PBA Commissioner’s Cup champion San Miguel Beer is set to face some of Asia’s top teams in a five-day tournament dubbed as the Terrific 12 at the Tap Seac Multisports Pavilion in Macau.
The Beermen, Commissioner’s Cup runner-up TNT KaTropa and the Blackwater Elite are joining the tournament slated Sept. 17 to 22, as per agreement between the league and East Asia Super League officials who are organizing the Terrific 12.
Other teams that will join are Chinese Basketball Association’s Liaoning Flying Leopards, Shenzhen Aviators and Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, Japan’s B.LEAGUE sides Chiba Jets, Niigata Albirex, Ryukyu Golden Kings and Utsunomiya Brex and Korean Basketball League squads Jeonju KCC Egis and Seoul SK Knights.
The 12 participants are divided into four groups with the No. 1-ranked teams advancing to the semifinals.
Blackwater is in Group A with the Chiba and Seoul, SMB is in Group B alongside Shenzhen and Ryukyu and TNT is set to face Liaoning and Niigata Albirex in Group D.
Blackwater faces Seoul, SMB takes on Shenzhen and TNT battles Liaoning in the tournament opener on Sept. 17.
The Elite conclude their group stage campaign on the following day opposite the Jets before the KaTropa meet Niigata and the Beermen tackle with the Golden Kings on Sept. 19.
The Terrific 12 will serve as the preparation for the Beermen’s bid to win the Governors’ Cup crown and complete the sixth Grand Slam in PBA history. (JONAS TERRADO)
