By JONAS TERRADO
A pair of finals rematches, a game that could possibly feature Calvin Abueva and two teams facing off for the first time since battling three overtime periods last year are also some that will be circled in the calendar for the PBA’s upcoming bubble season in Clark, Pampanga.
San Miguel Beermen vs TNT Tropang Giga (Oct. 16)
Both teams featured in last year’s Commissioner’s Cup Finals won by the Beermen in six games, but their upcoming contest could see the early lead in the Philippine Cup eliminations on the line.
With SMB and TNT having enough talent to compete for the championship, expect their match to be among one of the tight ones inside the campus of Angeles University Foundation.
TNT’s Poy Erram could take advantage of the absence of June Mar Fajardo with his height advantage, but SMB could counter it with Mo Tautuaa defending the Tropang Giga’s prized acquisition.
Even without Fajardo, there’s plenty of players to watch, namely Terrence Romeo, Chris Ross, Alex Cabagnot, Marcio Lassiter and Arwind Santos for SMB and Jayson Castro, Ray Parks Jr., RR Pogoy and Troy Rosario.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs Meralco Bolts (Oct. 18)
Ginebra and Meralco face off for the first time since mid-January when the Kings rolled to a 4-1 series win over the Bolts to capture their third Governors’ Cup crown in four years.
The difference now is both teams won’t be having their resident imports: Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee and Meralco’s Allen Durham. That could put the Kings at an advantage since the Bolts have traditionally struggled in the Philippine Cup.
But that could change with center Raymond Almazan looking to provide the presence which coach Norman Black hopes would translate into a better All-Filipino showing for Meralco.
Almazan is likely to play with something to prove after his Finals series was cut short with a knee injury in Game 3. The lanky center’s injury turned the tide in Ginebra’s favor.
TNT Tropang Giga vs Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters (Oct. 19)
If Calvin Abueva gets reinstated in time for the resumption, he’ll get a chance to face TNT, the last team he played against before PBA commissioner Willie Marcial slapped an indefinite suspension on the energetic forward.
Abueva was handed the ban after hitting TNT import Terrence Jones with a clothesline during the second half of Phoenix’s 114-88 loss on June 2, 2019 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
Jones won’t be around for this possible rematch, but Ray Parks Jr., interestingly, will see action as a member of TNT.
It would be recalled that Abueva got himself into trouble after making a lewd gesture at Parks’ girlfriend in the latter part of Phoenix’s win over Blackwater, two days before his hit on Jones.
NorthPort Batang Pier vs NLEX Road Warriors (Oct. 21)
The two “North” teams last met in late-November when they needed three extra five-minute periods to dispute a spot in the PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals.
NorthPort won that duel over NLEX 126-123, becoming just the fourth No. 8 seed to knock off a No. 1 since the PBA began using an eight-team playoff format in 1999.
Expect the loss to be one of the battlecries of the Road Warriors, who is aiming to carry their strong elimination round showing that conference into the bubble.
But NorthPort, to be led by the heroes of that sudden death affair in Christian Standhardinger and Sean Anthony, is also hungry to continue its success over NLEX.
