As outgoing chairman Mikee Romero claimed a week ago during the annual Press Corps Awards Night, it is business as usual for the PBA, as the league will open its 43rd season this December 17 as scheduled.
The league itself confirmed the great news through Twitter on Wednesday night by releasing a partial schedule that runs from December 17 to 29. The full schedule will most likely be released during the said timeframe.
The December 17 (Sunday) gamedate will feature the opening ceremonies at 4:00 PM, followed by the San Miguel Beermen-Phoenix Fuel Masters match at 6:45 PM. The opening salvo will be held at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The highlight of the schedule are the highly-anticipated Christmas Games, which will be held at the Philippine Arena on December 25. The main event will be the Manila Clasico series between the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the Magnolia Hotshots.
All 12 teams will play in the partial schedule of the Philippine Cup.