For the second straight Governors’ Cup, the PBA is expected to adopt a group-stage format for its season-ending conference.
According to multiple sources closely monitoring the situation, the league is proposing to divide the participating teams into two groups during the elimination round.
Under the proposal, Group A will be headlined by SMC franchises Ginebra and Magnolia.
Joining them are Blackwater, Meralco, Phoenix Super LPG, and Rain or Shine.
Meanwhile, defending champion TNT will lead Group B alongside San Miguel.
Also included in the group are Converge, NLEX, Terrafirma, Titan Ultra, and guest team Macau, which will compete under the moniker Giant Pandas.
The Governors’ Cup is scheduled to open on July 10, with games set to be played every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The final playdate before the FIBA break is slated for August 14.
Gilas Pilipinas Men will hold their preparations for Window 4 from August 24 to September 1.
Meanwhile, the Gilas Pilipinas squad for the Asian Games will begin training from September 4 to 18 ahead of the games in Nagoya, which will run from September 19 to October 4.
To keep teams active during the international break, the league is also proposing a pocket tournament from September 4 to October 4.
The Governors’ Cup elimination round is expected to resume on October 7 and conclude on October 25.
Under the proposed format, the quarterfinals will be a best-of-three series, while both the semifinals and finals will be played in a best-of-seven format.
