Can they do it again?
The Limitless Appmasters gun for a back-to-back leg title to end their PBA 3×3 Lakas Ng Tatlo Second Conference campaign as the standalone tournament resumes Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The national team quartet of Jorey Napoles, Reymar Caduyac, Marvin Hayes, and Brandon Rosser will try to repeat becoming the first team to win consecutive leg titles, in the same manner they did at the end of the maiden conference last December when they swept the Leg 5 and 6 championships.
Limitless clinched the previous leg crown by beating rival TNT Tropang Giga, 22-19, two weeks ago also at the Big Dome.
In all, the Appmasters are seeking their third stage title this conference after similarly ruling Leg 3 also at the expense of TNT.
They’ve been on a roll lately, making the finals of the last three legs where their only loss came against the Meralco Bolts.
“We looked at it as a reminder that we’re not invincible,” said coach Willie Wilson, alluding to his team’s 17-14 setback to the Bolts for the Leg 4 championship.
“It was a reminder that you got to play every game like it’s your last. And if you don’t, that’s what can happen.”
But the 3×3 team of the Phoenix franchise is definitely under the radar of the rest of the 12 teams going into the sixth and final leg of the half-court meet that offers P100,000 to the winner.
TNT is bringing back Samboy De Leon to complement the trio of Almond Vosotros, Lervin Flores, and Chris Javier, while Platinum Karaoke tapped big man Yutien Andrada to take the spot of the injured Chris De Chavez and join JR Alabanza, Ryan Monteclaro, and Raphael Banal in the active roster.
Limitless leads Pool A together with Meralco, Sista, NorthPort, and Barangay Ginebra, TNT is bracketed with Pioneer Pro Tibay, San Miguel, and Terrafirma 3×3 in Pool B, while Pool C will have Platinum Karaoke, Purefoods, Master Sardines, and CAVITEX.
The Appmasters kicked off their Leg 6 campaign right away as they battle the Batang Pier at 8 a.m. in the first of another 16-game schedule on the first day of pool play.
Six more pool matches are set on Day 2 prior to the knockout stage that serves as preliminary to Game 4 of the PBA Governors Cup finals between Barangay Ginebra and Meralco.