Nov 19, 2023

PBA 3X3: NorthPort, Ginebra in tug-of-war for last ticket to grand finale

TNT shoots for a record-extending fifth leg triumph in a single tournament as it leads the contenders for top honors in Leg 6 of the PBA 3x3 Season 3 Second Conference beginning Monday at Trinoma.

The Triple Giga, who strung up three straight from Leg 1 but tumbled to fourth in Leg 4, reclaimed their old position at the summit in the fifth leg last week and earned the distinction as the first team to win four times in one conference.

In the next two days, TNT's Chester Saldua, Ping Exciminiano, Almond Vosotros and comebacking Gryann Mendoza go on a quest for No. 5, which should provide great momentum heading into the culminating Grand Finals after this stop.

The Mau Belen-coached multi-winners are matched up against Terrafirma and Cavitex in early skirmishes in Pool A, where the Top 2 sides will move on to Tuesday's quarterfinals.

Pioneer Elastoseal, retaining the group of Regie Morido, Ken Mocon, Denice Villamor and Wilson Baltazar after its runner-up finish in Leg 5, vies in Pool B against Meralco, Purefoods and Blackwater.

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MCFASolver, the only team to break TNT's stranglehold with its Leg 4 conquest, topbills Pool C versus NorthPort, Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel Beer.

Three squads each from Pools B and C will proceed to the KO rounds.

The two-day battle serves as the final chance for the 11 squads to fortify their standings in the race for tickets to the conference championship set Nov. 27 at Glorietta.

Only 10 after six legs will go to the one-day finale with 10th-running NorthPort (149 tour points) and No. 11 Ginebra (128) contesting the very last slot.

Additionally, the Top 4 sides led by No. 1-guaranteed TNT will get outright tickets to the quarterfinal stage of the conference finals. (OL)