Bay Area knocking on PBA door

MANILA, Philippines — Hong Kong club Bay Area may get the chance to complete an unfinished business in the PBA Season 48.

Commissioner Willie Marcial himself shared the possibility of the Dragons getting a second PBA stint after placing a fighting second to Barangay Ginebra in the last Commissioner’s Cup.

But he stressed this is all dependent on whether the team and Asia’s first play-for-pay league will agree to terms, including a one-import condition. Last time, the PBA allowed the Dragons to line up both Andrew Nicholson and Myles Powell but they took turns playing the tournament.

“’Yung Bay Area gusto nilang bumalik so aayusin natin. ‘Yung imports, hindi na pwedeng dalawa so kung magkakasundo tayo, malamang bumalik ang Bay Area,” Marcial said in yesterday’s Power and Play program on One PH.

Coached by the multi-titled Bryan Goorjian, the Dragons took the PBA by storm in its guest stint, taking top seeding after the eliminations and going all the way to the finals.

Tim Cone and Justin Brownlee’s Gin Kings, however, spoiled the Bay Area party and won the coveted mid-season crown in front of a record-breaking 54,589 crowd at the Philippine Arena.

The pro league is on the heels of what Marcial described as a “banner season” as it prepares programming for its 48th season in October.

“Sobrang satisfied ako sa Season 47. Na-hit natin ang all-time high sa sponsorship at gate receipt,” he said.

The Ginebra-Bay Area series in the middle conference provided the spark for this.

“Parang ang nangyari Philippines-versus-China at nag-root ang kababayan natin sa Ginebra. Kung hindi ganon, hindi natin siguro mahi-hit ‘yung 54,000,” he said.

From three conferences, the PBA has cut its coming season to two to give way to Gilas Pilipinas’ buildup for the FIBA World Cup in August. The pro league is expected to start its new season after the September Asian Games in China.