Jimmy Alapag’s unbeaten start as a PBA head coach now arrives at the most personal stop on his early coaching journey.
After steering NLEX to a flawless opening stretch in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup, Alapag will find himself standing across the bench from the franchise where he built his legacy when the Road Warriors battle TNT Tropang 5G on Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
For more than a decade, Alapag was the face of TNT, leading the franchise to six championships and becoming one of the greatest point guards in PBA history. This time, however, “The Mighty Mouse” returns not in black and yellow, but as the architect of the league’s only unbeaten team.
The Road Warriors have quickly become one of the conference’s biggest surprises, winning all five of their games through a fast-paced attack built around teamwork rather than individual brilliance.
Their latest statement came against Converge, where NLEX broke open a tight contest with a dominant fourth-quarter surge to remain perfect. After an 88-all deadlock, the Road Warriors outscored the FiberXers 31-19 behind another explosive outing from import DeQuan Jones, who finished with 28 points, while Schonny Winston poured in 24. The pair combined for 22 points during the decisive closing run.
“We wanted to stay composed and aggressive in the fourth quarter and coach Jimmy wanted us to continue to play fast, so that’s what we ended up doing,” Winston said.
“We’ll stay humble, knowing it’s still a long season to go and there’s a lot of hard work to do,” Winston added.
Across the floor will be a TNT squad that has found a completely different formula for winning.
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While injuries continue to sideline key stars Jayson Castro, RR Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, and Kelly Williams, the Tropang 5G have leaned on resilience and defense to climb back above the .500 mark.
They showcased that identity by stunning defending All-Filipino champion San Miguel Beer, limiting one of the league’s highest-scoring offenses to just 89 points in an overtime victory.
Import Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson anchored the effort with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, while Kim Aurin delivered the performance of his career with 22 points despite waking up under the weather.
“Sobrang bigat ng trabaho dahil wala sila,” Aurin said, referring to TNT’s injured players. “Mindset lang, pag libre, tira.”
Even San Miguel’s prolific import George King struggled to find his rhythm early, as TNT held him to only eight first-half points before surviving overtime.
For head coach Chot Reyes, the victory became another reminder that mentality can outweigh talent.
“I really don’t know how we did it,” Reyes said after winning on his 62nd birthday. “What I know is how important mindset is. We could’ve had an attitude na ‘overtime na naman’ and be negative.
But we turned it positive, saying ‘who would’ve thought we could bring them to overtime?’”
“Basta ang sabi namin, daanin na lang natin sa depensa,” Reyes added.
Tuesday’s matchup now offers a fascinating contrast in styles.
NLEX has overwhelmed opponents with pace, depth, and offensive balance under Alapag’s fresh system. TNT, meanwhile, has rediscovered its identity through grit and defense despite operating with a depleted roster.
For Alapag, extending NLEX’s perfect run would make his emotional return to TNT even sweeter. For the Tropang 5G, spoiling their former superstar’s homecoming would further prove that championship habits remain alive, even with an undermanned lineup.
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