JAKARTA, Indonesia — Jimmy Alapag’s PBA homecoming is happening in the very first gameday of the Season 50 Governors’ Cup on July 10.
The 2011 Most Valuable Player will make his head coaching debut in the league when NLEX takes on Macau in the main event of a double-header, opening the season-ending conference at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Formerly a player development coach with the Sacramento Kings in the NBA, the 48-year-old has taken over the role previously held by Jong Uichico. Alapag inherits a team led by Robert Bolick and filled with up-and-coming cagers.
It will also be the Road Warriors’ first game since a disappointing finish in the Commissioner’s Cup, where they blew a twice-to-beat advantage to TNT.
Set to play the first game of the tourney, on the other hand, are cellar-dwellers Terrafirma and Titan Ultra. Tip-off is at 5:15 PM.
The tournament’s first set of weekend matches will be held at the Ynares Center II in Montalban, with Blackwater versus Rain or Shine and Phoenix Super LPG versus Magnolia comprising the twin-bill at the faraway venue.
Sunday’s games will feature the Road Warriors and the Dyip, followed by a clash between the Giant Risers and the debuting Converge.
Similar to the previous conference, the league will once again hold games on Tuesdays. The first Tuesday doubleheader of the upcoming conference will again take place in Antipolo, with NLEX taking on Titan in the opener, followed by Macau facing San Miguel.
Aside from the Beermen, Meralco also makes its debut on Wednesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. The Bolts take on the Fuel Masters in the second game following the matchup between the FiberXers and Terrafirma.
Defending champions TNT will begin their title defense bid on Sunday at the Big Dome, a gameday in which Barangay Ginebra will be debuting as well.
Set to take the floor in the 7:30 PM main event, the Kings — newly minted champions of the Commissioner’s Cup — face the Fuel Masters.
The Season 50 Governors’ Cup will see the 13 teams split into two groups for its preliminaries, adapting the same format it had in the same tilt last season.
