MPBL set to resume division finals on March 10

San Juan Knights. MPBL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League will finally get to crown a champion later this month, a year after its season got stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MPBL is set to resume its division finals with the San Juan Knights and Makati Super Crunch battling for the North crown while the Davao Occidental Tigers and the Basilan Steel dispute the South title on March 10 inside a bubble at a crowd less Subic Bay Gymnasium in Subic.

Both series at knotted at 1-1 before the Luzon-wide lockdown was imposed.

“We’re just happy to be given the chance to complete the (Lakan) season and fulfill our commitment to the fans,” said MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes. “We’re grateful to our COO (Senator Pacquiao) that despite the situation he persevered for our resumption.

Gary David for Bataan Risers. MPBL PHOTO

“Of course, we’d like to thank the IATF, central and regional, the DOH (Department of Health), SBMA (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority) through Administrator Atty. Wilma Eisma, MPBL Governor Cong. Dong Gonzales, and, of course, Bong Cuevas for hosting us.”

With its amateur status, the league took a while before it got the green light from the Inter-Agency Task Force.

The Tigers, the Knights and MPBL personnel headed by Emmer Oreta are already at the quarantine hotel in Subic while the Super Crunch and the Steel as well as the rest of the MPBL staff are expected to arrive on March 8.

The best-of-five National Finals, featuring the two division champions, will tip off on March 12. Games will be shown on Channel A2Z.