Playoff atmosphere should be expected as perennial contenders fill up Sunday’s PBA Season 50 Governors Cup action later at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
NLEX and San Miguel will vie for the solo lead in Group A in the 5:15 p.m. twin-bill opener, before Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine duke it out for the first time since their dramatic semifinal encounter last conference at 7:30 p.m.
According to the Casino Plus sportsbook, the Road Warriors are the underdog in the meeting between 3-0 teams, with the handicap set at +5.5 and the over/under in total points between the two squads set at 222.5.
The Kings, meanwhile, are pegged as the favorites versus the Elasto Painters with a -5.0 handicap, with the over/under in total points set at 213.5.
Bets can be made here: https://www.casinoplus.com.ph/home/inGame?name=basketball&title=SportBet.
Of the two protagonists in the first bout, NLEX is coming in as the more rested side as it had a 12-day break after its 135-100 of Titan Ultra—a stretch which Coach Jimmy Alapag had said would be crucial in bettering his unit under him.
The Beermen, on the other hand, are coming off a 128-122 win over Converge just last Wednesday, having been successful while lead deputy Peter Martin holds it down, while coach Leo Austria continues to deal with health issues.
While it will be a battle of who’s in better form, another layer to this game that some have been keeping an eye on is the reunion between Jimmy Alapag and the team he once worked for before taking his act to the NBA.
The former PBA MVP, for starters, served as an assistant to Austria with the Beermen in 2019 and enjoyed two championships with the franchise he competed against so many times during his illustrious playing career.
“I think it will be a great test for us,” Alapag offered. “A team that has really stamped their legacy in this league with their dominance behind June Mar. Great challenge for our guys, especially this early in the conference.”
(C) PBA Images
In Sunday night’s main event, Ginebra will try to keep its mastery of the same team it beat to eventually claim Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup supremacy to conquer the midseason tilt for the first time since the 2022-23 season.
The crowd darlings ousted Rain or Shine in six, but not before overcoming a tough stand by Yeng Guiao’s men—and some heated moments that involved the fiery coach and Kings governor/PBA vice chairman Alfrancis Chua.
Ginebra went on to dethrone TNT in the best-of-seven Finals that went the distance, but that championship run further banged up guys such as Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson, the reason why they’ve yet to play in the ongoing tourney.
They were totally missed, especially in their debut loss to Phoenix, but Coach Tim Cone’s men have since rebounded by venting all their ire on Blackwater, 115-85, behind a balanced attack led by Stephen Holt and Riley Grigsby.
For sure, they’d want to string together as many wins as they can in Group B, but the Barangay knows that it won’t be easy, especially against an Elasto Painters team that has regained its confidence after a 0-2 start to the tourney.
RoS scored its breakthrough win by stopping the Fuel Masters’ unbeaten three-game streak, 105-98, last Tuesday in a game that saw the team go up against its former captain, Gian Mamuyac, for the first time since he was traded. 
