Meralco and TnT maintained their top 2 positions while two-leg winner Limitless moved up to No. 3, leading the 10 qualifiers to the PBA 3×3 Lakas ng Tatlo First Conference Grand Finals set to be held on Dec. 29, Wednesday.
The Bolts, winner of Leg 2 and runner-up in Legs 1 and 4, amassed 420 tour points after six-legs to take No.1 seeding heading into the conference championship supported by 1Pacman Party List led by Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero.
The Tropang Giga, who won the opening leg and finished second in the fifth and sixth, matched Meralco’s tally but got the No. 2 ranking.
With their historic triumphs in the last two legs, the Appmasters soared to the third position with 361 slightly ahead of guest team Platinum Karaoke (360) at fourth spot in the rankings finalized on Friday (Dec. 24).
By finishing in the Top 4, Meralco, TnT, Limitless and Platinum gained outright seeding to the quarterfinal round of the Grand Finals set at the Smart Araneta Coliseum where a prize of P750,000 will go to the champion, P250,000 to the runner-up and P100,000 to the third-placer.
Also advancing were Terrafirma (325), Leg 4 ruler Purefoods (316), Pioneer Pro Tibay (253), Leg 3 conqueror Sista (218), San Miguel Beer (206), and Barangay Ginebra (167). They will all figure in the preliminary round to dispute the four remaining quarterfinal berths.
The Gin Kings caught the last bus to the conference finale on the strength of their sixth-place finish in Leg 6, which allowed them to bump Cavitex (140) off the cutoff No. 10 ranking.
Also exiting were NorthPort (100) and the Zamboanga Valientes (74). (PBA) – bny
