TNT Tropang Giga (formerly TNT KaTropa) and Alaska Milk return to play as the PBA Season 45 Philippine Cup resumes Sunday after a forced stoppage due the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The PBA will be applying the bubble concept in its season resumption that will cost the league around P65-million in its desire to entertain, inspire and give hope to the nation amidst the health crisis.
The Tropang Giga and the Aces take the honor of setting the tournament restart in motion, slugging it out at 4 p.m. at the Angeles University Foundation Gym in Angeles City, some 10 minutes away from Quest Hotel – the PBA’s home for the next two months – inside the Clark Freeport Zone.
NLEX and Barangay Ginebra clash in an equally interesting match at 6:45 p.m.
The NLEX chieftain Yeng Guiao is hoping the bubble setting would tilt the league balance especially with San Miguel missing ace behemoth June Mar Fajardo while Ginebra won’t enjoy the crucial boost from its diehards in the lockdown games.
TNT and Alaska will set foot on the floor with tweaked lineups with TNT’s Kelly Williams now retired while Alaska’s Sonny Thoss opting out of the bubble play.
The PBA resumption also marks another milestone in mobile technology and innovations as Smart unveils the country’s first 5G-powered sports broadcast.
With its fiber-like speeds on mobile devices, Smart 5G will make it so much simpler and more efficient to capture and broadcast all the hardcourt action.
“Pinagtrabahuhan ng PBA Board ang pagbabalik ng PBA at nagpapasalamat ako sa suporta ng lahat ng PBA teams para mangyari ito. We worked so hard to restart the games via this PBA Bubble para sa mahal naming PBA fans. Isang malaking karangalan din para sa aming lahat na ang liga ay maging fist 5G-powered sports broadcast sa Pilipinas sa tulong ng Smart 5G. Dahil dito, mas mapapabilis ang connectivity at broadcast para sa mga PBA players, fans, at supporters. Mabuhay ang PBA at Smart!, said PBA Commisioner Willie Marcial.
Alaska finished eighth in the last Philippine Cup and hardly had improvement in the last conference, finishing behind Ginebra, Meralco, TNT, NorthPort, NLEX, San Miguel and Magnolia.
Barely missing the finals last conference and aching to do better in the bubble play are coach Bong Ravena and his TNT chargers.
They also hope the name change brings some luck.
“Giga is derived from the Greek word gigas, which means ‘giant.’ We don’t just go big; we always go Giga!” said team manager Gabby Cui.
Coming with the new team name are some key recruits including Poy Erram, Simon Enciso and rookie Kib Montalbo.