Leg champions Cavitex, TNT and Barangay Ginebra will encounter rough seas when the Philippine Basketball Association 3×3 First Conference grand finals get going today at the Ayala Malls Market! Market!
As expected, anyone among the Braves, Triple Giga, and the Kings, who split among themselves the six leg titles at stake in the conference, is favored to win the P750,000 prize money.
But Meralco and the four other teams that will survive the pool play and advance to the knockout stage, are eyeing to give the leg champs a run for their money.
Last year, TNT scored a first ever grand slam in PBA 3×3 history by winning all three conferences offered for the entire season.
For finishing as the top four teams with the most number of total Tour points at the end of the six-leg phase, Barangay Ginebra (Legs 1 and 2 winner), Cavitex (Legs 4 and 5), and TNT (Legs 3 and 6) along with Meralco, have been seeded outright to the quarterfinals.
Fifth seed San Miguel, No. 6 Wilcon Depot, seventh seed Pioneer Elastoseal, no. 8 Blackwater Razor Smooth, No. 9 Northport, and 10th seeded Terrafirma, meanwhile, duke it out for the four remaining berths in the knockout stage.
The Beermen lead Pool A alongside the Bossing and Batang Pier, while in Pool B are Wilcon Depot, Pioneer Elastoseal, and Terrafirma.
Six games comprise the pool play prior to the quarterfinals, with the San Miguel-Northport tussle at 2 p.m. opening the hostilities.
The team which tops Pool A battles No. 4 Meralco in the next round, while top finisher in Pool B takes on third seed Barangay Ginebra.
Top seed Cavitex will battle the No. 2 team in Pool B, and second seed TNT clashes with the No. 2 team in Pool A.
Runner up is set to receive P250,000, while third placer gets P100,000.
