PBA Scores, News and Updates

[jamesbond]

Buti na lang nakabawi ang Petron. Sana magtuloy tuloy na panalo at malaglag ang team ni kalbong Guiao.

Tangina itong si pesYeng Guiao, gawain ba ng mambabatas ang magdirty finger, kakahiya sya.

Wow.. Sana mapanuod ko replay ano.. Dirty finger pala ginawa ni guiao... Tsk!


Sent from my 007 iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zurca]

San Mig Coffee gains 2-1 series edge, blasts Ginebra (02/02/14)

MANILA, Philippines - The deadlock is broken.

The San Mig Super Coffee Mixers get their noses ahead 2-1 in the best-of-7 semifinal series as they make mince meat of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel down the stretch for a comfortable 97-89 victory in the PLDT Home DSL Philippine Cup Sunday, February 2 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

"I was a little worried that maybe we were a little tired mentally and we wouldn't come out and really match the energy of Ginebra because they come out with a lot of energy, a lot of confidence from their last game," head coach Tim Cone said. "But we got good contributions down the stretch from our two rookies."

In what has been a seesaw battle all throughout, come the fourth, San Mig Coffee forced Ginebra to multiple turnovers - which amounted to 12 - and froze their offense.

The Mixers milked 16 turnover points from Ginebra and out-rebounded them 48-47.

San Mig built a 10-point lead, 83-73, on a Joe Devance right corner triple at the 7:45 mark of the payoff period. But Ginebra mounted their own 7-0 rally to chop the deficit to 3, 80-83.

Mark Barroca, who hit a career high 25 points along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists, then stopped the bleeding with a putback as San Mig countered with their own 7-0 spurt, including a momentum-changing Justin Melton trey, to take the 10-point lead back again.

From that point on, Ginebra's shots stopped falling and they could not catch a break as the Mixers continued to hit the big shots. SMC pushed the lead back farther to 11 points, 95-84, with 1:26 remaining.

Barroca, known as of late to hit the big shots, supplied the dagger blow to blast Ginebra out of the water, 97-87, with 30.2 seconds left.

"I guess we deserved a good game, right? It was a really nice game. Our guys showed a lot of character coming out strong starting out the game," Cone said.

San Mig Coffee exploded in the first quarter and led by as much as 21-6 at one point before Ginebra's 7-foot rookie bigman Greg Slaughter went on a solo 9-2 run until the close of the first to chip away at the lead 17-25. He also finished with a career high 29 points to go with 13 boards.

The second canto was marred by multiple technical fouls and warnings as the game grew chippy. Mixers Cone was also slapped a technical as he got irate from a foul called on his ward Rafi Reavis.

Ginebra first got a taste of the lead after several ties only with 43.4 seconds left in the first half on a Japeth Aguilar putback. PJ Simon, however, immediately got the two points back to tie it again, 44-all, in the ensuing play. But a triple by Ginebra playmaker LA Tenorio towards the end made it 47-46 for Ginebra heading into the locker rooms.

Cone said heading into Game 4, what his team needs to do is to maintain their energy and even beyond Game 4.

"We still don't feel comfortable going up 2-1. I feel that our team really has to be at their A+ game to beat this team. Being up 2-1, the one moment we come out next game lacking energy, we're done."

He added, "Our job is to stay in the game. Stay in the fourth quarter and hopefully beat them. Every game we gotta be at the top of our ceiling to be able to beat this team."

Scores:

San Mig 97 - Barroca 25, Simon 19, Pingris 15, Yap 13, Devance 8, Reavis 7, Melton 6, Mallari 2, Sangalang 2, De Ocampo 0

Ginebra 89 - Slaughter 29, Caguioa 21, Tenorio 14, Aguilar 12, Baracael 7, Ellis 3, Helterbrand 2, Mamaril 1, Ababou 0, Monfort 0

Quarterscores: 25-17, 46-47, 71-68, 97-89

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Luck sides with Rain or Shine, escapes Petron (02/03/14)

MANILA, Philippines – Playing for most of the second half sans head coach Yeng Guiao, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters managed to carve out a victory and escape the Petron Blaze Boosters, 88-83, to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in their best-of-7 semifinal series in the PLDT Home DSL Philippine Cup on Monday, February 3 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Guiao was thrown out once again for the second game in a row after two technical fouls. He was assessed his second technical foul at the 6:15 mark of the third for using profane language, forcing his team to try and eke out a win without their fiery leader.

Guiao's ejection was already on top of Paul Lee being taken out in the middle of the second after he landed badly at the baseline and hurt his ankle.

But luck still sided with the Painters particularly down the stretch.

After a nip-and-tuck affair, a Beau Belga right corner triple--his only points of the game--with 1:53 remaining shifted the momentum and gave the Painters some breathing room, 87-82.

But the Painters had multiple scares in the dying seconds as they held on to the precarious lead and botched free throws and committed turnovers, giving Petron a fighting chance to steal the win.

Somehow, Rain or Shine managed to hang on long enough as Petron couldn't make something of the opportunities they were given.

"The guys just did not give up," Guiao said of his wards. "They won this game on their own. I have nothing to do with this victory. They lost Paul (Lee), they lost me but they kept their fighting hearts with them. We beat them against the odds."

Ryan Araña kept Rain or Shine afloat as he hit crucial shots at important moments and pushing the tempo whenever his team's pacing dipped. He led Rain or Shine with 12 points, 3 assists and two steals.

Jeff Chan and Jireh Ibañes also added 11 points apiece.

For the first half it seemed that the tables have been turned on the Elasto Painters as they endured physicality and tough calls, eventually stocking up 17 fouls in the first 24 minutes of play. Petron ended up with 24 attempts from the line.

"Any team made of softer character would have folded up," Guiao remarked.

"We're closer to our objective but it's not a guarantee we'll get there."

After trailing 48-50 at halftime, Rain or Shine exploited Petron's off-target outside shooting in the third and build a slim margin, 72-69, heading into the fourth.

The Painters also made up for the 33 turnover points they gave up in Game 3 by securing 21 turnover points off of Petron's 18 miscues.

Meanwhile, Petron sophomore slotman June Mar Fajardo played heavy minutes to come up with a career-high 27 points and 17 boards. Fajardo, who clocked in 44 minutes, was already dragging himself up and down the court gasping for breath.

"Syempre napagod ako. Madami bumabangga sa akin," he said. "Robot nga, machine nga nag-overheat, tao pa kaya." (Of course I got tired. Many players were shoving me. If a robot or machine overheats, what more a person?)

He was also clutching on to his ribs.

"Masakit (It's painful)," Fajardo said, adding that he will have an X-ray tomorrow, February 4. Though he said he suspects it's only a bruise.

He explained he was elbowed by JR Quiñahan in the first period and got hit another time by Larry Rodriguez in the fourth.

Bad sprain for Lee

Lee, who was out of the game in the first half, clarified that he suffered from a bad sprain. The 24-year old guard said that with injuries of the same nature, he has no worries because he's quick to heal.

"Good thing naman sa akin pag dating sa ganitong injury, mabilis naman mag-recover katawan ko," he told reporters after the game.

"Hindi naman ako nagwo-worry. Siguro makakalaro ako next game."

(The good thing about me is when it comes to these kinds of injuries, my body recovers quickly. I'm not worried. Perhaps I can already play in the next game.)

In addition, Guiao also said that bigman Jervy Cruz went straight to the hospital right after the game to get his nose checked. He said they think it may be broken after a play late in the fourth when Alex Cabagnot was called for a foul on Cruz, who immediately kept holding his nose.

Scores:

Rain or Shine (88) – Arana 12, Chan 11, Ibanes 11, Norwood 10, Cruz 8, Rodriguez 8, Quinahan 7, Lee 7, Nuyles 6, Belga 3, Tang 3, Almazan 2, Tiu 0

Petron (83) – Fajardo 27, Santos 14, Lutz 13, Lassiter 10, Ross 9, Tubid 5, Cabagnot 5, Duncil 0, Taha 0, Kramer 0, Hubalde 0, Deutchman 0

Quarter scores: 33-28, 48-50, 72-69, 88-83

From Rappler.com

[~..viej..~]

mukhang hindi pa magkakaharap si Fajardo at gregzilla.....

[Zurca]

San Mig coach Tim Cone remains wary of Ginebra's comeback qualities

SAN Mig Super Coffee may be ahead of Barangay Ginebra in their PLDT myDSL-PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series, but coach Tim Cone remains convinced the Mixers always need to be at their best to beat a talented Kings side.

“It’s going to be a tough series. We still don’t feel comfortable being up 2-1,” Cone said after the Mixers’ 97-89 win in Sunday night’s Game 3.

“Our team has to play a really A-plus game to beat this (Ginebra) team. And I feel like they (Gin Kings) can play B-plus or B-minus and probably beat us.”

Now, San Mig tries to further distance itself from Ginebra when it guns for a commanding 3-1 lead when Game Four is played on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Game time is at 8 p.m.

Cone said the Mixers can’t afford to commit the same mistakes they did in Game Two when the Kings got off to a strong first half and led by as much as 16 points, before cruising past for a 93-64 rout.

“We have to be tough. And alertness-wise, energy-wise, all those ‘wise’ to be able to beat this team because the one moment we lack the energy, we’re done,” added Cone, who is looking to steer the franchise back to the Philippine Cup Finals since the 2009-2010 season when it last bagged the All-Filipino crown under former coach Ryan Gregorio.

Meanwhile, Ginebra coach Ato Agustin pointed out the importance of controlling the boards the way they did in Game Two for the Kings to get back into the series.

“Kailangan naming ma-tie ang series. Hindi puwedeng mag 3-1. Eh mag-a-adjust kami especially sa mga pick and rolls nila (Mixers) kasi may mga (defensive) lapses talaga eh,” explained Agustin, whose team held a huge 55-32 rebounding advantage in the second game of their Final Four series.

Agustin rued Ginebra’s two fastbreak points in Game Three revealed its inability to come down on defense against the Mixers.

“Imagine the whole game we only scored two (fastbreak) points in three attempts?  Tapos 19 (fastbreak points) sila?  So dun pa lang alam mo nang talo talaga eh,” he added.

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Rain or Shine coach Guiao fined P100K, suspended by PBA

MANILA, Philippines – The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters will have to go for the semifinals clincher against Petron Blaze Boosters without their head coach calling the shots.

The PBA slaps Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao with a one game suspension and a P100,000 fine following consecutive games of being ejected from the game for incurring two technical fouls.

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud issues an official statement posted on the league's official website saying the penalty was for Guiao's "use of a dirty finger pointed toward the Commissioner’s and Tech Committee table."

The incident happened in Game 3 of the semifinals where the Boosters manhandled the Painters, 106-73. Guiao was ejected in that game at the 1:36 mark of the third quarter after incurring his second technical foul. He was seen giving Petron's Arwind Santos the dirty finger as the reigning MVP made his way back up the court.

Salud preaches "decency and sportsmanship" in the statement calling Guiao's actions "insulting and unsavory."

The Commissioner also points out that this is not Guiao's first run-in with the league saying his office had given the Rain or Shine mentor "repeated well-meaning advice and counsel."

Unafraid

Guaio has never been one to back down from any confrontation and has been very vocal in pointing out officiating mishaps -- the cause of Guiao's frustration manifested in his actions that earned him the technical fouls.

In game 3 he said, "The refs did not allow us to play our natural game."

The refs were calling the touch fouls on us. That's like a confluence of all those factors," explained Guiao on their loss.

Series clincher

The Painters shouldn't have trouble playing their hearts out to clinch the series against Petron. In Game 4, Guiao was again ejected in the third quarter but his team was able to rally surviving a monster game from center JuneMar Fajardo (27 points, 17 rebounds) to gain a 3-1 edge in the series.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Yeng Guiao on one-game suspension: 'Parang binigay mo na sa Petron ang laro'

RAIN or Shine coach Yeng Guiao was hardly silenced after being hit with a one-game ban and a P100,000 fine for what the PBA Commissioner's Office termed as 'persistent conduct unbecoming of a coach,' saying he will continue to wage war on bad officiating since it is a "public issue."

The multi-titled coach, the league said, was sanctioned for flashing an obscene gesture at the commissioner's and technical committee during Game Four of Rain or Shine's Philippine Cup semifinal series against Petron, describing Guiao's actics as "insulting and unsavory."

Guiao, however, said the real issue is "bad officiating" in the league, which he vowed to fight to protect the interest not only of the team and the players but also of the league's fans.

"Nobody is happy with the officiating (in the league) - it's not only me," said the former national coach and congressman representing the first district of Pampanga. "The real issue here is officiating and it should not be dismissed because it's a public issue."

He continued: "Officiating should be made an issue and it should constantly be on the spotlight. That's the only way assure fair officiating and prevent the referees from deciding the outcome of games."

Guiao, also a former commissioner of the PBL, hopes that by continuing to bring up the issue, the league's fans will learn to appreciate not only good games but also good officiating.

By doing so, he hopes fans can be assured that "games will be officiated well."

Asked about the stiff sanction, just the latest in a long list of penalties he has incurred from the league in his career, Guiao said he doesn't think his actions merit such a penalty, much less a suspension.

But his bigger concern, he said, is Friday's game against Petron which he will now miss, adding to the woes of a Rain or Shine team that had seen sparkplug Paul Lee suffer a sprain and forward Jervy Cruz a broken nose after a "clenched fist" hit by Boosters guard Alex Cabagnot in Game Four on Monday.

Guiao recalled telling Commissioner Chito Salud during their meeting on Tuesday morning: "Sabi ko nga sa kanya, 'Paano 'yan, Kom. Pilay na nga si Paul at basag pa ilong ni Jervy. Kapag nawala pa ako, parang binigay mo na sa Petron ang laro.'"

"Pero sabi n'ya, ganyan daw talaga," Guiao added.

The fiery Rain or Shine coach also said the team's protest to upgrade the foul of Cabagnot has been dismissed by the Commissioner's Office.

"Sabi nila, sinundot lang daw. Paano mababasag ang ilong kung sinundot lang?" he said.

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Baracael brings out guns to tow Ginebra past San Mig Coffee (02/05/14)

MANILA, Philippines – Mac Baracael brought plenty of ammunition with him both on offense and defense, serving as game-changer for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel as they outlasted the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers, 85-82, in the PLDT Home DSL Philippine Cup on Wednesday, February 5 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Baracael, who was a consistent contributor for Ginebra all game long, made the crucial swipe with 1:13 left in the game to force the turnover on the Mixers. It was a pivotal possession for San Mig Coffee as they were down 79-82.

The 28-year-old forward went 4-of-5 from the three-point area, including two triples early in the third for his 8 points on a sizzling 14-3 Ginebra run up until the 6:38 mark that buried San Mig Coffee in a double-digit hole. Baracael also hit a trey to make it a 65-50 advantage with 4:50 left in the third. He led Ginebra with 20 points.

Ginebra, however, squandered that lead as San Mig Coffee retaliated with full force to start the fourth, going on a telling 16-0 run capped off by a Justin Melton triple that wiped out Ginebra's lead and put San Mig Coffee ahead, 72-70, with 9:15 left.

Ginebra, however, hung tough down the stretch in spite of multiple occasions of fumbling the ball and turning it over. Ginebra registered 22 turnovers that resulted to 26 turnover points by the Mixers.

Japeth Aguilar, who only had 7 points, made the basket when it counted most, scoring on a putback off an LA Tenorio miss to shove Ginebra ahead 82-79, with 1:18 remaining.

Emman Monfort provided the spark once more for Ginebra, drilling the go-ahead three-pointer with 5:17 remaining as they weathered the Mixers' furious rally.

With the win, Ginebra ties the best of 7 semifinal series at 2-2 and will face San Mig Coffee for Game 5 on Saturday, February 8 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

The scores:

Ginebra (85) - Baracael 20, Tenorio 16, Slaughter 11, Ellis 9, Aguilar 7, Caguioa 7, Helterbrand 5, Monfort 5, Reyes 3, Mamaril 2.

San Mig Super Coffee (82) - Yap 20, Devance 13, Barroca 10, Melton 9, Pingris 7, Sangalang 7, Mallari 6, Simon 5, Reavis 5, De Ocampo 0.

Quarterscores: 21-20, 46-43, 70-56, 85-82

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

PBA assures refs under constant scrutiny; pool down to eight for playoffs

FROM an original pool of 15 at the start of the PLDT myDSL-PBA Philippine Cup, only the eight top performing referees remain to work on the games of the season-opening tournament.

The Office of the Commissioner reviews all games on video, reviews the referees’ statistics, and closely monitors the performance of each game official. Those who are found to have performed below par are sanctioned by commissioner Chito Salud, according to a press statement by the league.

This conference, seven officials have so far been meted out with suspensions, two on Class B referees and five on Class C referees, ranging from one to two weeks.

Another erring referee was suspended from January 13, 2014 up to the end of the conference.

Starting from the end of the eliminations, six Class C referees have been dropped from the pool. They have been relegated to the PBA D-League for further training along with the PBA Referees Academy graduates.

The eight remaining officials working the games in the playoffs are still under close supervision and evaluation, and may still be dropped from the pool for sub-par performance due to lapses in judgment and interpretation.

“With regards to our game officials, rest assured we are always on top of the situation,” said Salud. “Each game, official is under close scrutiny by our Office. Every game is reviewed and every game official evaluated. The fans deserve nothing less than well-officiated ballgames and we are doing everything we can to ensure that our game officials adhere to the tenets of competence and integrity.”

League referees are required to attend regular viewing sessions where videos of game situations are broken down and calls and non-calls are analyzed and discussed. The activity also helps the technical group improve the officiating mechanics to minimize the chances of committing errors in the coming games.

Physical fitness is likewise being given importance by the league, with referees deemed not in their proper physical condition stricken off from the pool.

From SPIN.ph

[bigstick]

Ginebra vs San Mig Coffee Game 4 Official Game Statistics



from http://pba.inquirer.net/41182/san-mig-coffee-82-barangay-ginebra-san-miguel-85-feb-5-2014-game-4-of-best-of-7-semis

[bigstick]

Ginebra Scores Equalizer



Mac Baracael, the goat in Game One then getting practically the same tag for his ejection in Game Three, redeemed himself big time Wednesday, playing a key role as Barangay Ginebra again got back at San Mig Coffee, 85-82, in the fourth game of their PLDT MyDSL PBA Philippine Cup Final Four faceoff at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Baracael delivered 20 points with a remarkable 4-of-5 three-pointers and put up a solid defensive effort on James Yap in the crunch as the Kings overcame a rollercoaster ride and forged a 2-2 deadlock in the best-of-seven series.

The Kings blew and hot in the contest, but not Baracael who played steady through 20 minutes and spelled the big difference in their vital victory.

“Ready naman kami sa game na ito. Kaya lang when they started pressing us, we committed many mistakes siguro dahil na rin sa pagod. Importante hindi nawala ang poise sa dulo,” said Ginebra coach Ato Agustin.

“Dinala kami noong mga beterano. LA (Tenorio) did a good job,” added Agustin, making special mention of his chief playmaker who accounted for five of Ginebra’s last seven games.

It was Baracael, though, who put Ginebra back on top, 78-76, after losing a huge 16-point spread.

And the former FEU standout and national player came through with a crucial steal off James Yap with Ginebra nursing a shaky three-point lead, 82-79, with a little over a minute left to play.

A split from the line by Tenorio made it 83-79 before Joe Devance buried a three-pointer to make it a one-possession game.

Another quick San Mig Coffee foul sent Tenorio back to the line. Tenorio sank both charities, and the Kings eventually escaped with the win as Yap’s potential game-tying three-pointer rattled off the rim at the buzzer.

“We played good defense at the finish and we enjoyed some good breaks,” said Agustin.

Curiously after a confrontation between coaches Agustin and Tim Cone late in the third, the Kings went on a long dry spell, squandering a 70-54 spread and falling behind at 72-76.

The Kings, however, recovered in time and avoided falling in a deep 1-3 hole in the race-to-four-games series.

The two teams break their 2-2 tie in Game Five Saturday also at the Big Dome.

Ginebra went on a rollercoaster ride in Game Four, dipping and soaring before steadying in the crunch.

The Kings broke their long silence in the second half as Emman Monfort nailed a trey then Baracael came up with a three-point play off Yap.

As Ginebra regained the upperhand at 78-76, the Kings throngs got involved in the game again, erupting to chants of “Gi-ne-bra, Gi-ne-bra, Gi-ne-bra.” (SB)


from http://pba.inquirer.net/41186/ginebra-scores-equalizer

[Zurca]

Painters motivated even more to finish off series with Boosters in Guiao's absence

COACH Yeng Guiao serves his one-game suspension on Friday, but remains confident even in his absence Rain or Shine can close out its PLDT myDSL-PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series against Petron when Game 5 is played at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The Elasto Painters hold a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series entering the 8 p.m. match, thanks to their 88-83 win in Game Four behind Beau Belga’s endgame heroics, while bucking the absence of Guiao, who was ejected out of the game after incurring a second technical foul.

And without their fiery coach, who was slapped with a one-game suspension and a P100,000 fine for “persistent conduct unbecoming of a coach”, the Elasto Painters are all the more motivated to play and finish off the Boosters,

“Wala namang major steps or major movement na kailangang gawin. We just prepared the way we prepare,” Guiao said, who still presided over the team’s practice on Thursday at the North East Greenhills gym in San Juan.

Former Rookie of the Year Paul Lee is expected to play despite spraining his ankle in the first half of Game Four, while forward Jervy Cruz, who broke his nose bridge after getting a hard foul from Alex Cabagnot late in Game 4 Monday night, will be wearing a protective face mask during the match.

Despite the obstacle the team is facing, Guiao said he has full confidence his top assistant Caloy Garcia can handle the coaching pressure since the team’s system is already in place.

“Coach Caloy knows our philosophy, while the guys (Elasto Painters) are prepared. All they need to do is execute the game plan,” he added.

The outspoken Rain or Shine coach is also convinced the Elasto Painters will use his absence as a rallying factor to finish off the series and book a berth in the best-of-seven Finals.

“I think the players will take this (Guiao’s absence) as a challenege and be a motivational factor. They have won without me the last time around and they showed character, which remains,” he said.

“So whether I am there or not, they just have to rely on that.”

Meanwhile, Petron counterpart Gee Abanilla said he’s convinced the Boosters are not totally out of the woods as they try to make a series out of their situation.

“Morale is still okay. Although we are down, 1-3, we are still not out,” said Abanilla.

“We are just focusing on things that we can control and are not blaming anyone for our predicament.”

The soft-spoken Petron coach also mentioned that despite two sorry losses in both Game Two and Game Four, the team believes the series isn’t over as long as the Boosters play according to their game plan.

“That’s the essence of sports. You still have a chance to pick yourself up and fight another day. They (Elasto Painters) may have won the battle so far, but the war is not yet over,” he said.

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Kapag malaki kang team, iba ang labanan (sa tawagan), rues Rain or Shine official

NO less than the two amiable owners of Rain or Shine are in disbelief over the gravity of penalty meted by the PBA Commissioner’s Office on team coach Yeng Guaio.

The fiery mentor was slapped with a one-game suspension and a P100,000 fine for flashing a dirty finger and excessively complaining about officiating during Game Four of the PLDT myDSL-PBA Philippine Cup semifinals between the Elasto Painters and Petron.

Guiao will serve the suspension in Game Five of the best-of-seven series on Friday night when Rain or Shine guns for a return trip to the Finals of the all-Filipino conference.

Rain or Shine co-team owner Raymund Yu, however, said the issue should not just be about the dirty finger flashed at officials by Guiao but on what also provoked the champion coach, who also once served as commissioner of the Philippine Basketball League.

“Yung issue nung reaction ni coach Yeng, hindi pwedeng yun lang ang tignan, kasi cause and effect yan. Dapat tignan din kasi kung bakit frustrated na frustrated siya at nag-react siya ng ganun,” said the youthful team owner.

Yu also believes the league is saddled with "officiating inconsistencies."

“Hindi lang naman si coach Yen gang nagre-reklamo sa officiating, di ba? Look at Bong Ramos, Luigi Trillo, Norman Black, and Ryan Gregorio, lahat sila nagre-reklamo. Lahat nag-raise ng issue,” he stressed.

Terry Que, the soft-spoken Rain or Shine partner of Yu, also questioned the degree of penalty handed out on Guiao.

“Tingin ko masyadong malaki yun. P100,000 tapos suspended pa. Semis pa naman ngayon,” said Que.

Rain or Shine board of governor Mamerto Mondragon, meanwhile, called for parity and a more transparent officiating, saying some of the league’s most popular teams "are usually at the advantageous side of the calls."

“Personal opinion ko, pag malaki kang team, iba ang labanan,” said Mondragon, a former league chairman.

“Yan (poor officiating) nga ang rason kaya lagi naming sinasabi sa mga players namin: ‘Para hindi tayo mag-alanganin sa laro, lamangan niyo na ng malaki ang kalaban.’ Masyado kaming dehado sa tawagan lagi,” said the longtime team official.

But in fairness to the league, Mondragon said he believes Commissioner Chito Salud is doing his best to address the problem, but stressed that ‘it hasn’t been felt right now.’

“Sinasabi ni commissioner, they are improving the quality of officiating, pero bakit may mga ganun pa rin (nagre-reklamo).”

“Kaya ginagawa ni coach Yeng yun, pinapakita niya na parang walang ginagawa,” he added.

“Hindi kino-condone yung mga antics ni coach. Pero dapat isipin naman ni commissioner kung bakit gumagawa ng ganun si coach. Silipin muna nila yun. Baka talagang may problema na ang officiating.”

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Belga leads Guiao-less Rain or Shine back to PBA Finals as Petron exits meekly (02/07/14)

A RESOLUTE Rain or Shine leaned on a vicious fourth-quarter run to snuff the life out of powerhouse Petron, 97-88, and book a return trip to the PLDT myDSL-PBA Philippine Cup Finals on Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Elasto Painters played minus suspended coach Yeng Guiao, but not even that could prevent them from clinching the best-of-seven semifinals series, 4-1, and a berth in the All-Filipino title series for the second straight season.

The Finals stint is also the third championship stint for the Asian Coating franchise over the last five conferences.

Big man Beau Belga played another splendid game, finishing with a team-high 18 points, including a completed three-point play off a foul by Chris Lutz that capped a 10-0 Rain or Shine run and give the team an 89-80 lead.

The searing run proved to be the backbreaker for the Boosters, who appeared to have lost their confidence after missing their last five three-point attempts and allowed the Elasto Painters to seal the Game Five win.

“Making it in the Finals especially without coach Yeng, I mean, the boys really wanted to win the game today,” said Rain or Shine assistant coach Caloy Garcia, who called the shots for the team in Guiao’s absence.

Garcia revealed his last instruction from Guiao during halftime was to minimize the team’s turnovers in the second half and keep attacking the basket for possible free throw attempts.

“Pinaalala lang sa amin ni coach Yeng nung halftime ang mga flaws namin sa laro. Sabi ko, come the second half, we have to be aggressive on defense,” explained the soft-spoken Garcia.

The second Philippine Cup Finals stint gives Rain or Shine an opportunity to complete an unfinished business after it was swept unceremoniously (0-4) by Talk ‘N Text during their championship tussle last season.

Arwind Santos, the league’s reigning MVP, led the Boosters with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Marcio Lassiter added 18.

June Mar Fajardo finished with 16 points, though half of his output came from free throws as Belga and JR Quinahan alternated in sending him to the foul line.

The scores:

RAIN OR SHINE (97) -- Belga 18, Chan 17, Lee 16, Arana 10, Norwood 9, Rodriguez 8, Cruz 6, Quinahan 5, Tang 4, Almazan 2, Nuyles 2, Tiu 0, Teng 0, Ibanes 0.

PETRON (88) -- Santos 20, Lassiter 18, Fajardo 16, Kramer 8, Cabagnot 8, Hubalde 6, Tubid 5, Ross 4, Lutz 2, Taha 1.

Quarterscores: 22-31; 45-52; 72-69; 97-88.

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Petron star Fajardo's call for unity: 'Di porke't talo eh hiwa-hiwalay na kami

LTHOUGH visibly dejected, sophomore center June Mar Fajardo said this is the perfect time for the Petron Boosters to stand together following the team’s shock exit from the PLDT myDSL-PBA Philippine Cup semifinals on Friday night.

“Sa amin lang, kailangan lang namin mag-regroup for next conference. Saka ito ang tamang time na magsama-sama kami kasi di porke't talo kami eh hiwa-hiwalay na kami,” he said after emerging from the team dugout following the Boosters’ 97-88 Game Five loss to Rain or Shine.

“Dapat kapag natalo kami, magre-regroup kami for next conference.”

The Boosters lost the best-of-seven series, 4-1, to a Rain or Shine side which didn’t even have coach Yeng Guiao calling the shots at the sidelines during the Finals-clinching win.

Fajardo said the losing experience was even made more painful for the fact that Petron began the tournament by winning its first seven games only to sputter entering the playoffs.

"Masakit kasi nasa itaas kami ng standings sa eliminations, tapos ngayon natalo kami. Hindi man lang umabot ng Game Seven,” lamented the 24-year-old top rookie pick in 2012.

Fajardo said he will take a few days break in Pinamungahan, Cebu as he tries to recover from the bruising Philippine Cup campaign and at the same time, heal the wound of this latest setback suffered by the team.

“Uuwi ako ng Cebu. Magpapahangin muna ako, pero di ko pa alam kung sure na ako sa pag-uwi, kailangan ko din agad mag-work out dahil maiksi lang ang vacation,” he said.

The brief conference break will allow Fajardo to work on his defense as he tries to bounce back a better player in the Commissioner’s Cup, which kicks off on the first week of March.

“Dami ko ring mga lapses sa depensa so kailangan ko iyan i-improve. Siyempre, yung mag-champion ang pinaka-goal namin eh,” added the former University of Cebu stalwart

From SPIN.ph