By REYNALD MAGALLON
A marquee showdown between TNT and Magnolia are set to raise the curtain to a new PBA season while the rematch of the Governors Cup finals will be on Christmas Day as the league unveils its elimination schedule for the Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup.
As usual, the new chapter of PBA season begins as it closes the previous with the 47th Season LEO Awards also happening before the formal opening ceremony and followed by the Tropang Giga and the Hotshots game on Nov. 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The highly anticipated clash between last conference’s finals protagonist in TNT and Commissioner’s Cup defending champions Ginebra is set to be the main event of the December 25 double-header that also featured a collision between San Miguel Beer and Phoenix Super LPG, still at the Big Dome
The expected another installment of the rivalry between Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, however may still have to wait as it remains to be seen whether the Ginebra resident import will be allowed to suit up in the PBA pending the results of his doping case with the International Testing Agency.
The league takes a break after the Christmas Day game for two weeks before returning to action on Jan. 5 with the main event between Rain or Shine and TNT highlighting the first game day of 2024 for the PBA.
The defending champions begin their quest for a title repeat against Converge on Nov. 17. Incidentally, that will also be the debut of the newest King in Maverick Ahanmisi who will be facing his old peers in the FiberXers.
Two days after, Ginebra will figure in another huge duel with archrival Magnolia in this conference’s edition of the Manila Clasico with a clash between Meralco and San Miguel serving as a fitting appetizer at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The duel between top contenders Magnolia and SMB is set on Dec. 10 at the PhilSports Arena while the Beermen and the Tropang Giga, the stars of last season’s Philippine Cup finals face each other anew on Dec. 17.
The PBA is also bringing back its Saturday On Tour games, kicking off with a clash between Converge and San Miguel on Nov. 26 in Tiaong, Quezon. The league will then bring the showdown between Phoenix and Ginebra to San Jose, Batangas on Dec. 9.
