By JONAS TERRADO
The PBA postponed Game 6 of the Governors’ Cup Finals Wednesday after a fire broke out at the Smart Araneta Coliseum during the Grand Finals of the league’s 3×3 competition.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial called off the match about three hours before the scheduled 6 p.m. tipoff as smoke was still present inside the Big Dome even after firefighters declared a fire out.
Marcial said it would be best to hold the sixth game of the series tomorrow night at the Mall of Asia Arena since he deemed the venue as “unplayable.”
“Maski na maalis natin yung usok after an hour or two, delikado pa rin. Ang tinitignan natin is yung safety ng lahat,” Marcial said after arriving at the Big Dome to check on the situation.
Game 7, if necessary, will be moved to Sunday, with the venue still being determined at presstime.
The resumption and venue of the Grand Finals, the final phase of the PBA 3×3 second conference being contested by 10 teams, will also be discussed by league officials.
The incident occurred just before lunch time while the 3×3 Grand Finals had completed its fifth game of pool play between Pioneer and Purefoods
“All Smart Araneta Coliseum Game 6 ticket holders can refund their ticket purchases at the Big Dome’s ticketing office,” the PBA said in a statement.
After back-to-back wins on Holy Wednesday and Easter Sunday, the Gin Kings were to take their first shot at wrapping up the Ginebra-Meralco IV before an expected sellout crowd at the Big Dome.
But with the incident, hostilities will instead resume over at the MOA where the two teams split Games 2 and 3.
The Kings triumphed in Game 2, 99-93, then the Bolts took Game 3, 83-74.
