Kings, Beermen ready to rock Dubai

Filipino fans in the Middle East are in for a treat when Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel Beer visit Dubai for a thrilling Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup clash on 26 October at the Coca-Cola Arena.

As part of the league’s 50th anniversary celebration, the PBA is bringing elite basketball action overseas, starting with a stop at the United Arab Emirates.

Game time is at 6 p.m. (10 p.m. Manila time), the PBA announced on Sunday through its social media accounts.

This is the first time the PBA will return to Dubai after staging a three-team feature back in 2019.

The Kings and Beermen along with the NLEX Road Warriors, participated in back-to-back playdates six years ago at the same venue.

San Miguel won over NLEX, 98-94, on 4 October 2019 before the Road Warriors rebounded with a 113-111 victory against Ginebra in their Governors’ Cup out-of-the-country feature.

But unlike in their previous visit, San Miguel and Ginebra this time will tangle in a battle that promises to be exciting and memorable.

The Beermen will come in as the defending champion while the Kings, carrying their never-say-die spirit and backed by legions of fans, are out for revenge against the rivals that eliminated them in the semifinals of the previous edition.

Eight-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz are expected to suit up for San Miguel in the road match against Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson and RJ Abarrientos.

Meanwhile, the PBA will hold a couple of games in Bahrain late this year as part of the league’s golden anniversary.

Three teams will also see action in the PBA’s first-ever official game in the Middle Eastern island country, slated 15 and 17 December.