PBA Scores, News and Updates

[tonistork]

Naguguluhan na rin ako sa set-up ng mga SMC teams (maliban siguro sa SanMig Coffee), papalit palit players at coaches halos every conference na lang. Wala silang tiyaga, gusto winner agad. Di naman ganun, look at Rain Or Shine, nagtiis muna sila sa baba then nung naging solid na ung nucleus ng team at nasanay na sa system ni kalbo, un naging contender na sila every conference.

Paano nga madevelop ang team chemistry at ung system ng coach kung kada conference na lang magpalit ng coach, ng players. Masyado ng ganid sa panalo ang mga SMC teams na mga ito. At pag di sila nag-champion, sibak ang head coach (example si Gee Abanilla sa Petron ngayon San Miguel na).

[Zurca]

Unforgiving defense, Rob Dozier's late explosion carry Alaska past GlobalPort (03/08/14)

ROBERT Dozier led Alaska's relentless fourth quarter blitzkrieg as the defending champion Aces atoned for a disappointing debut with a convincing 93-77 victory over GlobalPort in the PBA Commissioner's Cup on Saturday at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Paced well by coach Luigi Trillo during the first three quarters, the 6-9 Dozier came out smoking in the payoff quarter, scoring 15 of the Aces' first 17 points while playing a huge role defensively to open an 82-71 lead for the Aces, time down to the final 2:34 of the game.

Alaska's defense also stood its ground during that game-breaking stretch, holding GlobalPort to a single free throw, courtesy of import Evan Brock, during the first nine-and-a-half minutes of the final quarter.

That unforgiving defense sucked the life out of the Batang Pier, who managed to erect a 65-59 lead in the third period behind Jay Wasington's outside sniping.

"Today, when the going gets tough, Robert Dozier gets going. He was getting hit left and right, but he was really hovering around and getting the rebound," said Alaska coach Luigi Trillo, whose team got hammered, 85-72 by Talk 'N Text at the start of the conference last Wednesday.

Dozier, last year's Best Import awardee who played just 25 minutes during the first three quarters, finished with 25 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and one block en route to earning the Best Player of the Game citation.

Guard RJ Jazul and bullstrong forward Gabby Espinas scored 18 points apiece for the Aces.

Brock led the Batang Pier with 21 points and 11 rebounds while Jay Washington added 14 and seven boards as Pido Jarencio remained winless two games into his first head-coaching job in the pro ranks.

Newly-acquired GlobalPort guard Alex Cabagnot finished with 11 points, nine assists and three rebounds.

The scores:

Alaska 93 - Dozier 25, Jazul 18, Espinas 18, Casio 11, Baguio 7, Thoss 6, Hontiveros 4, Dela Cruz 2, Abueva 2.

GlobalPort 77 - Brock 21, Washington 14, Cabagnot 12, Romeo 11, Macapagal 8, Chua 5, Yee 3, Garcia 3, Nabong 0, Hayes 0, Salva 0, Salvador 0, Custodio 0.

Quarterscores: 23-15, 42-39, 65-67, 93-77

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Talk'N Text hold off Air21 for 2nd straight win (03/08/14)

MANILA, Philippines – Talk'N Text held off Air21, 95-91, to earn its second win in as many games in the 2014 PLDT Home TVolution Commissioner's Cup on Saturday, March 8 at the Cuneta Astrodome.

It was a closely fought ball game, but the Texters showed composure in the end to come up with the 4-point win.

Air21 point guard Simon Atkins tied the ball game at 74 with 7:11 left to play making up for the foul he committed on the other end of the court.

It was a back-and-forth affair until Jimmy Alapag knocked down a triple and a tough baseline jumper for 5 straight points to put the Texters ahead 82-76 with about 5 minutes left in the game.

Air21, however, just wouldn't give up closing gap to just a solitary point, 87-86, after a Mark Borboran triple with 2:51 left in the game. But Texters import Richard Howell was in the right place at the right time scoring two crucial baskets - a tip in and a cut off a pass from Kelly Williams - to put the game away for good.

Down by 4 points, 94-89, with 13 seconds left, the Air21 still could've had a chance to inch closer but the Texters' defense forced Joseph Yeo to the baseline throwing and inadvertent pass which Mark Cardona could not handle.

Jayson Castro was named player of the game finishing with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Howell, who had 30 rebounds in his debut game against the Alaska Aces, led all scorers with 29 points to go along with 12 rebounds.

Air21 import Herve Lamizana had a complete ball game tallying 18 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 blocks in a losing effort.

Scores:

Talk'N Text (95) - Howell 29, Castro 22, Alapag 14, De Ocampo 12, Carey 8, Williams 4, Reyes Ry. 3, Canaleta 2, Fonacier 1, Reyes Ro. 0, Aban 0, Baclao 0.

Air21 (91) - Taulava 23, Lamizana 18, Borboran 10, Atkins 10, Yeo 9, Villanueva 7, Cardona 6, Manuel 4, Matias 2, Camson 2, Poligrates 0, Burtscher 0, Sharma 0.

Quarterscores: 27-20, 43-38, 66-62, 95-91

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Grieving Rain or Shine leaves past behind as it faces Barako in Commissioner's Cup debut

RAIN or Shine coach Yeng Guiao acknowledged his team is still recovering from an emotionally draining PBA Philippine Cup Finals, which saw the Elasto Painters lost the title series,4-2, to champion San Mig Super Coffee.

But the outspoken mentor said the Elasto Painters are not one who live in the past as they seek to get a fresh start in the Commissioner’s Cup Sunday when the team debuts against a dangerous Barako Bull side at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Game time is at 3 p.m., marking the first time Rain or Shine will be playing since being penalized a league record fine of P2 million for the partial walkout it did in Game Six of the title series against the Mixers.

Import Alex Mclean, who has been with the team for close to a month now, will have his baptism of fire against Barako Bull counterpart Joshua Dollard, who was impressive in his first game after dropping 45 points in a 104-108 losing stand in overtime against Barangay Ginebra on Friday.

“Alex already saw us play in the (Philippine Cup) Finals. He has been practicing with us so alam na niya ang philosophy and system. Saka kilala na niya ang mga players,” Guiao said after the team’s Saturday morning practice.

Little is known of Mclean except that the incoming American reinforcement was recommended by the Elasto Painters’ former import Arizona Reid.

The 6-foot-8 Mclean played for the Liberty University Flames during the 2007 and 2008 college seasons, posting averages of 15.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assist during his two-year, 63-game stint.

“He’s not gonna score 40 points for our team but if he can score around 20 to 25 points and grab 15 rebounds, that will be enough for us to get by,” added Guiao, who was also fined P50,000 for committing a technical foul – his 13th for the season - in Game Six of the Finals.

The Rain or Shine coach said he’s not making any wholesale changes to his system, choosing to keep using his full roster to ensure everyone will get equal opportunity to contribute to the team this conference.

Meantime, Barako Bull coach Bong Ramos said using rookies Carlo Lastimosa and Jeric Fortuna for a long stretch in the crucial portion of the game against Ginebra was part of his strategy to fast track the growth of the team in the pro league.

Lastimosa took the last shot in regulation play when he drove hard the lane against a phalanx of Ginebra defenders before missing the shot that paved the way for the overtime period.

Chris Ellis, who forced overtime with a timely three-point shot in regulation, nailed another three-pointer in the extra session to help Ginebra preserve the win.

Still, Ramos said the Energy will try to bounce back against Rain or Shine and make the necessary adjustment in the shortened nine-game elimination round format

From SPIN.ph

[Troll Montero]

hehe di na mag champion yang smb at gin kings... walang matinong sistema, palit ng palit ng coach, sana kung puede every game papalit palit din sila nang player hehe

[Zurca]

Barako Bull 3-pointers lift them past Rain or Shine (03/09/14)

MANILA, Philippines - Twelve timely three-pointers helped the Barako Bull Energy Cola bounce back from a first game loss as they overturned Philippine Cup finalists Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 110-106, on Sunday, March 9 in the PLDT myDSL Commissioner's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

After being down 53-46 at the half, Barako Bull came alive in the third quarter as Ronjay Buenafe sizzled from deep with 3 treys for all of his 11 points. Buenafe hit a long range bomb with 3:29 remaining in that period to overtake Rain or Shine, 71-70.

Mick Pennisi also drilled two more triples as well in that quarter as the Energy came up with 33 points in that 12-minute frame to head into the payoff period knotted with Rain or Shine at 79.

Barako import Joshua Dollard, who was explosive once again with 44 points and 19 rebounds, gave the Energy the lead for good at the 6:46 mark of the fourth, 92-90. He then went on to extend the lead with an additional 7 straight points for a solo 7-0 spurt. Rookie Carlo Lastimosa capped off that 11-0 run on a basket with 4:11 on the clock to make it 101-91.

Unlike their first game against Barangay Ginebra, Barako did not allow any endgame meltdowns this time around. They hung on to the lead even as Paul Lee and Jeff Chan conspired for a couple of triples to cut the deficit down to 107-102.

"At least we learned something from last game," said Barako head coach Bong Ramos. "Yung sakit namin from the All-Filipino (conference) andoon pa rin eh. Although we're ahead, we lost the last game." (Our recurring errors from the All-Filipino conference are still there.)

He added, "This is a good experience for us. Hopefully we have corrected yung sakit namin." (Hopefully we have corrected our recurring errors.)

Willie Miller added 19 points for Barako, while Rain or Shine import Alexander McLean finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds. Paul Lee and Jeff Chan chipped in 15 and 14 markers, respectively.

Barako managed to eke out the victory in spite of losing the battle of the boards, 50-46, and having zero second-chance points compared to Rain or Shine's 13.

Turnover points also favored the Painters, 18-6, as well as assists, 21-11.

Scores:

Barako 110: Dollard 44, Miller 19, Miranda 13, Buenafe 11, Pennisi 9, Intal 7, Lastimosa 2, Wilson 2, Marcelo 2, Isip 1, Jensen 0, Fortuna 0, Pena 0.

Rain or Shine 106: McLean 21, Lee 15, Chan 14, Belga 11, Norwood 10, Uyloan 9, Almazan 9, Tiu 5, Arana 4, Rodriguez 4, Cruz 2, Nuyles 2, Tang 0, Teng 0, Ibanes 0.

Quarter scores: 22-24, 46-53, 79-79, 110-106.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Import Boone gives Beermen second win at expense of Ginebra (03/09/14)

MANILA, Philippines - Dominance continues for the San Miguel Beermen.

Led by the import they might soon replace, the Beermen buried Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 112-96, on Sunday, March 9 in the PLDT myDSL Commissioner's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

American import Josh Boone made a case for himself to stay on board as San Miguel's import by dropping 32 points on 13-of-19 field goals along with 21 rebounds.

Boone, 29, is reportedly set to be replaced by American Kevin Jones.

"Josh has been professional beyond belief. I'll wait to speak with my management tonight and I assure you everyone will be informed in the very near future with regards to where we're going," said Beermen active consultant Todd Purves of Boone's status.

"Regardless of the direction the management determines, I can't say enough good things about Josh Boone and his level of professionalism and the effort he gave knowing he's in an adverse situation. I really tip my hat to him."

Head coach Biboy Ravanes also added, "This is a good problem to have anyways."

Both coaches did not give any hint as to whether or not they will be endorsing Boone to the management, considering his back-to-back impressive performances.

"That'll stay in-house," Purves said. "Whatever advice I give to our management, I will share only with our management and then answer the questions afterward."

The Beermen continued to be an offensive juggernaut for their second straight game, taking advantage of every defensive lapse on the part of Ginebra.

San Miguel came out the gates on fire, dropping 37 points in the opening frame alone. They never looked back from that point on even as Ginebra put up a gallant effort in the third where the Gin Kings cut the deficit down to 10, 78-68, heading into the fourth.

The closest Ginebra came was 80-72 at the 10:18 mark of the fourth on a Japeth Aguilar basket, fishing Rico Maierhofer's 6th foul in the process.

But the Beermen quickly snuffed out Ginebra's momentum with a back-breaking 11-0 run to push the lead back up to 91-72.

It was smooth sailing for them after that, even leading by as much as 21 points, 97-76, with 5:28 on the clock on an Arwind Santos bucket.

"I'm happy with the final score," Purves said. "It's the second game of the conference so you can never get too high or too low. I thought our effort was there for the second game in a row and I'm proud of that."

He explained how these two wins serve as the seeds for the future.

"We've got such a long way to go with regards to building our team and so many things to address still," he said. "But I look forward to doing it with this group of men."

The Beermen's effort did not falter all game long, especially in the fourth where they nearly equaled their first period output with 34 points.

They killed Ginebra in second-chance opportunities, in large part thanks to Boone with his multiple putbacks and tip-ins, with 22 points. At the same time they were able to limit their miscues to just 9 and forced Ginebra to 16--from which they fished 25 points.

Santos and Marcio Lassiter added 18 and 15 points each for the Beermen, who had a 58.2% field goal shooting percentage as a team.

On the part of Ginebra, the 33 points and 11 rebounds of import Leon Rodgers was not enough to pull them back into the game.

Mark Caguioa was a perfect 3-of-3 from three-point land as well for his 15 points. But the Gin Kings were halted in their tracks by the Beermen with only 4 fastbreak attempts and two points off of that.

San Miguel, on the other hand, was also a scoring machine on the break with 18 attempts and 24 points.

Not much help came from Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar, who only had 13 and 4 points, respectively.

Scores:

San Miguel 112: Boone 32, Santos 18, Lassiter 15, Mercado 14, Hubalde 9, Ross 7, Kramer 5, Maierhofer 4, Lutz 4, Tubid 3, Duncil 1, Marata 0, Taha 0.

Ginebra 96: Rodgers 33, Caguioa 15, Slaughter 13, Ellis 10, Tenorio 8, Helterbrand 5, Aguilar 4, Baracael 2, Reyes 2, Urbiztondo 2, Mamaril 2, Ababou 0.

Quarter scores: 37-23, 58-44, 78-68, 112-96.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

No hero ball for Barako Bull import Dollard

MANILA, Philippines - Barako Bull Energy reinforcement Josh Dollard has shown early that he is one of the most prolific scorers in the import-laden PBA Commissioner's Cup, having fired two consecutive 40-point games in his PH basketball debut.

Just a second choice import, Dollard carried Barako to a come-from-behind 110-106 victory against Rain or Shine, scoring at will in the final period for 17 markers to pick up their first win in the lightning-quick elimination round.

His 44.5 PPG in two games is the highest among all imports so far, and he does it without pressure whatsoever. He considers his PBA stint a blessing.

"This is just a blessing to perform in front of the fans and displaying my talent. This is not new to me, I always have confidence in myself and my abilities. I'm thankful to have this opportunity," Dollard said after their victory against the Elasto Painters.


No hero ball

Dollard could be the perfect guy to compliment a balanced squad; but even if he is scoring a huge chunk of Barako Bull's production, Dollard says he doesn't mind being called a ball hog or accused of playing hero ball. He says his job is to help the team in any way possible.

“I’m doing what my team needs me to do. They believe in me and this (scoring) is what they want me to do," he shared.

But proving he is a team player despite the skyscraper figures he's been doing early in the conference, Dollard says he is willing to do more that just filling the scoring sheet.

"If they asked me to pass, I'll pass the ball. If they ask me to shoot, rebound, or defend, I'll just do my best."


Smooth transition

Experience has bern a big key for the 27-year-old Dollard, who has played in several countries before landing here. He has also known quite a number of PBA imports, including Globalport's current slotman Evan Brock, Renaldo Balkman and former PBA Governors Cup best import Arizona Reid who played for Rain or Shine.

He says his teammates have welcomed him with the same hospitality Filipinos are known for, making his adjustment just a breeze.

"They've been open arms to me on and off the court, showing me the ropes and keeping me informed about what is going around here."

He added the PBA style of play - an aspects other imports have trouble adjusting to - suits his game.

"They don't have to worry about the physicality because that his how I play. This league is much more physical than other leagues in Europe," he shared.

Barako Bull split their first two games and will be cashing in on Dollard to win the grand jackpot.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Beermen choose Jones over Boone

MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel Beermen head coach Biboy Ravanes as well as active consultant Todd Purves both confirmed to Rappler that their American import Josh Boone has been released Monday morning, March 10.

They will be taking on a new import in Kevin Jones, who was just recently released from the NBA Development League or D-League.

"Josh Boone has been notified this morning that Kevin Jones will be replacing him in the Beermen squad," Purves said in a phone interview.

Purves elaborated the reasons behind their decision to switch to Jones, saying that it was a collective decision between the coaching staff and the management.

"It certainly wasn't based on anything just over last night," Purves said, referring to Boone's 32-point output that helped the Beermen trample Barangay Ginebra.

"But we had to make some very difficult decisions that is going to make our team better. We tried to look at the big picture. We feel that Kevin Jones gives us a wonderful opportunity to compete at a high level."

He cited the difference between Jones and Boone's style of plays.

"Jones has a little bit larger offensive repertoire. Jones can play both on the perimeter and on the block," he explained. "He's a very versatile player. I think Kevin Jones has a lot of versatility to his game, which can give us different options to use. Whereas Josh Boone is more of an inside presence in the paint."

Boone, 29, stayed on with the Beermen for two games and performed well despite the uncertainty of his status with the team.

"From the moment he stepped off the plane here in Manila he has been professional," Purves said of Boone.

"He's shown a lot of integrity despite the fact that it has been a bit of an adverse situation for him this weekend. He performed admirably and everybody in our locker room really tips their hat to him."

Against Meralco, Boone put up 16 points and 16 rebounds. The first round NBA Draft pick in 2006 doubled his offensive output in the Beermen's second game against Barangay Ginebra on Monday, March 10. He made a case for himself to stay with 32 points on 13-of-19 field goals. He also grabbed 21 rebounds.

After Sunday night's game, Purves stated the entire management together with the coaching staff would deliberate on the direction the team would take as far as their import is concerned.

They eventually decided that Jones would be a better fit for the Beermen in the long run, taking into consideration sophomore bigman June Mar Fajardo, who has not played for the Beermen so far this conference due to an ankle sprain.

Fajardo, Purves said, is a big factor in their decision regarding their choice of import.

"Kevin Jones is going to be a great compliment to June Mar and vice versa. I think that's going to be a good fit," Purves explained, adding that Fajardo will be practicing with San Miguel again on Tuesday, March 11.


No decision prior to conference

Even before San Miguel played its first game against the Meralco Bolts on Friday, March 7, there have been reports that the team had already decided on replacing Boone. But Purves clarified that wasn't the case.

"Before the start of the conference I don't think there was a decision to change. We evaluated it through practices and through tune-up games," he said.

"It wasn't something Josh Boone had done. It was the fact that Kevin Jones became available."

Purves said they had anticipated Jones being called up to the NBA after putting up great numbers in the D-League recently with the Canton Charge.

In 5 games since February 21, Jones averaged 24.4 points and 13.6 rebounds, per nbadleague.com.

"Basically, he gave us an opportunity that we thought we couldn't pass up on," Purves said.


Not Boone's fault

Purves didn't reveal his personal choice over the two imports, saying that his advice or counsel to the management will stay in-house.

But he did stress that Boone was not at fault.

"It really speaks to how highly we think of Kevin Jones. We think the world of him," he explained. "Josh Boone did a really great job for us, he showed a lot of heart. And for us to make that decision says more about Kevin Jones than it does about Josh."

Jones, 24, is already in Manila according to Purves and he'll be present for the Beermen's next game on Friday, March 14 against the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters.

Boone, on the other hand, is still in Manila but will soon be flying back to the US where he "can continue his career." Purves said Boone will "have a number of opportunities to play overseas."

The Beermen's official statement on the decision reads: "We would like to thank Josh for his effort and professionalism. He showed a lot of heart while wering a Beermen uniform. We look forward to enjoying Josh's future success as he will always be a member of the Beermen Family."

From Rappler.com

[tonistork]

sa ganitong gawa ng San Miguel Beer team, mas lalo silang di magchachampion. . walang sistema sa coaching at walang tiyaga sa import. . karma sa kanila ito.

[Zurca]

Slaughter, Barroca to lead PBA All Star team vs Gilas

MANILA, Philippines - Number one overall pick Greg Slaughter is the top vote-getter in the 2014 PBA All Star Game polls, the PBA announced on Tuesday, March 11.

The 7-toot Barangay Ginebra stalwart gained 61,680 votes to top the online and manual polls conducted by the Philippine Basketball Association. The former Smart Gilas center finished 4th in the statistical race for Best Player of the Conference in the Philippine Cup.

Joining him are teammates Chris Ellis, the reigning PBA dunk champion with 44,630 votes and Mac Baracael, who tallied 33,756.

Over at the backcourt, two-time PBA MVP James Yap will be making his 11th all star appearance, garnering 38,260 votes while his San Mig Super Coffee Mixers teammate, the newly-minted PBA Philippine Cup finals MVP Mark Barroca, complete the rest of the cast with 38,268.

Mixers head coach Tim Cone will call the shots for the PBA All Stars that will face Gilas Pilipinas on April 6 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Reserves will be determined by PBA coaches.

It is the second straight year where the PBA will observe such format to help the national team train for their upcoming battles in the FIBA World Cup in Spain and 2014 Asian Games in Incheon City, Korea.

In the 2013 edition in Digos City, a three-pointer by Jeff Chan helped the nationals to a 124-all deadlock, with Chan and Arwind Santos both getting the all star game MVP nod.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Two additional PBA games to be shown live by TV5 as Monday match, Saturday twinbill added to sked

HERE's a bit of good news to basketball fans: TV5 has added two more games to the number of PBA matches it will be airing live starting on March 17.

In a statement, Sports5, the sports arm of TV5, said it will now be airing one live game every Monday over TV5 as well as both Saturday games instead of the usual one.

That will bring to seven the number of PBA games to be shown on TV5, aside from all the live matches being carried by its sister channel on the UHF band, Aksyon TV 41, and the Wednesday matches shown on cable channel FOX Sports.

“TV5 and the PBA will continue to give diehard fans and viewers good basketball action,” said Sports5 head Chot Reyes.

Sports5 said the move is in response to the "overwhelming response" of fans to the coverage of the last PBA Philippine Cup, which topped the primetime ratings with Game Seven of the Ginebra-San Mig semifinal series as well as Game Six of the Finals between San Mig and Rain or Shine.

Under the new schedule, one PBA match will now be shown live by TV5 every Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays beginning at 8 p.m. THe first games of weekday double-headers will be shown live on Aksyon TV and aired on a delayed basis over TV5.

Saturdays and Sunday double-headers will now be beamed live on TV5.

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Who should make the PBA All-Star team reserves?

MANILA, Philippines - The 2014 PBA All-Star game starters have been named by voters nationwide. Now it's time to ask, who joins them in the titanic duel against Gilas Pilipinas on April 6 at the Mall of Asia Arena?

Greg Slaughter, Chris Ellis, Mac Baracael, Mark Barroca and James Yap are the starters for this year's edition of the annual spectacle, and joining them are seven more players who will battle toe to toe with the national squad.

And while the all star game is all about the fun, excitement and showtime, it also aims to give Gilas Pilipinas a good tune-up match so selecting competitive players will make it a better match-up. I picked PBA stars who are up for the challenge but at the same time, could give the fans an exciting treat worth remembering.

Who deserves a spot in the all star crew? We have our choices below.

Frontcourt

Sonny Thoss, Alaska Aces

A former Gilas 2 member, Thoss mainly carries the Alaska Aces this year with his numbers of 14.5 PPG and 8.6 RPG in over 35 minutes. The 6-foot-7 behemoth is still a huge presence down the post, and for this match he should give Marcus Douthit and June Mar Fajardo a tough time.

Jay Washington, Globalport Batang Pier

Washington placed 5th in the statistical race for the PBA Philippine Cup best player race, and is a terrific stretch forward. Having him go up against Gilas' forwards like Marc Pingris and Japeth Aguilar will be a great stuff to see.

KG Canaleta, Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters

The last in the frontcourt is Canaleta, who has the touch from outside and also has the size to get boards and defend inside. His main task would be keep up with shooters like Larry Fonacier and Jeff Chan.

Backcourt

Joseph Yeo, Air21 Express

Yeo had a sensational PH Cup for Express, sliding to the converted point guard role to put up big numbers: at least 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists per outing whidh are all career high averages. He also notched his first triple-double to cap off what has been a splendid season so far. He's been an all star just once and he deserves another call up for sure.

Sol Mercado, San Miguel Beermen

A former Gilas 2 member himself, Mercado can definitely make it a high-octane game when he enters the floor. He definitely wont take any of the Gilas guards lightly, and he'll fight them speed-for-speed.

Wildcards

Mark Caguioa, Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel

It is the first all star game in Manila since 2009 where Caguioa will not participate. While the numbers of the 2012 MVP have dipped through the years, just having him in the cast will already be a big gift for the thousands who will be paying to see their favorite PBA stars. Aside from his on-court antics, Caguioa's appeal and popularity will definitely boost the turnout this year.

Terrence Romeo, Globalport Batang Pier

Of course, when it comes to showtime, Terrence Romeo is one player who could definitely bring a lot to the table. The rookie once scored 34 points in a single contest and I believe if there is one rookie aside from Slaughter who should be in the all star game, it has to be Romeo.

Asi Taulava, Air21 Express

When you're 41 years old yet you still put up 13.8 PPG and 13.6 RPG in the season, it's quite reasonable you should be in the all star list. The evergreen Taulava continues to defy the odds for the Express; the perennial RP team slotman should also give Gilas' bigs a good lesson.

Ronjay Buenafe, Barako Bull Energy

Barako Bull's gunner Buenafe should also make it to the list; he's one of those reliable shooters who can also break down his defenders, although he doesn't really get much attention. He's also been part of Gilas 2 for a while.

Don't agree with our picks? You have your own choices for sure so tell us who do you think should be in the PBA All Star game by commenting below.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

San Mig's second unit makes difference in Mixers' rout of Globalport (03/12/14)

SAN Mig Super Coffee hardly showed any championship hangover as it buckled down to work right in its PBA Commissioner’s Cup debut by routing winless Globalport, 91-75, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.

Except for the first 12 minutes of play, the Mixers were in control for most of the match as the recently crowned Philippine Cup champions outgunned, outhustled, and completely outplayed the woeful Batang Pier en route to an auspicious 16-point win .

“I think we’re a little different this time around and I think the championship hangover came the last conference when the guys had injuries,” said San Mig coach Timn Cone after the game.

“This time, we came back and we’re injury free. We did get some break, and I think the guys enjoyed the breaks off in terms of batches.”

With the Mixers finally dominating the game after outscoring the Batang Pier in the second quarter, 31-12, Cone had the luxury of playing veteran stars led by two-time league MVP James Yap, Peter June Simon, and Joe Devance below 30 minutes, a plan which the San Mig coach wanted as much as possible this conference.

“I told the first group we’ll try to keep you guys out as much as we can. That’s gonna be our goal because we want them to be ready at the right time, keep them fresh, and try not to overplay them,” explained Cone, who steered the Mixers to the All-Filipino Cup title just exactly two weeks ago via a 4-2 win over Rain or Shine in the Finals.

Except for one minor rally which saw Globalport cut down what was once an imposing 17-point deficit to 72-80 midway in the fourth period, San Mig just simply showed too much firepower in handling the Batang Pier their third straight loss in the tournament.

The setback also kept new head coach Pido Jarencio winless since taking over the reins from interim mentor Ritchie Ticzon more than a month ago.

Six San Mig players scored in double figures led by rookie forward Ian Sangalang, who had 16 points. Import James Mays added 15 points, six rebounds, and two steals, while Marc Pingris added 13 markers and 12 boards.

Mark Barroca came off the bench to add 11, while Simon and Yap had 10 apiece.

Import Evan Brock led the Batang Pier with 27 points and a personal conference-best 28 rebounds to go along with five steals and two assists in an all-around effort that again went down the drain.

Jay Washington finished with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds, while newly-acquired guard Alex Cabagnot finished with just five points on a woeful one-of-12 shooting from the field.

The scores:

San Mig (91) - Sangalang 16, Mays 15, Pingris 13, Barroca 11, Simon 10, Yap 10, Melton 7, Mallari 5, Devance 4, Cawaling 0, Reavis 0.

Globalport (75) - Brock 27, Washington 14, Garcia 9, Ponferrada 8, Chua 6, Cabagnot 5, Nabong 2, Romeo 2, Macapagal 2, Yee 0, Salvador 0, Custodio 0.

Quarterscores: 16-20; 47-32; 70-58; 91-75.

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Import Butch boosts Meralco to upend Alaska (03/12/14)

MANILA, Philippines - More trouble for the defending champions.

The Meralco Bolts handed last season's Commissioner's Cup champions Alaska Aces their second loss behind the solid performance of American import Brian Butch.

The 29-year old center went all across the board and posted 27 points, 17 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks to help the Bolts to an 85-76 victory on Wednesday, March 12 in the PLDT myDSL Commissioner's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

His explosive and balanced performance came at a perfect time with the Bolts playing sans two of their starters in Mike Cortez and Jared Dillinger. Cortez was out due to a knee injury while Dillinger had bacterial infection.

Alaska was off to a poor start, scoring only 12 points in the first. Even as they tried to fight back against Meralco's defense, they could only muster 22 points at most in the payoff period.

The defense-oriented game forced Alaska to 14 miscues, which Meralco promptly pounced on for 17 points.

The Bolts' moved the ball better compared to their first outing where they dished out only 8 assists, resulting to a blowout loss at the hands of the San Miguel Beermen.

In this game, however, Meralco made sure to pass the leather with 19 assists.

Alaska came knocking on Meralco's door with over 3 minutes left to play as comebacking import Rob Dozier scored two of his 17 points to make it 78-72.

But a split by Butch from the line followed by a Gary David basket and a deflating Anjo Caram triple pushed Meralco farther from Alaska's reach, 84-72.

Reynel Hugnatan contributed 14 points while David and Cliff Hodge added 12 apiece.

JVee Casio led the way for the Aces with 19 points.

Scores:

Meralco 85: Butch 27, Hugnatan 14, David 12, Hodge 12,Caram 7, Mandani 5, Ildefonso 4, Guevarra 2, Wilson 2, Al-hussaini 0.

Alaska 76: Casio 19, Dozier 17, Baguio 12, Thoss 10, Manuel 6, Jazul 4, Espinas 3, Reyes 2, Abueva 2, Dela Cruz 1, Hontiveros 0.

Quarters: 20-12; 37-33; 61-54; 85-76.

From Rappler.com