Erik Spoelstra watches Game 5 of PBA Finals

 

MANILA, Philippines—Fil-American head coach Erik Spoelstra of the NBA champion Miami Heat graced Game 5 of the PBA Governors Cup Finals between Rain or Shine and B-Meg Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Spoelstra, whose mother hails from San Pablo City in Laguna, was also the guest of honor at the inauguration of the Coliseum’s new Grand Atrium.

This marked the fourth time Spoelstra, who steered the Heat to a 4-1 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals, visited Manila.

“I always hit home because I am proud of my heritage, and I grew up with many Filipino values,” he said.

Part of Spoelstra’s homecoming is the NBA Trophy Tour in which the Larry ‘O Brien trophy will be displayed in SM Malls where fans can take a close look.

Tropang Texters, ElastoPainters forge Game 7 deciders

MANILA, Philippines — Talk N’ Text and Rain or Shine gutted out contrasting victories over their respective rivals in the PBA Philippine Cup Sunday night to forge the first double Game 7 semifinal deciders in the league this Wednesday at the Cuneta Astrodome.

The Tropang Texters outlasted the Petron Blaze Boosters, 111-108, behind the heroics of Jimmy Alapag, and the Elasto Painters finished strong in taming the Powerade Tigers, 112-98, to set up the two winner-take-all showdowns for the championship slots of the season’s initial tournament. 

 Alapag summed it up best after putting up a show that reminded everyone that he is the league’s reigning MVP.

“This is still our championship and it’s ours until somebody takes it away,” the pint-sized Alapag said after a brilliant effort of 29 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds before a jam-packed Smart Araneta Coliseum.

After falling behind, 1-3, the Texters became just the first team in 13 previous occasions to take the proud Petron/San Miguel franchise to a deciding game after the Boosters had erected a 3-1 lead.

The Elasto Painters drew firepower from their backcourt led by Jeff Chan, who had 26 points, and super rookie Paul Lee, who accounted for 15.
“Our energy level was a lot better today than it was the last time,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao. “We played their three scorers well. We made them work for their baskets.”

Marcio Lassiter and Gary David scored 30 apiece for the Tigers, marking the seventh time in Powerade’s last eight games that David breached the mark.
The Painters and the Tigers take first crack at a Finals berth on Wednesday in the 5:15 p.m. game. Talk ‘N Text-Petron will clash later at 7:30 p.m.

“We will fight and fight until we can’t fight anymore,” said Alapag, who scored 19 of his total in the final two periods. “We stuck together and found a way to get to where we are now.”

Only two teams in the 36-year history of the league have ever come back from a 1-3 deficit to prevail. Ginebra San Miguel first pulled off the trick in the 1991 Open Conference behind that famous Rudy Distrito fallaway that beat the Turbochargers.

Purefoods duplicated the feat in the 2006 All-Filipino Conference semifinals against Alaska.

Ranidel de Ocampo fired 23 points and Larry Fonacier had 15, including a triple with 69 seconds left that gave the defending champions a 106-102 lead.
“Of course we are frustrated. But it’s our fault,” Petron coach Ato Agustin said. “I think we lost our focus, especially on defense. If they score 100 points up, we are going to lose the game.”

The scores:
First Game
TALK ‘N TEXT 111—Alapag 29, De Ocampo 23, Fonacier 15, Peek 12, Castro 11, Gamalinda 5, Aguilar 5, Dillinger 5, Carey 4, Williams 2, Alvarez 0.

PETRON BLAZE 108—Santos 20, Cabagnot 18, Lutz 16, Ildefonso 16, Miranda 14, Tugade 10, Yeo 8, Reyes 6.
Quarters: 25-23, 47-44, 79-74, 111-108

Second Game
RAIN OR SHINE 112—Chan 26, Lee 15, Matias 14, Buenafe 11, Norwood 8, Rodriguez 8, Cruz 6, Quinahan 6, Ibanes 6, Tang 5, Belga 5, Arana 2.

POWERADE 98—Lassiter 30, David 30, Kramer 15, Anthony 10, Casio 7, Antonio 5, Lingganay 1, Martinez 0, Vanlandingham 0, Allera 0, Cruz 0, Adducul 0, Crisano 0.
Quarters: 22-30, 54-50, 80-76, 112-98

Read more PBA News here. 

To Reclaim their Honor

The PBA Philippines Cup’s Final Four Series in Thursday is expected to turn into one of the best basketball matches before the championship as two of the best PBA teams will square-off to test their strengths at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay after their much needed rest after the holiday season.

The PBA Philippines Cup’s Final Four Series in Thursday is expected to turn into one of the best basketball matches before the championship as two of the best PBA teams will square-off to test their strengths at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay after their much needed rest after the holiday season.

Reclaiming their Honor

The two big teams that will go head-to-head with each other this coming Thursday are Talk N’ Text and Petron Blaze. According to latest PBA News, the Tropang Texters had been on the Booster’s heels since Petron Blaze had denied Talk N’ Text a place in the history of the league, when Petron ruled last season’s Governors’ Cup to prevent the team’s fifth Grand Slam.

According to TNT coach, Chot Reyes, his squad is as ready as ever to reclaim their lost honor in this match-up against Petron Blaze, though Reyes himself have said that the fight wouldn’t be an easy one.

“It’s 50-50,” said Reyes of his return match with the Boosters which he has tried to down play as a time for them to get even. “Health and conditioning will definitely be factors, but so will hunger and execution.”

Both teams is said to possess no advantage or edge over the other, which is why PBA fans will expect a great fight between two would-be champions, a championship before a championship.

Welcoming Back their Old Teammates

According to latest PBA News, Reyes will welcome back two regular big men to his rotation in Ali Peek and Ranidel De Ocampo, but whether or not they are in game-shape and could match up with the Boosters’ frontline remain to be seen.

Peek, who survived a gunshot wound at the back of the neck last November, has started practising and could be the muscle that the Texters need in order to battle the Boosters’ big men led by Danny Ildefonso, Nonoy Baclao and the vastly improved Rob Reyes.

In addition to their two big boys, Reyes will also seek the assistance of Japeth Aguilar, the the hero in the Texters’ last win over the Boosters in the eliminations, could again be asked to play a key role by Reyes. But the 6-foot-9 beanpole must be willing to rough it up inside in order to stay on the floor long.

Meanwhile…

Petron Blazers has played a game more than the Texters after needing to win a best-of-three series against Meralco. The Boosters showed their true strength in that series, with Alex Cabagnot and Dennis Miranda proving to be the biggest headaches for their rivals.

Two of the leading candidates in the Best Player of the Conference award come from Petron, with Arwind Santos eyeing the trophy for the second straight conference. Santos has been a consistent double-double guy for Petron, finishing in double figures in both scoring and in rebounding 12 times. 

Crack import beefs up Philippine Patriots

MANILA, Philippines—No less than last season’s Best Import will reinforce the AirAsia Philippine Patriots who are leaving for a preseason tournament in Bangkok Wednesday.

Nakiea Miller, an athletic 6-foot-10 American, opted to suit up for the Patriots a year after copping the top import plum with the Westports Kuala Lumpur Dragons in the Asean Basketball League (ABL).

Miller will team up with fellow American import Anthony Johnson, who had stints in the PBA, when the Patriots head into the final stretch of their training before the league fires off on Jan. 14.

Five of Season 3’s eight-team cast will clash in the fund-raising tournament, dubbed as “To Be No. 1 Basketball Challenge,” starting on Thursday.

Miller also saw action for Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma in the inaugural season.

“He’s a role player and we know he can deliver at crunchtime,” said team manager Erick Arejola. “Aside from being tall and mobile, one good thing about him is that he can shoot from afar.”

The 6-foot-6 Johnson, who had reinforced PBA teams Coca-Cola and Sta. Lucia, had a brief stint with the Patriots last season as he was hampered by a hamstring injury.

Former Smart Gilas mainstay Aldrech Ramos and veteran guards Al Vergara and Warren Ybañez lead the local Patriots, who have Glenn Capacio as their new coach.

The Patriots, champions of the inaugural season, aim to reclaim the crown they lost to the Chang Thailand Slammers last year.

Rounding out the squad are Marcy Arellano, Rob Wainwright, Jonathan Fernandez, Reed Juntilla, Erick Rodriguez, Ardy Larong, Eder Saldua, Angel Raymundo and Eddie Laure.

The San Miguel Beermen, the other Philippine team debuting in the home-and-away regional league, will also compete in the fund-raiser along with the Slammers, Singapore Slingers and the Bangkok Basketball Holdings Cobras.

PBA News

Meralco repeats over Powerade

MANILA, Philippines — Meralco got huge plays on both ends from Gabby Espinas down the stretch and repeated against Powerade, 100-98, Friday night to remain on track for a high playoff ranking in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Espinas scored his four fourth quarter points inside the final 4:35 and had two key blocks to seal the eighth win in 13 games that kept Meralco in the upper half of the standings.

The Tigers saw a two-game run end and dropped to 5-8 overall, still within a win of formally clinching a quarterfinal slot for the first time in the last eight conferences.

Meralco nosed out the Tigers, 98-96 last Nov. 16 when Mac Cardona hit the marginal basket in the dying seconds.

Cardona again had a huge contribution last night, scoring seven of his 17 in the fourth period, including a layup at the 2:05 mark that made it 96-91.

Just when it looked like the Tigers were ready to roll over and call it a day, Sean
Anthony had a free throw and Gary David a triple that sandwiched a Chico Lanete layup to put Powerade within 95-98 with still 1:33 left.

Then came Espinas’ heroics.

Left wide open in the keyhole, the 6-foot-4 forward knocked in a long jumper and then blocked attempts by Doug Kramer and Anthony as the Bolts took a 100-95 lead in the dying seconds.

Rookie Marcio Lassiter then drained a meaningless three-pointer at the buzzer for the final count.

“We’re in the playoffs, but that is not our final destination,” Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio told reporters. “Seven was the most wins of this franchise in a conference. It’s like golf, we are playing against ourselves now.”

The worst case scenario for the Tigers at this point is to be dragged into a playoff for the eighth and final playoff spot by Alaska in the event that Powerade loses its last game against Barako Bull and the Aces win their last two outings.

Barangay Ginebra, which is playing Petron Blaze at press time, also has five wins and will have three more shots at nailing a playoff spot after its match with the Boosters.

The Aces, meanwhile, fight for their lives Sunday when they battle short-handed Talk ‘N Text also at the Big Dome in the 6:30 p.m. game.

Barako Bull and B-Meg slug it out in the 4:15 p.m. contest with both squads also looking for victories to finish the elimination round in the upper half.

The scores:

First Game
MERALCO 100—Mercado 23, Cardona 17, Espinas 14, Lanete 9, Macapagal 9, Hugnatan 6, Yee 5, Taulava 5, Borboran 4, Isip 4, Omolon 4, Timberlake 0.

POWERADE 98—David 25, Kramer 16, Anthony 14, Casio 13, Lassiter 9, Vanlandingham 7, Lingganay 6, Adducul 6, Cruz 2, Crisano 0, Antonio 0.

Quarters: 24-22, 49, 54, 76-76, 100-98

PBA News

Clickers eye elusive breakthru win vs Tigers; E-Painters try to stop resurgent Llamados

MANILA, Philippines—Rain Or Shine tries to keep its second-running position when the Elasto Painters collide with the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados Friday night in the PBA Philippine Cup eliminations at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“They’re one of the teams chasing us down, so it’s important to stop them on their tracks,” said Rain Or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, who is hoping to boost the

E-Painters card to 8-3 in the 7:30 p.m. game.

With a 6-4 record, B-Meg can forge a tie for third with Rain or Shine and idle Petron Blaze with a victory.

Shopinas.com attempts to pull off victory No. 1 in the first of its last three games in the conference when the Clickers tackle the skidding Powerade Tigers in the opening game at 5:15 p.m.

The Clickers (0-11) are hoping to avoid matching Welcoat Paints’ 12 straight losses in the 2007 Philippine Cup. Great Taste (1982 Reinforced Conference) and Country Fair (1984 Reinforced Conference) share the record for consecutive setbacks with 13.

But the task is difficult for the Clickers as the Tigers (3-7) are favored to end a four-game losing streak.

After clobbering the Barangay Ginebra Kings recently, the Llamados will go for a fifth consecutive win while the E-Painters (7-3) are determined to bounce back from an overtime loss to the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters in an out-of-town game last Saturday.

“We could have won it, but we got several bad breaks on the calls in the final stretch,” said Guiao. “We showed character and determination, so I’m still confident.

“Our game against B-Meg will be very crucial,” he added. “I can say that we’re not giving up on our bid to finish in the top two.”

B-Meg coach Tim Cone is not looking beyond today’s game, however.

“We’re slowly climbing up the ladder,” he said. “It’s a slow climb but we’re happy. We’re just hoping to get into the top six. The top two is far away but you never know. Strange things happen in the PBA.”

The top two teams after the eliminations will secure a twice-to-beat edge over the seventh- and eighth-ranked clubs in the quarterfinals. Teams finishing third to sixth will go into a couple of best-of-three series.

Size and length pose a problem for the E-Painters, who will rely heavily on Jeff Chan, Gabe Norwood, Ronjay Buenafe, Ryan Arana and rookie Paul Lee.

“I think they’re (Llamados) the tallest team,” said Guiao. “We have a big problem, literally and figuratively. If they settle with their half-court game, we’ll have a problem. We need to run and dictate the game with our transition offense.”

Aside from two-time MVP James Yap, the Llamados can also lean on Kerby

Raymundo, Joe De Vance, PJ Simon, Roger Yap, Marc Pingris, Rafi Reavis and rookie Mark Barroca.

B-Meg also acquired 6-foot-9 Yancy De Ocampo in a trade with the Kings.

PBA News

Ginebra feeling urgency, battle rejuvenated Alaska

MANILA, Philippines—Barangay Ginebra hopes to fast-track it’s transition phase and prevent a charging Alaska from exploiting its current situation in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Meralco, meanwhile, tries to inch closer to a sure playoff spot against Barako Bull in the other game.

The Gin King infused fresh fuel into their frontcourt, a move that has to fall into place since they have no recourse but to bounce back in their 5:15 p.m. meeting with the Aces. Another defeat could spell

                                                                             Photo by PBA/Nuki Sabio

doom for the playoff chances of the  Photo by PBA/Nuki Sabioleague’s most popular squad.

Ginebra is coming off a loss to the B-Meg Llamados last Sunday, sliding to seventh at 4-5 despite completing a trade that had forwards Rico Maierhofer and Allein Maliksi beefing up their ammunition.

“I hope we could fast-track the transition phase but it’s going to take some time,” said Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen. “It’s a process and we understand that we have to go through that.”

Jayjay Helterbrand was lethal last time around but sputtered in the homestretch along with Mike Cortez, Niño Canaleta and JC Intal as Ginebra allowed the Llamados to finish them off with a 13-1 windup. Ginebra star Mark Caguioa hardly contributed, going 2 of 10 for six points.

“It’s not looking good right now, although we’re hoping to get to the position where we can beat other (stronger) teams,” Tanquingcen added.

The Aces (3-7) are hoping to sustain a revival of sorts following back-to-back victories against sub-.500 squads Shopinas.com Clickers (0-11) and the Powerade Tigers (3-7). Going up against another team with yet another losing record may be all the Aces need to boost their playoff hopes.

“For the past five games we’ve been winning on the boards and we’re beginning to capitalize on our size advantage,” said Alaska coach Joel Banal.

Refreshed by a week-long rest, the Bolts need two victories more to assure themselves of a quarterfinal stint and a win at 7:30 tonight over the Energy will solve half of the problem.

The Bolts (6-4), who have been getting a regular lift from Gabby Espinas, Mark Cardona and Sol Mercado, downed the Powerade Tigers, 98-96, while the Energy (5-4) absorbed their fourth loss in nine games against Petron Blaze last week.

Rear more PBA News here.

PBA: Alaska Aces dodge upset axe

MANILA, Philippines—Alaska coach Joel Banal shivered at the thought of winless Shopinas.com pulling off a breakthrough win at his Aces’ expense.

Sonny Thoss extinguished Banal’s fears Sunday night, imposing himself with Alaska’s pride on the line to lift the Aces past the Clickers, 86-80, in the PBA Philippine Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Thoss struck twice down the stretch, his putback over the high-leaping Elmer Espiritu with 54.3 seconds left giving Alaska an 84-80 lead after the Clickers had come within a basket.

                                                               PBA Image/ Nuki Sabio

“At some point in the game, I was a little bit scared,” said Banal, whose Aces are now tied with the Powerade Tigers at 3-7 in their drive to remain in contention for the last quarterfinal spot.

B-Meg’s devastating 13-1 windup sent Barangay Ginebra to its knees, 88-76, for a share of fourth with the Meralco Bolts in the second game.

James Yap had 17 points but it was rookie Mark Barroca, Kerby Raymundo and Marc Pingris who inflicted a fifth defeat against four wins on the crowd-favorite Gin Kings.

“Our guys made some clutch plays in the stretch. They neutralized James but it kind of opened up the floor for everybody else,’’ said B-Meg coach Tim Cone.

The Llamados earned their sixth win against four setbacks after limiting the Gin Kings to a free throw in a four-minute stretch.

Yancy De Ocampo, who was earlier shipped by the Kings to the Llamados, saw little action while Rico Maierhofer, Ginebra’s newest acquisition in that trade, was good for just 11 minutes.

The Clickers, who dropped their 12th straight game, seemed on the verge of ending a long slump before they were doomed by successive misses by Espiritu, Paul Escobal and RJ Jazul.

Jazul finished with a career-high 24 points after going six of nine from three-point range.

They are now tied for the third all-time longest losing streak in a conference with Welcoat Paints, which also lost 12 straight outings in the 2007-08 Philippine Cup.

One more defeat and the Clickers will tie Great Taste and Country Fair with 13 losses in the 1982 and 1984 Reinforced Conference, respectively.

Thoss finished with 15 points and eight rebounds while Jay-R Reyes had 13 and 17 boards, his second career-best, for the Aces, who squandered a 13-point lead midway in the fourth.

The scores:
First Game

ALASKA 86—Thoss 15, Reyes 13, Baguio 12, Custodio 10, Dela Cruz 9, Baracael 8, Tenorio 8, Salamat 4, Bugia 4, Eman 3.

SHOPINAS.COM 80—Jazul 24,Duncil 13, Sena 8, Hubalde 8, Sison 7, Espiritu 7, Escobal 6, Ritualo 3, Mirza 2, Daa 2, Menor 0, Aquino 0, Se 0.
Quarters: 19-18, 45-40, 71-58, 86-80

Second Game

B-MEG 88—J. Yap 17, Barroca 14, Simon 12, Urbiztondo 10, Pingris 10, Raymundo 10, Yap R. 7, De Vance 5, Reavis 3.

GINEBRA 76—Helterbrand 17, Villanueva 13, Intal 10, Wilson W. 10, Cortez 10, Caguioa 6, Mamaril 4, Canaleta 3, Maierhofer 2, Wilson J. 1, Labgala 0, Tubid 0.
Quarters: 24-19, 44-38, 61-55, 88-76

More PBA News here.

PBA Philippine Cup: Dillinger carries ailing Talk N’ Text past Powerade

MANILA, Philippines—Jared Dillinger uncorked back-to-back treys in the final 70 seconds to lift Talk N’ Text past Powerade, 95-86, the 2011 PBA Philippine Cup.

Dillinger scored 17 points and Japeth Aguilar banged in 21 points and 13 rebounds as the Texters pulled together in the second half to ward off the Tigers.

It was a nip-and-tuck payoff period with both teams trading baskets, until Dillinger and Japeth teamed up for eight unanswered points that sealed Talk N’ Text’s sixth win.

It wasn’t pretty win, though, as the Texters’ lost another player to injury shortly after veteran bigman Ali Peek took a gunshot to the nape.

Ryan Reyes suffered a suspected ACL or MCL tear, joining Jimmy Alapag, Rich Alvarez and Aaron Aban in the injured list.

Inconsistency continues to hound the Tigers on the other hand with the second straight setback, and their fifth overall this conference.

Rookie Marcio Lassiter chipped in a game-high 24 points and seven assists while Gary David snapped out of a funk with 21 points but it still wasn’t enough to carry Powerade.

Read more PBA News here.

Returning Sol Mercado sizzles as Meralco halts Petron

MANILA, Philippines—In only his first game back, Sol Mercado immediately showed what he could do for the Meralco Bolts.

Exploding for 16 points, Mercado paced Meralco in blemishing Petron Blaze’s record with a 80-70 triumph Sunday in the 2011 PBA Philippine Cup.

Mercado, who missed the first four games of the conference, also notched five rebounds and four assists while providing relentless spark, which helped Meralco maintain the advantage all throughout the game.

“I wanted to test how my legs felt. But I played basketball all my life so it’s just like riding a bike,” said Mercado, who scored 11 of his total points in the first half.

The Bolts, who moved on to a commendable 3-2 record, thrived in the highly defensive affair while also dominating the boards—which proved to be the key in the win.

“Our defense will keep us afloat,” said Meralco head coach Ryan Gregorio.

Gabby Espinas and Asi Taulava took turns in manning the paint as they plucked down 12 and nine rebounds, respectively, and combined for 22 points.

Taulava heated up in the fourth quarter to freeze Meralco’s lead, muscling his way inside as he even pulled off a one-handed throwdown for a 65-57 lead with three minutes to play.

Petron, which suffered its first loss in the conference, struggled to find rhythm in the offensive end although it kept grinding on defense all night.

Arwind Santos led all scorers with 17 points, 13 rebounds and also three of his squad’s eight blocks, but Petron couldn’t convert on the opportunity after his defense stop with 1:20 left in the game.

The Boosters had trimmed the deficit down to 75-70 when Santos swatted Espinas’ attempt, but they ultimately failed to score down the stretch.

Rookie Chris Lutz, who has been a consistent threat for Petron, added 16 points.

The scores:

MERALCO 80—Mercado 16, Espinas 14, Lanete 9, taulava 8, Isip 7, Faundo 6, Macapagal 6, Omolon 6, Borboran 5, Yee 3, Ballesteros 0.

PETRON BLAZE 70—Santos 17, Lutz 16, Yeo 11, Miranda 7, Cabagnot 6, Ildefonso 6, Agustin 3, Baclao 2, Sharma 2, Guevarra 0, Reyes 0.
Quarters: 18-17, 36-30, 58-49, 80-70

PBA News

Tigers send Aces down to 3rd loss

MANILA, Philippines—Powerade also has a rookie that’s making a huge difference. And he’s not JV Casio.

Marcio Lassiter, the third-overall choice in the Draft, keyed a telling surge in the third quarter that lifted the Tigers to a 79-67 victory over Alaska, keeping the fancied Aces winless in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

With a 2-1 record, Powerade has given coach Bo Perasol one of his best starts with the squad since coming from Air21 in 2009. And it has also given him the chance to talk with a lot of optimism.

“I’m quite confident that given the time together, we can be even better than that (2-1),” Perasol told reporters. “We have youth, veterans still willing to play, and they understand they have to work together for the team.”

The foremost veteran in Perasol’s lineup, Gary David, scattered 26 points against the befuddled Alaska defense, and Lassiter, with Casio still sitting it out, continued to prove his worth as an outstanding rookie.

Lassiter scored eight of his 13 points when the Tigers gained control in the third, and then had his only bucket in the fourth—a double-pumping triple off LA Tenorio—which gave Powerade a 74-66 lead with 3:51 to go.

That was a second-half performance that Perasol said he talked Lassiter into.

“I told him that contrary to what [he was] hearing, I don’t think [he’s] living up to expectations,” Perasol recounted when asked what he told Lassiter in the locker room.

“I’m sure he is going to get even better.”

Orphaned by long-time coach Tim Cone before the start of the season, Alaska lost a third straight game, and this one was the worst after being held to just 67. The Aces scored an average of 73.5 points in their first two setbacks.

LA Tenorio finished with just three points on 1-of-11 shooting in 36 minutes. Nursing a bruised right elbow, Tenorio has shot a dismal 6-of-35 in Alaska’s first three games.

Petron Blaze zoomed to the lead earlier after routing Shopinas.com with little effort, 98-87.

The scores:

POWERADE 79—David 26, Lassiter 13, Kramer 10, Adducul 7, Antonio 7, Lingganay 6, Calimag 4, Vanlandingham 3, Cruz 2, Anthony 1, Crisano 0.
 

ALASKA 67—Reyes 12, Baracael 11, Thoss 11, Dela Cruz 10, Bugia 8, Baguio 6, Cablay 4, Tenorio 3, Custodio 2, Salamat 0, Eman 0.

Quarters: 28-15, 36-35, 63-55, 79-67

PBA News

Powerade takes on winless Alaska; Petron Blaze eyes solo lead

MANILA, Philippines—Petron Blaze seeks a third straight win against winless newcomer Shopinas.com Sunday as Alaska shoots for a first victory in the PBA Philippine Cup eliminations at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

After turning back two formidable squads, the Boosters are the logical choices to extend their winning streak in the 4:15 p.m. contest before the Aces take the floor against dangerous Powerade in the 6:30 p.m. mainer.

Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot will continue to be the Boosters’ main men, with rookie Chris Lutz expected to also play major minutes and keep in step with the other rookies who have been impressive thus far in the young season-opening tournament.

Cabagnot was the hero in Petron’s first two victories, while Santos is churning out MVP-like all-around numbers.

Lutz, a former Smart Gilas standout, has been the revelation for coach Ato Agustin, settling in immediately in the off guard position where he has become another double-barreled threat in the already formidable Petron roster.

The Boosters are tied with idle Talk ‘N Text for the lead while the Aces have dropped two close games, the last against B-Meg and old coach Tim Cone.

Alaska has shown no signs of struggling under new coach Joel Banal, but the Aces have failed to get things together in the clutch.

Cyrus Baguio, LA Tenorio and Sonny Thoss, veterans of the old Alaska squad, will again carry the fight for the Aces, with rookie Mac Baracael to play major minutes again and provide intensity on both ends.

Jayvee Casio, the first overall choice in the Draft, sat out the first two games of the Tigers as veteran Gary David has been left with much of the scoring burden together with Marcio Lassiter.

Another former Smart Gilas standout, Lassiter is playing true to form for the Tigers, who are looking to make a significant playoff run this season.

PBA News

Texters ‘starve’ Paul Lee, turn back Elasto Painters

Prized rookie Paul Lee of Rain or Shine squeezes his way through a tight defense 

by Jason Castro and Harvey Carey of Talk 'N Text. PBA/NUKI SABIO

MANILA, Philippines – Harvey Carey was as offensive-minded as he could get, and the Talk ‘N Text defense shut down super rookie Paul Lee in the fourth period Friday night for a 107-98 victory over Rain or Shine and a share of the PBA Philippine Cup lead.

Even without a single offensive play designed for him, the workhorse came away with 28 points and 14 rebounds as the Tropang Texters, playing minus three superstars, rose to 2-0 before a good-sized Smart Araneta Coliseum crowd.

Coach Chot Reyes threw several men on Lee, and the No. 2 pick in this season’s Draft was ‘starved’ to 17 points and to only four meaningless markers in the fourth quarter as they came when Talk ‘N Text was already in command.

The Elasto Painters saw a two-game winning streak come to a halt, but Reyes was quick to point out how special Lee really is, as he later on revealed a defensive ploy that put at least two men on Lee all the time.

“We wanted to make sure that there was an extra guy on Paul Lee,” Reyes said. “Yet, despite all that, he still scored 17 points. And for me, that’s a special player.”

Petron Blaze, the Texters’ Governors’ Cup tormentor, and Talk ‘N Text are the only undefeated teams left in the field.

Carey was on the floor for all but four minutes, and the 6-foot-4 veteran even drained a triple at the 9:20 mark of the third period for a 58-55 lead the Texters never relinquished.

It was just his second career three-pointer after sinking one on March 14, 2003. Coming into the game, Carey missed his last 29 attempts from beyond the arc and was 1-for-32 there.

“We were fortunate enough to get a great scoring game from Harvey, and I think that was the big difference in tonight’s ball game,” continued Reyes.

Talk ‘N Text was without Ranidel de Ocampo, Jimmy Alapag and Kelly Williams, who all played with the National team in Wuhan, China and are being allowed by their mother team to rest, according to Reyes.

“We’re basically limping along. If you notice we’re getting really tired and our players are gutting it out till the end,” Reyes said. “We’re 2-0 now, and I am very happy with the effort. But we need to get better when we play the stronger teams in the league.

“The fact that we pulled this out is more than anything an effort victory.”

Meanwhile, B-Meg shoots for a second straight win when the Llamados, who are slowly getting comfortable with Tim Cone’s system, battle Meralco in a road game presented by Phoenix Fuels at the San Juan Arena Saturday.

The scores:
TALK ‘N TEXT 107—Carey 28, Reyes 19, Castro 18, Fonacier 13, Dillinger 11, Aguilar 7, Peek 7, Aban 4, Raymundo 0, Lao 0.

RAIN OR SHINE 98—Lee 17, Belga 16, Norwood 12, Cruz 11, Arana 11, Chan 10, Quinahan 10, Buenafe 7, Matias 4, Rodriguez 0.

Quarters: 22-21, 47-48, 74-69, 107-98

More info's about PBA news at www.inquirer.net.

Tough Talk N’ Text tests ‘Lee-thal’ Rain or Shine

MANILA—Rain  or Shine, starring rookie Paul Lee, gets its first true test Friday when the surprising Elasto Painters clash with rock-solid Talk ‘N Text for the lead in the PBA Philippine Cup on the line at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Game time is at 5:15 p.m. with the Painters seeking to extend a two-game run credited mostly to super rookie Paul Lee, the second overall draft choice this season.

The stocky former University of the East ace has taken over the Painters in so short a time, relegating former Rookie of the Year Gabe Norwood to the background with impressive all-around numbers of 20 points, five rebounds and 5.5 assists.

“He’s physically tough, mentally tough. He’s just special, you just can’t coach that,” Guiao told Inquirer.net recently. “We’re trying to give him all the confidence he needs. And at the same time he’s jelling well with our other players.”

Expected to take turns trying to shackle Lee are Ryan Reyes, Jason Castro, Jared Dillinger and maybe even Aaron Aban.

Meanwhile, crowd-darling Barangay Ginebra seeks a second straight win against Barako Bull in the 7:30 p.m. contest.

The Kings will be led by Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand, who scored seven straight points in a fourth quarter team that allowed Ginebra to zoom past Alaska, 83-72, last Sunday.

Barako Bull, meanwhile, is coming off a 95-83 defeat to Petron Blaze.
Lee has been the playmaker, finisher and quarterback all at the same time for the Painters, a young squad looking to make it deep in the playoffs for the first time.
“What I’m aiming for is to have eight or nine assists,” Lee told Inquirer.net when asked on what improvements he still needs to make in his game. “Plus, I still have to improve on my defense.”

Aside from Norwood, Ryan Araña, Jervy Cruz, Beau Belga and the comebacking Ronnie Matias will be playing  key roles for Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.
Guiao and Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes, incidentally, didn’t have a cordial last meeting after almost coming to blows in a tuneup match before the start of the season.

Reyes, who won the Coach of the Year award from the PBA Press Corps at the end of last month, had publicly apologized to Guiao and Petron Blaze coach Ato Agustin, and it would be worthy to note how Guiao and Reyes would treat each other tonight.

Japeth Aguilar will be Reyes’ main man after the 6-foot-9 beanpole flashed a sterling 27-point effort against Meralco last week.

“My teammates gave me the confidence I needed,” said Aguilar, who is hoping to break out of riding the bench mostly during his stint as a member of the national team.

Ali Peek and Harvey Carey are the other frontliners for Reyes with Ranidel de Ocampo expected to be a crucial factor with his versatility—if he is given the go-signal to play.

“Our problem now is getting our three national players (reigning MVP Jimmy Alapag, athletic rebounder and rim rattler Kelly Williams and versatile forward Ranidel de Ocampo) back from injury,” Reyes said after his team’s rout of Meralco.

PBA News

PBA Philippine Cup: Meralco holds off Shopinas

MANILA, Philippines—Minus its main men, Meralco held off a gutsy Shopinas.com side, 79-72, Wednesday in the 37th PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Bolts, who missed the services of Mac Cardona and Sol Mercado due to injuries, drew 16 points and nine rebounds from Gabby Espinas.
Mark Macapagal added 14 markers for Meralco, which evened its win-loss mark to 1-1.

“We just found enough strength to win,” said Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio.
And that strength was also fittingly displayed by veteran big man Asi Taulava.
Taulava banged his way against JR Sena before hitting a jumper at the low block that gave the Bolts a 77-72 lead with only 25.4 ticks left.
Paolo Hubalde led the Clickers, who dropped to 0-2, with 21 points.

PBA News

Tim Cone faces old team as B-Meg tackles Alaska

MANILA, Philippines—Tim Cone resigning from Alaska—after more than 22 years and 13 championships that included a rare Grand Slam in 1996—and later on moving to B-Meg was the biggest news of the off season.


They had a start they didn’t hope for last week and the fiery American’s latest stab at a first PBA Philippine Cup victory with his new squad comes Wednesday against no less than his former squad, the Aces, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Game time is 7:30 p.m., and Cone, like he has always done throughout his career, is trying to keep everyone’s eyes off himself and shift them to his players.
“I know in many people’s minds that this is a big game,” Cone said. “But as a team we want to approach this as just another game we need to advance in the standings. If it’s a big game, it’s only because both teams are coming off a loss.
“Are there going to be some butterflies for me personally? Certainly,” he continued. “But I don’t think that will be the case for the players, and they are the ones who count in this game.”

Two other teams also looking for first wins—Meralco and Shopinas.com—clash in the 5:15 p.m. contest.

The Triangle Offense was still alien for the Llamados when they narrowly lost to tournament-leader Petron Blaze last week, and Cone will get the chance to employ it against another formidable squad  Wednesday night.

But the biggest test for them is that the Aces know the Triangle like the back of their collective hands.

Joel Banal, who took over from Cone, has a system of his own, but after having served as Cone’s deputy for most of his career, he could be one step ahead of the B-Meg coach.

James Yap and Kerby Raymundo, superstars who openly said that they prefer the Triangle more than any system they were in, didn’t produce the same numbers that they used to in that game against the Boosters.

They were held to just 10 points each and Cone would obviously want their respective productions to improve. Peter June Simon came off the bench and scored heavily for Cone against Petron.

Cyrus Baguio, LA Tenorio and Sonny Thoss will as usual carry the fight for the Aces, whose last championship with Cone came in the 2010 Fiesta Conference with the talented Diamon Simpson.

PBA News

With Cone in the middle, B-Meg and Alaska finally cross paths

The search for heroes and villains in the looming B-Meg-Alaska battle snaked through airport roads and crawled past religious processions before finally landing within arms length of an iconic basketball coach Saturday evening.

“For sure, there’ll be a lot of sympathy for Fred [Uytengsu, Alaska owner],” said the coach, who has enough insight into the Alaska organization, having been instrumental in brokering the franchise’s entry into the league.

Alaska and B-Meg clash Wednesday evening at the Big Dome in what is expected to be an emotionally-charged encounter if only for the central figure wedged between both clubs: Grand Slam coach Tim Cone, the architect of the Alaska 90s dynasty who ended a 22-year relationship with the Uytengsu squad and hopped over to the SMC umbrella to coach the B-Meg Llamados.

The coach’s take on the divorce was altogether vague and revealing, descriptions that until Saturday night, could not have been possibly strung together to describe a single conversation.

“In a lot of ways, Tim is like Tiger Woods chasing Jack Nicklaus. He’s looking at the championship record of Baby Dalupan and he’s still going after it,” said the coach.

15 titles. That’s the yardstick Cone has set for himself. He’s got 13 now, but a check at the collection reveals an alarming trend: After winning nine titles in the 90s, Alaska has won just four more championships. Those stats, more than anything else, prodded Cone to seek opportunities elsewhere, said the coach, who will remain anonymous until he decides to write his tell-all article.
“It wasn’t about the money. Not with Tim,” he said.

Cone was doing it for history.

“He knew he wasn’t going to get Baby’s record by staying at Alaska,” the coach said.

In less blunt terms, that was exactly what Cone hinted at. In an interview with the Inquirer, when he was asked what specifically he was looking for that he found in B-Meg, that he could no longer find in Alaska, Cone simply said: “I felt that I reached my ceiling with Alaska.”

He was battling the monster he created, he added. The thing that he did not mention but what the coach-source agreed with was the case? The only way Cone could triumph over the legacy he had built—the one he was always being compared to—is to beat Dalupan’s record. And as the coach-source put it, Cone wasn’t getting that task done with Alaska.

It will be hard to sell that notion to Fred Uytengsu, who has kept silent on the issue despite conspiracy theorists postulating that the Cone transfer had been worked out right under the nose of the Alaska owner.

Uytengsu, long the moral compass of the PBA, has often complained that money talks too much in the league and that little is being done to silence big spenders. Ironically, in a season when PBA commissioner Chito Salud promised a more stringent watch on the salary cap, Uytengsu lost his long-time coach.

The outspoken owner was last noted to be in a business trip in Hawaii, but assistant coach Dickie Bachmann said Uytengsu will fly in  to watch Alaska’s game against B-Meg.

“Fred will make sure he’s back for the game against Derby Ace on Wednesday,” Dickie told the Inquirer’s Beth Celis.

It won’t be a surprise if Uytengsu strikes his favorite pose when things don’t go his team’s way. Standing up, an arm stretched toward his object of derision, his index and middle fingers rubbing against his thumb.

Whether or not Uytengsu actually makes the gesture at the direction of Cone remains to be seen. If it happens, trust the crowd—B-Meg is one of the league’s most popular teams—to toss the villain’s robe on him.

But the coach-source insisted that there will be no villains or heroes when the Aces and Llamado clash. Whatever show of anger Uytengsu displays is understandable. Alaska had conceded several things to Cone (the coach-source said this includes breaking up the Grand Slam team, whose members, Cone was said to have told management, “no longer wanted to play” for him) so he could continue chasing history. Uytengsu always believed Cone would achieve that goal with the Aces.

It will be hard to make Cone the bad guy, too. For a full decade after one of the most successful runs in basketball history, the American coach watched as teams went on spending sprees to build superpowers that went on championship runs.
And the Aces were sideswiped along the way, while they pinched every penny to nobly defend the idea behind the salary cap and lost every other battle outside of it. As it became evident that Alaska could not—would not—keep up with the arms race, Cone saw his own personal window get smaller by the day.

And he jumped out before it closed completely.

And so each side will pin the villain tag on the other for as long as people are still willing to squeeze out every drop of drama from the Cone switch.

As far as heroes go, there’ll be little to go with until the final buzzer. And even then, you only have the winning team and the best player of the game. After all, this is just one game betweeh two teams that lost their season debuts.

The real hero will emerge when one of the two sides finally nails a championship—Alaska without Cone, or Cone without Alaska.

PBA News

Lee at it again for Painters; Kings trip Aces

ANTIPOLO—Rain or Shine drew another superb performance from rookie Paul Lee even as coach Yeng Guiao praised the endgame poise of his Elasto Painters.

Lee reprised his explosive debut with a game-high 19 points—including the deciding free throws with 57 seconds left—as the Elasto Painters slipped past Powerade, 96-93, for a share of the early lead in the PBA Philippine Cup Sunday night here at the Ynares Center.

“I consider this a good sign for the team that we’re winning close games,” said Guiao, a week after the Painters escaped crowd-darling Barangay Ginebra, 94-93, in the inaugural game.

“Our tendency before was to collapse in the endgame. At least in two games, we’ve proven that we can win in the endgame.”

In the second game, Barangay Ginebra spoiled Joel Banal’s coaching debut with Alaska as the Kings rolled to an 83-72 decision for their first win in two games.

KG Canaleta had eight of his team-high 17 points in the Kings’ third-quarter breakaway and Mark Caguioa also fired 16 markers.

“It wasn’t as easy as it seems. Alaska is a strong team, they just lost their coach,” Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen said of the Aces, who are starting a new chapter with Banal following the transfer of long-time mentor Time Cone to B-Meg.

“It just so happened that we caught them when they’re still trying to get accustomed to each other.”

The Painters, who joined idle Petron on top with a 2-0 record, got away from another tight contest that featured 18 deadlocks and 21 lead changes.

Jeff Chan shared scoring honors with 19 markers, but also shone on the defensive end with a block on Gary David’s potential game-tying triple in the dwindling seconds.

“We were making the stops at the right time, that was the important factor for us in winning the game,” said Guiao.

Gabe Norwood also had a solid outing of  11 points, 10 boards and six of the Painters’ 14 assists in the match that drew a conference-high crowd of 10,121.

Lee, who debuted with game-highs of 21 points and eight assists against Ginebra, also grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists.

“Paul Lee played a good game again,” said Guiao of this season’s No. 2 overall draft pick.

“I think he made one or two misjudgments, but that’s part of him being a young player. As I said, he’s a special player and we’re trying to give him all the confidence he needs. At the same time, he’s jelling well with our other players.”

Doug Kramer buried 16 points to pace the Tigers, who slipped to a 1-1 record.

Celino Cruz also had a shot at pushing the Tigers within a point, but missed two free throws with four seconds remaining.

JV Casio, the former Smart Gilas standout who emerged as this year’s top draft pick, has yet to suit up for the Tigers due to a knee injury.

The scores:
First Game

RAIN OR SHINE 96—Lee 19, Chan 19, Norwood 11, Araña 10, Quiñahan 9, Rodriguez 8, Belga 7, Buenafe 6, Ibañes 3, Cruz 2, Matias 2.

POWERADE 93—Kramer 16, David 14, Anthony 13, Lingganay 12, Lassiter 12, Calimag 11, Cruz 7, Martinez 3, Adducul  3, Crisano 2, Allera 0, Antonio 0.

Quarters: 21-21, 40-39, 68-65, 96-93

Second Game

GINEBRA 83—Canaleta 17, Caguioa 16, Cortez 12, Tubid 7, Helterbrand 7, Intal 6, Wilson W. 6, Villanueva 6, Labagala 4, Mamaril 2, Cervantes 0, Wilson J. 0.

ALASKA 72—Baracael 20, Thoss 16, Dela Cruz 8, Baguio 7, Tenorio 6, Cablay 5, Custodio 4, Reyes 4, Salamat 2, Eman 0.

 
Quarters: 17-20, 34-32, 61-51, 83-72

PBA News

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Paul Lee-powered Rain or Shine edges out Powerade

MANILA, Philippines—Paul Lee shone once more as Rain or Shine nipped Powerade, 96-93, Sunday in the 37th PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Lee finished with a game-high 19 points including two free throws with 57 ticks left that set the final count and help the Elasto Painters open up the conference with a 2-0 start.

Lee, the No. 2 overall pick, also grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists despite being hobbled by foul trouble.

The Tigers, who are still missing No.1 overall pick JV Casio, who had been injured, had the chance to tie the game but Gary David’s three-point attempt was denied by Jeff Chan.

Chan tied Lee for game-high honors in points with 19 while Gabe Norwood relished under his new role of being the starting point guard with 11 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Doug Kramer paced Powerade with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

PBA News 

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Rain or Shine, Powerade eye share of lead

MANILA, Philippines—The sensational debut of Paul Lee made Rain or Shine worthy of a second look.

Although not among the early favorites, the Elasto Painters hope to change that with Lee as they gun for a share of the lead against Powerade in the PBA Philippine Cup Sunday.

“I just went out there to try and play my game,” said Lee, the second overall rookie pick who exploded with game-highs of 21 points and eight assists in the Painters’ 94-93 escape over crowd-darling Barangay Ginebra in last Sunday’s opener.

Lee tries to come up with another big game in the 4:15 p.m. match at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, where both the Painters and the Tigers seek to join idle Petron on top at 2-0.

Barangay Ginebra aims to rebound from that heartbreaker against an Alaska squad that will start its quest in the post-Tim Cone era in the second game at 6:30 p.m.

New Alaska mentor Joel Banal hopes to inject his own brand after serving as Cone’s assistant for many years.

“In a lot of ways we’re the same, but in a lot of ways we’re different,” Banal said of Cone, who ended an over two-decade partnership with the Aces to call the shots for B-Meg. “Coach Tim likes structure in offense and defense, I’d like to inject a little ‘unstructuredness,’ and that’s a glaring difference.”

But there aren’t too many changes in the Aces roster with LA Tenorio still at the helm and former Smart Gilas mainstay Mac Baracael among the new recruits.

Not all teams, though, drew instant impact from their rookies like Lee as Powerade had to do without No. 1 pick JV Casio due to a knee injury.

Powerade wound up relying on their usual go-to guy Gary David, who unloaded 31 points to lead the Tigers to a 98-87 victory over a pesky Shopinas last Wednesday.

But it was a win that didn’t exactly please Powerade coach Bo Perasol, who noted the Tigers’ poor defensive game.

“We need more hard work and we need to put our mind into our goal, which is to defend as a team,” said Perasol. “I just know it takes a lot of commitment to do that since it’s not as popular as offense. It needs hard work. It’s not going to be comfortable.”

Former Smart Gilas standout Marcio Lassiter also proved to be a promising pick for the Tigers as the No. 4 Filipino-American draftee debuted with 10 points and seven rebounds. PBA News
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