12 July 2017

PBA Schedule Obviously Favoring Ginebra Too Much

PBA Narvasa
The initial list of play dates has been released recently by the Philippine Basketball Association for the season-ending Governor's Cup.

The Alaska Aces and the NLEX Road warriors, two teams looking to atone after missing the playoffs in the last conference, will face off on the first day when it unfolds on 19 July at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

KIA Picanto, formerly Mahindra, takes on Phoenix Fuel Masters in the the first game of the opening-day.

The Meralco Bolts, runner-up to Ginebra last season in this same tournament, makes its debut against Blackwater Elite in a 21 July playdate that also includes a clash between GlobalPort Batang Pier and Rain or Shine ElastoPaiters.

Ginebra will face against Meralco on 23 July and against GlobalPort on 30 July.

Newly crowned Commissioner's Cup champion San Miguel Beer gets its grand slam bid rolling on 29 July against Blackwater with Wendell McKines as import.

The other Commissioner's Cup finalist, TNT Ka Tropa, will play its first game on July 28 against KIA Picanto at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

The schedule for the last season's Finals Contender, Beermen and KaTropa, were understandably scheduled on a later date, but many observed that Barangay Ginebra seems to be enjoying a favorable treatment from the PBA.

Both of Ginebra's playdates were sent on Sundays, a date with the most number of crown attendance. This means that they get more exposure to the public compared to the other teams. Why?

The worst part is that Ginebra will be playing against teams that has a scheduled game a few days before the match. Fueling speculation that the PBA is trying to make sure the Ginebra will be playing against a tired team.

For Ginebra's first game on 23 July, they will meet the Bolts who had a game two days before, 21 July. After the first game, Ginebra will have a 7-day rest before they are pitted against GlobalPort Batang Pier, which, ironically also had a game 4 days before that.

Coincidence? With the way the PBA is behaving favorably towards SMC teams in the last couple of years, it is highly doubtful.

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