THE PBA 3x3 Lakas ng Tatlo fires off action in the Third Conference on May 21-22 at Robinsons Magnolia with an expanded field of 14 teams disputing top honors.
The opening leg of the season-ending conference marks the first time games are held at the malls.
"We'll be bringing the PBA 3x3 to the malls in the Third Conference as we bring the games closer to basketball fans," PBA 3x3 chairman Richard Bachmann of Converge said.
The standalone league held its first two conferences at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City and Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon initially in a closed-stadium setup before eventually opening the gates to fans.
From 13, it will now be a 14-team competition with guest squad Zamboanga Valientes returning after taking a leave of absence in the Second Conference.
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With a bigger field, the competitors have been divided into four groups with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinal round.
TNT got the top seeding and leads Terrafirma, Barangay Ginebra and the Valientes in Pool A. Second Conference titlist Pioneer Pro Tibay joins No. 2 Meralco and No. 10 Sista Super Sealers in Pool B while First Conference ruler Limitless App is in the company of Purefoods TJ Titans, Cavitex Braves and Master Sardines in Pool C. Platinum Karaoke, San Miguel Beer and NorthPort make up Pool D.
Fourteen games usher in hostilities on May 21 beginning with the Dyip versus Gin Kings tussle at 10 a.m.
The Pro Tibay, the first guest squad to win a championship in the three-a-side hoopfest, face the revenge-seeking Super Sealers at around 10:50 a.m. in a rematch of the battle for the Conference 2 title.
The Appmasters hit the half-court at around 11:40 a.m. against Master in their first appearance since their bronze medal-winning Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 gig in the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.
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Pool play continues on May 22 with the knockout rounds, including the showdown for Leg 1 honors, following immediately after. (OL)
