PBA releases schedule for 2013-14 Philippine Cup

The PBA has released their initial schedule for the 2013-14 Philippine Cup on their Facebook page, with the 39th season of the local professional league opening simultaneously in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, on November 17.

The season tips off with the opening ceremonies at 2pm, before Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the San Mig Coffee Mixers play at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and the Meralco Bolts clash against the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters at the Cebu Coliseum, both games happening at 3pm. Then at 5:15pm, the Alaska Aces face off versus the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at USEP, Davao City.

The league will then resume its Wednesday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule, at their normal game venues, namely the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the Cuneta Astrodome, and the Mall of Asia Arena.

There is just one more out-of-town game on the list, a December 14 clash between the Meralco Bolts and the Petron Blaze Boosters in Dipolog City.

Teams will also have to push aside the spirit of Christmas for the spirit of competition, as December 25 sees a double-header at the Mall of Asia Arena, between the Air21 Express and the GlobalPort Batang Pier, followed by the Petron Blaze Boosters versus Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

The league will take a New Year's break, before resuming on January 4. Should all games go on as scheduled, January 17 will be the final day of the elimination round, with the San Mig Coffee Mixers facing the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters before the start of the postseason.

During the 2012-12 edition of this conference, the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters dispatched the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in a four-game sweep, to win their third straight All-Filipino title. - AMD, GMA News