Do-or-die tiffs resume MPBL Lakan Cup

After a year, the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League is finally resuming the remaining games of the Lakan Cup season on Wednesday with a pair of do-or-die matches to be played in a bubble at the Subic Bay stadium.

Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes said all systems are finally a go for the regional basketball league, the playoffs of which had to be called off at about the same period last year following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

But while all the four remaining teams are raring to restart their respective championship campaigns, they have to do it under an environment totally different from the past and without the benefit of the fans.

“The MPBL is ready 100 percent, but again all of this is new for us. Lahat bago sa amin, even for the players,” said Duremdes straight from his quarantine room in Subic on Tuesday during the Philippine Sportswriters Association online Forum. “We know that we are ready, but we are facing a lot of challenges.”

All teams and league personnel underwent quarantine after being swab tested, with those having negative results the only ones allowed to enter the bubble as per the guidelines and protocols issued by the Department of Health.

The MPBL delegation entered Subic by batches, with defending champion San Juan and Davao the first to enter the bubble last Friday, and the rest of the contingent coming in last Monday including Makati and Basilan.

The South Division Finals start off hostilities at 4 p.m. as the Basilan Steel go up against the Davao Occidental Tigers, followed by the encounter between the San Juan Knights and Makati Super Crunch at 7 p.m. for the North Division Finals. The first game will be shown live on A2Z, while the second game is to be aired on Facebook live.

Both best-of-three series are tied at 1-1 before the season was indefinitely suspended.

“Parehong do-or-die ito na division finals. Matalo dito uwi na agad,” said Duremdes in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Go For Gold, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

“So imagine ‘yung sacrifices talaga ng mga players and team owners. Biro mo ang dami mong process na dinaanan, pero matalo ka uwi ka na agad,” he said.

Game 1 of the best-of-five title series will start on March 12.

All teams are only limited to a 22-man contingent, while people inside the playing gym will be regulated to around 100 people.

“Most likely nandoon lang sa more than 100 person (in the gym), kasi ‘yun ang nasa guidelines ng DoH,” added Duremdes in the forum powered by Smart and with Upstream Media as official webcast partner.

MPBL founder and benefactor Manny Pacquiao has yet to personally commit on whether he will go to Subic and watch the games.

“‘Yun pa ang ina-alam namin kung pupunta siya sa Division Finals or National Finals na. ‘Yun ang mino-monitor namin kung ano ang pasok niya rito,” said Duremdes.