PBA Scores, News and Updates

[Zurca]

Rookies lead Rain or Shine to secure twice to beat edge (01/18/14)

MANILA, Philippines - In the PBA, there's absolutely no room for complacency.

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters came too close to learning that lesson the hard way. They allowed the Air21 Express to climb back from a 20-point hole in the third before getting back in control in the payoff period and securing the second seed and the twice-to-beat edge, 104-94, on Saturday, January 18 in the PLDT myDSL Philippine Cup at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

"We prepared seriously for this game. We knew that it would be crucial for us to get the twice to beat advantage," Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao said.

"Everybody made a contribution in this game. We knew how dangerous Air21 is, especially playing without pressure. We did not take this game lightly, we prepared for it mentally and physically."

The Painters built their biggest lead of the ball game at 20, 43-23, in the second period. They then held a 54-41 halftime advantage that was a product of an 11-5 disparity in assists, coupled with efficient shooting (18-of-28 or 64.3%) in the first 24 minutes. But the Painters fell complacent in the third quarter, allowing Air21 a window of opportunity.

The Express readily scratched and clawed their way to that window as they trimmed the deficit to three, 73-70, on a split by Asi Taulava on the line with 3:17 to play in the third.

But Rain or Shine's rookies came to play in this game and simply refused to leave the Big Dome without ensuring they owned the second seed in the playoffs.

Former King Tiger for the University of Santo Tomas Jeric Teng strutted some of the sweet shooting he was known for as a star shooting guard by scoring on two triples and finishing with 13 points and 7 boards.

Alex Nuyles, the rookie forward out of Adamson University, once again showcased his athleticism and the shooting touch he's been working on in the pros. Nuyles pushed Rain or Shine's lead heading into the fourth, 81-74, with a high-looping shot that kissed the bottom of the net perfectly.

He then scored the Painters' first 4 points of the final period to bring the lead back up to 11, 85-74. Nuyles finished with 13 points and added 4 rebounds.

Next to step up was the pride of Colegio de San Juan de Letran. The third overall pick in last year’s draft and lanky big man Raymond Almazan authored a 6-1 run all by himself and challenged veteran Taulava without hesitation. He later scored a bucket at the 5:56 mark to make it a 16-point mountain for Air21, 96-80.

Almazan scored 13 as well and grabbed 8 rebounds.

"I'm very happy with the 3 rookies. It was really an opportunity for them," Guiao said. "I knew if we had a good lead I was going to be able to rest Paul (Lee), Gabe (Norwood) and Jeff (Chan). They (rookies) did justice to the playing time that was given to them."

The Painters will move on to the playoffs as the second seed and will go up against the seventh seed who will have to beat Rain or Shine twice to advance.

Scores:

Rain or Shine (104): Almazan 13, Nuyles 13, Teng 13, Arana 10, Rodriguez 10, Belga 7, Cruz 7, Chan 7, Lee 7, Norwood 7, Tiu 5, Tang 2, Ibanes 2, Quinahan 1.

Air21 (94): Yeo 19, Canaleta 19, Manuel 17, Taulava 16, Ritualo 13, Custodio 6, Cardona 4, Borboran 0, Jaime 0, Matias 0, Espiritu 0, Sharma 0, Camson 0.

Quarters: 28-17, 54-41, 81-74, 104-94

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Alaska survives Barako Bull to force playoff with Meralco (01/19/14)

MANILA, Philippines - The Alaska Aces, teetering on the edge of a cliff and close to missing the playoffs, pulled themselves back to slightly safer ground as they gave themselves one final chance at making the top 8 in the standings.

The Aces played impeccable basketball in the pivotal fourth period to finally break free from the fierce grip of the Barako Bull Energy Cola, 89-80, on Sunday, January 19 in the PLDT myDSL Philippine Cup at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

"We live to fight another day. It's been painful this conference," Alaska head coach Luigi Trillo said.

After multiple attempts at pulling away from the pesky Energy Cola all throughout, Alaska found a rhythm that worked well for them on both ends of the floor for most of the final quarter.

Despite playing that period sans 2013 Rookie of the Year Calvin Abueva, who fouled out with 10:23 left, the Aces went on a 15-4 blitz thanks to the combined offensive outburst of JVee Casio, Cyrus Baguio and Gabby Espinas. That run was capped off by a Tony Dela Cruz jumper with 5:41 remaining that made it an 11-point 79-68 lead.

A triple by RJ Jazul with 3:10 left to play stretched the Aces' advantage to 15 points, 87-72.

All that was a product of Alaska tightening the knob on defense to stifle Barako's offense. It was also due to exceptional ball movement, which basically made their offense unpredictable for Barako.

"Today we played much better in terms of having killer instinct," Trillo explained. "We went up by 6 or 7 and then we stepped on the gas pedal."

Casio led the Aces with 24 points as he waxed hot from deep with 4 three-pointers. Espinas flirted with the double-double with 21 points and 9 rebounds.

For Barako, rookie Carlo Lastimosa shone bright with 11 points behind Ronjay Buenafe's 14 markers. They remain at sixth place and will be going up against the third seed.

Meanwhile, the dominant victory by Alaska allowed them to set up a playoff for the eighth and final spot against the Meralco Bolts on Monday, January 20 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Trillo expects Meralco to be a difficult mountain to climb for the Aces.

"It's a veteran team, highest respect for coach Ryan (Gregorio)," Trillo said. "We know what Gary David and Jared (Dillinger) and those other guys can do. We're just thankful for the opportunity and thankful for lessons learned.

Scores:

Alaska (89): Casio 24, Espinas 21, Jazul 11, Abueva 9, Baguio 8, Thoss 6, Eman 6, Dela Cruz 4, Hontiveros 0, Avenido 0, Ramos 0, Buenafe 0.

Barako Bull (80): Buenafe 14, Lastimosa 11, Pena 8, Macapagal 7, Miller 7, Jensen 6, Wilson 6, Isip 6, Pennisi 6, Intal 5, Maierhofer 2, Miranda 2, Marcelo 0, Labagala 0.

Quarters: 22-17, 41-38, 62-63, 89-80

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Talk 'N Text crushes listless Ginebra in statement game (01/19/14)

MANILA, Philippines - It was a no-bearing game for league-leading Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. But for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters, it was a game that could help build their momentum coming into the playoffs and send out a statement reminding the league that they are still the 3-time Philippine Cup defending champions.

The Texters simply laid Ginebra to waste as they shot the lights out from rainbow country as early as the opening period to run away with it, 103-79, in the PLDT myDSL Philippine Cup on Sunday, January 19 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

"We lost our last 3 games in a row. So this was a game where we just wanted to try and build some confidence and momentum going into the quarter finals," said Talk 'N Text head coach Norman Black. "But I never expected that we would beat them by this margin."

He added: "It may have something to do with the fact that it was a no-bearing game for both teams but at the same time we needed the momentum going into the quarters. It's a good win for us.”

Jimmy Alapag led the three-point scoring binge in the first 24 minutes of play as he waxed hot to notch a perfect 5-of-5 from long range. He went on to score all of his 17 points in the first half alone and even dished out 5 assists.

The Texters had a total of 10 triples in the first half as well with 3 of those coming from Ranidel De Ocampo and two from playmaker Jai Reyes. Their 62.5% shooting from beyond the arc gave them a huge 62-39 advantage at the break.

After that Talk 'N Text went on cruise control in the second half with their shots continuing to fall for them as opposed to a Ginebra team that struggle mightily on all fronts.

The number one seed had no answer for Talk 'N Text at all and were buried by as much as 28 points, 103-75, late in the fourth.

Greg Slaughter finished in double-digits as usual with 15 points along with 5 assists. Mark Caguioa added 11 points as Japeth Aguilar was noticeably quiet with just 6 points.

Talk 'N Text will face San Mig Coffee on Tuesday, January 21 at the Mall of Asia Arena in a best-of-3 quarter finals affair. Ginebra, on the other hand, will await the winner of tomorrow's playoff for eighth between the Meralco Bolts and Alaska Aces.

Scores:

Talk 'N Text (103): Seigle 20, De Ocampo 19, Alapag 17, Peek 10, Castro 8, Ferriols 7, Reyes 6, Fonacier 6, Aban 4, Anthony 4, Reyes 2, Poligrates 0.

Ginebra (79): Slaughter 15, Caguioa 11, Tenorio 9, Mamaril 8, Ellis 7, Aguilar 6, Helterbrand 6, Ababou 5, Monfort 5, Reyes 4, Baracael 3, Urbiztondo 0, Forrester 0, Faundo 0.

Quarters: 32-21, 62-39, 84-62, 103-79

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Hans Sy says SM Group in the process of 'studying possibility' of joining PBA

THE SM Group is now in the process of studying the possibility of joining the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

No less than SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy confirmed to Spin.ph that officials of Asia’s pioneering pro league have already approached the company about becoming its newest member ballclub.

At present, however, Sy said the giant mall chain is non-committal about putting up a ballclub in the PBA, which is aggressively pursuing plans to expand its current 10-team roster.

“We are still in a very initial stage,” Sy said in an interview with Spin.ph after he watched the National University baseball team play in the UAAP at the Rizal Memorial ballpark on Sunday.

The SM Group already has a standing relationship with the PBA as several of the league's games are being held at the Sy-owned Mall of Asia Arena.

SM is also bankrolling a team in the PBA D-League that carries the colors of Banco De Oro, which is made up of the core of the college team of NU which the Sys also control.

Sy, however, said the company is still far from making a decision on the matter.

“I would not say it’s going towards there yet,” said Sy, who spearheaded efforts to bring the first NBA preseason game to the country last year, reportedly to the tune of P350 million.

The son of the country's richest man, Henry Sy, said the company will weigh all implications of such a move before making a decision, primarily its impact on its marketing plans and the support of fans.

“We are assessing the situation between the fans and the market,” Sy said.

One major concern for Sy is that by joining the PBA, the company's malls and products risk losing the patronage of rabid fans of rival ballclubs.

“The problem here is fans get a bit too engrossed, baka mamaya walang magpunta sa amin. So our marketing (department) is still making an assessment,” said Sy.

Sy, however, admitted that joining the PBA will add prestige to the company due to the pro league's popularity.

“I can’t really tell right now. We know it’s popular and we like to support it. Pero we have to watch the market also,” Sy said.

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Petron to switch back to San Miguel Beermen name

MANILA, Philippines – The San Miguel Beermen are back.

The Petron Blaze Boosters are set to switch back to its former name San Miguel Beermen starting next conference in the Commissioner's Cup, the Philippine Basketball Association's (PBA) second conference.

Team manager Siot Tanquincen confirmed the news to Rappler in a text message saying the name would, indeed, be changed.

San Miguel Corporation chief Ramon S. Ang also told Rappler that they will "now promote SMB (San Miguel Beermen) again in PBA."

The switch comes just in time for the 25th anniversary of the franchise's 1989 Grand Slam feat, where they swept all three conferences in that year.

In a phone call with Rappler, PBA Media Bureau Chief Willie Marcial explained that the PBA received the letter from the San Miguel Corporation owned team on Monday afternoon, January 13. He said the change of name is the franchise's prerogative and they informed the PBA as courtesy.

One of the pioneers in the PBA, the franchise gained popularity and made a name for itself in the 90s and early 2000s using the San Miguel Beermen monicker. They are leading the league in number of titles with a total of 19 championships.

At present, the franchise is led by 2013 PBA MVP Arwind Santos and 2013 Rookie of the Year runner-up June Mar Fajardo along with a deadly backcourt comprised of Marcio Lassiter, Alex Cabagnot and Chris Lutz.

Asked how Marcial thinks this will affect the PBA's following, he said the current reaction he's seeing on social media is that fans are generally happy about it.

From Rappler.com

[toretto]

Talk 'N Text gets boost for playoffs by acquiring Canaleta in three-player trade




TALK ‘N Text’s drive for a fourth successive PBA Philippine Cup title got a huge boost after acquiring sweet-shooting forward Nino Canaleta from Air21 in exchange for forward Sean Anthony, rookie guard Eliud Poligrates, and the Tropang Texters’ 2016 first-round pick.

The arrival of Canaleta, Air21’s leading scorer last season, injects a solid scoring threat to a Talk ‘N Text squad that looked vulnerable towards the latter part of the second round of the eliminations until it came to life in a 103-79 win over leader Barangay Ginebra on Sunday.

The three-player deal was approved by PBA commissioner Chito Salud on Monday, just in time for the 12 noon trade deadline set by the league.

Canaleta, a many-time slam-dunk champion who has improved his perimeter game by leaps and bounds in recent years, should be a big boost to the offense of the Tropang Texters, who emerged the No. 4 seeds in the quarterfinals with their 8-6 win-loss record.

However, coach Norman Black will have only a few days to break the 6-6 Canaleta into his rotation prior to the Texters' best-of-three quarterfinals against fifth seed San Mig.

Canaleta, last season’s Most Improved Player, averaged 16.5 points and 6.3 rebounds for the Express this conference where Air21 tumbled out of contention with an anemic 3-11 win-loss record.

With the trade, the high-leaper finds himself suddenly seeing action in the playoffs.

On the other hand, Cebuano Poligrates, taken with the 27th pick overall by Talk 'N Text in this year's draft, gives the Express the legitimate point guard they sorely lacked in the season-opening conference.

Anthony normed 5.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 assist in more than 18 minutes of action for Talk ‘N Text this season.

From Spin.ph

[Zurca]

Alaska prevails over Meralco, barges into playoffs (01/20/14)

MANILA, Philippines – Most of the Alaska Aces struggled all conference long, but everyone of them played stellar games when they needed it the most.

Facing the danger of elimination, the Alaska Aces emerged victorious in an intense showdown to book the last ticket to the PLDT Home DSL PBA Philippine Cup quartefinals following a 94-91 conquest of the Meraldo Bolts on Monday, January 20 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Aces will take the 8th and last seed in a game highlighted by scuffles brought by excessive aggression and tempers flaring from both camps. They will face the twice-to-beat top seed Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel starting on Wednesday, January 22.

Sonny Thoss shot 60% from the field en route to finishing with 21 points and 7 rebounds; Dondon Hontiveros fired 20 points, while Cyrus Baguio and Gabby Espinas added 16 apiece.

It was a heated exchange in the first 24 minutes, with both teams staging runs in a game that saw 8 lead changes and 2 deadlocks. Neither team led by more than 8 in the first half, with Alaska managing to keep a 42-39 edge heading into their dugouts.

The story would change in the third period however, with Sonny Thoss and Gabby Espinas muscling their way inside the paint and Dondon Hontiveros putting up key baskets. The Aces pulled away from a tight ball game and erected a 61-44 bubble mid-way in the third period.

But that huge lead evaporated quickly as Gary David would do everything he could to keep Meralco's conference alive.

The reigning PBA scoring champ fired at will and rifled 16 points in the final quarter, including a four-point play under the final minute as Meralco clawed back to make it 90-89.

Thoss then missed free throws while David's potential go-ahead basket went short. Hontiveros collared the rebound with 13.4 seconds and sank two free throws to give the Aces a 92-89 edge.

With no timeouts remaining, Jared Dillinger rushed towards their basket and sank a fastbreak layup, pulling Meralco within 91-92, 5.3 ticks remaining.

Hontiveros was fouled anew with 4.5 seconds to go and calmly hit both freebies to make it 94-91 even as Cliff Hodge's 45-foot heave went down the drain, ending Meralco's campaign in the Philippine Cup.

"It's our first to win back to back. I'm just proud of my guys. It's more of attrition for us," said Alaska head coach Luigi Trillo, whose troops survived their second straight do-or-die game.

"Meralco didn't give up and we had to weather that storm. We'll take the win and we'll look forward to bigger things, which is Ginebra."

Fight-marred knockout game

Tempers flared early in the all-important do-or-die match; Alaska's Cyrus Baguio gave Meralco's Paul Artadi a clothesline underneath the basket with only 26.2 seconds left in the first quarter. Both players were quickly restrained and were slapped with technical fouls.

Later in the second quarter, Bolts forward Cliff Hodge received an elbow from the Aces' Gabby Espinas which caused both players to topple over.

Out of momentum, Espinas landed a forearm on Hodge's face upon falling which angered Hodge afterwards. Their teammates prevented further damage while Espinas was given a flagrant foul penalty one.

It will be the first time the Bolts won't be able to sail past the elimination round of the Philippine Cup. Alaska meanwhile, hopes to survive again against league-leading Ginebra sans Calvin Abueva, who sprained his right ankle in the first half.

The scores

Alaska (94) - Thoss 21, Hontiveros 20, Espinas 16, Baguio 16, Casio 13, Jazul 4, Eman 4, Dela Cruz 0, Ramos 0, Abeuva 0

Meralco (91) - David 20, Artadi 15, Hodge 14, Dillinger 12, Salvacion 11, Wilson 9, Hugnatan 6, Ildefonso 2, Allado 2, Timberlake 0, Al-Hussaini 0

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Petron's three-point party shuts down Barako Bull in Game 1 (01/21/14)

MANILA, Philippines - Using a continuous barrage of outside shots in the second half, the Petron Blaze Boosters shut down Barako Bull Energy in the fourth period to pull away and take game 1, 101-88, in their best-of-3 quarterfinals showdown in the PLDT Home DSL PBA PhiIippine Cup on Tuesday, January 21 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Boosters held the Energy scoreless for over five minutes while putting together a stifling 17-0 run in the fourth quarter to break away from a close affair and bury Barako Bull.

After shooting a paltry 10% from three-point land in the first two quarters, Petron's shooters smoked hot from downtown, burying 8-of-14 in the second half.

Alex Cabagnot had a hot hand in the final 24 minutes, hitting 4 triples in the second half, while Marcio Lassiter, who had just flown back from the United States to attend his grandmother's death, knocked down 3 treys in the fourth quarter alone, as Petron outscored Barako in the final two quarters, 59-39.

Cabagnot and Lassiter connected on all of their three-point shots in the final two quarters. They both finished with 17 points to lead 6 Boosters in double-figures.

"We just got lucky and shot the ball really well in the second half. In the first half we were tentative with our shots. In the second half, it was a great turnaround," said Petron head coach Gee Abanilla, who also lauded the toughness of his shooter Lassiter.

"Marcio just came in from the United States and gave us a very good contribution."

Barako Bull held a small margin for most of the way, with Petron having a miserable-shooting first half. They led by as much as 12 in the first half and last took the edge at 78-71 on Willie Miller's and-one play with 10:16 in the fourth, before Petron countered with 17 unanswered points in a huge rally.

An Alex Cabagnot trey during the last three minutes gave Petron their biggest advantage at 99-82, before the Energy made it a bit more respectable.

Game two will be played Friday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The scores:

Petron - Lassiter 17, Cabagnot 17, Santos 17, Fajardo 15, Lutz 14, Ross 10, Tubid 6, Lanete 4, Taha 1, Duncil 0, Kramer 0.

Barako Bull - Miller 17, Buenafe 17, Intal 15, Peña 9, Miranda 9, Wilson 8, Jensen 5, Maierhofer 3, Pennisi 3, Macapagal 2, Lastimosa 0, Marcelo 0.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Simon leads San Mig over miserable-performing TNT (01/21/14)

MANILA, Philippines - Peter June Simon contributed 20 points as San Mig Coffee feasted on Talk 'N Text's miserable showing to notch game 1 with a 90-83 victory in their best-of-3 quarterfinals in the PLDT Home DSL PBA PhiIippine Cup on Tuesday, January 21 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The scoring apostle Simon finished with 20 points on 50% shooting and added 7 rebounds and 3 assists while the Mixers outplayed and outran the Tropang Texters to go 1-0 in the series.

San Mig limited TNT to just 32 points in the first half, and piled their biggest lead at 52-37 in the third period, with Simon getting into the groove.

Talk 'N Text struggled for most of the game, although attempted to salvage the game in the fourth quarter; Ranidel De Ocampo hit a three while Jimmy Alapag sank three free throws that made it a 71-66 game with over 10 minutes to go.

However, that was the closest the Texters could get as San Mig were just a mile ahead of the defending champions on almost every aspect of the game. Marc Pingris' basket with under a minute to play put the Mixers ahead comfortably, 87-76.

"They never got their three point shooting really going and that spelled the difference. That was our concern, being able to go out on their shooters," said Mixers head coach Tim Cone after getting their fifth straight win in the conference.

He is also wary that the Texters are a veteran team and they must find a way to seal the deal.

"We have to figure out how to beat them one more time. They are not gonna lose some games for us. We have to beat them."

Totally outclassed

Talk 'N Text, which had been dominating the quarterfinals for the past three years, started their drive on a bad note and are now facing the verge of elimination.

San Mig did a great job taking care of the 50-50 balls and hustle plays. The Mixers outrebounded their opponents, 55-45, and pulled down 20 offensive boards which turned into 16 second-chance points.

Cone's wards also had 5 steals and 5 blocks against only 3 and 2 for TNT, respectively.

"We hustled well and got a lot of offensive rebounds. Last game they beat us on those things even if we won the game. This time we beat them," said Cone, lauding his boys for the extra energy on hustle stats.

The Mixers also hounded the Texters as the latter finished with just a 35.9% clip from the field.

San Mig will try to close out the series while TNT will try to keep their title hopes alive when both squads lock horns again on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The scores:

San Mig - Simon 20, Devance 12, Barroca 11, Yap 11, Pingris 11, De Ocampo Y. 9, Mallari 6, Sangalang 6, Melton 5, Reavis 0.

Talk'N Text - Castro 24, Seigle 15, Alapag 12, De Ocampo R. 11, Canaleta 8, Fonacier 5, Williams 4, Carey 4, Peek 0, Aban 0, Reyes J. 0, Reyes R. 0.

From Rappler.com

[dennis magtulis]

Wow ! 5 game winning streak for the mixers!
one more win guys!

[kingjames24szupladoh]

tsk talo BGSM

- kulang sa Hustle plays .
- no Defence .
- di pa nila naset sa inside game ang laro kung san sila may advantage sa mga Bigs nila .

- at higit sa lahat , walang team EFFOR !
masyado pa silang NANGGIGIL !

buti nalang at twice to beat sila at makapag-adjust pa sila sa next game !

dapat ipakita nilang may Sense Of Urgency sila na pinakita ng Alaska kanina .

go BGSM

NSD

[Lord Nok Von Hauten]

Napanood ko rin tol ang first half. Kakatamad buti na lang twice 2 beat sila.sana gumanda ang laro ni LA. At sana mapiayan si d peste  ay si d beast pala.

Sent from my Lenovo A3000-H using Tapatalk

[Zurca]

Rain or Shine dispatches Globalport, barges into semis (01/22/14)

MANILA, Philippines - The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters barged into the semi-finals as they outplayed the Globalport Batang Pier in the clutch en route to a 106-96 victory on Wednesday, January 22 in the PLDT myDSL Philippine Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Beau Belga shot a clutch three-pointer - one that he was practicing about two hours earlier with the lights still dim - with 40 seconds remaining to douse water on the Batang Pier's sizzling endgame rally that saw them inch to within two, 96-98, on a Rudy Lingganay bucket off the break with 3:22 remaining.

Belga was also practicing his free throw shooting long before the opening buzzer sounded but he made only 3 of his 6 free throws in the final two minutes. He finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals.

Globalport looked like all the air was punched out of them as they forced shots and committed costly turnovers as the clock winded down and their hopes of extending their season faded away.

"Globalport put up a tough fight. They kept coming back and we couldn't put them away," admitted Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao. "It's going to be a good solid team with more experience."

Globalport's subpar performance in the final two minutes of the game revealed just how inexperienced they still are as a unit. They failed to capitalize on opportunities to tie the game or even grab the lead.

At the same time, it showed just how dangerous Rain or Shine is with their unique combination of talent, depth and heavy experience.

"We kept our win streak but we couldn't really focus on that," Guiao said.

While Globalport executed plays as precisely as they could, Rain or Shine's defense was clearly better.

Jervy Cruz was a workhorse for Rain or Shine as he quietly clocked in 18 points and pulled down 8 rebounds.

For Globalport, Terrence Romeo appeared to be the only one playing with a sense of urgency, torching the Painters for 23 points. He scored 19 in the first half, which allowed Globalport to stay within striking distance after the first two quarters, 60-52.

Scores:

Rain or Shine 106: Cruz 18, Belga 17, Rodriguez 16, Norwood 14, Araña 10, Lee 10, Quiñahan 5, Tang 5, Almazan 4, Tiu 3, Nuyles 2, Teng 2, Ibanes 0.

Globalport 96: Romeo 23, Nabong 18, Mercado 16, Yee 7, Menk 7, Hayes 6, Salvador 6, Lingganay 5, Chua 4, Ponferrada 4, Belencion 0, Salva 0, Garcia 0.

Quarterscores: 35-29, 60-52, 86-77, 106-96.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Alaska humbles Ginebra to force sudden death (01/22/14)

MANILA, Philippines – After failing to even notch back to back wins the entire conference, the Alaska Aces are now on a 3-game win streak that couldn't have come at a more pivotal time.

The Aces survived two do-or-die games and a third one on Wednesday, January 22 and took down a giant in Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 104-97, in the PLDT myDSL Philippine Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Alaska was loaded with ammunition all game long with 7 Aces finishing in double digits. But the game-changer was 2013 Rookie of the Year Calvin Abueva, who played arguably his best game of the conference despite nursing a sprain.

Abueva came out with sparks flying from every part of him as he packed the hustle of all the players on the floor and beat them to rebounds and loose ball chases.

He took Ginebra's big men head on in the paint and grabbed 11 rebounds with 8 on the offensive end. He finished with 16 points and also had 4 assists and 3 steals.

"It's just nice to see him play well also," Alaska head coach Luigi Trillo said. "I didn't think he could play 'cause he's sprained. But he's motivated. Right now I don't want him satisfied. It's one game, we're gonna need Calvin to do the same thing on Saturday."

The Aces gradually pulled away in the third quarter, turning a two-point 67-65 advantage to an 80-71 edge entering the fourth.

Ginebra cut the biggest lead of 16, 92-76, with 6:58 minutes remaining after going on a 8-0 run spearheaded by Jayjay Helterbrand. But good ball movement led to a wide open triple from JVee Casio at the top of the key to squash their momentum.

"We have a good feel," Trillo said of his team's confidence. "The back to back wins gave us a little bit of confidence. I think it's beyond coaching at this point. Those guys are just playing hard. We wanna hopefully close it on Saturday."

Ginebra and Alaska showed playoff basketball at its finest. The first half alone was a story of hot shooting, speed, and extreme physicality from both teams.

Alaska, who was clicking on all cylinders from the get go, played Ginebra's pace and beat the Gin Kings in their own game.

Cyrus Baguio took full advantage of the mismatch against Helterbrand and scored several jumpers on splendid moves in the post to lead the Aces with 12 points in the first two quarters.

Ginebra, on the other hand, relied on their deep bench and the weaponry available to them to keep up with the streaking Alaska.

Josh Urbiztondo went sniping from three-point land and hit his target with 3 triples, all in the second period. Helterbrand and LA Tenorio each hit a basket from deep as well to make things close at the break, 55-51.

On Saturday, January 25 the two teams will meet at the Cuneta Astrodome - on Japeth Aguilar's birthday nonetheless - and will slug it out for a trip to the semis. For Alaska, it's a chance to pull a huge upset as the eighth seed.

"We have a golden opportunity on Saturday to do something special," Trillo said.

The scores:

Alaska (104): Hontioveros 18, Baguio 18, Casio 16, Abueva 16, Thoss 13, Espinas 12, Jazul 10, Eman 1, Belasco 0, Dela Cruz 0, Eximiniano 0.

Ginebra (97): Aguilar 22, Tenorio 16, Caguioa 15, Urbiztondo 13, Slaughter 12, Helterbrand 9, Ellis 4, Reyes 4, Baracael 2, Ababou 0, Monfort 0.

Quarters: 23-20; 55-51; 80-71; 104-97.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Talk 'N Text prevails over San Mig to keep semis hopes alive (01/24/14)

MANILA, Philippines - The dream is alive.

Facing the brink of elimination, Talk 'N Text flashed brilliant composure and drew a solid performance from Jayson Castro to eke out an 82-77 victory over San Mig Coffee in the PLDT Home DSL PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals on Friday, January 25 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Tropang Texters tied rhe series at 1-1 and forced a decider on Sunday, January 26 at the Cuneta Astrodome. Castro fired 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists while hitting key baskets late in the game; KG Canaleta and Ryan Reyes each added 13 markers.

TNT head coach Norman Black stressed how vital it was to have more time to practice with their key guys, saying it was the main difference in the match.

"The biggest difference is having two days of practice. KG just practoced with us one day and the doctor gave Ryan (Reyes), Noy (Baclao) and Kelly (Williams) the okay to practice just Monday," he said.

"The two-day practice helped us as far as our execution and defense."

With their four-peat bid on the line, the Tropang Texters showcased their championship form in the early goings, racing towards a 15-2 run in the first five minutes of the match behind Jayson Castro and KG Canaleta, who accounted for 13 points in the run.

However, the Mixers would respond with tenacious defense, shackling TNT to just two field goals for the remainder of the first quarter to steal the lead, 21-19.

Talk 'and Text's bigs would respond afterwards, carrying the Tropang Texters in the next two quarters; the defending champs pulled away from a nip-and-tuck affair, turning a slim 38-34 halftime edge into a 62-52 bubble heading into the final frame.

Aa basket by Ranidel De Ocampo extended the lead to 66-54, before San Mig pressured TNT with the hopes of closing out the series. Marc Pingris hustled his way as the Mixers made it 66-60, 6:40 left.

But that was when Castro - the reigning Philippine Cup BPC - took over with 7 straight points to restore order for TNT. A triple by Ryan Reyes made it 76-66 for the Tropang Texters with just 2:34 to go.

The defiant San Mig squad would not give up just yet.

Mark Barroca and Joe Devance joined hands to bring the lead down to 79-73 with only 56.1 ticks to go.

The Mixers forced a stop but PJ Simon's corner trey on the other end went astray and led to two free throws by Danny Seigle, 81-73.

Unlike in the first game where the Mixers outhustled the Texters, Norman Black's wards had more rebounds (42-38), fastbreak points (8-6) and second chance points (6-5).

TNT also limited San Mig to just 40.3% from the field while shooting 47.9% including 35% from beyond the arc.

The scores:

Talk 'N Text - Castro 20, Canaleta 13, Reyes 13, Seigle 11, R. De Ocampo 9, Williams 8, Peek 4, Fonacier 2, Carey 2, Aban 0, Baclao 0, Alapag 0.

San Mig - Devance 13, Barroca 12, Simon 12, Mallari 7, Pingris 6, Melton 6, Yap 5, Sangalang 4, Y. De Ocampo 0.

Quarter scores: 19-21, 38-34, 62-52, 82-77.

From Rappler.com