By REYNALD MAGALLON
PBA guest team Bay Area will be tested right on the opening day of the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup when it faces Blackwater in the mid-season conference curtain raiser on Sept. 21.
After being shelved for two seasons, the clash between the Bossing and the Dragons will usher in the hostilities followed by a showdown between the NorthPort Batang Pier and Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Unlike in the Philippine Cup, games will now be played four days a week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays according to the eliminations schedule released by the PBA on Wednesday, Sept. 14.
Some of the games will also happen at the Philsports Arena, including the second day of the tournament where Rain or Shine’s Yeng Guiao will face his former team NLEX and Converge’s Aldin Ayo making his PBA coaching debut against Terrafirma.
Defending champions and Philippine Cup titlist San Miguel will make its debut on Oct.5 against Blackwater while fellow East Asia Super League PBA representative TNT will also see action for the first time versus Magnolia on the same day.
The Comm’s Cup edition of the Manila Clasico will be on Oct. 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena while the rematch of the PH Cup Finals between the Tropang Giga and the Beermen will happen on Nov. 26 at the Philsports Arena.
Other notable games are the Meralco-Ginebra showdown on Oct. 2, Ginebra-Bay Area clash on Oct. 9, SMB-Bay Area on Oct. 16, SMB-Ginebra on Nov. 6, and TNT-Ginebra on Nov. 20.
