PBA says no chance to move TNT-Ginebra Game 7 to the weekend

March 28 ------ ANY chance of Game 7 between Barangay Ginebra and TNT for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship being moved to the weekend to give fans the time to watch the two best teams in the league battle it out for one last time? Unfortunately, none. 

The final game of the best-of-seven title series has long been penciled for Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and moving it to a later date is no longer feasible at this late hour, the PBA said. And finding an available venue is easier said than done. “Wala kasi tayong mabu-book na venue agad. Buti nga nakuha natin yung Araneta ng maaga,” Marcial said when reached out by SPIN.ph, adding originally the Ynares Center in Antipolo was being eyed as site if ever a Game 7 will be held for the mid-season championship. 

There were clamor from fans which had been getting traction on social media about moving the winner-take-all match either on Saturday or Sunday shortly after TNT forged the Game 7 duel with an 87-83 win over Ginebra on Wednesday night. The league previously did that during the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup Finals after guest team Bay Area Dragons scored an 87-84 win in Game 6 to push the title series against Ginebra to the limit. 

The deciding game was played at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan and drew a new league record crowd of 54, 589 as the Kings demolished the Dragons, 114-99, to take the crown. Marcial however said that back then, the PBA already thought about a possible contingency plan should the series reach a seventh game. “That time, ang pagka-alala ko around Game 5 pa lang naghanda na kami if ever magkaroon ng Game 7. Nag-abiso na kami sa mga teams and kinausap na rin namin yung venue management (Philippine Arena) na doon ilalaro kung magkaroon ng Game 7,” added the commissioner. 

The league booked the Big Dome earlier for Games 5, 6, and 7 if necessary. Game 5 drew a crowd of 12,447 which the Kings won, 73-66, as tension rose on the TNT bench following a stunning verbal spat between coach Chot Reyes and big man Poy Erram. Three nights later, a live audience of 17,654 showed up at the venue as Ginebra tried to go for the kill. But TNT had other things in mind and eked out a gutsy 87-83 win to forge the game of death. The Game 6 attendance was actually the largest ever the league enjoyed since that record-shattering crowd that watched the Ginebra-Bay Area tussle at the Philippine Arena. From the looks of it, an even bigger crowd will be on hand this Friday. 

Source: spin.ph