MANILA – The Meralco Bolts and Alaska Aces will be absent from this week’s Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup matches at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.
Based on the schedule released on Tuesday, the Bolts and Aces will not play this week due to the league’s coronavirus disease 2019 health and safety protocols.
Several players from the two squads tested positive for the virus via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and were quarantined at a facility in this city.
This was the reason why the PBA postponed the Aces’ scheduled match against the San Miguel Beermen last Saturday and the Bolts’ supposed encounter with the defending champion, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, last Sunday.
The Bolts are currently tied for second place in the standings with Magnolia Pambansang Manok Hotshots after a 5-2 win-loss record. The Aces are ranked ninth with a 2-4 win-loss slate.
Meanwhile, NorthPort Batang Pier (1-3) is making a comeback this week after missing the opening week of the Philippine Cup restart due to the league’s health and safety protocols.
The Batang Pier will first face Blackwater Bossing (0-7) on Thursday at 4:35 p.m. before having back-to-back encounter games against Terrafirma Dyip (3-4) at 2 p.m. on Saturday and NLEX Road Warriors (4-2) at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Meanwhile, today’s scheduled matches included Magnolia Hotshots (5-2) versus the Road Warriors at 12:30 p.m., Beermen (3-2) versus TNT Tropang GIGA (6-0) at 3 p.m., and Kings (2-3) versus Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (4-3) at 6 p.m.
At 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dyip will battle Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters (2-5), while Friday’s triple-header will feature the Hotshots and Painters at 12:30 p.m., Tropang GIGA and Road Warriors at 3 p.m., and Kings and Beermen at 6 p.m.
The other match on Saturday is Bossing against Fuel Masters at 4:35 p.m., while the first two matches on Sunday were between Painters and Beermen at 2 p.m. and Tropang GIGA against the Kings at 4:35 p.m./PN
