MANILA, Philippines – There may be favorites, but not one team has dominated PBA 3×3 as competition proved to be unpredictable through the first three legs.

Different teams have won championships, with the TNT Tropang Giga ruling the first leg, the Meralco Bolts emerging victorious in the second leg, and the Sista Super Sealers reigning supreme in the third leg.

“Some teams are already figuring out how to win in this PBA 3×3 format,” said PBA 3×3 chairman Dickie Bachmann.

“Moving forward, I see all teams changing [lineups], improving, and all the PBA 3×3 games will be more competitive.”

The third leg saw a drastic change in the pecking order as Sista came out on top – a major improvement from its winless campaign in the maiden leg.

Sista swept all of its six games in the leg, including a dominant 20-13 finals win over Pioneer Pro Tibay, which advanced to the championship round for the first time.

On the other hand, TNT failed to qualify for the knockout round for the first time in PBA 3×3 history, while Meralco suffered a surprising quarterfinals exit after reaching the finals in the first two legs.

“At first, teams/players did not really understand the 3×3 game, how it is played and how to win,” Bachmann said. “After Leg 1, they understood how it is played and what it takes to win.”

Bachmann said the focus now is making sure all teams are competitive and the games are “fast, physical, and exciting” as PBA 3×3 aims to gain a larger following.

The 13 participating teams will play three more legs for the rest of the first conference, with the top 10 squads advancing to the grand finals, where a hefty prize of P750,000 awaits the winner. – Rappler.com