THE Davao Occidental-Cocolife Tigers advanced to the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Lakan Season National Finals by default on Tuesday after their opponents were rendered a no-go over health and safety protocols.
In an announcement, the MPBL said the Basilan-Jumbo Plastic Steel squad lost the opportunity to play in their South Division finals rubber match with Davao Occidental following the positive coronavirus test of some of their members in their re-swab on Monday.
Defeat by default was the decision set by the league in the event of another positive result for Basilan whose win-or-go home Game Three match with the Tigers was postponed last week, with some of its members testing positive upon their arrival in the MPBL “bubble” in Subic, Zambales, and requiring quarantine.
The league put the down the tough decision so as to stay on track of its two-week bubble calendar.
Davao Occidental will face the San Juan Go for Gold Knights in the best-of-five national finals beginning on Wednesday, March 17.
In the national finals, games will be played almost every day until the series ends, with just a one-day break after Game Two. — MASM
