IT’S rare to see NLEX making a deep run to the semifinals, but there seems to be quite a number of X-factors on why the Road Warriors are going the extra mile this time. There’s no question about the Jimmy Alapag effect. Considered one of the game’s all-time greatest players — be it in the local or international circuits — Alapag came out fully prepared for his PBA return as head coach of NLEX. As soon as he retired in 2016 after playing his last game when he helped Meralco in reaching the championship round for the first time, Alapag kept himself staying connected in the game. He served as a deputy coach, both in the PBA and with Gilas Pilipinas where he both made impressive marks. As a player, he was the acknowledged floor leader, someone who is not afraid to take on those bigger responsibilities, and that includes stepping up in crucial, pressure-packed situations. A serious student of the game, his learning curve spilled over on the bench, beginning with Tab Baldwin and Chot Reyes, where he served as  assistant coach for the national team. There’s also a stint with the Meralco Bolts under coach Norman Black before landing his first head coaching job with the San Miguel-backed Alab Pilipinas in the Asean Basketball League where he won a championship in 2018. His involvement with Alab Pilipinas led him to a coaching stint in the PBA as well as an assistant mentor of coach Leo Austria before he decided to try his luck in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, which proved to be a defining moment of his coaching career. From being an assistant coach in 2019 while helping out the Kings in the NBA Summer League, Alapag’s growth continues being involved with Stockton, Sacramento’s G-League squad, then later on as part of the  coaching staff of their Summer League team that won the title in 2021, leading him to a key position on the bench where he became a player development coach two years later. Those years of learning made way for his triumphant return, this time as a PBA coach with the Road Warriors, one of the semifinalists and tipped to win the series against the Converge FiberXers, an up and coming squad. But for Road Warriors board governor Ronald Dulatre, Alapag isn’t the only X-factor for the team’s impressive campaign. “Everybody is contributing. They played and embraced the system of Coach Jimmy — and what’s important is, they accepted their respective roles,” wrote Dulatre via Messenger.  “The team is hungry and they will remain going into the semis. We have a good opportunity to be in the finals for the first time in franchise history. Definitely, we’ll go for it.” If NLEX is relishing this rare opportunity of advancing to the Final Four, its big sister, TNT, a regular customer in the semifinal round, is aching to bounce back against Barangay Ginebra, which defeated the Tropang 5G in a grueling seven-game championship series in the Commissioner’s Cup. Things have changed since the last time these two teams met as there won’t be a Justin Brownlee leading the charge for the league’s most popular team while TNT will be bringing in an old reliable in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. The situations may be different, but for TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa, not having Brownlee doesn’t mean the series is going to be a breeze even with Hollis-Jefferson in tow. “Not having Brownlee won’t make it any easier (for us),” wrote Lastimosa via Viber.  “Jordan Murphy brings a different dimension to their game. He makes everyone step up because Murphy isn’t as prolific as Brownlee, which makes it more difficult when your defense can’t zero in on just one player.” Lastimosa believes Hollis-Jefferson is far from peak form and he is hoping that the additional days of break from the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers window will give him more time to recover. “Rondae should get better with more games. He has only played four games in one year. He’s still rusty and his timing is off,” added Lastimosa. “His stamina could be better.”