Ronald Tubid and Terrafirma enjoyed a victorious start to the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup, and are looking forward to sustaining that when they lock horns with NLEX later at the Ynares Center II in Montalban.
But adding to the former player turned mentor’s excitement is competing against a contemporary in Jimmy Alapag, this time in a coaching duel.
“Excited din na makita ko si Coach Jimmy,” he said after the Dyip’s 113-100 victory over Titan Ultra last Friday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. That marked already the second time this season that they have won a conference opener.
Both men actually belonged in the same draft class — the 2003 batch, to be exact. The ‘Mighty Mouse’ was selected at 10th overall by Talk N Text, before the former UE Red Warrior got chosen at no. 16 by Shell.
Of course, they figured in countless on-court battles, although Tubid most cherished the time they spent together in San Miguel.
The two had a chance to work with one another back in the 2019 season, when Alapag was appointed as a deputy for the Beermen after steering San Miguel Alab Pilipinas to the ASEAN Basketball League crown the previous year.
The Iloilo City-native was still actively playing at the time. And together, they won the Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup titles in that same year.
“Nakasama ko pa si Coach Jimmy sa San Miguel eh,” recalled Tubid, who won seven of his nine league championships with San Miguel.
Later at 5:15 PM, they’d be figuring in a chess match of sorts, both of them keen on steering their sides to a 2-0 slate to take the solo lead in Group A.
In case you missed it, the Road Warriors are also coming off a win: a dominant 114-75 rout of the guest team Macau last Friday. The team gave Alapag not just a winning PBA head coaching debut but also a triumphant homecoming.
“To take everything that I’ve learned from my experience here, kasama sa Gilas, and now my experience back in the States, to pour that into this group, and this generation of Philippine basketball, that’s the exciting part,” he said.
As for the game itself, Tubid sees two teams playing at a similar pace and locking horns, so it may all boil down to who adjusts better.
“Magandang laban kasi ‘yung pace ng laro halos same; we’ll see kung sino ang unang makapag-adjust sa kung anong itatapon ng magkabilang team,” he said.
As of 2:00 PM, Casino Plus sportsbook has NLEX as an overwhelming -11.0 favorite. The over/under is pegged at 207.5.
Bets can be placed here: https://www.casinoplus.com.ph/home/inGame?name=basketball&title=SportBet.
Set to play in the 7:30 PM nightcap are the Giant Risers and the debuting Converge, led by Rookie of the Year frontrunner Juan Gomez de Liano.
The FiberXers are hoping for a much better campaign this time around after a disappointing run in the recent Commissioner’s Cup. There, they missed the quarterfinals with a 5-7 card as injuries hugely affected the squad.
Titan Ultra, on the other hand, is hoping to field a complete lineup this time after being compelled to play with an all-Filipino unit versus the Dyip — that, after reportedly failing to secure the necessary permit for import James Milton.
Given their foes’ situation, that could be an opportunity that the FiberXers could pounce on, especially super scorer Jalen Hudson, who’s returning for another tour of duty after previously suiting up for the Tropang 5G.
The Giant Risers are a +15.5 underdog to the FiberXers, according to Casino Plus sportsbook. The over/under is set at 194.5.
