SMB coach: It’s going to be fun

MANILA, Philippines — Locked-in and ready to answer the opening buzzer.

That’s the prevailing mood for the early birds that arrived in Clark yesterday to mark the official start of the PBA bubble.

“Happy, excited and at the same time (we recognize) the need to lock in so we can prepare well for our practices,” Magnolia coach Chito Victolero told The STAR upon entering the bubble.

“The players are willing (to sacrifice) and they’re very excited for the resumption of the tournament,” said SMB coach Leo Austria, whose team defends its crown without injured MVP June Mar Fajardo.

“I think it’s going to be fun,” said Austria despite the decision of player Matt Ganuelas-Rosser to opt out of the bubble due to personal reasons.

The Hotshots were the first among the 12 teams to board a dedicated bus going to Clark in batches for check-in at the Quest Hotel.

Per protocol, the squad immediately underwent swab testing upon entry and would spend the next 24 hours in isolation in their rooms pending release of their results.

Once negative results are out, the team will be cleared to commence 5-on-5 drills at the Angeles University Foundation campus in nearby Angeles City as the next step in their gear-up for actual Philippine Cup restart on Oct. 11.

“We’d like to thank the PBA for their effort in making this possible and giving our fans the opportunity to watch their favorite league again,” said Victolero.

The Meralco Bolts, TNT Tropang Giga, Phoenix, and Terra Firma (formerly Columbian) were also scheduled to enter the bubble yesterday.

The rest of the cast led by defending champion San Miguel Beer and Ginebra are slated to arrive today.

The PBA clubs would be staying in Clark for over two months.