Louie Alas makes his coaching debut on Sunday when the Philippine Patriots finally play their first home game against the Thailand Tigers in the ASEAN Basketball League at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Alas missed the team’s first two games as he was concentrating on his coaching duties with Letran in the NCAA. The Knights were eliminated last week by three-time defending champion San Beda in the Final Four.

“I’m now excited to be finally part of the action,” said Alas. “But we have to be ready against the Tigers.”

The Patriots are coming off a 74-69 loss to the Singapore Slingers in the latter’s home floor but not after staging a fourth-quarter rally from a double digit deficit before bowing in the dying seconds of the contest.

Assistant coach and ex-PBA Most Valuable Player Bogs Adornado along with Ryan Dy took over the coaching chores for the Patriots, who won their debut match against Satria Muda BritAma of Indonesia in Jakarta two weeks ago.

In both games, the team had to endure five to six hours of travel not to mention the two-hour stopover in Kuala Lumpur as a drop off point of the tournament’s home-and-away format. This time, they are glad to be on home shores.

“It’s a good relief for the boys, they need a break from too much traveling. They’re getting weary,” said RP Patriots team manager Erick Arejola. “Of course, we also like to enjoy the thrill of playing before our home fans.”

“I hope all basketball fans in Metro Manila and other nearby provinces will come and support the RP Patriots. This tournament is very exciting because of its home-and-away format,” said Mikee Romero, the team's co-owner along with TV-5 (formerly ABC-5) owner Tony Boy Cojuangco.

The Tigers, bannered by Filipinos Ricky Ricafuerte and former UP Maroon Axel Doruelo, are coming off a 78-75 defeat at the hands of the Indonesians.

Ricafuerte, an original player of the Patriots who was allowed to play for the Thai club, scored 23 points in the loss.

Following Sunday’s contest, the Patriots battle the Brunei Barracudas led by ex-pro cagers Don Camaso, Leo Avenido and Kiko Adriano on October 31 also at the Ynares Sports Arena.