel Beermen’s 94-78 victory over Magnolia Hotshots last March 8 will count in the team standings.
Marcial added that PBA already requested the IATF-EID to allow them to increase the training capacity as well as the league return.
Since the opening day game last March 8, the PBA have postponed its matches due to the coronavirus pandemic. The league also cancelled the Commissioner’s and Governors’ Cup./PN
