Magnolia will put its unbeaten streak on the line versus Meralco to headline the much-awaited resumption of the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday at the Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.
The match is at 6:00 p.m., serving as the main event of a loaded triple-header that marks the league’s return to action after a weeks-long hiatus brought about by the circumstances of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Hotshots are keen to extend their unblemished record to five. However, they will have to do so against a Bolts team that’s currently ranked third at 4-1.
The perennial All-Filipino contenders expect to have Paul Lee back in the fold. He suffered a hamstring injury versus Terrafirma last July 30.
His possible comeback bodes well for Coach Chito Victolero’s unit, but the wards of Norman Black are also eyeing to come out strong. Meralco, prior to the break, strung back-to-back wins versus Phoenix and Alaska.
Meanwhile, another undefeated team in TNT looks to stay perfect against the winless Blackwater at the 12:30 p.m. opening salvo.
Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes had previously said that they still have a long way to go in terms of where they want to be, although they still managed to sit at the second spot of the team standings with a 3-0 slate.
It would be interesting to see how the break had affected the flagship MVP franchise as it takes on the Bossing, who are 0-4 in the conference.
Completing Wednesday’s games is a clash between powerhouse team San Miguel and another 0-4 team in Terrafirma at 3:00 p.m.
Currently at fourth, the Beermen (4-1) will jump back into action with a three-game winning streak, including victories over NLEX and Blackwater that saw them beat both teams by an average of 18.0 points.
It would also be the first time that reigning two-time scoring king CJ Perez will face his old team, who traded him to SMB last January for Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Russel Escoto, Gelo Alolino, and a 2021 first round pick.
The schedule released by the PBA is for Week One of the Pampanga games. The league had previously said that it will roll out the set of matches on a weekly basis, as it will depend on the COVID-19 test results of all individuals.
The conference’s eliminations will feature five playdates a week, with Mondays reserved for RT-PCR tests of all within the semi-bubble.
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