PBA Scores, News and Updates

[Zurca]

Alaska's beasts Abueva, Espinas shut down Barako (04/02/14)

MANILA, Philippines - Beast mode on.

The Alaska Aces, led by two of their most aggressive players Calvin Abueva and Gabby Espinas, shrugged off the Barako Bull Energy Cola, 78-71, on Wednesday, April 2 in the PLDT Home TVolution PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

"Just proud of Gabby (Espinas) and Calvin (Abueva)," remarked Alaska head coach Luigi Trillo. "They're sort of like a Mr. Uytengsu (Alaska team owner) type of work ethic. Our team owner is known to be the hardest worker. I thought the two came in there and talagang kinuha nila sa tiyaga." (I thought the two came in there and they really did it with hard work.)

Barako, a dangerous team when allowed to stay close towards the end, managed to cling tight to the Aces for 3 quarters and was only down 53-50 heading into the fourth, after leading 30-26 at halftime.

But the aggressiveness of the 2013 Rookie of the Year Abueva at the turn of the payoff period resulted in nothing but good things as Alaska pulled away somewhat, 55-52.

Playmaker JVee Casio padded on that to swing the momentum permanently on their side with another strong drive to the hoop for a 57-52 spread.

Shortly after, Abueva hit it home once again to make it an 8-point 60-52 edge.

"Just nice of Calvin to come out," Trillo said of Abueva, who tallied 9 points on 4-of-6 field goals together with 9 rebounds. "He's been struggling of late but he brought his energy."

Meanwhile, Alaska found another bright spot in Espinas who was equally aggressive both on offense and defense. The 6-foot-4 forward wrested control of the game in the final frame and hit timely baskets to keep the Energy at bay despite their gallant effort.

He and Abueva conspired for 4 points near the last two minutes of the game to make it a 70-63 affair.

"Gabby not only contributed to his points," Trillo said. "Dollard averages about 34 a game. I thought we did a decent job there with Dollard tied down until the end."

Espinas pestered Barako import Josh Dollard all night long and made him shoot a measly 6-of-16 from the field, resulting in just 26 points along with 16 rebounds.

Espinas tied Dollard down and never let him loose while scoring 14 points to his name and grabbing 3 rebounds.

Barako inched closer towards the end via the free throw line but got sent back by a Casio pull-up jumper with 52.4 on the clock, 67-72.

"I think good defensive job again," Trillo said. "They're averaging 98 points; we gave them 71 points."

The Aces were truly relentless on defense as they also forced 18 turnovers on Barako and got 17 points off of that. They limited their miscues to 8.

With the win, the Aces break away somewhat from the log jam in the middle of the standings with a 4-3 slate at 4th place and their third straight win at that.

"This was very, very important for us. It was a moment-of-truth game, I thought. Because if we lose we're just back to win and lose," Trillo said.

Trillo also says he's satisfied with where his team is headed.

"This is where we want to be. This is more of our game. It's not run and gun," he explained. "It's ugly, physical, halfcourt defensive type of games."

The road doesn't get any easier for Alaska, however, as they face Barangay Ginebra and San Mig Coffee next.

Scores

Alaska 78: Dozier 18, Espinas 14, Casio 10, Abueva 9, Hontiveros 8, Jazul 6, Thoss 6, Manuel 4, Baguio 3, Reyes 0, Dela Cruz 0.

Barako 71: Dollard 26, Pennisi 12, Miller 7, Isip 6, Miranda 6, Lastimosa 5, Fortuna 2, Buenafe 2, Pena 2, Wilson 1, Marcelo 0.

Quarter scores: 13-17, 26-30, 53-50, 78-71.

From Rappler.com

[Lord Nok Von Hauten]

Ayos nanalo din ang ginebra yehey na yehey...

Sent from my Lenovo A3000-H using Tapatalk

[Zurca]

Ginebra in back on track after win over Meralco (04/02/14)

MANILA, Philippines - Still alive and still kicking.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel pushed back against their pressure and struggles to trump the Meralco Bolts, 88-78, on Wednesday, April 2 in the PLDT Home TVolution Commissioner's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Kings banked on a mighty stand in the fourth period, using a sizzling 8-0 run sparked by a Mark Caguioa three-pointer to create some much needed separation against an equally fiery Bolts, 79-70.

They continued down the road they paved with Chris Ellis delivering the dagger triple with 1:15 left to play, 83-73. Not content with that, and perhaps out of frustration from their two-game skid, Ellis pounded the nail on the coffin deeper with another trey to make it 76-73 with 46.8 ticks remaining as Ginebra cruised on to victory and a 3-4 slate.

"We did a good job on defense, " said Ginebra head coach Ato Agustin. "We were able to stop our weaknesses. And (we achieved) yung target namin na score, they scored only 78 points." (We achieved our target score, they scored only 78 points.)

It was a combination of many things for Ginebra. But mostly, it was the very thing veteran Caguioa had wanted to see from his teammates: heaps of intensity.

The defensive energy was just palpable for Ginebra for much of the ballgame as they scrambled for loose balls and never gave up on seemingly impossible plays. They played honest defense, protected the rim with 6 blocks and was much more fluid with their offensive sets as well.

Ginebra played one of their best first halves of the conference, spinning the thread of their offense to produce plenty of gold in a 54.8% field goal shooting clip good for a 44-40 halftime lead.

The Gin Kings faltered in the third, however, as their ball movement and aggressiveness dipped, allowing Meralco to pick up some steam and even take over the driver's seat at several junctures.

Josh Urbiztondo, though, came alive towards the end of the third with a trey from way out to break the deadlock and enter the deciding canto with a 63-60 advantage.

Knowing the importance of the game, both teams' new imports piled on the intensity in the third and fourth periods, taking it strong to the hole and challenging every sort of defense put up by their opponents.

Darnell Jackson, 28, who replaced Brian Butch, did not waste any time showcasing his athleticism and his fearlessness as he scored in every way he could - be it from deep underneath the ring or in transition for the throwdown. He finished with 25 markers, 18 rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block.

While Gary David added 18 points on 7-of-7 free throws for Meralco, who dropped to 3-4.

Agustin noted the performance of his new import who replaced Leon Rodgers, former Los Angeles Laker Josh Powell. He went across the board with 16 points, 15 rebounds (6 on the offensive glass), two assists, two steals an two blocks.

"He's a very smart player, nakasunod sa sistema kaya kitang kita ilang locals ang nag-double figures," he said. "Maganda contribution ng import." (He's a very smart player and he fits the system, which can be seen with plenty of locals in double figures. He made a good contribution.)

Playmaker LA Tenorio also looked much like his old self in this game with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and two steals.

Ellis finished with 16 points for Ginebra as Greg Slaughter and Caguioa chipped in 15 and 13 points, respectively.

Scores

Ginebra 88: Powell 16, Ellis 16, Slaughter 15, Caguioa 13, Urbiztondo 10, Tenorio 10, Aguilar 3, Helterbrand 3, Baracael 2, mamaril 0.

Meralco 78: Jackson 25, David 18, Dillinger 11, Hugnatan 9, Hodge 9, Caram 3, Al-Hussaini 2, Artadi 1, Ildefonso 0, Sena 0, Guevarra 0, Wilson 0, Mandani 0.

Quarters scores: 27-21; 44-40; 63-60; 88-78.

From Rappler.com

[2013rev2013]

parang ang tamad naman nung import ng ginebra, buti na lang naka-tres si ellis..
mapapalaban to sa ibang import... 

[Zurca]

PBA Best Player Race Weeks 3-4: Ranidel reigns

MANILA, Philippines – The Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters have remained unscathed through four weeks in the PLDT Home TVolution PBA Commissioner’s Cup 2014. And though their import Richard Howell is a big part of that equation, the outstanding play of locals Ranidel De Ocampo, Jayson Castro and Jimmy Alapag have been instrumental in maintaining their unbeaten ways.

The second-running San Miguel Beermen also banked on the efforts of two reliable franchise players and a speedy point guard who has taken his game to the next level.

Here is the latest edition of Rappler’s PBA Best Player Race.

1. (Last week: 4▲) Ranidel De Ocampo, Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters

17.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 43.3% 3-PT FGs, 34.30 EFF

Arguably the finest power forward in the league right now, Ranidel De Ocampo is currently the locals’ scoring leader. This included a 28-point explosion in an all-important win against Ginebra on March 23. The Gilas Pilipinas stalwart is also shooting at a fine 43.3% from downtown, definitely a boost for his still undefeated squad.

2. (Last week: NA▲) Arwind Santos, San Miguel Beermen

15.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 34.36 EFF

The reigning PBA Most Valuable Player acted like one over the past two weeks, particularly in a 109-92 conquest of Globalport last March 24 where he would hit huge buckets in crunch time to finish with 18 points and 10 rebounds, leading his team to victory.

3. (Last week: 1▼) Jayson Castro, Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters

15.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 32.50 EFF

“The Blur” is still getting prime numbers despite spending just less than 30 minutes on the court per night. He has doubled his assists average in the past two weeks (2.33 in the first three games to 6 in the last three games) to help the mighty Tropang Texters stay clean.

4. (Last week: NA▲) June Mar Fajardo, San Miguel Beermen

11.6 PPG, 11 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.8 BPG, 35.34 EFF

The Kraken is back.

After sitting out at the start of the conference, the reigning Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference returned and immediately made impact for the Beermen. He is the only local averaging in double-double, and is definitely a force inside the paint for the playoff-seeking San Miguel squad.

5. (Last week: 2▼) Asi Taulava, Air21 Express

13.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 33.47 EFF

The evergreen Taulava is still a force inside for the Air21 Express. With his size and presence, he makes their reinforcement’s job easier as he takes care of the boards and interior defense.

6. (Last week: NA▲) Chris Ross, San Miguel Beermen

7.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 8 APG, 2.7 SPG, 26.88 EFF

I do believe Chris Ross might be the fastest guard in the PBA. He is finally playing the best basketball of his life, leading the Beermen to a 5-2 record and steering their high-geared offense. (READ: Chris Ross says RoS win a morale-booster but remains hungry) The energetic point guard is the conference assists and steals leader with 8 dimes and 2.7 interceptions per match, definitely a big reason for San Miguel’s winning run.

7. (Last week: NA▲) Joseph Yeo, Air21 Express

13.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 57.1% 3-PT FGs, 30.1 EFF

Also entering this week’s BPC picture is Air21’s ninja, Joseph Yeo. Yeo has managed to distribute the ball well, averaging 6 assists in his last three outings for the Express while also shooting an astronomical 57.1% from three-point distance since returning to his his natural two-guard position. His 18-point, 9-assist output in a 97-95 win against Ginebra on March 26 proved to be vital as the Express rose to the .500 mark.

8. (Last week: 6▼) Jimmy Alapag, Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters

9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 40.9% 3-PT FGs, 27.44 EFF

Completing the list of Tropang Texters in the Top 10 is Jimmy Alapag. Though already 36 years old, Alapag is still leading the team in assists, and is still an effective three-point shooter. His leadership will be a key factor especially when Talk ‘N Text guns for another shot at the PBA crown.

9. (Last week: 10▲) Paul Lee, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters

13.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 29.6 EFF

10. (Last week: 7▼) Jeff Chan, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters

15 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 26.32 EFF

The duo of Paul Lee and Jeff Chan round out our Top 10 list for this week as they both continue to do well for the Rain or Shine crew. Chan and Lee are numbers 1 and 2 in local scoring for their squad, respectively while keeping the Elasto Painters in the playoff chase. With four games left for the Elasto Painters, the backcourt tandem is expected to lead the team to the next level.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

PBA All-Stars coach Tim Cone plans to mimic European style of play in bid to help Gilas prepare for World Cup

PBA All-Star coach Tim Cone said he intends to throw a mixture of the European style of offense and a bit of his patented triangle system as he tries to help Gilas Pilipinas prepare for the Fiba World Cup and Asian Games this year.

“One of the things we want to do is run some offense that will be used against Gilas at the World Cup,” Cone told mediamen during Thursday’s press conference at the Mall of Asia Arena, marking the start of the PBA All-Star Week.

“We’ll work on some things that they’ll probably see in Spain, some of the European stuff that’s very popular,” he added.

However, Cone said since he has four of his San Mig players in the All-Star lineup led by James Yap, Joe Devance, Mark Barroca and Peter June Simon, as well as Calvin Abueva and Sonny Thoss, whose Alaska squad also runs the triangle offense, the multi-titled PBA coach will try to run the triangle offense as well.

Last year’s edition of the midseason classic saw Gilas Pilipinas engage the PBA All-Star team in a 124-124 standoff behind Jeff Chan’s buzzer-beating three-point shot.

“I hope we don’t given them (Gilas) 124 points this time around. Last time kind of shocked them, but since then, they’ve had a year together after going together for the (Fiba-Asia) wars,” explained Cone.

The American mentor, who became the all-time most successful coach after steering the Mixers to the Philippine Cup for his 16th PBA title, expects the Sunday match against Gilas to be defensive in nature.

“We’re gonna try to compete and challenge them and make them (Gilas) better. We’ll defend and make it tough for them and hopefully, it will help them get better,” he added.

Gilas Pilipinas mainstay Marc Pingris, who plays for San Mig, believes the national squad is capable of giving the All-Stars a run for their money after learning to play together for the past year.

“Ngayon, yung samahan namin okay na rin. Nakakahiya rin na ang uniform namin may Pilipinas kung matalo kami,” said Pingris, one of Gilas coach Chot Reyes’ energy guys during last year’s Fiba-Asia cage joust in Manila.

“Pero seryoso kami a larong ito, dahil gusto naming makuha yung P100,000,” he added, in jest, referring to the P100,000 cash pot that the PBA board will be awarding to the winner.

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Chris Ellis to pull out new tricks in slam dunk title defense

MANILA, Philippines - The competition may be stiff but Chris Ellis still has a few tricks left up his sleeve.

The reigning slam dunk champion from Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vows that he will not give up his crown without a fight in the 2014 PBA All-Star weekend.

"I got a couple up my sleeve, a couple of aces," said the high flying 6-foot-5 shooting guard. Though he says we’ll have to wait to see what those ace cards are.

"I was practicing all last night and I'll just get out there and do what I gotta do."

He added: "It's all gonna be on the spot. It depends on what the other guys are doing. I know a lot of guys got a lot of things on their repertoire. But I'm just gonna try and come out and put down something for sure."

Ellis, who won last year's competition as a rookie, will be going up against current rookies Alex Nuyles (Rain or Shine) and another high flyer in the 5-foot-9 Justin Melton (San Mig Super Coffee).

Melton is arguably among the biggest threats to Ellis due to his height. But Ellis knows he can't understate him.

"You can never doubt the small guy just because he's small."

Another major source of competition is Ginebra teammate Japeth Aguilar.

The familiarity with the 6-foot-10 Aguilar from practicing every day with him may be an advantage for Ellis.

"Japeth always has some creativeness," Ellis said of his teammate. "He's able to just do things because he's so athletic. He could just put things together. It just depends on if he has his timing."

And while Ellis has some aces to unveil during the competition, Aguilar is likewise cooking up some tricks to impress the judges and the crowd.

"I'm gonna try to give the fans a good show," said the athletic forward. "May mga naiisip na akong mga dunks pero hindi ko pa siya na-practice eh. So I need to get my timing pa." (I've thought of some ideas for dunks already but I haven't practiced them. So I still need to get my timing.)

Asked how he feels battling the defending champion, Aguilar says he understands the need to be more creative and deliver fresh ideas to the table.

"Alam ko he's gonna be a tough opponent. And he really could jump. Tapos yung height niya pa, he's shorter than me so mas advantage yun sa judges," he explained. "Plus yung mga tricks ginawa na niya last year, so it will be tough to be creative." (I know he's gonna be a tough opponent. And he really can jump. And his height, he's shorter than me so he has the advantage with the judges. Plus he did a lot of tricks last year, so it will be tough to be creative.)

Other participants in the slam dunk competition include Calvin Abueva (Alaska), Arwind Santos (San Miguel Beermen), Rey Guevarra (Meralco Bolts), and Cliff Hodge (Meralco Bolts).

The slam dunk competition is part of the 2014 PBA All Star Weekend festivities and will take place on Friday, April 4 at 5:30 PM at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

This year's All Star Weekend is from April 4 to 6.

From Rappler.com

[2013rev2013]

wala si canaleta? 

aabangan ko si melton, matinding laban to!!! 

[Zurca]

PBA All Star showdown gives Gilas dry run for FIBA

MANILA, Philippines - Participants of the annual PBA All Star Weekend entered the Coral Way lobby of the Mall of Asia Arena on the noon of Thursday, April 3 clad in black, flashing smiles, and fresh from a motorcade from Solaire Resort.

All were in a casual, jolly mood while preparing for their press conference. The exchange of thoughts was light as players shared their ideas on the upcoming activities. Some even cracked jokes, like the always flashy Willie Miller, Joe Devance, and Marc Pingris, making the presser a fun sight to see.

This atmosphere however, will turn into a serious battleground once the PBA All Stars battle the Gilas Pilipinas national squad on Sunday, April 6 in the culminating event of the four-day spectacle.


Only the best

Winningest PBA mentor and San Mig Coffee head coach Tim Cone is elated to call the shots for the all-star selection this year; he says his boys are armed with two goals: the first is to do their best for the fans, and the other is to get Gilas Pilipinas better by showing their best performance.

"I'm thrilled to be with these young men. Our team is here for the fans and we're also for Gilas," said Cone.

Gilas Pilipinas and the PBA All Stars fought to a 124-all deadlock in last year's affair in Digos City, Davao Del Sur where sniper Jeff Chan and reigning PBA MVP Arwind Santos were adjudged co-All star MVPs.

But Cone knows the national crew is much improved a year removed from their first match up with the PBA selection. Plus, Marcus Douthit and Jimmy Alapag, who both didn't suit up last year, will be in action on Sunday.

"I think Gilas will be a lot better this year. We will try to compete and challenge them. We want a tough defensive battle."

Asked about the offense he will run for the team, the Mixers mentor said he spoke to the Gilas coaching staff and will most likely infuse his triangle with the European brand of play to make it a simulation of what Gilas will experience in the FIBA World Cup.

"We discussed a few things (with Chot Reyes) so probably they will see some European stuff and triangle stuff," he said.


For the fans, country

PBA Philippine Cup Finals MVP Mark Barroca likewise wants to give the national team a good test. A former Smart Gilas member himself, the 5-foot-9 point guard will have his hands full against Jayson Castro, LA Tenorio, and Jimmy Alapag.

"Syempre i-cha-challenge namin yung Gilas. Gusto namin masaya yung game para masaya ung fans pero gusto rin namin sila matulungan," quipped the San Mig Coffee Mixer of what he expects regarding the all star match.

(Of course we want to challenge Gilas. We want a fun game for the fans but at the same time, we want to help Gilas improve)

Mac Baracael, also a part of the original cast of Gilas Pilipinas, and James Yap of the 2009 Powerade Team Pilipinas, share the same sentiments. They also mentioned the all-star game will be serious as they want the best for the national team.

"Ibibigay namin yung best namin para makatulong sa Gilas," said Yap, a former 2-time PBA MVP. (We will give our best to help Gilas in their preparation)

"Seryoso po kami. Ibibigay namin ang best namin," said Baracael. (We will be serious in this all-star game)


Pressure is on for nationals

While the PBA All Stars are expected to give their best, the pressure is twice as huge for the members of the national squad.

Gilas forward Ranidel De Ocampo knows most of the PBA All Stars have already represented the nation, and he expects a tough affair. But at the end of the day, he wants the fans to enjoy.

"Sana maraming manood. Yung PBA All Stars deserving din maglaro sa national team. San mapasaya namin ang mga tao," said the native of Tanza, Cavite. (I wish there will be a good turnout; the all stars also deserve to be in the national team so I hope we can give joy to the fans)

Marc Pingris meanwhile thinks the spotlight shall focus on how well they can perform on Sunday. It is their first tune-up in a long while, adding more pressure to the lineup.

"Gusto naming manalo. May pressure sa amin. Kapag natalo kami, pagagalitan kami ni coach (Chot Reyes)," said the 2013 Governor's Cup Finals MVP. (We want to win because the pressure is on us. If we lose, we'll hear it from coach Chot Reyes)

The Gilas Pilipinas-PBA All Star showdown takes place on Sunday, April 6 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Ticket prices range from 375 to 1,550 pesos.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Macapagal ousts Tiu to reclaim 3-point crown

MANILA, Philippines – Chris Tiu, who won last year’s Three-Point Shootout, said he was most concerned about Talk ’N Text marksman Larry Fonacier in his quest to repeat as champion.

Instead of looking to the future, he should’ve been looking to his past.

Globalport Batang Pier’s Mark Macapagal – the man whose three-year reign Tiu ended last year – regained his title on Friday, April 4 during the 2014 PBA All-Star Weekend.

Macapagal made good on 6 money balls in the elimination round to lead all competitors with 23 points. He then improved on that showing by scoring 24 points in the final round to seal the deal.

"Medyo last year galing bakasyon so hindi prepared, hindi tulad ngayon nakapag-practice nakukuha ko yung rhythm," Macapagal explained. "Buti na lang maganda yung umpisa at nakasama ako sa doon sa tatlo." (Last year I came from vacation so I wasn't prepared. Not like this year I was able to practice and get my rhythm. It's a good thing I had a great start and I was able to make the top 3.)

Rain or Shine's Tiu racked up 22 points in the eliminations along with a similar 22-point finals output.

Alaska Aces point guard JVee Casio was the first to tally more than 20 points with a 22-point finish in the elimination round on 6 money balls. He dipped in the finals, however, with just 20 points.

Macapagal will take home P30,000 for his win, the same amount Mark Barroca earned for winning the Obstacles Challenge.

Below is the summary of scores for this year's PBA All Star Weekend three-point shootout:

Eliminations

Mark Cardona: 18 points

JVee Casio: 22 points

Ronjay Buenafe: 14 points

LA Tenorio: 17 points

Mark Macapagal: 23 points

John Wilson: 17 points

Gary David: 18 points

Marcio Lassiter: 18 points

Larry Fonacier: 12 points

Chris Tiu: 22 points


Finals

JVee Casio: 20 points

Mark Macapagal: 24 points

Chris Tiu: 22 points

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Mark Barroca is new obstacle challenge champ

MANILA, Philippines –Mark Barroca of the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers is the new obstacle challenge champion in the 2014 PBA All-Star Weekend.

The San Mig playmaker unseated 4-time champion Jonas Villanueva by besting him and all of their other competitors with an elimination round time of 31.4 seconds and a finals round time of a whopping 29.8 seconds.

The 5-foot-10 Barroca breezed through the full court obstacle which consisted of first making a lay-up, then zigzagging through the cones to make a chest pass through a metal ring. That's followed by a bounce pass through another ring, then a three-pointer and an overhead pass through the last ring, and finally running around cones again to finish with a lay-up.

"Isip ko na lang yung pinagana ko," Barroca said after he won. "Pinagisipan ko kagabi pa na masaya pag nanalo ako. Alam ko na yung gagawin kasi na-experience ko na 'to last year. Pinagtrabahuhan ko na lang yung focus at execution."

Barroca won P30,000 for his victory.

Below is a list of all the competitors' times through the elimination and final rounds.

Eliminations:

JVee Casio 38.3 seconds

Willie Miller 40.5 seconds

LA Tenorio 42.9 seconds

John Wilson 54.2 seconds

Paul Lee 44 seconds

Sol Mercado 41.6 seconds

Mark Barroca 31.4 seconds

Jayson Castro 49.4 secondes

Jonas Villanueva 34.9


Finals:

JVee Casio: 54.5 seconds

Mark Barroca 29.8 seconds

Jonas Villanueva 36 seconds

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Melton, Guevarra named PBA slam dunk co-champions

MANILA, Philippines – One new dunk champion was not enough. There was so much high-flying talent in this year's PBA All-Stars slam dunk competition that the judges couldn’t give just one man the title.

Justin Melton of the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers and Rey Guevarra of the Meralco Bolts were named slam dunk co-champions on Friday, April 4 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The competition was so stiff between the two that their finals round extended to a second round as they both tallied a perfect 40 points for each of the two rounds.

Guevarra was dominant from the get-go with a between the legs jam to gain a perfect score from all the judges for 40 points in the first round.

His second round reverse throwdown from the baseline earned him 39 points.

"Yung between the legs na dunk ko ngayon ko nga lang nagawa yun eh," said the 6-foot-2 wingman out of Letran College. "Tina-try ko yun nung college pero ngayon ko lang talaga nagawa yun eh." (This is the only time I was able to do the between the legs dunk. I kept trying that in college but I was only able to do it now.)

In the final rounds Guevarra made good on a double pump which he finished on a reverse, followed by a spin move to the basket as he slammed it home.

Meanwhile, the 5-foot-10 Melton impressed the crowd and the judges repeatedly as he soared high above the rim for thunderous dunks. The San Mig Coffee rookie showcased a lot of his athleticism and his hang time before the eager crowd and fellow players as he jumped over two people in the first round for a perfect 40 points.

He then used the ring for the assist, hanging with his left hand and dunking it with authority to gain 39 points.

In the finals he made an alley-oop to himself for the reverse, before completing a one-handed tomahawk.

"No intimidation," Melton said of how he felt going up against much taller competition. "Just go out and do what you do, have fun with it."

It may have also helped Melton to have his coach Tim Cone send him off and veteran teammates PJ Simon and Mark Barroca offer suggestions as to what he should do.

"My coach told me in practice today to just go out and have fun so that's what I did," he said. "My teammates definitely helped out with suggestions and all that. Mark and PJ were just sitting here on the sidelines."

Guevarra and Melton ousted last year's champion Chris "Air Force" Ellis, who tallied 37 points in the first round after enlisting the help of multiple-time slam dunk champion KG Canaleta for a dunk over him. In the second round, the high flying shooting guard switched from his right hand to finish on the left for 33 points.

Only the top two scorers from the eliminations round advanced to the final round. The slam dunk competition was judged by Atoy Co, Barry Pascua, Bogs Adornado, and Ramon Bautista.

Meanwhile, other highlights of the slam dunk contest included Cliff Hodge trying to pull off a dunk over 3 people. Hodge asked his teammates Gary David, John Wilson and Guevarra to be his personal obstacle course to the rim. Hodge's attempt at overachieving left Wilson taking a selfie underneath the ring and David praying for his life.

Ginebra big man Japeth Aguilar also tried something unique with teammate LA Tenorio holding a camera underneath the ring and holding the ball for Aguilar to take. However, Aguilar could not complete the dunk as well.

Below is a complete list of scores from the slam dunk competition.

First round

Calvin Abueva: 32 points

Japeth Aguilar: 36 points

Rey Guevarra 40 points

Cliff Hodge: 36 points

Justin Melton: 40 points

Alex Nuyles: 36 points

Chris Ellis: 37 points


Second round

Calvin Abueva: 36 points

Japeth Aguilar: 29 points

Rey Guevarra: 39 points

Cliff Hodge: 20 points

Justin Melton: 39 points

Alex Nuyles: 20 points.

Chris Ellis: 33 points


Finals First Round

Rey Guevarra: 40 points

Justin Melton: 40 points


Finals Second Round

Rey Guevarra: 40 points

Justin Melton: 40 points

From Rappler.com

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PBA Stalwarts vs Greats game ends in draw

MANILA, Philippines - A game filled with thunderous jams and three-pointers by Filipino basketball legends and young stars alike ended in a draw, 136-all, on Friday, April 4 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Greats were leading for most of the contest thanks to the 29 points of Cliff Hodge and the 34 points of newly crowned slam dunk co-champion Rey Guevarra.

Guevarra, who was flying and dunking all over the place, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the game.

"Medyo nakaka-hype eh (It did contribute to making me feel the hype)," he said when asked if his slam dunk competition win spiked his momentum.

"Nandito lang kami para pasayahin yung mga fans ng PBA," he said after the game. "Honor 'to na magkaroon pa ng ganitong award (MVP)." (We're here to make the PBA fans happy. It's an honor to have this award.)

But the Stalwarts made a run towards the end with Mark Cardona scoring on a basket to make it a two-point 132-130 game. Cliff Hodge then responded on the other end with 1:13 left to push the lead up again, 134-130.

Willie Miller (18 points) scored the last basket for the Greats before Justin Melton and Ronjay Buenafe hit a pair of treys under the final minute to notch the final tally.

Guevarra's slam dunk co-champion Melton was also all over the place, keeping the crowd entertained with his high-impact throwdowns and three-pointers. He finished with 21 points on a perfect 6-of-6 field goals.

Of the PBA legends, Noli Locsin of the Stalwarts showed that he still has it in him as he finished with a double-double, 18 points and 11 rebounds. The 43-year-old former Ginebra favorite even brought fans to their feet with a slam dunk. Richard del Rosario provided the entertaining antics on the floor and scored 5 points and grabbed 6 boards.

Johnedel Cardel lit it up from deep and had 12 points on 3-of-6 treys, while Freddie Abuda was a near perfect 5-of-6 from the field for his 11 markers.

Cardona and Buenafe added 31 and 22 points, respectively, for the Stalwarts as well.

The Greats were bannered by former PBA players and now coaches Franz Pumaren, Fortunato Co, Johnedel Cardel, Freddie Abuda, and Topex Robinson. They were flanked by current players Cliff Hodge, Willie Miller, Jonas Villanueva, Rey Guevarra and JVee Casio with Atoy Co as their coach.

Meanwhile, the Stalwarts had Noli Locsin, Richard del Rosario, William Adornado, Dickie Bachmann, and Jeffrey Cariaso, while Sol Mercado, Justin Melton, Mark Cardona, John Wilson, Ronjay Buenafe and Chris Tiu joined them. Their coach was Boggs Adornado.

The PBA Stalwarts versus the PBA Greats is only the first of two big games for the 2014 PBA All-Star Weekend.

The main event will be on Sunday, April 6, with Gilas Pilipinas playing the PBA All-Star selection.

Scores

PBA Greats 136: Guevarra 34, Hodge 29, Miller 18, Villanueva 17, Cardel 12, Abuda 11, Casio 9, Robinson 6, Pumaren 0, Co 0, Romeo 0.

PBA Stalwarts 136: Cardona 31, Buenafe 22, Melton 21, Wilson 18, Locsin 18, Mercado 8, Del Rosario 5, Adornado 0, Bachmann 0, Cariaso 0.

Quarters: 26-20, 57-57, 101-94, 136-136.

From Rappler.com

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Less showboating, more competitiveness as PBA All-Stars test Gilas Pilipinas' mettle

GILAS Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes expects nothing less than a competitive match against the PBA All-Stars of coach Tim Cone in the centerpiece event of the All-Star Week on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Reyes said the 5 p.m. match will have its usual trimmings of exciting plays, but at the same time expects Gilas to buckle down to work against a side led by James Yap and reigning PBA MVP Arwind Santos.

“It’s an All-Star (game) so it has to still be for the fans, but for sure it’s gonna be competitive,” Reyes said on the eve of the keenly-awaited midseason showpiece.

The Gilas team will be playing against a PBA selection for the second straight year after engaging the All-Stars in a 124-all standoff in last year’s edition in Digos City, Davao del Sur.

Santos, who scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the 2013 classic, along with Gilas gunner Jeff Chan were named as co-MVPs of that game.

While practice for the past three days has been intense, Reyes said game situations will be the true test for a team that will be playing for the first time since last August's Fiba-Asia championships.

“It’s easy to have fluidity in practice, but the game on Sunday with defense at may kalaban na, that’s going to be an entirely different story,” Reyes said.

"We’re just hoping for the best on Sunday given just two or three days of practice."

On the other hand, Cone said he intends to give equal playing opportunities to all his players even if he has four players from San Mig as well as two from Alaska - all familiar with how the triangle offense is run.

“There’s a lot of good players in the team. I mean we’ve got players like KG (Canaleta of Talk ‘N Text), (Ginebra’s Chris) Ellis and Greg (Slaughter), they all deserve to showcase something so I’ll try to play them all,” said Cone, who only had one practice with the All-Star squad on Saturday morning at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The four Mixers in the selection are Yap, Mark Barroca, Joe Devance and Peter June Simon, while Sonny Thoss and Calvin Abueva are the two players from the Aces.

Rounding out the All-Star lineup are Mac Baracael of Ginebra and San Miguel's Marcio Lassiter.

From SPIN.ph

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Gilas Pilipinas blasts PBA All-Stars in successful first outing

MANILA, Philippines - In their first game back since the FIBA Asia Championship, Gilas Pilipinas showed they could still work together as a team.

Gilas blasted the 2014 PBA All-Star selection, 101-93, in the 2014 PBA All-Star Weekend on on Sunday, April 6 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The national men's basketball squad was all business and in full control of the game right from the get go all the way until the end as they asserted their might in the paint with naturalized big man Marcus Douthit, and let it rain from beyond the arc with 9 three-pointers.

"We expected that. We had Marcus and that's kind of an unfair advantage on our part so we expected that," Gilas head coach Chot Reyes explained. "But more than the final score, more than the points, for me what I was looking at was how the players were reacting, how our players were executing, how they were able to follow the game plan."

The nationals, indeed, executed their game plan as they got off to a good start with Jeff Chan burying a trey right off the gates. They later piled up on points to make it a 49-42 halftime advantage.

They never looked back after that, outscoring the All-Stars 33-22 in the third to push their opponents into a hole they could never claw out of.

"I'd like to extend my appreciation to coach Tim (Cone) and PBA All-Stars for preparing hard," remarked Reyes. "You could see that they were very well prepared. They defended us well, they kept showing us different combinations, different looks.

"You could see with their offense they were able to run some stuff that we're going to see in international competitions. I think this game will definitely help us."

On the part of All-Stars coach Tim Cone, the variations on offense, defense and line-up were all part of their goal for tonight.

"The idea coming in here was to challenge the Gilas team and I thought we did that," he said. "We did everything, we played big line-ups, we played small line-up, we tried to run sets, we tried to run triangle. We threw the whole kitchen sink at them.

"But they responded well as expected. They are a team that's intact and they know each other."

The FIBA Asia silver medalists built their biggest lead during that searing third frame run on a Jayson Castro breakaway lay-up, 67-49, with 6:25 on the clock.

But the All-Stars fought back with a 9-2 run later in the period to inch to within 11, 73-62. But Paul Lee buried a trey right after to squash the momentum, 76-62.

The All-Stars put up some resistance once again towards the end of the payoff period, cutting the deficit to 10, 100-90, on an Arwind Santos basket with 2:25 to play. But missed attempts ensued for the All-Stars after that, effectively securing the win for Gilas.

Even with the loss, the All-Stars, led by James Yap, Mark Barroca and Greg Slaughter, weren't too shabby.

Despite what the final tally might say, the All-Stars gave Gilas a tough time executing their offensive sets. The defense locked in on Gilas whether on the perimeter or closer to the basket.

"Ironically we had enough defense, we just didn't have enough offense," noted Cone. "We went through some of the defensive schemes we wanted to do and I thought we executed it pretty well. At least we executed it with effort. The idea was play defense and bahala na (whatever) offense."

The All-Stars made 8 treys with Marcio Lassiter leading the scoring with 12 points. Slaughter added 11, while PJ Simon had 9 markers.

Gilas, on the other hand, tallied 28 assists, which Reyes says is a testament to the kind of team they are.

Chan tallied 17 points on 4-of-6 triples while Gary David had 15 markers.

David was named All-Star Most Valuable Player and won the P30,000 prize for it.

Larry Fonacier and Jayson Castro added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

This is only the beginning for the World Cup-bound national team. They obviously still look rusty on the court despite the win and there is still plenty more they need to accomplish before they are ready to go on a showdown against the world's best. But Reyes knows this one game alone is already a step in the right direction.

"It might be just one game but it means a lot to us and most especially to the fans to be able to see again."


All-Stars win again

Even before the actual game, both squads already bathed in the spotlight with the traditional All-Star dance-off.

But just like last year, it's still the PBA All-Stars who reigned supreme when the hip-shaking and confetti settled.

Wearing the well-known Jabbawockeez mask, Gilas, led by David, showed their quirky and relaxed personalities with shameless dance moves to a very entertained crowd. The highlight of their performance was June Mar Fajardo breaking out in dance and silent song to the film Frozen's highly popular song "Let It Go." Fajardo initiated that final dance as his teammates popped some confetti and joined the dancing themselves.

Their counterparts in the PBA All-Star selection, came out hiding cardboards underneath their shirts. They later revealed it to be letters that formed "GILAS PILIPINAS" with Maning Vilbar, the colorful character on the San Mig Super Coffee bench, carrying the final word, "PUSO."

Devance and Santos led the dancing for the All-Stars, showing off some impressive dancing chops. Barroca was also a highlight of their performance with his brown curly wig as he sang to "I Love Rock 'N Roll."

Gilas was unable able to redeem themselves from last year's dance-off loss, however, as the All-Stars took home the cash prize of P50,000.

Gilas, meanwhile, received P100,000 for winning the game.

The dance-off loss, Reyes said, was the only bad thing he could see from the game.

"If there's one setback in this it's the dance. I thought we won it last year and I thought we won it this year."

Scores

Gilas Pilipinas 101: Chan 17, David 15, Fajardo 13, Castro 12, Douthit 10, De Ocampo 7, Norwood 7, Aguilar 7, Lee 5, Dillinger 4, Fonacier 3, Pingris 1, Alapag 0, Tenorio 0, Belga 0.

PBA All-Stars 93: Lassiter 12, Slaughter 11, Santos 9, Simon 9, Yap 8, Barroca 8, Thoss 8, Ellis 7, Baracael 6, Devance 6, Abueva 6, Canaleta 3.

Quarter scores: 28-23, 49-42, 82-64, 101-93.

From Rappler.com