By REYNALD MAGALLON
In a fitting start to the grand celebration, a duel between the league’s biggest rivalry is set to raise the curtain to the PBA Season 50 action when Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia lock horns in the opening day of the Philippine Cup on Sunday, Oct. 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The first duel between Kings head coach Tim Cone and his former player, now new Hotshots coach LA Tenorio will be the main attraction in the 7:30 p.m. match that will also come after a highly anticipated grand opening program and team parade.
The LEO Awards are also set on the same day at the nearby Novotel Hotel.
As usual, PBA games will be held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with the first games set at 5:15 p.m. and the second at 7:30 p.m.
Most of the games, however, will be held outside Metro Manila at the Ynares Center in Antipolo and in Montalban based on the full schedule released by the league office during the PBA 50 pre-season press conference on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
A total 14 game days will be held at the Antipolo venue including the debut of the newest PBA franchise Pureblends Corp – which will carry the name Titan Ultra Giant Risers – when it takes on Meralco on Wednesday, Oct 8.
Also happening in Antipolo, this time, on Dec. 5 is the rematch of last season’s Philippine Cup Finals between San Miguel and TNT.
The Tropang 5G, after coming close to winning a grand slam last season, will make its debut on the Montalban venue when they take on Phoenix on Friday.
Among the marquee games scheduled in the Montalban venue are the duel between San Miguel and Magnolia on Nov. 7
Out of town games are also set during the all-Filipino with TNT and Converge locking horns at the Chavit Coliseum in Ilocos Sur on Oct. 18. The Tropang 5G will hit the road again when they face up against Rain or Shine on Nov. 15 in Cagayan de Oro.
San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra, meanwhile, tangle in the Dubai game on Oct. 26 while the Bahrain games will feature that duel between Magnolia and ROS on Dec. 15 and the Elasto Painters and the Kings on Dec. 17.
The PBA will be taking a break from Nov. 17 to Dec. 4 to give way to the Gilas Pilipinas preparations for the November window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
The elimination round is set to run until Dec. 19.
