By JONAS TERRADO
San Miguel Beer already has an edge once the PBA restarts its season inside the Clark bubble.
That’s because the PBA Board of Governors agreed to have the Beermen’s win over the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok last March reflect on the team standings should the league get a government approval to resume on Oct. 9.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the matter was discussed during Thursday’s meeting that saw the league approve the proposal of Clark in Pampanga as host of the bubble.
“Napagusapan ng board na counted ang resulta ng San Miguel at Magnolia kasi kasama yun sa season na to,” Marcial said.
Having a 1-0 record entering the bubble should boost SMB’s chances of winning a sixth consecutive Philippine Cup title under a compressed schedule that is expected to last for two months.
A doubleheader will be played everyday in order for the 11-game elimination round to finish in at least a month, with the top eight teams advancing to the quarterfinals.
The playoff format in the PBA Governors’ Cup will be implemented with the top four teams carrying a twice-to-beat advantage.
The semifinals will be a best-of-five series while the championship will still be contested in a best-of-seven affair.
SMB defeated Magnolia 94-78 in the 45th season opener last March 8 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with last season’s Most Improved Player Mo Tautuaa and Terrence Romeo leading the charge with 20 and 19 points.
But the league decided to suspend its season three days later as the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect the country.
