Source: GMA News TV. They stuck with their team colors for so long, determined to make it cooler than teal, hotter than red, I was actually beginning to like Pantone 3435. On second thought, even on what might be their uniforms’ last appearance in a PBA game, I give Sta. Lucia 1000 bonus points for staying true to team colors I thought only Army Rangers would prefer.
Showing posts with label PBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PBA. Show all posts
July 5, 2010
Llamados keep No. 2 in sight
Source: Inquirer.Net. MANILA, Philippines—Clif Brown had 24 points and 16 rebounds while James Yap added 21 points as B-Meg Derby Ace kept the fight for an outright semifinal berth alive with a 101-83 thumping of Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.
July 3, 2010
San Miguel, Ginebra get job done
INQuirer.net
GAMES TOMORROW (Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m.—Coca-Cola vs Sta. Lucia
6:30 p.m.—Air21 vs Rain or Shine
MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer won an old-fashioned shootout against Derby Ace and James Yap in the stretch last night and pulled out an 88-83 victory that sent the Beermen outright into the semifinal round of the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
GAMES TOMORROW (Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m.—Coca-Cola vs Sta. Lucia
6:30 p.m.—Air21 vs Rain or Shine
MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer won an old-fashioned shootout against Derby Ace and James Yap in the stretch last night and pulled out an 88-83 victory that sent the Beermen outright into the semifinal round of the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
July 23, 2009
PBA: ROOKIE CAMP SLATED JULY 28, 30 & 31
PROSPECTIVE applicants for this year's Rookie Draft get to show both their
physical and mental skills when the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)
hold its traditional rookie camp in two different venues at the end of the
month.
The camp is set on July 28, 30 and 31, with supervisor of officials Ramil
Cruz acting as camp director.
The first day of the event will be a whole-day affair at the Club 650 gym in
Libis, Quezon City from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Initial activities include measurement of the rookies' physical aspects from
height, wing span to current weight.
Then skills and strength evaluation follows, from the simple push ups, bench
press, sit ups, sprints to pull ups.
Finally in the afternoon, drills will be conducted, with participants
engaging in agility, shooting, dribbling and fastbreak activities.
The camp takes a break the following day, but resumes on July 30-31 with all
rookies seeing action in the four-game schedule to be played at the Caruncho
gym in Pasig City.
All participants will be split into four teams. Group 1 plays Group 3 in the
first game at 2 p.m., while Group 2 clashes with Group 4 at 4 p.m.
The final day of the camp is a crossover double header between Group 1 vs.
Group 2 (2 p.m.) and Group 3 vs. Group 4 (4 p.m.).
The official rookie team rosters will be sent out this Friday (July 24),
although coaching assignments are going to be announced later.
This year's PBA Rookie Draft is set August 2 at the Market Market Place in
Taguig.
Burger King own's the no. 1 overall pick.
July 18, 2009
PBA: Beermen bags Fiesta Cup
MANILA, Philippines - Laced with superstars in every position after a never-ending buildup over the years, San Miguel Beer finally achieved what it was built to do.
Throwing the full weight of their offensive armada at Barangay Ginebra and adding tough defense in between, the Beermen ended a four-year title drought last night by winning the Motolite PBA Fiesta Cup after a clinical 90-79 Game 7 dismantling of the Gin Kings in front of 20,541 screaming souls at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Beermen jumped out of the gates hard, zoomed to several 17-point leads in the third quarter before emphatically weathering numerous Ginebra rallies in the fourth to jack up their all-time high collection of championships to 18.
Jonas Villanueva, a few nights after being named the season’s Most Improved Player, bagged the PBA Press Corps’ Fern-C Finals MVP plum after norming 11 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists, edging out the rejuvenated Danny Ildefonso in the balloting.
The two teamed up in the play that ended all Ginebra hopes late in the fourth, as Villanueva fed Ildefonso in a fastbreak play that gave San Miguel an 83-72 cushion, going into the last 2:21.
After a hot first half where they took a 10-point lead, the Beermen shifted to high gear in the third, taking a couple of 17-point leads, the last at the 4:24 mark, as Dondon Hontiveros skipped into the lane and tossed in an awkward shot that gave San Miguel a 63-46 advantage.
True to its never-say-die spirit, Ginebra found an unlikely hero in Chico Laneta, who beat the third-quarter buzzer with a gutsy drive and then added another twinner early in the fourth off an aggressive move to push the Kings to within 70-62, with 10:46 to play.
But Jay Washington ended a four-minute drought with a slam dunk and the Beermen simply fended off several Kings rallies from that point on.
The last of those Ginebra rallies came late in the fourth, when the Kings held the Beermen scoreless for over three minutes, a dry spell ended by the Villanueva-Ildefonso connection.
The Kings trailed after the first quarter for the first time in the series, not being able to start in the same fiery style that they did in the first six games. Even David Noel failed to buy a point in that span.
Frosty start
Contributing to that frosty start was the ejection of Sunday Salvacion with 64 seconds remaining in the first period. He was called for a Flagrant Foul 2 infraction after hitting Freeman with a wayward elbow in the face.
San Miguel also took care of the ball better in the first two periods, committing just eight turnovers compared to the Kings’ 14.
Helterbrand, despite being hobbled by an aching left hamstring, still had seven points in the first period and eight in the second as the Kings, who trailed by as many as 13 points after the first eight minutes, stayed within striking distance going to the second half.
The newly crowned MVP took eight attempts from the field, hitting all six two-point tries and making a triple in 17 minutes, while Noel was 0-of-3 from trifectaville and just 2-of-4 from two-point range.
Although Freeman was called for a first foul with less than two minutes gone, the Best Import winner was able to stay away from his second until the first minute of the third quarter.
He translated a long first-half stint into 13 points and nine rebounds to give San Miguel a huge energy boost.
The scores:
SAN MIGUEL 90—Freeman 29, Villanueva 15, Pingris 12, Ildefonso 10, Cortez 9, Pennisi 8, Washington 5, Hontiveros 2, Racela 0, Pena 0.
GINEBRA 79—Helterbrand 25, Menk 12, Tubid 10, Reavis 9, NOel 8, Lanete 6, Wilson 5, Baguio 4, Mamaril 0, Salvacion 0.
Quarters: 25-15, 45-37, 70-60, 90-79
Throwing the full weight of their offensive armada at Barangay Ginebra and adding tough defense in between, the Beermen ended a four-year title drought last night by winning the Motolite PBA Fiesta Cup after a clinical 90-79 Game 7 dismantling of the Gin Kings in front of 20,541 screaming souls at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Beermen jumped out of the gates hard, zoomed to several 17-point leads in the third quarter before emphatically weathering numerous Ginebra rallies in the fourth to jack up their all-time high collection of championships to 18.
Jonas Villanueva, a few nights after being named the season’s Most Improved Player, bagged the PBA Press Corps’ Fern-C Finals MVP plum after norming 11 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists, edging out the rejuvenated Danny Ildefonso in the balloting.
The two teamed up in the play that ended all Ginebra hopes late in the fourth, as Villanueva fed Ildefonso in a fastbreak play that gave San Miguel an 83-72 cushion, going into the last 2:21.
After a hot first half where they took a 10-point lead, the Beermen shifted to high gear in the third, taking a couple of 17-point leads, the last at the 4:24 mark, as Dondon Hontiveros skipped into the lane and tossed in an awkward shot that gave San Miguel a 63-46 advantage.
True to its never-say-die spirit, Ginebra found an unlikely hero in Chico Laneta, who beat the third-quarter buzzer with a gutsy drive and then added another twinner early in the fourth off an aggressive move to push the Kings to within 70-62, with 10:46 to play.
But Jay Washington ended a four-minute drought with a slam dunk and the Beermen simply fended off several Kings rallies from that point on.
The last of those Ginebra rallies came late in the fourth, when the Kings held the Beermen scoreless for over three minutes, a dry spell ended by the Villanueva-Ildefonso connection.
The Kings trailed after the first quarter for the first time in the series, not being able to start in the same fiery style that they did in the first six games. Even David Noel failed to buy a point in that span.
Frosty start
Contributing to that frosty start was the ejection of Sunday Salvacion with 64 seconds remaining in the first period. He was called for a Flagrant Foul 2 infraction after hitting Freeman with a wayward elbow in the face.
San Miguel also took care of the ball better in the first two periods, committing just eight turnovers compared to the Kings’ 14.
Helterbrand, despite being hobbled by an aching left hamstring, still had seven points in the first period and eight in the second as the Kings, who trailed by as many as 13 points after the first eight minutes, stayed within striking distance going to the second half.
The newly crowned MVP took eight attempts from the field, hitting all six two-point tries and making a triple in 17 minutes, while Noel was 0-of-3 from trifectaville and just 2-of-4 from two-point range.
Although Freeman was called for a first foul with less than two minutes gone, the Best Import winner was able to stay away from his second until the first minute of the third quarter.
He translated a long first-half stint into 13 points and nine rebounds to give San Miguel a huge energy boost.
The scores:
SAN MIGUEL 90—Freeman 29, Villanueva 15, Pingris 12, Ildefonso 10, Cortez 9, Pennisi 8, Washington 5, Hontiveros 2, Racela 0, Pena 0.
GINEBRA 79—Helterbrand 25, Menk 12, Tubid 10, Reavis 9, NOel 8, Lanete 6, Wilson 5, Baguio 4, Mamaril 0, Salvacion 0.
Quarters: 25-15, 45-37, 70-60, 90-79
July 17, 2009
PBA: San Miguel clinches title in game 7
The San Miguel Beermen beat the tiresome Ginebra San Miguel in their game 7 finals game tonight at the Araneta Astrodome in Cubao, Quezon City.
July 16, 2009
PBA: SAN MIGUEL FORCES GAME 7
San Miguel Beer is a proud ball club which won't just fade away in a battle.
The Beermen fought with great resolve with their one foot in the grave,
stalling the Barangay Ginebra Kings, 98-84, and forging a deciding Game
Seven in their Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference title showdown at the Araneta
Coliseum Wednesday night.
Gabe Freeman and his teammates frustrated the Kings and their huge throngs,
pulling off an emphatic win to bring the best-of-seven series to full
distance.
One goes home with the championship and the other the runner-up trophy as
the two teams clash in a do-or-die setto at 7 p.m. Friday in the same venue.
Ginebra has a perfect record in two Game Seven engagements. San Miguel, on
the other hand, is 2-4, losing their last three outings.
"We haven't done anything yet because we just tied the series. God put us in
the situation to test us. It's how we respond to adversity. That would
define us as an individual and as a team," said San Miguel coach Siot
Tanquingcen.
"It didn't happen tonight and we now have to do it Friday. It's a jump ball.
A 50-50 percent chance of winning isn't bad at all," said Ginebra coach Jong
Uichico.
The Beermen battled with a resolute defense and a massive offense as they
seized control in the second period and held on to the finish.
"Hindi sila maka-convert and we really had a hand in practically all their
shots. It boiled down to defense and rebounding tonight," said Tanquingcen.
"Plain and simple, we failed to convert our shots," said Uichico.
Freeman went 9-of-13 from the field and finished with 24 points and 12
rebounds for his 21st triple-double game -- the most by any player in the
tourney.
Making the job easier for the Beermen was Danny Ildefonso, Mike Cortez,
Dondon Hontiveros, Jonas Villanueva, Jay Washington, Marc Pingris and Mick
Pennisi all rising to the occasion.
The Beermen shot better from the field and dominated the boards as they got
back at the Kings for the third time, thus, preserving the yours-and-mind
trend in the series.
The Kings shot only 39.7 percent from the field with main man Jayjay
Helterbrand among those doing bad, going 0-of-5 from the three-point arc and
4-of-5 from the two-point zone.
The Beermen cut loose from a see-sawing contest towards the end of the first
half, racing to a 13-point lead before settling for a 44-34 spread at the
turn.
The two teams both came out playing with great determination, fighting
through nine lead changes before the Beermen established control.
Hontiveros sank two triples, highlighting a 16-2 salvo that opened a 44-31
advantage for the Beermen.
Sunday Salvacion made it a more manageable deficit for the Kings as he
rifled in a trey coming off the bench in the closing seconds of the first
half.
The Kings were ahead at 29-28 before going on a dry spell, making only five
points in the last five minutes of the opening half.
The Beermen broke away while shooting 47.4 percent in the second period. The
Kings, on the other hand, struggled with a 28.6-percent clip in that
stretch.
SMB closed the half with a spirited run despite Freeman on the bench with
three fouls.
Freeman, however, had his hand as the Beermen stretched their lead to 15 at
61-46 midway through the third. The fiery SMB import tossed in 12 points in
the period, including seven straight through a three-pointer and
back-to-back slams.
The scores:
San Miguel 98 - Freeman 24, Ildefonso 18, Cortez 12, Hontiveros 11,
Villanueva 9, Washington 8, Pingris 6, Pennisi 5, Pena 3, Racela 2, Custodio
0.
Ginebra 84 - Noel 16, Menk 15, Tubid 13, Pacana 9, Helterbrand 8, Wilson 7,
Salvacion 6, Reavis 6, Lanete 2, Baguio 2, Artadi 0, Mamaril 0.
PBA: SMB forces game 7
On to another pulse-stopping Game Seven.
The San Miguel Beermen sealed a dramatic Game Seven duel with Barangay Ginebra in the 34th PBA Fiesta Cup Finals after clobbering the Gin Kings, 98-84, in last night’s Game Six at the Araneta Coliseum.
San Miguel's crucial victory forged another championship series to go the distance. The last five PBA Finals were all decided in seven games.
In the 2006-07 Fiesta Cup Finals, Alaska edged Talk N Text, 4-3. Sta. Lucia also needed seven games before dispatching Purefoods in the 2007-2008 Finals. The Kings also went through a grueling seven games before bagging the 2007-08 Fiesta Cup title at the expense of the Air21 Express (now Burger King) and in the 2008-09 Philippine Cup Finals, Talk N Text also survived a winner-take-all Game Seven versus Alaska.
Down by 17-19 after the first period, San Miguel peeled away in the second quarter and sat on a 44-34 lead at the half. The Beermen mellowed down a bit in the third, allowing the Kings to move to within just points at one point. But San Miguel managed to weather the storm and took some breathing space entering the final period, 68-61.
Former league MVP Danny Ildefonso then took matters into his hands in the fourth where he dumped 10 of his 18 points and keyed a San Miguel run that all but settled the contest.
Ildefonso scored eight points in an 11-8 run as the Beermen never looked back after taking a 79-65 lead in the final 9:59.
Gabe Freeman led the Beermen with 24 points, while Mike Cortez and Dondon Hontiveros tallied 12 and 11 markers, respectively.
San Miguel could seal its 18th championship trophy on Sunday, the most in any professional league.
David Noel topped the Kings with 16 points, Erik Menk scattered 15 while Ronald Tubid added 13.
Hobbled by a hamstring injury, newly-crowned MVP Jay-Jay Helterbrand could only score eight points.
Ginebra is gunning for its ninth crown and is hoping to become the first team to defend a title since 2002.
BOX SCORES
SAN MIGUEL (98)- Freeman 24, Ildefonso 18, Cortez 12, Hontiveros 11, Villanueva 9, Washington 8, Pingris 6, Pennisi 5, Peña 3, Racela 2, Custodio 0.
GINEBRA (84)- Noel 16, Menk 15, Tubid 13, Pacana 9, Helterbrand 8, Wilson 7, Salvacion 6, Reavis 6, Lanete 2, Baguio 2, Artadi 0, Mamaril 0.QUARTERSCORES: 17-19, 44-34, 68-61, 98-84.
The San Miguel Beermen sealed a dramatic Game Seven duel with Barangay Ginebra in the 34th PBA Fiesta Cup Finals after clobbering the Gin Kings, 98-84, in last night’s Game Six at the Araneta Coliseum.
San Miguel's crucial victory forged another championship series to go the distance. The last five PBA Finals were all decided in seven games.
In the 2006-07 Fiesta Cup Finals, Alaska edged Talk N Text, 4-3. Sta. Lucia also needed seven games before dispatching Purefoods in the 2007-2008 Finals. The Kings also went through a grueling seven games before bagging the 2007-08 Fiesta Cup title at the expense of the Air21 Express (now Burger King) and in the 2008-09 Philippine Cup Finals, Talk N Text also survived a winner-take-all Game Seven versus Alaska.
Down by 17-19 after the first period, San Miguel peeled away in the second quarter and sat on a 44-34 lead at the half. The Beermen mellowed down a bit in the third, allowing the Kings to move to within just points at one point. But San Miguel managed to weather the storm and took some breathing space entering the final period, 68-61.
Former league MVP Danny Ildefonso then took matters into his hands in the fourth where he dumped 10 of his 18 points and keyed a San Miguel run that all but settled the contest.
Ildefonso scored eight points in an 11-8 run as the Beermen never looked back after taking a 79-65 lead in the final 9:59.
Gabe Freeman led the Beermen with 24 points, while Mike Cortez and Dondon Hontiveros tallied 12 and 11 markers, respectively.
San Miguel could seal its 18th championship trophy on Sunday, the most in any professional league.
David Noel topped the Kings with 16 points, Erik Menk scattered 15 while Ronald Tubid added 13.
Hobbled by a hamstring injury, newly-crowned MVP Jay-Jay Helterbrand could only score eight points.
Ginebra is gunning for its ninth crown and is hoping to become the first team to defend a title since 2002.
BOX SCORES
SAN MIGUEL (98)- Freeman 24, Ildefonso 18, Cortez 12, Hontiveros 11, Villanueva 9, Washington 8, Pingris 6, Pennisi 5, Peña 3, Racela 2, Custodio 0.
GINEBRA (84)- Noel 16, Menk 15, Tubid 13, Pacana 9, Helterbrand 8, Wilson 7, Salvacion 6, Reavis 6, Lanete 2, Baguio 2, Artadi 0, Mamaril 0.QUARTERSCORES: 17-19, 44-34, 68-61, 98-84.
July 14, 2009
Ginebra leads 3-2 series over San Miguel
MANILA, Philippines - David Noel finally outplayed Best Import awardee Gabe Freeman, sparking Barangay Ginebra past San Miguel Beer, 106-98, and moving the Gin Kings within a victory of clinching the Motolite PBA Fiesta Cup championship at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings pulled away by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, then rallied behind Noel, Ronald Tubid and Eric Menk after the Beermen came within a point at 72-71 in the third period.
A four-point play by Tubid and a drive by Menk boosted Ginebra’s lead to 78-71 before Noel stretched this to 85-72 as he scuttled a last-ditch rally by the Beermen.
Noel sent Freeman out of the game with a sixth foul with barely three minutes left to play.
The free throw that Noel scored as he completed a three-point play gave the Gin Kings an insurmountable 98-89 lead.
With a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series, Ginebra can clinch the championship with another win tomorrow, also at the Big Dome.
A victory by SMB will force a Game 7 on Friday.
A Ginebra championship now looks certain since 19 of the 28 teams that prevailed in Game 5 after a 2-2 tie went on to win the title.
Five nights after bungling three straight charities that could have won Game 4 for Ginebra, Noel finished with a game-high 29 points. Freeman wound up with 16.
Noel had Freeman in foul trouble early and later said this was the only way to slow down his San Miguel adversary.
He said he’s looking forward to end the series tomorrow, but added he’s ready for a Game 7.
“We’ll go practice tomorrow and see what happens,” said Noel.
Chico Lanete made his five-minute, second-quarter stint special, shooting all his nine points from beyond three-point range to give the Ginebra offense a boost in closing out the period.
From a tight first 10 minutes, the Kings scampered off to leads of as many as 16 points in the dying minutes of the first half, with Lanete, virtually a nonfactor offensively in the first four games, draining his third trey for 56-40.
Noel also had two triples for the Kings in the second period and Helterbrand and Eric Menk one each as Ginebra made 7-of-12 attempts from that distance and finished with 33 second-quarter points.
Aside from two Danny Ildefonso dunks, the Beermen were relatively quiet in the second quarter as Freeman sat out all but two minutes of the period after getting his third foul.
The Best Import winner committed two fouls in the first quarter and was never a factor offensively the rest of the way. He went to the bench with just four points while Noel had 13.
The 13-point margin was Ginebra’s biggest lead at halftime in this series. The Kings pulled it off even with Cyrus Baguio and Sunday Salvacion, two usually reliable marksmen, going scoreless.
Dondon Hontiveros was also saddled with early foul trouble, committing his third on Willie Wilson with 43.8 seconds left in the second period.
Tubid scored 10 points in the first period as the defending champions took control early until the halftime buzzer.
The scores:
GINEBRA 106—Noel 29, Menk 18, Lanete 14, Tubid 14, Helterbrand 9, Wilson 8, Mamaril 6, Reavis 5, Salvacion 3, Pacana 0, Baguio 0.
SAN MIGUEL 98—ortez 23, Freeman 16, Ildefonso 14, Villanueva 9, Hontiveros 9, Pennisi 7, Custodio 6, Washington 6, Pena 5, Racela 3, Gonzales 0, Pingris 0.
Quarters: 23-18, 56-42, 71-68, 106-98
The Gin Kings pulled away by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, then rallied behind Noel, Ronald Tubid and Eric Menk after the Beermen came within a point at 72-71 in the third period.
A four-point play by Tubid and a drive by Menk boosted Ginebra’s lead to 78-71 before Noel stretched this to 85-72 as he scuttled a last-ditch rally by the Beermen.
Noel sent Freeman out of the game with a sixth foul with barely three minutes left to play.
The free throw that Noel scored as he completed a three-point play gave the Gin Kings an insurmountable 98-89 lead.
With a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series, Ginebra can clinch the championship with another win tomorrow, also at the Big Dome.
A victory by SMB will force a Game 7 on Friday.
A Ginebra championship now looks certain since 19 of the 28 teams that prevailed in Game 5 after a 2-2 tie went on to win the title.
Five nights after bungling three straight charities that could have won Game 4 for Ginebra, Noel finished with a game-high 29 points. Freeman wound up with 16.
Noel had Freeman in foul trouble early and later said this was the only way to slow down his San Miguel adversary.
He said he’s looking forward to end the series tomorrow, but added he’s ready for a Game 7.
“We’ll go practice tomorrow and see what happens,” said Noel.
Chico Lanete made his five-minute, second-quarter stint special, shooting all his nine points from beyond three-point range to give the Ginebra offense a boost in closing out the period.
From a tight first 10 minutes, the Kings scampered off to leads of as many as 16 points in the dying minutes of the first half, with Lanete, virtually a nonfactor offensively in the first four games, draining his third trey for 56-40.
Noel also had two triples for the Kings in the second period and Helterbrand and Eric Menk one each as Ginebra made 7-of-12 attempts from that distance and finished with 33 second-quarter points.
Aside from two Danny Ildefonso dunks, the Beermen were relatively quiet in the second quarter as Freeman sat out all but two minutes of the period after getting his third foul.
The Best Import winner committed two fouls in the first quarter and was never a factor offensively the rest of the way. He went to the bench with just four points while Noel had 13.
The 13-point margin was Ginebra’s biggest lead at halftime in this series. The Kings pulled it off even with Cyrus Baguio and Sunday Salvacion, two usually reliable marksmen, going scoreless.
Dondon Hontiveros was also saddled with early foul trouble, committing his third on Willie Wilson with 43.8 seconds left in the second period.
Tubid scored 10 points in the first period as the defending champions took control early until the halftime buzzer.
The scores:
GINEBRA 106—Noel 29, Menk 18, Lanete 14, Tubid 14, Helterbrand 9, Wilson 8, Mamaril 6, Reavis 5, Salvacion 3, Pacana 0, Baguio 0.
SAN MIGUEL 98—ortez 23, Freeman 16, Ildefonso 14, Villanueva 9, Hontiveros 9, Pennisi 7, Custodio 6, Washington 6, Pena 5, Racela 3, Gonzales 0, Pingris 0.
Quarters: 23-18, 56-42, 71-68, 106-98
July 13, 2009
PBA: Helterbrand is MVP
MANILA, Philippines – Chot Reyes, who handled an all-pro national team two years ago, once described Jayjay Helterbrand as the best point guard in Asia.
In the current PBA season, Helterbrand is the best basketball player this side of the planet.
The Barangay Ginebra spitfire was voted the league’s Most Valuable Player, beating out a slew of bigger players to clinch the biggest award of his career, which came at a time when he needed to step up and make himself one of the league’s all-time greats.
Helterbrand won the award in runaway style, tallying 3,220 points by ruling every category from the statistical points race to the votes coming from the PBA, television coverer Solar, his fellow players and the covering media.
“It was something that I wished would happen (when I started my PBA career), but I never thought it would be like this,” Helterbrand, who became the first Ginebra player since Eric Menk in 2005 to win the MVP, told scribes.
Helterbrand averaged 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and five assists per contest for the Gin Kings this season, numbers which actually dropped from his career-best figures of 18.1, 4.7 and 6.5, respectively, last year.
“If you had told me at the start of the season … that I would be MVP, I probably would have thought that you were crazy,” said Helterbrand, whose assist-to-turnover ratio also experienced a minor dip from 2.44 last year to 2.36 this season.
Arwind Santos of Burger King finished second with 733 points and had to settle for one of the forwards’ slots in the Mythical First Team where he and Helterbrand were joined by Mac Cardona of Talk ‘N Text, Asi Taulava of Coca-Cola and Jay Washington of San Miguel.
Dondon Hontiveros finished third in the MVP race with 650 points, but oddly enough, the San Miguel swingman could only land a place as one of the guards in the Second Team along with Willie Miller of Alaska, Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia and Jay-R Reyes and Gabe Norwood of Rain or Shine.
Norwood won the Rookie of the Year award handily, totaling 3,384 points, with San Miguel point guard Jonas Villanueva copping the Most Improved Player award over Paul Artadi and Reyes with 5,169 total points.
The awards were handed out in glitzy rites called the “Leo Awards,” named in honor of the late founding commissioner, Leopoldo Prieto, just before tip-off of Game 4 of the Motolite Fiesta Cup title series at the Araneta Coliseum.
Other awardees: All-Defensive Team—Arwind Santos, Asi Taulava, Ginebra’s Billy Mamaril and Ronald Tubid and Burger King’s Wynne Arboleda; Sportsmanship Award—Sta. Lucia’s Jay-R Reyes
In the current PBA season, Helterbrand is the best basketball player this side of the planet.
The Barangay Ginebra spitfire was voted the league’s Most Valuable Player, beating out a slew of bigger players to clinch the biggest award of his career, which came at a time when he needed to step up and make himself one of the league’s all-time greats.
Helterbrand won the award in runaway style, tallying 3,220 points by ruling every category from the statistical points race to the votes coming from the PBA, television coverer Solar, his fellow players and the covering media.
“It was something that I wished would happen (when I started my PBA career), but I never thought it would be like this,” Helterbrand, who became the first Ginebra player since Eric Menk in 2005 to win the MVP, told scribes.
Helterbrand averaged 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and five assists per contest for the Gin Kings this season, numbers which actually dropped from his career-best figures of 18.1, 4.7 and 6.5, respectively, last year.
“If you had told me at the start of the season … that I would be MVP, I probably would have thought that you were crazy,” said Helterbrand, whose assist-to-turnover ratio also experienced a minor dip from 2.44 last year to 2.36 this season.
Arwind Santos of Burger King finished second with 733 points and had to settle for one of the forwards’ slots in the Mythical First Team where he and Helterbrand were joined by Mac Cardona of Talk ‘N Text, Asi Taulava of Coca-Cola and Jay Washington of San Miguel.
Dondon Hontiveros finished third in the MVP race with 650 points, but oddly enough, the San Miguel swingman could only land a place as one of the guards in the Second Team along with Willie Miller of Alaska, Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia and Jay-R Reyes and Gabe Norwood of Rain or Shine.
Norwood won the Rookie of the Year award handily, totaling 3,384 points, with San Miguel point guard Jonas Villanueva copping the Most Improved Player award over Paul Artadi and Reyes with 5,169 total points.
The awards were handed out in glitzy rites called the “Leo Awards,” named in honor of the late founding commissioner, Leopoldo Prieto, just before tip-off of Game 4 of the Motolite Fiesta Cup title series at the Araneta Coliseum.
Other awardees: All-Defensive Team—Arwind Santos, Asi Taulava, Ginebra’s Billy Mamaril and Ronald Tubid and Burger King’s Wynne Arboleda; Sportsmanship Award—Sta. Lucia’s Jay-R Reyes
July 12, 2009
FANS' WELFARE PROMPTS GAME 5 MOVE TO MONDAY
In keeping with its policy that welfare of the fans is optimum priority,
the PBA has decided to extend the championship break of Barangay Ginebra
and San Miguel Beer and resume the Finals of the 2009 Motolite PBA
Fiesta conference on Monday.
As per schedule, today marks a break in the best-of-seven series between
the Kings and the Beermen with the pivotal Game 5 supposedly set for
Sunday at the Cuneta Astrodome.
But the unforeseen got in the way, spoiling the thrilling showdown
between two of the league's most popular clubs.
During a routine check in preparation for Sunday's event, maintenance
staff of the Astrodome discovered that four of the venue's eight air
conditioning blowers are down and repair couldn't be completed in time
for Game 5.
"There is a tremendous clamor for tickets for Game 5. And based on our
assessment, the air conditioning system won't hold up to the huge crowd
that we are expecting," said PBA commissioner Renauld "Sonny" Barrios.
"We always want our fans to watch the games as if they are in the
comfort of their homes. Obviously, that's not possible under the present
situation at the Astrodome."
The league would have loved to hold Game 5 at the Araneta Coliseum
because it would also be able address the huge demand for tickets but
the Big Dome has been booked by the UAAP for Saturday and Sunday.
Holding games on a Monday is not something new for the PBA. Just last
April 20, it scheduled a twinbill at the Cuneta Astrodome to kick off
the 2009 All-Star Week.
This is the first time though that the league has scheduled a
championship game on a Monday.
"There is always a first time for everything. But there will be no
substitute to the welfare of our fans," Barrios said.
The series is tied at 2-2 with the defending champion Kings aiming to
become the first repeat champs since Red Bull in 2001.
May 14, 2009
RP team succumbs to Iran
JAKARTA - The Smart Gilas Pilipinas National Team badly needs a seven-footer in the lineup. Make that two skyscrapers if you're talking about beating reigning Fiba-Asia king Iran.Mahram Tehran went to its oversized frontline and overpowered Smart Gilas for a 98-87 triumph that gave the Philippines a reality check in the Fiba-Asia Champions Cup.
With two huge imports, the Iranians survived an 11-point deficit in the first half before going full blast, controlling the lanes on both ends of the floor to remove the sting out of the hard-fighting Filipino squad.
CJ Giles fell into early foul trouble and after fetching his fourth with just a few seconds had gone by in the third, RP coach Rajko Toroman pulled the 6-foot-10 banger out of the battlefield and was forced to put up an all-local stand.
Sans Giles in the middle, Smart Gilas became an easy target as Mahram's daunting frontline of Jackson Vroman (6-10), Priest Lauderdale (7-4), Hooman Rezaee (6-10) and Hamed Sohrabnejad (6-9) threw their weight around.
Jackson Vroman, who played for the Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Hornets in the NBA from 2004-2008, erupted for 42 points, 27 in the second half that wiped out the Philippines' 46-44 halftime lead.
A former NBA journeyman, Lauderdale was also unsinkable and finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds after making the entire Philippine quintet look like a bunch of school kids with his gigantic frame.
”It only showed that we're weak inside,'' said Toroman after Smart Gilas' first defeat in Group A following a convincing win over Sangmu of Korea the other day.
Toroman, who coached the Iranian team to the Beijing Olympics last year and has four players seeing action with Mahram, is convinced that Smart Gilas should get 6-foot-9 Japeth Aguilar and two more big men, preferably seven-footers, to have a fighting chance.
``This (Iran) team is stronger than its national team because my best players are here together with two solid former NBA players,'' said Toroman.
But despite the height disparity, the Filipinos didn't let the Iranians blow the game away.
Aldrech Ramos and Jason Ballesteros, both 6-foot-7s, courageously sacrificed themselves to somehow restrain the towering Iranians along with Mac Baracael (6-3) and Dylan Ababou (6-3).
Mark Barocca, Jayvee Casio, RJ Jazul and JR Cawaling were also aggressive on offense from start to finish as the Nationals fired 14 three-pointers to keep pace with the Iranians.
``They (Iranians) played better and used their experience,'' said Toroman of his team also sponsored by ACCEL, Molten, Burlington, Cebu Pacific and Collezione by Rhett Eala.
``But I'm very proud of my players. We showed great character and proved that we can be competitive.''
Successive threes by Giles and Ababou capped by a four-point play by Tiu off Mahdi Kamrany put the Philippines ahead, 18-12.
At one point, the Filipinos even opened up an 11-point lead but the Iranians, stubborn with their pressure defense at the backcourt, trimmed the gap with Vroman and Lauderdale taking turns on wreaking havoc.
Scores
IRAN 98 - Vroman 42, Bahrami 19, Lauderdale 16, Kamrany 8, Sohrabnejad 5, Kabir 3, Veishi 3, Eslameih 2, Nourafza 0, Atashi 0, Rezaee 0.
PHILIPPINES 87 - Barocca 18, Giles 14, Baracael 11, Ababou 11, Casio 9, Jazul 8, Tiu 8, Cawaling 3, Ramos 3, Ballesteros 2, Guevarra 0, Slaughter 0.
Quarters: 16-24, 44-46, 75-63, 98-87
With two huge imports, the Iranians survived an 11-point deficit in the first half before going full blast, controlling the lanes on both ends of the floor to remove the sting out of the hard-fighting Filipino squad.
CJ Giles fell into early foul trouble and after fetching his fourth with just a few seconds had gone by in the third, RP coach Rajko Toroman pulled the 6-foot-10 banger out of the battlefield and was forced to put up an all-local stand.
Sans Giles in the middle, Smart Gilas became an easy target as Mahram's daunting frontline of Jackson Vroman (6-10), Priest Lauderdale (7-4), Hooman Rezaee (6-10) and Hamed Sohrabnejad (6-9) threw their weight around.
Jackson Vroman, who played for the Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Hornets in the NBA from 2004-2008, erupted for 42 points, 27 in the second half that wiped out the Philippines' 46-44 halftime lead.
A former NBA journeyman, Lauderdale was also unsinkable and finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds after making the entire Philippine quintet look like a bunch of school kids with his gigantic frame.
”It only showed that we're weak inside,'' said Toroman after Smart Gilas' first defeat in Group A following a convincing win over Sangmu of Korea the other day.
Toroman, who coached the Iranian team to the Beijing Olympics last year and has four players seeing action with Mahram, is convinced that Smart Gilas should get 6-foot-9 Japeth Aguilar and two more big men, preferably seven-footers, to have a fighting chance.
``This (Iran) team is stronger than its national team because my best players are here together with two solid former NBA players,'' said Toroman.
But despite the height disparity, the Filipinos didn't let the Iranians blow the game away.
Aldrech Ramos and Jason Ballesteros, both 6-foot-7s, courageously sacrificed themselves to somehow restrain the towering Iranians along with Mac Baracael (6-3) and Dylan Ababou (6-3).
Mark Barocca, Jayvee Casio, RJ Jazul and JR Cawaling were also aggressive on offense from start to finish as the Nationals fired 14 three-pointers to keep pace with the Iranians.
``They (Iranians) played better and used their experience,'' said Toroman of his team also sponsored by ACCEL, Molten, Burlington, Cebu Pacific and Collezione by Rhett Eala.
``But I'm very proud of my players. We showed great character and proved that we can be competitive.''
Successive threes by Giles and Ababou capped by a four-point play by Tiu off Mahdi Kamrany put the Philippines ahead, 18-12.
At one point, the Filipinos even opened up an 11-point lead but the Iranians, stubborn with their pressure defense at the backcourt, trimmed the gap with Vroman and Lauderdale taking turns on wreaking havoc.
Scores
IRAN 98 - Vroman 42, Bahrami 19, Lauderdale 16, Kamrany 8, Sohrabnejad 5, Kabir 3, Veishi 3, Eslameih 2, Nourafza 0, Atashi 0, Rezaee 0.
PHILIPPINES 87 - Barocca 18, Giles 14, Baracael 11, Ababou 11, Casio 9, Jazul 8, Tiu 8, Cawaling 3, Ramos 3, Ballesteros 2, Guevarra 0, Slaughter 0.
Quarters: 16-24, 44-46, 75-63, 98-87
May 7, 2009
LEWIS PUTBACK LIFTS RAIN OR SHINE OVER TNT IN OT
Jai Lewis redeemed himself after missing a crucial free throw in regulation by scoring on a follow-up with three-tenths of a second remaining in overtime that lifted Rain or Shine to a 118-116 decision over Talk ‘N Text Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.With the count tied at 116-116, the Elasto Painters went to Sol Mercado, who attacked the lane with time winding down but missed the layup.
But the burly Lewis came out of nowhere, soared high for the offensive rebound and scored the winning basket. Lewis scored six points in the extra period and finished with 31 on a 10-of-20 shooting from the field. He missed five of 14 free throws but went 4-of-4 in overtime. As a team, ROS went 25-for-45 from the stripe.
“Missing 20 free throws was terrible. I guess we could win more games if we make our free throws,” said ROS coach Caloy Garcia.
The 20 missed free throws were a conference high for the franchise and tied the season-high with Red Bull, which missed as many free throws in an 89-83 loss to Alaska last conference in Oct. 16 of last year.
Their seventh win 12 games kept the Elasto Painters in the hunt for a top two finish and outright passage to the semifinals of the 2009 Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference.
It also avenged a 102-96 loss to Talk 'N Text in their first meeting last April 20 right before the league’s All-Star break.
Gabe Norwood scored 21 points but missed a key slam dunk that late in the fourth that enabled the Tropang Texters to charge back from a four-point deficit and grab a 103-102 lead with 1:30 remaining in regulation.
“That (missed slam) was crucial. But Gabe also hit a lot of big shots and played well on defense,” Garcia said.
Lewis and Norwood also combined for 26 boards as ROS outrebounded TNT, 55-49, while scoring 20 second chance points on 24 offensive boards.
Ryan Arana scored 18 points, Rob Wainwright added 14 and Mercado, who celebrated turned 25 that day, dished off 10 assists for ROS which shot 44 percent from the floor (41 of 92).
It was frustrating loss for TNT, which fell to 5-6 and losing three in a row for the first time since the period of Oct. 29-Nov 7 last year.
In a game that was played tight from start to the end, the two teams wound up combining for 13 deadlocks and 29 lead changes, the most fiercely-fought game of the season.
Gary Forbes, debuting as a replacement for Tiras Wade, played with a hamstring pull in his right thigh but still led TNT with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting and kept the team in the game in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Jason Castro added 19 points, including a trey that tied the count for the last time with nine seconds left in overtime before Lewis’ game-winner. Mark Cardona had 17 points and Jimmy Alapag added 15 for TNT, which committed a woeful 27 turnovers that netted ROS 24 points. (DBC)
The scores:
Rain or Shine 118 - Lewis 31, Norwood 21, Arana 18, Wainwright 14, Isip 8, Laure 8, Mercado 7, Tang 4, Reyes 4, Salangsang 3, Dulay 0, Ibanes 0.
Talk ‘N Text 116 - Forbes 21, Castro 19, Cardona 17, Alapag 15, Dillinger 13, De Ocampo R. 10, Peek 10, Ritualo 5, Aljamal 2, Carey 2, De Ocampo Y. 2.
Quarterscores: 22-22, 44-45, 73-73, 105-105, 118-116.
But the burly Lewis came out of nowhere, soared high for the offensive rebound and scored the winning basket. Lewis scored six points in the extra period and finished with 31 on a 10-of-20 shooting from the field. He missed five of 14 free throws but went 4-of-4 in overtime. As a team, ROS went 25-for-45 from the stripe.
“Missing 20 free throws was terrible. I guess we could win more games if we make our free throws,” said ROS coach Caloy Garcia.
The 20 missed free throws were a conference high for the franchise and tied the season-high with Red Bull, which missed as many free throws in an 89-83 loss to Alaska last conference in Oct. 16 of last year.
Their seventh win 12 games kept the Elasto Painters in the hunt for a top two finish and outright passage to the semifinals of the 2009 Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference.
It also avenged a 102-96 loss to Talk 'N Text in their first meeting last April 20 right before the league’s All-Star break.
Gabe Norwood scored 21 points but missed a key slam dunk that late in the fourth that enabled the Tropang Texters to charge back from a four-point deficit and grab a 103-102 lead with 1:30 remaining in regulation.
“That (missed slam) was crucial. But Gabe also hit a lot of big shots and played well on defense,” Garcia said.
Lewis and Norwood also combined for 26 boards as ROS outrebounded TNT, 55-49, while scoring 20 second chance points on 24 offensive boards.
Ryan Arana scored 18 points, Rob Wainwright added 14 and Mercado, who celebrated turned 25 that day, dished off 10 assists for ROS which shot 44 percent from the floor (41 of 92).
It was frustrating loss for TNT, which fell to 5-6 and losing three in a row for the first time since the period of Oct. 29-Nov 7 last year.
In a game that was played tight from start to the end, the two teams wound up combining for 13 deadlocks and 29 lead changes, the most fiercely-fought game of the season.
Gary Forbes, debuting as a replacement for Tiras Wade, played with a hamstring pull in his right thigh but still led TNT with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting and kept the team in the game in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Jason Castro added 19 points, including a trey that tied the count for the last time with nine seconds left in overtime before Lewis’ game-winner. Mark Cardona had 17 points and Jimmy Alapag added 15 for TNT, which committed a woeful 27 turnovers that netted ROS 24 points. (DBC)
The scores:
Rain or Shine 118 - Lewis 31, Norwood 21, Arana 18, Wainwright 14, Isip 8, Laure 8, Mercado 7, Tang 4, Reyes 4, Salangsang 3, Dulay 0, Ibanes 0.
Talk ‘N Text 116 - Forbes 21, Castro 19, Cardona 17, Alapag 15, Dillinger 13, De Ocampo R. 10, Peek 10, Ritualo 5, Aljamal 2, Carey 2, De Ocampo Y. 2.
Quarterscores: 22-22, 44-45, 73-73, 105-105, 118-116.
May 3, 2009
Santos stars as Burger King wallops Alaska
Coach Yeng Guiao had his first ejection in a game with Burger King Sunday night, and don't expect it to be the last. Guiao was elated how his players responded on his banishment.
"Pwede pala akong magpatapon ng magpatapon sa team na ito," Guiao said in jest moments after his Whoppers turned back the Alaska Milk Aces, 106-88, at the Cuneta Astrodome.
"Seriously, I think we really have a high winning percentage even with my old team when I'm thrown out. This is a new team for me. This is the first time they're tested this way with me getting ejected and the team left facing adversity. They responded very well and, to me, that's a good sign," Guiao added.
The Whoppers stepped on the gas upon Guiao's exit, pulling away from the Aces en route to a second straight win that enhanced their bid for a Top Four finish in the Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference classification round.
Arwind Santos put in a personal season-high of 31 points that went on top of six rebounds and four assists, leading the Whoppers to the win that had them catching up with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at fifth place with identical 6-5 win-loss cards.
"I've been keeping on telling the guys to believe we can still make it. If we keep on winning, we have an outside chance of getting outright semis entry or at least a twice-to-beat edge in the first round of the playoffs," said Guiao.
Overwhelmed by the Whoppers at the finish, the Aces stayed buried in the lower half of the chart with a 4-7 slate.
Santos teamed up with Gary David and Egay Billones in fueling BK's breakaway from a 78-74 edge.
Guiao was ejected moments before that, flaring up on a foul incurred by Erick Rodriguez on Rosell Ellis.
LA Tenorio, Ellis and Willie Miller hit four successive free throws to make it 74-78 with 8:54 left to play.
Then came the decisive BK run highlighted by two three-pointers by Santos and one each from Billones and David.
Burger King made a huge swing right in the first half, charging from an eight-point deficit, 16-24, to build a 15-point spread at 49-34.
The Whoppers actually surged ahead, 27-24, even before the first quarter came to an end, but the Aces regained the upper hand at 28-27 before fading away.
New acquisition Mark Yee, Santos and Billones had huge contributions in BK's searing second-quarter assault giving the Whoppers a 51-42 spread at halftime.
Beau Belga, JR Quinahan and Aaron Aban led the BK attack early on before Yee, Santos and Billones took over while import Shawn Daniels just concentrated on tending the boards.
Daniels was 0-of-7 from the field but had 10 rebounds in the first 24 minutes of play. (NC)
The scores
Burger King 106 - Santos 31, Quinahan 13, Billones 12, Yee 11, Belga 9, Daniels 9, Aban 7, David 7, Arboleda 5, Rodriguez 2.
Alaska 88 - De Vance 25 , Ellis 22, Miller 12, Hugnatan 11, Tenorio 7, Cariaso 6, Thoss 3, Borboran 2, Fonacier 0, Ferriols 0, Cablay 0, Dela Cruz 0.
Quarterscores: 27-28, 51-42, 76-68, 106-88
"Pwede pala akong magpatapon ng magpatapon sa team na ito," Guiao said in jest moments after his Whoppers turned back the Alaska Milk Aces, 106-88, at the Cuneta Astrodome.
"Seriously, I think we really have a high winning percentage even with my old team when I'm thrown out. This is a new team for me. This is the first time they're tested this way with me getting ejected and the team left facing adversity. They responded very well and, to me, that's a good sign," Guiao added.
The Whoppers stepped on the gas upon Guiao's exit, pulling away from the Aces en route to a second straight win that enhanced their bid for a Top Four finish in the Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference classification round.
Arwind Santos put in a personal season-high of 31 points that went on top of six rebounds and four assists, leading the Whoppers to the win that had them catching up with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at fifth place with identical 6-5 win-loss cards.
"I've been keeping on telling the guys to believe we can still make it. If we keep on winning, we have an outside chance of getting outright semis entry or at least a twice-to-beat edge in the first round of the playoffs," said Guiao.
Overwhelmed by the Whoppers at the finish, the Aces stayed buried in the lower half of the chart with a 4-7 slate.
Santos teamed up with Gary David and Egay Billones in fueling BK's breakaway from a 78-74 edge.
Guiao was ejected moments before that, flaring up on a foul incurred by Erick Rodriguez on Rosell Ellis.
LA Tenorio, Ellis and Willie Miller hit four successive free throws to make it 74-78 with 8:54 left to play.
Then came the decisive BK run highlighted by two three-pointers by Santos and one each from Billones and David.
Burger King made a huge swing right in the first half, charging from an eight-point deficit, 16-24, to build a 15-point spread at 49-34.
The Whoppers actually surged ahead, 27-24, even before the first quarter came to an end, but the Aces regained the upper hand at 28-27 before fading away.
New acquisition Mark Yee, Santos and Billones had huge contributions in BK's searing second-quarter assault giving the Whoppers a 51-42 spread at halftime.
Beau Belga, JR Quinahan and Aaron Aban led the BK attack early on before Yee, Santos and Billones took over while import Shawn Daniels just concentrated on tending the boards.
Daniels was 0-of-7 from the field but had 10 rebounds in the first 24 minutes of play. (NC)
The scores
Burger King 106 - Santos 31, Quinahan 13, Billones 12, Yee 11, Belga 9, Daniels 9, Aban 7, David 7, Arboleda 5, Rodriguez 2.
Alaska 88 - De Vance 25 , Ellis 22, Miller 12, Hugnatan 11, Tenorio 7, Cariaso 6, Thoss 3, Borboran 2, Fonacier 0, Ferriols 0, Cablay 0, Dela Cruz 0.
Quarterscores: 27-28, 51-42, 76-68, 106-88
April 30, 2009
PBA: Chandler leads Purefoods over Coca Cola Tigers
COCA-COLA COACH KENNETH Duremdes sat on the bench wearing sunglasses because of sore eyes.
He might have been better off covering them completely to avoid the sight of the Tigers collapsing in the stretch and Marquin Chandler dominating for Purefoods on both ends.
Chandler celebrated his return with 30 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks last night, leading the Tender Juicy Giants to a 92-85 taming of the Tigers in the Motolite PBA Fiesta Cup eliminations at the Araneta Coliseum.
“That’s the reason why we patiently waited (for Chandler),” Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio proudly told sportswriters.
Chandler, a former winner of the Best Import award, did almost everything in the stretch for the Giants, highlighting his offensive show with a seven-point string to snuff the fight out of the Tigers and rise to 5-4.
James Yap scored 22 points, his only basket in the fourth quarter coming at the final 76-second mark, to make it 88-83.
Coca-Cola, which dropped to 2-6, was held to just two points in a three-minute, 13-second span when Chandler ran berserk to give Purefoods an 86-79 lead going into the final 3:31 from 76-77 with 6:16 to play.
Purefoods actually blew a 12-point second quarter lead and had to rally from three 10-point deficits in the third, using a 10-2 run to open the fourth period and regain the lead at 74-73.
Penny had 17 points to share scoring honors for the Tigers with Nic Belasco, who was tossed out in the final 36.6 seconds after a flagrant foul on Peter June Simon as Coca-Cola dropped to 2-6.
The scores:
First Game
PUREFOODS 92—Chandler 30, J.Yap 22, Adducul 9, Raymundo 9, Simon 8, Villanueva 5, Canaleta 4, Cruz 3, R.Yap 2, Robinson 0.
COCA-COLA 85—Penny 17, Belasco 17, Cabagnot 13, Taulava 12, Telan 8, Buenafe 5, Macapagal 5, Catli 5, Dimaunahan 3, Rizada 0, Avenido 0.
Quarters: 22-14, 45-41, 64-71, 92-85
April 27, 2009
PBA All Stars Defeat Team Pilipinas
For coach Yeng Guiao, his Powerade Team Pilipinas learned a lot more in one loss they suffered Sunday night than in four games they had won earlier.
"We're just learning the deeper character of the players that we have. The true test of character is in adversity. We need adversity to test the players' character. And I'm happy with what I've seen," said Guiao.
The RP mentor had this remark moments after the Nationals were beaten by the reinforced PBA All Stars, 89-97, in the climax of the 2009 Motolite PBA All Star Week at the Araneta Coliseum.
The All Stars sent the Nationals' streak to a screeching halt after the RP squad swept its two-game goodwill series versus an Australian selection then won the first two games of the 2009 All Star festivities.
PBA All-Star coach Chot Reyes, mentor of the RP team that placed ninth in the 2007 FIBA Asia championship in Tokushima, Japan, himself was impressed with what he has seen with Guiao's team.
"I'm grading them very high, about 85 to 90 percent. I gave them a high mark as they play very hard, tough on defense and show excellent teamwork," said Reyes.
"No question, this team has a lot of athletic players. With their athletic ability, if the wingmen hit the outside shots, they will be very, very strong. It will be a fantastic team," Reyes added.
Reyes maximized the use of imports David Noel, Gabe Freeman, Anthony Johnson and Jai Lewis as the All Stars foiled the Nationals' bid to complete a sweep of the three-game series backed by Powerade, Coca-Cola, Nike, Accel and Phoenix Fuel.
Noel, the Ginebra import, had a great night, topping the slam dunk contest then leading the All Stars to their eight-point conquest of the Nationals.
The former North Carolina Tar Heel churned out 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in a solid 26-minute outing. He was later named the game's MVP.
"It was a tough game and we're lucky we had four imports on our side. This is a learning process for the RP team and we came out to contribute something to them. We played a game this team would encounter in the international competition," said Reyes.
"It was a loss which can be useful for us. We could have fall into a false sense of security had we won the game," said Guiao, on the other hand. "Despite the loss, I'm still very positive with the progress of the team."
As in their initial outings, the Nationals played a balanced offensive game with Arwind Santos topscoring with 18 and James Yap, Mick Pennisi and Willie Miller adding at least 11 each.
Kelly Williams missed the game as he's down with an ailment.
Ranged against the starters of the North and South All Stars reinforced by four imports, the Nationals put up a tough stand, engaging their rivals in 10 dead locks and 11 lead changes.
They were ahead by five at 83-78 but were outmaneuvered by the All Stars in the homestretch.
Noel tossed in nine of his 18 points in the final quarter, capping his exploits with a personal five-point binge that gave the All Stars a 94-86 lead with 2:46 left to play. (NC)
The scores:
PBA All Stars Selection 97 - Noel 18, Washington 15, Freeman 12, Alapag 12, Johnson 10, Lewis 8, Cardona 6, Artadi 5, Pena 4, Menk 4, Villanueva 3, Hontiveros 0.
Powerade Team Pilipinas 89 - Santos 18, Yap 13, Pennisi 13, Miller 11, De Ocampo 8, Raymundo 7, Dillenger 5, Norwood 4, Taulava 4, Helterbrand 3, Thoss 2, Baguio 1, Reyes O.
Quarterscores: 24-23, 46-46, 71-71, 97-89
"We're just learning the deeper character of the players that we have. The true test of character is in adversity. We need adversity to test the players' character. And I'm happy with what I've seen," said Guiao.
The RP mentor had this remark moments after the Nationals were beaten by the reinforced PBA All Stars, 89-97, in the climax of the 2009 Motolite PBA All Star Week at the Araneta Coliseum.
The All Stars sent the Nationals' streak to a screeching halt after the RP squad swept its two-game goodwill series versus an Australian selection then won the first two games of the 2009 All Star festivities.
PBA All-Star coach Chot Reyes, mentor of the RP team that placed ninth in the 2007 FIBA Asia championship in Tokushima, Japan, himself was impressed with what he has seen with Guiao's team.
"I'm grading them very high, about 85 to 90 percent. I gave them a high mark as they play very hard, tough on defense and show excellent teamwork," said Reyes.
"No question, this team has a lot of athletic players. With their athletic ability, if the wingmen hit the outside shots, they will be very, very strong. It will be a fantastic team," Reyes added.
Reyes maximized the use of imports David Noel, Gabe Freeman, Anthony Johnson and Jai Lewis as the All Stars foiled the Nationals' bid to complete a sweep of the three-game series backed by Powerade, Coca-Cola, Nike, Accel and Phoenix Fuel.
Noel, the Ginebra import, had a great night, topping the slam dunk contest then leading the All Stars to their eight-point conquest of the Nationals.
The former North Carolina Tar Heel churned out 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in a solid 26-minute outing. He was later named the game's MVP.
"It was a tough game and we're lucky we had four imports on our side. This is a learning process for the RP team and we came out to contribute something to them. We played a game this team would encounter in the international competition," said Reyes.
"It was a loss which can be useful for us. We could have fall into a false sense of security had we won the game," said Guiao, on the other hand. "Despite the loss, I'm still very positive with the progress of the team."
As in their initial outings, the Nationals played a balanced offensive game with Arwind Santos topscoring with 18 and James Yap, Mick Pennisi and Willie Miller adding at least 11 each.
Kelly Williams missed the game as he's down with an ailment.
Ranged against the starters of the North and South All Stars reinforced by four imports, the Nationals put up a tough stand, engaging their rivals in 10 dead locks and 11 lead changes.
They were ahead by five at 83-78 but were outmaneuvered by the All Stars in the homestretch.
Noel tossed in nine of his 18 points in the final quarter, capping his exploits with a personal five-point binge that gave the All Stars a 94-86 lead with 2:46 left to play. (NC)
The scores:
PBA All Stars Selection 97 - Noel 18, Washington 15, Freeman 12, Alapag 12, Johnson 10, Lewis 8, Cardona 6, Artadi 5, Pena 4, Menk 4, Villanueva 3, Hontiveros 0.
Powerade Team Pilipinas 89 - Santos 18, Yap 13, Pennisi 13, Miller 11, De Ocampo 8, Raymundo 7, Dillenger 5, Norwood 4, Taulava 4, Helterbrand 3, Thoss 2, Baguio 1, Reyes O.
Quarterscores: 24-23, 46-46, 71-71, 97-89
April 17, 2009
ALASKA checks slides, stops BARAKO BULL
Willie Miller did pretty well coming off the bench, scoring in the clutch with the game on the line and helping Alaska weather a late charge by the Barako Bull for a 100-90 victory Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
Alaska’s best closer scored nine of his game-high 28 points in the last six and a half minutes of the game, including six straight points as the Aces extended a one-point deficit to 87-82 and went on to snap a three-game losing streak in the Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference.
Coming off the bench for only the second time in 40 games this season Miller didn’t seem distracted by coach Tim Cone’s surprise move, making 12 of 19 shots including 3-of-7 from behind the arc, cornered six rebounds, had four assists and two steals in 35 minutes.
The Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference matched his highest output this conference which he registered in a 96-94 loss to Rain or Shine last March 12.
“We got a little aggressiveness from Willie tonight,” said Cone of his two-time MVP who wasn’t a starter for the first time this conference.
Cone admitted the last two weeks had been tough for him and his troops but was glad “we finally got the monkey off our backs.”
“We’ve been practicing really well (but) we just couldn’t translate it in the game. So it gets you really,” said Cone, adding the Aces never really established a good rhythm this conference for reasons beyond their control.
“Right now we’re just trying to get ourselves ready for the playoffs. Nobody’s getting eliminated but we’re hoping we could avoid being the ninth or 10th seed.”
Rosell Ellis scored 20 points, Jeffrey Cariaso, starting in place of Miller, had 16 and LA Tenorio added 11 for the Aces, who improved to a 3-6 (win-loss) record.
With Reed Juntilla and Gabby Espinas taking care of business, the Barakos raced to a 16-8 lead but the Aces picked up the pace and closed the opening quarter with a 14-6 run to pull even at 22-22.
The Barakos, who fell to 3-6 with their second straight defeat, regained a 41-38 lead on back-to-back baskets by Carlo Sharma before the Aces responded with a 12-4 run to for a 50-45 halftime lead.
Alaska extended the margin to 76-65 on a three-pointer by Mark Borboran but the Barakos refused to go away quietly and threatened again at 80-81 on a 3-pointer by John Arigo before Miller got the job done.
Arigo scored 25 points and Jeff Varem tallied the conference’s second triple double with 13 points, 23 boards and 10 assists in this first game for the Barakos, who outrebounded the Aces, 51-41, but gave up 22 points on 24 turnovers. (DBC)
The scores:
Alaska 100 - Miller 28, Ellis 20, Cariaso 16, Tenorio 11, Borboran 7, Thoss 7, Ferriols 7, De Vance 2, Fonacier 2, Hugnatan 0, Cablay 0.
Barako Bull 90 - Arigo 25, Varem 13, Espinas 13, Juntilla 12, Najorda 10, Sharma 6, Hubalde 5, Rodriguez 4, Chan 2, Duncil 0, Hrabak 0, Crisano 0.
Quarterscores: 22-22, 50-45, 73-65, 100-90.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)