Gin Kings, Dragons go for broke in Game 3
Game Wednesday:
(Mall of Asia Arena)
5:45 p.m. – Bay Area vs Ginebra
Members of Bay Area celebrated the holidays away from their families, but that was hardly felt as they were totally locked in, prepared and ready to go for the kill when they battle Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in Game 3 of their Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner's Cup best-of-seven finals series on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Dragons resume their unfinished business when they take on the Kings for the first game of 2023 and the third match of their race-to-four series.
It's going to be a dogfight as the winner of this very crucial Game 3 will move halfway from securing the first title of this midseason conference in four years.
San Miguel Beer was the last champion of the Commissioner's Cup in 2019 and the league had to shortened the next seasons brought about by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, even coming up with its first ever bubble competitions for two seasons.
With restrictions now being eased out, the league is poised to wrap up its first full season this year and the Commissioner's Cup is now drawing to a close featuring the league's most popular team against an invading squad from Hong Kong that is determined to become the first foreign champion in 42 years.
The Dragons are so determined that they refused to have extended celebration during the holiday season.
With a Christmas Day game, both squads prepared for the series opener and the Kings, who were given an extra day of rest, came out with plenty to spare to take the early series lead with a 96-81 victory in Game 1.
But the Dragons bounced back strong and came away with a vengeful 99-82 triumph in Game 2 to level the series at 1-1 apiece.
Bay Area hasn't lost back-to-back games this conference and head coach Brian Goorjian had always found ways to win coming off a loss.
