NLEX is off to a flying start in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup under new head coach Jimmy Alapag.
The strong start is certainly a breath of fresh air for the Road Warriors, who aim to erase the stigma of their early Commissioner’s Cup playoff exit when they wasted their twice-to-beat advantage as the top seed and bowed to TNT.
In the Governors’ Cup, NLEX blew Titan Ultra and Macau by an average winning margin of 37 points, but won by the skin of its teeth against Terrafirma, 101-100, for a 3-0 start.
The biggest test, however, comes this Sunday when the Road Warriors clash with reigning Philippines Cup champion San Miguel Beer.
Boths squads enter the game tied for the top spot in Group A, with the Beermen scoring victories over the Giant Pandas, the Dyip and the Converge FiberXers.
Alapag isn’t denying the fact that their first acid test as a team will be San Miguel due to the presence of nine-time league Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo.
“He (Fajardo) dominated this league for years. So I think it will be a great test for us. Not just for our big guys, but I think for our entire team,” Alapag said.
“I think San Miguel has stamped its legacy in this league with their dominance behind June Mar.”
The former PBA playmaker-turned-coach considers the Beermen a big challenge, but also a good gauge at how far the Road Warriors can go in the tournament.
“It’s going to be a great challenge for our guys, especially at this stage of the conference,” said the NLEX coach.
The 36-year-old Fajardo, meanwhile, is still recovering from an elbow injury he sustained while playing for Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
After scoring just two points in the Beermen’s victory against the Dyip, the 6-foot-10 Fajardo came a rebound short of a double-double after scoring 10 points on a 5-of-8 field goal shooting while adding nine rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots in 26 minutes of action in the Beermen’s 128-122 win against the FiberXers.
Alapag, a six-time PBA champion, is unfazed by the early test as he intends to rub into the underachieving NLEX franchise a winning culture with hopes of eventually leading the team to a first-ever finals appearance, and perhaps, a championship.
