Rain or Shine and Meralco are set to give basketball fans up north a taste of what’s to come in the Philippine Basketball Association’s milestone 50th season when they square off in a preseason friendly on Saturday in Ilagan City, Isabela.
Tip-off is at 6 p.m. at the Capital Arena, marking the first time the two teams will meet in the province as part of the league’s push to expand its reach beyond Metro Manila.
The matchup comes just two weeks before the PBA’s golden season officially tips off on October 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Rain or Shine heads into the game riding high after back-to-back preseason victories over Converge and NLEX. The friendlies also marked the long-awaited debut of veteran guard Stanley Pringle in an Elasto Painters uniform, adding depth and experience to their roster.
Meralco, on the other hand, is looking to bounce back after dropping its recent tune-up against Converge before traveling to Cagayan Valley for this exhibition.
League officials see the game as a potential dry run for staging an official out-of-town match in Isabela during the upcoming season.