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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Alapag's NLEX debut in opener, double 'Clasico' games highlight Gov's Cup sked

Alapag's NLEX debut in opener, double 'Clasico' games highlight Gov's Cup sked

Published Jun 30, 2026 12:40 pm  |  Updated Jun 30, 2026 02:29 pm

At A Glance

  • An exciting season-ending Governors' Cup is in store for PBA fans with Jimmy Alapag's coaching debut at NLEX raising the curtain and a pair of Manila Clasico games highlighting the eliminations schedule which the league unveiled on Monday, June 29.

An exciting season-ending Governors’ Cup is in store for PBA fans with Jimmy Alapag’s coaching debut at NLEX raising the curtain and a pair of Manila Clasico games highlighting the eliminations schedule which the league unveiled on Monday, June 29.

Like in the previous season, the Governors’ Cup features a group stage format with the 13 teams divided into two pools. The squads will figure in a double round robin elimination against its groupmates before the crossover quarterfinals that will pit the top 4 teams from each group. 

TNT, San Miguel, NLEX, Converge, Terrafirma, Titan and Macau compose the Group A, while Ginebra is in Group B along with Magnolia, Meralco, Blackwater, Phoenix and Rain or Shine. 

And that meant the Kings and the Hotshots will figure in not just one but two Manila Clasico games in the elimination round with the first meeting set on Aug. 2 and the rematch scheduled on Oct. 11.

The league fires off on July 10 with Alapag’s NLEX debut highlighting the opening day twin bill. The Road Warriors will take on the rebranded Macau Giant Pandas in the second game while a duel between Terrafirma and Titan will formally raise the curtain in the first game at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. 

Last season’s Governors’ Cup finalists Ginebra and TNT, meanwhile, are making their debuts on July 19 against separate foes. The Tropang 5G take on the Giant Pandas while the Kings tangle with the Fuel Masters at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

Unfortunately with the elims format, Ginebra and TNT won’t be playing each other until the playoffs if they manage to cross paths. 

Other marquee duels like the semis rematch between Ginebra and Rain or Shine is set on July 26 and Oct. 9 while the titanic collision between the flagship teams of the MVP and SMC umbrellas, TNT and San Miguel is scheduled on Aug. 1 and Oct. 10.

The conference is also scheduled to take a lengthy break beginning Aug. 14 up until Oct. 7 to give way to Gilas Pilipinas preparations and campaign for the Nagoya-Aichi Asian Games and the fourth window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers. 

Related Tags

Ginebra Gin Kings Magnolia Hotshots PBA Governor\'s Cup
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