IT WILL be a short respite for Asia's first play-for-pay basketball league as the 49th PBA Philippine Cup opens this Friday, April 4, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

A double-header will usher in the season-ending conference with the Meralco Bolts kicking off their title-retention bid against the Converge FiberXers in the 7:30 p.m. main game.

With no imports to rely on, the All-Filipino Conference is considered the most prestigious among the three conferences that the league stages in a season.

The Commissioner’s Cup has just ended with the TNT Tropang Giga winning the championship via an epic title series against the Barangay Ginebra Kings.

The bullseye will be on TNT’s back as it will be looking to complete a grandslam after also having won the season-opening Governors’ Cup.

The opening day will also pit the Terrafirma Dyip against the Phoenix Fuel Masters at 5 p.m.

A Saturday (April 5) offering will have the San Miguel Beermen going up against the NLEX Road Warriors in the main game also at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The first game will see the Blackwater Dip battling the Magnolia Hothshots.

TNT and Barangay Ginebra will make their debut on April 23 with the Tropa taking on NLEX and the Kings facing the Dyip.(CCM)

• Tags
• # 49th PBA Philippine Cup
• #Ninoy Aquino Stadium
• #Meralco Bolts
• #Converge FiberXers
• #TNT Tropang Giga
• #Terrafirma Dyip
• #Phoenix Fuel Masters
• #San Miguel Beermen
• #NLEX Road Warriors