MANILA, Philippines – There is a possibility that the PBA will return to the 55,000-seater Philippine Arena if the Governors’ Cup finals clash between Barangay Ginebra and Meralco goes the distance.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the biggest indoor arena, located in Bocaue, Bulacan, has already agreed to host Game 7 as an alternative to the Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena.

The Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena will hold the first six games of the best-of-seven affair.

Marcial believes the championship duel between the Gin Kings and the Bolts, which will be the fourth time they will face off for the Governors’ Cup crown, would eclipse the PBA crowd record in the pandemic era.

The current PBA attendance record since the league allowed the return of the live audience in December is 13,272, set in Game 3 of the Ginebra-NLEX semifinals at the Mall of Asia Arena last March 27.

“As the series extends, more and more fans will watch. We will exceed 13,000,” Marcial said in Filipino during the finals press conference on Monday, April 4.

Ginebra and Meralco are no stranger to drawing mammoth crowds as an all-time high 54,086 fans trooped to the Philippine Arena for Game 7 of the 2017 Governors’ Cup finals.

The Gin Kings are eyeing their fourth championship in the last five editions of the Governors’ Cup, while the Bolts are seeking their first PBA crown in franchise history as their title joust tips off on Wednesday, April 6. – Rappler.com