Sunday, December 20, 2009

San Miguel beats Ginebra in overtime, 91-86

source: pba.ph

The year is ending with San Miguel Beer on top of the heap. The Beermen outplayed the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the crunch, squeezing out a 91-86 win in overtime to grab the lead over the Alaska Milk Aces in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum Sunday night.

Jonas Villanueva, Dorian Pena and Arwind Santos delivered the key baskets as the Beermen avenged an 86-98 loss to the Kings in their initial encounter thus surging to the top in the leader board with a 12-3 win-loss card. Earlier in the day, Coca-Cola picked up from it left off the last time out and pulled off a mind-boggling 105-92 rout of erstwhile leader Alaska Milk.

The Aces were stalled at 11-2. "It's a good feeling we got through this game and we ended the year on a winning note," said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen. The Beermen and the Aces, the leaders in the race for the two outright semifinal berths, won't be back in action until January. Ginebra failed to regain a share of third place with Talk n Text (9-5) and instead slid to joint fourth with Purefoods at 8-6.

The Kings blew away a chance to win the game in regulation play with Cyrus Baguio missing a shot on a one-on-one play versus Dondon Hontiveros in the closing seconds. Villanueva, earlier, slipped past two defenders to make it 81-all with 6.7 seconds left.

The former FEU stalwart finished with a team-high 17 points on 7-of-8 field-goal shooting and 2-of-2 clip from the stripe. Santos, Mike Cortez and Denok Miranda added at least 12 points each for the Beermen -- now the hottest team in the league winning 12 of their last 13 games.

"We're now enjoying our good mix of talented veterans and young recruits," said Tanquingcen. "Palitan ang pumuputok and it's really a good sign for us." Ronald Tubid knocked in five triples and led all scorers with 21 points. Surprisingly, the Kings opted to go to Baguio on crucial moments, and the former UST star failed to deliver.

Down by three at 86-89, the Kings eventually yielded the game on back-to-back errors by Baguio. The Tianjin Fiba Asia veteran finished with only six points on 3-of-14 shooting. (SB)

The scores:

San Miguel 91 - Villanueva 17, Santos 14, Cortez 14, Miranda 12, Pena 9, Washington 8, Hontiveros 6, Pennisi 5, Racela 4, Seigle 2, Holper 0, Tugade 0.

Ginebra 86 - Tubid 14, Wilson 13, Intal 11, Mamaril 7, Baguio 6, Menk 6, Cruz 5, Salvacion 5, White 4, Abarrientos 4, Alvarez 2, Villanueva 2.

Quarterscores: 21-24, 39-47, 64-66, 81-81, 91-86

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Sta.Lucia beats Ginebra, 93-88

source: pba.ph

Jason Urbiztondo came into the game with the mindset of giving Johnny Abarrientos the highest respect -- just off the court though and not inside of it.

It paid off.

The Fil-Am rookie guard played inspired game ranged against the eminent Abarrientos, piling up a game-high 22 points as Sta. Lucia Realty repeated over Barangay Ginebra, 93-88, to close in on the leaders in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.

"He's heard a lot about Johnny even back in the United States. He knows Johnny is a great point guard and he's honored to play him. For him not to be awed, we talked to him before the game. We challenged him in his match-up with Johnny," said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez.

"We prepared his frame of mind. Basta sabi namin give the utmost respect to Johnny outside the court. Pero sa loob ng court, wala na munang respeto. Just play hard," Fernandez added.

Urbiztondo responded well to the challenge, leading all scorers with 22, including 10 in the payoff period.

He knocked in four triples in the game and canned in four charities in the last 24 seconds, helping the Realtors seal their repeat win over the Kings.

Sta. Lucia clobbered Ginebra, 93-72, in their previous tiff.

Kelly Williams hauled down a career-high 19 rebounds and added 13 points while Nelbert Omolon had his own double-double game with 14 points and 10 rebounds as the Realtors notched a second straight win following a 98-92 drubbing of the Coca-Cola Tigers Friday.

With a 7-5 win-loss card, the Realtors are now only half-game behind the Kings, the Talk n Text Tropang Texters and the Purefoods Giants who are tied at 8-5.

"It was a big win that got us close to the leaders. We intend to continue to work hard and see what happens," said Fernandez.

Sta. Lucia and Ginebra figured in a fierce match with the Realtors pulling through in the end on a 9-3 closing run.

The Realtors were down by one, 84-85, when Omolon, Joseph Yeo and Urbiztondo combined for seven unanswered points pushing SLR ahead to stay at 91-85.

Marlou Aquino had his contribution on key defensive stops on Eric Menk at the finish.

Sta. Lucia made the key defensive adjustment, putting Aquino on Menk after the Ginebra slotman had bulldozed his way to 16 points against Gabby Espinas and Jason Misolas.

Menk fired 12 points in the final quarter with the last capping a charge that pushed Ginebra ahead at 85-84. (SB)

The scores:

Sta. Lucia 93 - Urbiztondo 22, Yeo 17, Omolon 14, Reyes 13, Williams 13, Aquino 6, Pacana 4, Daa 2, Misolas 2, Espinas 0, Mendoza 0.

Ginebra 88 - Tubid 21, Menk 16, Intal 12, Baguio 11, White 7, Salvacion 7, Abarrientos 5, Mamaril 4, Villanueva 3, Wilson 2, Alvarez 0.

Big overtime win anew for Alaska

source: pba.ph

Willie Miller poured in 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and Alaska’s defense held Talk ‘N Text to just a 2-of-6 shooting from the field in overtime to get away with a 119-113 victory Wednesday night in the 2009-2010 KFC Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

It was an incredible victory by the Aces, who struggled with their offense for three quarters and were closed to picking up only their second loss in the conference when they trailed 108-106 with 4.3 seconds remaining in regulation.

But the Aces, in the words of Alaska coach Tim Cone, persevered and stunned the Tropang Texters with a “well-played team game.”

It was one-hell-of-a-game with the league’s two best closers – Miller and Mark Cardona -- providing a thrilling finish to a match that could not be decided through 48 minutes and despite Talk 'N Text shooting 57 percent from the floor.

For the nth this conference, Cone was all praises for his bench players.

“The key was our second unit. They came out and kept us close and didn’t allow Talk 'N Text to stretch their lead. Then a refreshed Willie got us going in the fourth and L.A (Tenorio) played brilliant in overtime,” Cone said.

Talk 'N Text, which defeated the Aces in seven games in last season’s Finals, dominated Alaska for nearly the entire regulation play but practically lost their edge in the extra period when Tenorio hit a 12-foot jumper from the left corner and Miller made two free throws that put the Aces ahead to stay, 112-109, with 3:42 to go in overtime.

It was the 11th win in 12 games for the league leading Aces, who solidified their chances of clinching an outright semifinal berth and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs for the second straight all-Filipino tourney.

Reynel Hugnatan came off the bench and scored 19 points, Joe Devance added 18 on a 7-of-14 shooting from the field and Tenorio had another splendid performance with 16 points, five assists and three steals as the Aces picked up their fifth consecutive win since absorbing their first and only loss this conference loss to Rain or Shine 86-81 last Nov.13.

Talk 'N Text appeared to have the game clinched when Cardona scored on his trademark looping floater in traffic that gave the Tropang Texters a 108-106 lead with 8.3 seconds remaining in regulation.

Alaska’s Sonny Thoss overshot his undergoal stab and the looseball resulted in a jumpball between Thoss and Ali Peek which Tony dela Cruz cornered. He then quickly called for a timeput leaving just half a second left in the gameclock.

In the ensuing play, Tenorio got away from Paul Escobal, who bumped into a pick provided by Thoss, and found himself all alone underneath the basket. He took the inbound alley-oop pass from dela Cruz , calmly took the shot, then raise a clenched fist in jubilation after sending the game intoovertime.

“We were hoping they would ignore L.A because he was the smallest guy. Then we waited for things to develop and it did,” said Cone, whose team was coming off a 122-116 OT win over San Miguel Beer a week ago.

Cardona exploded for 31 points but his effort went for naught as the Tropang Texters fell to their fifth loss in 13 games and jeopardized their hopes for an outright semis spot.

Cardona and Miller was at their best elements in the last three minutes of regulation wherein they were trading shot after shot.

After Cardona, who was 12-of-17 from the floor, hit a three that gave Talk 'N Text a 106-100 lead, Hugnatan made a basket before Miller scored four straight points to tie the count at 106-all with 27 seconds left in regulation.

Renren Ritualo and Yancy de Ocampo scored 17 apiece and Harvey Carey added 16 points and 14 rebounds for Talk 'N Text which played without injured guard Jimmy Alapag and Jared Dillinger. (DBC)

The scores:

ALASKA 119 - Miller 22, Hugnatan 19, De Vance 18, Tenorio 16, Thoss 11, Dela Cruz 10, Borboran 9, Fonacier 7, CAriaso 4, Ferriols 3.

TALK 'N TEXT 113 - Cardona 31, Ritualo 17, De Ocampo Y. 17, Carey 16, Castro 15, De Ocampo R. 6, Escobal 5, Belasco 4, Peek 2, Daroya 0.

QUARTERSCORES: 24-24, 53-54, 73-82, 108-108, 119-113.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Aces try to pull away, face Texters

source: philstar.com

Alaska Milk presses its bid for the No. 1 spot even as three other teams continue to jockey for position behind the Aces in an explosive twinbill in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum today.

The Aces, now a full game ahead of the second running San Miguel Beermen with a 10-1 win-loss card, battle the Talk n Text Tropang Texters at 5 p.m., looking to distance themselves farther from the rest of the field.

Barangay Ginebra and Sta. Lucia Realty clash in the other game at 7:30 p.m. with both hoping to improve their records in the middle of the pack.

“This time of the year is always a difficult time to keep your focus on the task at hand. That’s our battle for the Talk n Text game because we know if we’re not focused, they can embarrass us. They are that good,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

“We’re playing the best team so it will take nothing less than our best to prove that we can compete with the big boys,” said Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes.

In the spirit of the Christmas season, the league, meanwhile, has announced it is giving away mobile phones and cash prize worth P10,000 every game day to lucky ticket holders.

Since the league started the “Pamaskong Handog ng PBA” promo last Dec. 2, eight PBA patrons have already won Cherry Mobile phones.

One ticket holder is drawn every Wednesday and Friday game days while two winners are picked during Sunday’s doubleheader. Besides the classy mobile phones, the league has also put up a cash pot of P10,000 every game day for the winner of the “PBA Sakto Shot.”

The Aces and the Texters are expected to figure in a fierce duel with both riding the momentum of a hot streak.

Alaska upended Talk n Text, 110-106, in their initial tiff with Willie Miller churning out a solid all-round game with 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists and five other Aces also finishing in double figures.

It’s a contest pitting the hottest backcourt duos in the league today — Miller and LA Tenorio for Alaska and Macmac Cardona and Jimmy Alapag for Talk n Text.

Cardona leads the league in scoring, Alapag paces everybody in assists while Miller and Tenorio are in the top 10 in both scoring and assists.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Beermen halt Giants' streak

source: abs-cbnnews.com

San Miguel Beer stopped Purefoods Tender Juicy’s four-game winning streak with an 87-80 win Sunday night in the KFC-Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Beermen had to weather the late rally of the Giants by completing a couple of crucial defensive stops to preserve the victory and bounce back from a painful 116-122 overtime loss to league-leader Alaska.

“It was an ugly finish and thanked God for winning this game,” said San Miguel head coach Siot Tanquingcen, who drew 18 points apiece from Arwind Santos and Dondon Hontiveros.

The win fortified San Miguel’s hold of the second spot with a 10-3 mark.

Dennis Miranda added 15 points and was responsible in holding down James Yap to just 9 points on 2-of-16 shooting from the field.

The Beermen appeared to have the game in the bag after posting a 79-64 lead with 4:46 left before the Giants unloaded a 16-5 run capped by Kerby Raymundo’s three-pointer to threaten at 80-84, under a minute left.

Purefoods had the chance to move closer when Santos turned the ball over but Roger Yap was called for an offensive foul and Mick Pennisi swatted Paul Artadi’s drive to securethe victory for the Beermen.

Raymundo paced Purefods with 14 points to go along with his 10 rebounds. Marc Pinrgis had 13 while Nino Canaleta and Roger Yap each had 12 for coach Ryan Gregorio, whose wards slipped to 8-5.

Coke halts 8-game skid

Alex Cabagnot registered a near triple-double performance to lead Coca-Cola to a 106-94 demolition of Burger King.

Cabagnot scored 18 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and issued a career-tying high and conference-best 13 assists for the Tigers, who ended their eight-game losing streak and improved their mark to 2-11.

Larry Rodriguez led the team’s balanced attack with 21 points while Mark Macapagal and RJ Rizada contributed 16 and 14 markers respectively. Asi Taulava added 12 points and 10 rebounds while Ricky Calimag finished with 10 points.

“We never talked about the Xs and Os of the game because more than anything else, the burden in the minds of the players is pulling us down,” said Tigers mentor Bo Perasol, who finally nailed his first win after five tries.

“I just keep on telling them to keep on going. Nariyan na ang 11 losses. One more and we are back,” he added. “We now got our rhythm back in the coming games.”

Macapagal had 10 of his total out in the third quarter where Coke built a 69-50 lead with less than eight minutes left in the game.

But the Whoppers, behind the spirited plays of Chico Lanete, responded with a 23-13 exchange to slice the big lead to just nine, 73-82, entering the payoff period.

Taulava and Rodriguez scored the first nine points of the final quarter to push the lead back to a comfortable 91-73 lead with 9:20 remaining.

Gary David and Ronjay Buenafe tried to put their team back in the game after leading a 15-6 run, 88-97, but Taulava and Rodriguez came up with timely baskets to seal the win for the Tigers.

David led all scorers with 23 points while Lanete and Buenafe contributed 18 and 15 points respectively for coach Yeng Guiao, who absorbed their second straight loss for a 4-9 win-loss mark.

Coca-Cola coach Perasol nails 1st win at old team's expense

source: gmanews.tv

Bo Perasol is winless no more this season. Going 0-4 since taking over as head coach of the Coca-Cola Tigers, Perasol helped his team snap an eight-game losing binge with a 106-94 victory over former team Burger King Sunday in the KFC-Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Tigers won for the first time since their Oct. 30 triumph over Purefoods and picked up only their second win in 13 matches.

There were no special plays made in ending the Tigers’ long misery. No additional won-game bonuses to keep them fired up, either. All Perasol did was convince his players that they needed a win to get themselves back on track.

“We never really talked about the X's and O's of the game," said Perasol, who visited the press room as winning coach for the first time in a long while.

“I believe more than anything else, it’s the burden inside the minds of my players that are keeping them down so they need motivation. What we need to do is to get one more win, a very modest goal which is I think is achievable."

The victory over an unpredictable Whopper side gave the Tigers enough reason to prowl and think of their next victim.

Six players led by Larry Rodriguez finished in double figures for the Tigers. The former Philippine Maritime Institute stalwart led his team with 21 points aside from anchoring his squad’s interior defense.

Alex Cabagnot (16), Mark Macapagal (16), RJ Rizada (14), Asi Taulava (12) and Ricky Calimag were the other double-digit producers for Coca-Cola.

The loss was the ninth in 13 games for the Whopper, who are in danger of facing a losing season for the first time in four years.

The Tigers, who led by 19 points, 77-58, found themselves leading by only eight as Chico Lanete capped an 11-0 run with back-to-back baskets.

But Taulava and Rizada conspired in an early fourth period assault that triggered the Tigers’ 11-2 run for a 93-75 Coca-Cola advantage.

The Tigers were never seriously threatened from there.

The Scores:

COKE 106 - Rodriguez 21, Cabagnot 18, Macapagal 16, Rizada 14, Taulava 12, Calimag 10, Espino 6, Allera 5, Cruz 2, Gonzales 2.

BURGER KING 94 - David 23, Lanete 18, Buenafe 15, Belga 10, Sharma 10, Yee M. 8, Billones 5, Matias 3, Yee R. 2, Quinahan 0.

QUARTERS: 30-16, 51-40, 82-73, 106-94

Ginebra in never-say-die win over Rain or Shine in Tacloban

TACLOBAN CITY. -- When all seemed lost, Barangay Ginebra’s never-say-die spirit made things happen. Rico Villanueva scored on follow-up shot with 5.4 seconds remaining and Johnny Abbarientos made a key steal then sank two free throws to secure the Kings’ 101-97 come-from-behind victory against Rain or Shine Saturday night in the Phoenix Fuel-PBA on Tour at the Tacloban Convention Center.

It was an amazing comeback by the Kings, who looked headed to their second straight defeat after falling behind by 12 points with 6:23 to play but stayed calm and poised in their most trying moment.

Their eighth win in 12 games earned Barangay Ginebra a tie for third place with Talk ‘N Text and Purefoods with their identical 8-4 (win-loss) records, staying in contention for an outright semifinal berth in 2009-10 KFC-PBA Philippine Cup playoffs.

Rain or Shine’s latest defeat, their second in a row that was decided by 4 points or less, and ninth overall in 12 games would likely keep them awake for the rest of the night.

The Elasto Painters had the game in their grasp but wilted when the Kings made a fiery charge in the stretch.

Eric Menk turned in 21 points in his best game of the conference thus far. Ronald Tubid and Sunday Salvacion added 17 points apiece and Cyrus Baguio added nine forthe Kings, who bounced back from an 81-89 loss to Purefoods last Sunday.

Rain or Shine held a 97-93 lead with 1:21 remaining but went scoreless in rest of the way.

Salvacion’s follow-up shot of a miss by Eric Menk tied the count with 38 seconds remaining.

The Elasto Painters tried to regain the lead in the ensuing play but Ryan Arana’s runner in the lane went short. Barangay Ginebra secured the rebound then went to Cyrus Baguio, who attacked the basket and missed. But Villanueva, who was right behind him, tipped it in to put the Kings on top, 99-97.

Rain or Shine quickly called a timeout but in the ensuing play Abbarientos stole the ball from T.Y. Tang then made two free throws to seal the game after he was duty fouled.

Gabe Norwood led all scorers with 22 and Arana added 17 for the Painter, who enjoyed the game’s biggest lead at 90-78 on a basket by Norwood.

Rain or Shine still led 95-89 with 2:23 to play but they turned the ball over three times in their four possessions and that started their meltdown. (DBC)

The scores:

Barangay Ginebra 101- Menk 21, Tubid 17, Salvacion 17, Baguio 9, Abbarientos 8, White 8, Villanueva 7, Wilson 6, Mamaril 4, Alvarez 4, Intal 0.

Rain or Shine 97 – Norwood 22, Arana 17, Cruz 15, Chan 11, Tang 10, Laure 8, Reyes 6, Dulay 3, Hrabak 3, Ibanes 2, Telan 0.

Quarterscores: 21-21;48-48; 73-79; 101-97

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Burger King eyes revenge against Talk 'N Text

source: gmanews.tv

Burger King coach Yeng Guiao does not anymore dwell in the past as he prepares for a second-round encounter with Talk ‘N Text Friday night.

Wasting a huge 30-point lead in the Whopper’s 118-105 loss to the Texters on Nov. 27, Guiao and his BK crew take on Chot Reyes’ TNT gang in the main game of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

TNT’s win was one of the most amazing comebacks in PBA history with Reyes and his Texters were glad to achieve it.

For Burger King, it was a personal horror show seeing their almost insurmountable lead being wiped out eventually losing the game.

Both teams went separate ways after that match with the Whopper struggling to find their form in the tournament while the Texters became one of the most feared teams in the league.

The Whopper are in the lower half of the standings, winning only four of their 11 games and are in danger of having a losing season for the first time in the past three seasons.

The Tropang Texters, on the other hand, are in joint fourth place with idle Ginebra Gin Kings and a win would put them in a tie with the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants, the hottest team in the tournament.

With the tournament reaching the crucial phase, every game is now important with one loss would affect a team’s chances of advancing into the next round.

Guiao and Reyes knew exactly that each game would serve as a springboard in shaping up the future of their respective teams.

“This is a long tournament, but every win is important and every team’s goal is to secure either an automatic semis spot or an outright quarterfinals berth," said Guiao. “No team wants to go through the tiring wildcard phase."

Reyes agrees with Guiao.

“The tournament’s main objective is to reward the best team and everybody wants to be on top to get that reward," said Reyes.

Struggling teams Sta. Lucia and Coca-Cola collide in the 5 p.m. opener right after the exhibition match between Smart-Gilas and Barako Bull.

Games Friday
(Ynares Center)
2:30 p.m. – Gilas vs Barako
5 p.m. – SLR vs. Coke
7:30 p.m. – TNT vs. BK

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

jayjay helterbfrand, mark caguioa and celino cruz Injury update

source: panatiko.tk

Injury updates: Jayjay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa will most likely suit up on their January 9 outing in Batangas. Celino Cruz attended practice today with a fully bandaged arm. He just got operated and will be out for the whole conference.

ALASKA STOPS SMB STREAK, SOLIDIFIES HOLD OF LEAD

Source: PBA.PH


Thu, 12/10/2009 - 00:01 — junior

Alaska Milk overcame a late error by its coach with a career-tying effort by LA Tenorio as it nipped a gritty San Miguel Beer, 122-116, in overtime Wednesday to keep its grip of the top spot in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Tenorio, suiting up versus his former team, sizzled with a career-high-tying 27 points he laced with six rebounds and five assists to bail the Aces out of trouble after coach Tim Cone made a glaring mistake late in regulation.

Up by a point, Filipino-American Joe de Vance canned his first free throw and intentionally missed the second upon the instruction of Cone knowing that the Beerman had only a 30-second timeout that would let them to inbound only from backcourt.

But Cone turned out mistaken as San Miguel actually had a one full timeout remaining, called it and designed a successful alley-oop play on Dondon Hontiveros off an inbound pass by Jonas Villanueva forcing OT.

Thankfully, the Aces bailed Cone out.

“If lost that game I would have taken the blame. I had a bad decision at the end of the game when I told Joe Devance to miss the shot thinking San Miguel had a 30-second timeout left and they can’t call a 30-second timeout from the backcourt,” said Cone.

With the win, Alaska solidified its grip of the top spot with a 10-1 (win-loss) card while sending the Beermen crashing to their first loss after an amazing nine-game streak and third overall in 12 games.

Reynel Hugnatan unloaded a 10-point barrage in the third quarter to help the Aces offset the Beermen’s repeated attempts to regain the lead while keeping the advantage to themselves, 84-83.

The Beermen rained the Aces with threes and raced to a 36-28 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

The combo of Jonas Villanueva, Mick Pennisi, Dondon Hontiveros and Danny Seigle combined for 29 points which they laced with six booming triples that gave San Miguel a good headstart.

It was LA Tenorio’s turn to explode in the second period as he spewed eight of his 16 first half points there.

The heroics of Tenorio, who played with San Miguel in his early years in the pros before he was traded to Alaska, helped his team outscore San Miguel, 29-20 and transform an eight-point deficit in the opening canto to a 57-56 lead at halftime.

Interestingly, the Aces made a killing from the free throw line in the first half as they made 31 trips there, converting an impressive 23 while the Beermen was given 14 foul shots making only nine.

Good thing San Miguel had a superb start. (JV)

The scores:

Alaska 122- Tenorio 27, de Vance 22, dela Cruz 17, Thoss 16, Hugnatan 14, Fonacier 11, Borboran 10, Miller 4, Cariaso 1, Ferriols 0, Cablay 0

San Miguel 116- Santos 24, Villanueva 19, Hontiveros 19, Cortez 12, Pennisi 12, Seigle 11, Miranda 9, Tugade 6, Eman 2, Pena 2, Holper 0, Racela 0

Quarterscores: 28-36; 57-56; 84-83; 108-108; 122-116

DEFENSE WINS IT ANEW FOR PUREFOODS TJ GIANTS

source: pba.ph

Wed, 12/09/2009 - 20:55 — junior

Roger Yap made key steal in the closing minute to help Purefoods beat the struggling Barako Bull 70-66 Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

It was another close-shave win for the Giants, who blew a 21-point second quarter lead and had to play excellent defense in the closing minute to earn their fourth consecutive victory.

Against Barangay Ginebra on Sunday, the Giants also squandered a 15-point advantage and needed a late run in the fourth to come away with the win.

“No matter how ugly this (win) is, we’ll take it anyway,” said Purefoods head coach Ryan Gregorio, who called the 17 turnovers alarming.

“We’re not fluid at all especially on offense and we threw the ball like crazy,” proclaimed Gregorio.

At the end of the day, though, Gregorio and the Giants can heave a sigh of relief knowing they’re now closing on the leaders in the race for the two outright semifinal berths in 2009-10 KFC-PBA Philippine Cup playoffs.

James Yap went 8-for-17 from the field for 18 points, including an 8-foot fallaway shot that broke a 63-63 count with 4:05 remaining.

Then after Barako Bull called time, Roger Yap stole Yousif Aljamal’s inbound pass and quickly raced downcourt for a layup that secured Purefoods’ eighth win in 12 games. He was the only other Purefoods player in double figure with 11 points.

Purefoods shot 39 percent (25-of-63) and committed 17 turnovers (five in the fourth quarter).

But what surprised Gregorio all the more was the stats indicating his troops were beaten off the boards.

Barako Bull, the league worst rebounding team, outrebounded the Giants, 51-43.

Wednesday night’s loss was another bitter pill to swallow for the Energy Boosters, who dropped their eight consecutive defeat and 10th overall in 11 games.

They were almost close to ending the losing spell but couldn’t make a run when they needed it most. Barako Bull made just 25-of- 70 attempts (35 percent) from the field.

Purefoods, which had a 26-9 lead after the first 12 minutes of play, appeared headed for a lopsided victory when they raced to a 32-11 lead with 7:02 left in the second quarter.

But Barako Bull outscored Purefoods 15-8 the rest of the period to cut the gap to 26-40 at halftime.

The Giants, who posted are in their longest win streak since is 7-0 start in the 2007-08 Philippine Cup, still led, 61-54, when Barako Bull went on a 7-0 run capped by a follow-up shot by Jojo Duncil to tie the count at 61 with 5:47 left.

The count was tied again at 63 on two free throws by Paolo Hubalde but that was the best Barako Bull could muster. (DBC)

The scores:

PUREFOODS 70 - Yap J. 18, Yap R. 11, Artadi 8, Raymundo 8, Pingris 6, Allado 6, Timberlake 4, Reavis 4, Simon 2, Adducul 2, Maierhofer 1, Canaleta 0.

BARAKO BULL 66 - Fernandez 12, Reyes 9, Menor 8, Alonzo 8, Aljamal 8, Hubalde 5, Chia 5, Belano 3, Duncil 2, Sta. Maria 2, Dimaunahan 2, Lao 2.

Quarterscores: 21-9, 40-26, 54-47, 70-66.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Beermen try to extend win run versus Aces

source: philstar.com

Alaska Milk and San Miguel Beer clash today in what is billed to be a sneak preview of the championship in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Both the pacesetting Aces (9-1) and the second-running Beermen (9-2) are coming into their 7:30 p.m. encounter on a streak with the former riding on a three-game run and the latter on an amazing nine-game roll.

“We’re on a streak and we hope we could extend it further,” said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquincen.

But the Beermen will be as much tested as the Aces, who hope to keep their hold of the lead after beating the Barako Bull Energy Boosters, 99-88, last Nov. 29.

It was Alaska’s third straight win since its six-game run was halted by erstwhile winless Rain or Shine, 81-86, last Nov. 13.

The Beermen, on the other hand, have never dropped a game since losing their first two matches, piling up nine straight victories, capped by a 110-94 rout of the Sta. Lucia Realtors last Friday for a 9-2 card.

Purefoods, meanwhile, tries to break out of a three-way tie for third place as it squares off with Barako Bull at 5 p.m.

The TJ Hotdogs pounced on an injury-plagued Barangay Ginebra Kings, 89-81, last Sunday to join Talk n Text and their victim in third place with 7-4 slates.

The Tropang Texters, for their part, edged the Coca-Cola Tigers, 107-104, in an out-of-town match in General Santos City.

Roger Yap stepped up in Purefoods’ recent win by making 21 points, four rebounds, four assists, a steal and a shotblock.

PJ Simon and James Yap backed him up with a combined 27-point output as they made up for the absence of injured Kerby Raymundo.


Games Wednesday (Dec 9)
(Araneta Coliseum)
5 p.m. – Barako Bull vs. Purefoods
7:30 p.m. – Alaska vs. San Miguel

Monday, December 7, 2009

RP 5 tapped for ABA World Cup

SOURCE:By Nelson Beltran (The Philippine Star) Updated December 08, 2009 12:00 AM

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The American Basketball Association global expansion provides opportunity for Filipino players to showcase their talent on the world stage, according to newly named ABA Global vice chairman Paul Monozca.

Monozca, a Filipino international financier tasked to handle ABA’s $200-million global program, said he received concessions beneficial to Philippine basketball in joining the ABA, including a wildcard berth to play in the ABA World Basketball Cup in Atlanta in 2011.

“I had an initial discussion with SBP executive director Noli Eala. He expressed serious interest to join the World Cup. So most likely it would be the Smart Gilas representing the Philippines in the Atlanta meet,” said Monozca.

There’s also the ABA China Games from March to July next year, and Monozca said the Philippines has also been assured slots in this tourney, representing the Southeast Asian region.

PBA teams Barangay Ginebra, San Miguel Beer and Burger King are among RP ball clubs which have expressed interest to join the event that will feature tough teams from the US, Europe and the host country.


“This will be a sponsored tourney. The Philippine teams will compete without cost. This is a tough competition and the Philippine teams will be allowed to field three imports with two allowed to play at a time,” said Monozca.

To top this, Monozca said a maximum of 10 Filipino players might be able to see action in the ABA next season, giving them the opportunity to be seen by NBA scouts.

“This falls under the ABA’s player exchange program. I have asked the ABA for its top 10 teams to open a slot each for a Filipino player. These 10 ABA teams must select one Filipino player once every three years,” said Monozca.

La Salle has agreed to join the program and sent coach Dindo Pumaren to attend the 2009 ABA Summit slated Tuesday at the Las Vegas Country Club.

Monozca, however, stressed the ABA exchange program is open to amateur and professional players.

“This is really a big door being opened to our players. It’s now up to them to showcase their talent,” Monozca said.

If plans don’t miscarry, a Philippine team may even be allowed to play as a regular participant in the ABA.

“The league has allowed a Chinese team adopted by a local city to play in the ABA. The idea is for Smart Gilas to play carrying the banner of Daly City which has a huge Filipino community,” said Monozca.

“This is all about showing the world the capabilities of Pinoy basketball talent,’’ Monozca also said.

Monozca and ABA chief executive officer Joe Newman presented comprehensive plans in expanding professional basketball worldwide during the ABA summit.

Among those expected to grace the summit are former ABA stars Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Moses Malone, George “The Iceman” Gervin, Connie Hawkins, George McGinnis, Dan Issel and David Thompson.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

ROGER YAP SHINES AS PUREFOODS GETS BACK AT GINEBRA

Source: PBA.PH


Mon, 12/07/2009 - 00:37 — junior

Purefoods head coach Ryan Gregorio realizes there’s a lot of things to work on and is keeping his fingers crossed that the Giants could still clinch an outright semifinal spot in the 2009-10 KFC-PBA Philippine Cup.
Roger Yap scored 21 points and the Giants held Barangay Ginebra to three field goals in the last five minutes to streak to their third consecutive victory – an 89-81 decision over the Kings Sunday night at Araneta Coliseum.
P.J. Simon tallied 14 points and James Yap had 13 for Purefoods which improved to 7-4 tying idle Talk 'N Text at fourth place and stay within sight of the leaders.
“We know a lot of things have to be down. But as long as were not too far from the leaders we still have a chance to make it outright to the semis. Hopefully,” Gregorio said.
Looking to regain the title they won three years ago, the Giants controlled the game for three quarters but had to persevere in the fourth to weather a spirited charge by the Kings, who took the lead with six minutes left to play.
“The good thing is we made crucial stops and Roger (Yap) made important baskets,” Gregorio said.
Rookie Ginebra Kevin White came in the third quarter to give veteran guard Johnny Abbarientos a breather, had his moments and almost became a hero.
He scored 10 straight points as Ginebra opened the third with a 16-8 run. White ended that run with a layup off Mark Pingris as the Kings tied the count at 73 with 7:10 remaining.
After Jun Simon missed on a jumper in Purefoods’ next possession, Ronald Tubid made two freebies to put Ginebra a head for the first time, 75-73, with 5:06 to go.
But the Kings, the who won their first round meeting over the Giants, missed several open shots and made a couple of crucial turnovers and the Giants capitalized on those miscues.
Roger Yap hit a jumper from the right corner, Simon scored on a fastbreak layup then knocked in an 8-foot fallaway jumper before James Yap came up with a 12-foot jumper to spark a 10-2 run that put Purefoods aahead to stay, 83-77 with 2:11 to play.
Cyrus Baguio led Ginebra with 19 points but scored just a basket in the fourth quarter. White poured 12 of his career-high 14 points in the fourth and Billy Mamaril added 10 for the Kings who had their two-game winning streak snapped to fall to 7-4. (DBC)
The scores:
PUREFOODS 89 - Yap R. 21, Simon 14, Yap J. 13, Maierhofer 9, Pingris 9, Reavis 8, Allado 8, Artadi 7, Timberlake 0, Salvador 0, adducul 0.
GINEBRA 81 - Baguio 19, White 14, Mamaril 10, Tubid 8, Menk 8, Abbarientos 7, Intal 6, Wilson 3, Salvacion 3, Alvarez 2, Villanueva 1.
QUARTERSCORES: 24-19, 43-34, 65-57, 89-81.

30-POINT GAME ANEW FOR TUBID AS KINGS BEAT BARAKO BULL

Source: PBA.PH

Fri, 12/04/2009 - 20:11 — junior

Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand are sidelined by injuries and head coach Jong Uichico still has no timetable for their return.
Their absence though isn’t hurting the Barangay Ginebra Kings.
Thanks to Ronald Tubid.
The flashy point guard had another huge offensive game to power the Kings past the Barako Bull, 88-76, Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
After posting a career-high 33 points in Ginebra’s 113-104 win against Coca-Cola last Friday, Tubid sparkled with 30 points against Energy Boosters as the Kings improved to a 7-3 (win-loss) record and inched closer behind league leaders Alaska (9-1) and San Miguel Beer (8-2).
“Ronald is the type of player any coach would love to have on their team. He pours in his best every night regardless if he’s hurting,” said Uichico in praise of the energetic Tubid, who played with a heavily bandaged left ring finger.
It was the first time a local had back-to-back 30-point games since San Miguel Beer’s Dondon Hontiveros had 35 and 34 points against the Kings in Games 2 and 3, respectively, of their best-of-3 quarterfinal early last January 9 and 11 in the Philippine Cup of the previous season.
Eric Menk asserted his presence in the lane, turning a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds off the bench while JC Intal added 14 on 6-of-9 shooting. Johnny Abarrientos, who saw action for 29 minutes, scored six points and had six steals for the Kings, who improved their chances of making the semifinals outright.
Because of the uncertainty surrounding the return of Caguioa and Helterbrand, who are both sidelined by knee problem, Abbarientos’ one month contract as a player has been extended until the end of the conference according to Uichico.
“Hopefully we could keep on winning while awaiting the return of our hurting players. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the team could be back in the pink of health sooner than later,” Uichico said.
Leo Najorda scored 14 points and Chad Alonzo and Yousif Aljamal had 12 apiece for the Energy Boosters, who picked up their seventh consecutive defeat --- the longest skid by any team in the tournament – and fell to 2-9.
Barako Bull, which has now lost 20 of its last 24 games overall dating back to the 2009 Fiesta Confernce, had not lost seven in a row since ending the last previous conference with an eight-game losing streak.
The Kings ripped the game apart in the third quarter by opening the period with a 19-8 run that stretched their eight point lead to 61-44.
Barangay Ginebra had the game completely under its control that Uichico had the luxury of fielding 11 players and all but one played at least 17 minutes.
“The guys really responded well. If we could stay focused we have a good chance of making it to the top 2 (spot),” Uichico said.
Barako Bull managed to keep the game close until the second quarter. Two free throws by Alonzo put the Energy Boosters on top for the last time at 36-33 with 2:33 remaining before halftime.
Then Barako Ginebra held Barako Bull scoreless while scoring the last eight points of the half to regain a 42-36 last going into the locker room. (DBC)
The scores:
BARANGAY GINEBRA 88 - Tubid 30, Menk 18, Intal 14, Salvacion 8, Abarrientos 6, White 4, Villanueva 4, Mamaril 2, Baguio 2, Kramer 0, Alvarez 0.
BARAKO BULL 76 - Najorda 14, Alonzo 12, Aljamal 12, Membrere 10, Hubalde 7, Chia 6, Belano 6, Faundo 4, Menor 2, Dimaunahan 2, Crisano 1, Lao 0.
QUARTERSCORES: 20-19, 42-36, 68-53, 88-76.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Beermen look to stretch win steak to nine

Source:http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/sports/19283-beermen-look-to-stretch-win-steak-to-nine.html


THURSDAY, 03 DECEMBER 2009 19:28
SAN MIGUEL Beer guns for its ninth-straight win to move closer to one of two automatic semifinals seats in the KFC-Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup on Friday at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Beermen, currently the hottest team in the conference after winning their last eight matches, collide with Sta. Lucia Realty in the main game of the triple-header, which is also featuring the tune-up match between Alaska and Smart Gilas developmental team at 2:30 p.m.

Barangay Ginebra, which would probably play without an injured Ronald Tubid, faces Barako Bull in the second game at 5 p.m.

After dropping its first two games in the tournament, San Miguel was unstoppable in its next eight to surge ahead in the team standings with an 8-2 win-loss card, just a game behind the league-leader Aces (9-1).

And the Beermen are enjoying the streak even without their key big men Danny Ildefonso, Anthony Washington and Danny Seigle.

“We need to win as many games as we can to offset the injuries of my players,” said San Miguel mentor Siot Tanquingcen, whose last victims were the Burger King Whopper of coach Yeng Guiao, 100-85, on Sunday.

“So our defense must be consistent all the time for us to have a chance,” he added.

The Realtors are coming off a heart-breaking 63-68 loss to Purefoods Tender Juicy to end their first-round campaign with a 5-4 mark.

Sta. Lucia head coach Boyet Fernandez admits that his team has to bring its “A” game in order to stand a chance against the powerful Beermen.

“We have to execute our plays well and play excellent defense if we want to beat the Beermen,” said Fernandez. “It will be tough for us, but we will be ready.”

The Realtors are pinning their hopes on Kelly Williams, second to San Miguel’s Arwind Santos in the race for the Best Player of the Conference award, and Ryan Reyes. But Fernandez needs to draw solid contributions from his second unit to have a better fighting chance.

Santos, a huge pick by the team in the off-season, has emerged as the Beermen’s top scorer and rebounder and the leader in their defensive scheme.

His arrival has relegated Dondon Hontiveros, Mike Cortez and Lordy Tugade as the team’s second options on offense.

Meanwhile, the Kings will try to solidify their hold of solo third spot against the struggling Energy Boosters (2-8) but minus Tubid, who has a stress fracture in his right shoulder.

Ginebra has been missing the services of Jayjay Helterbrand, Celino Cruz, Junthy Valenzuela and Mark Caguioa, and Tubid’s looming absence could spell trouble for the team as the former University of the East standout is the Kings’ leading scorer with 17.1 points per game.

Barako Bull, on the other hand, also seeks an important win to snap a six-game losing streak.

GINEBRA, SAN MIGUEL TRY TO INCH CLOSER TO ACES

SOURCE: PBA.PH


Thu, 12/03/2009 - 21:56 — junior

A TEAM's place in the standings is no real gauge of its mettle.
Take it from Barangay Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.
“They remain a very dangerous team,” noted the veteran mentor on the eve of his Kings' clash with the Barako Bull Energy Boosters Friday in the 2009-10 KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
The perennial crowd favorites are eyeing a second straight win that will keep them firmly entrenched at at least third-running spot behind idle leader Alaska and San Miguel Beer.
Barako Bull, meanwhile, is trying to snap out of a six-game slide that is currently the tournament's worst. But that doesn't mean spirit has seeped out of the George Chua-owned franchise.
“The boys remain optimistic,” said Energy Boosters coach Leo Isaac. “They have come to realize they can play against anybody in this league and this realization gives them the confidence we need against a tough team like Ginebra.”
Barako's latest loss was via an 88-99 count to Alaska last Sunday in a game where the Energy Boosters rallied back to within five points after trailing by as many as 21 points.
Prior to that, Isaac's charges bowed to the Sta. Lucia Realtors 77-80, but only in overtime.
“They just lose games in the end,” Uichico pointed out. “We must not be in a position to make them be in the game at the end.”
For its part, Ginebra bucked its manpower woes to beat Coca-Cola 113-104 last Friday.
The Kings drew a personal conference-high 33 points from Ronald Tubid and 22 from Cyrus Baguio, plus 11 points and six assists from 39-year-old Johnny Abarrientos, to withstand the absence of point guards Jayjay Helterbrand (pinched nerve) and Celino Cruz (sore back).
A victory by Ginebra and a loss by SMB to Sta. Lucia later in the evening could even move the Kings to a tie for second with their sister team.
Realtors coach Boyet Fernandez is determined to avenge his team's 69-88 loss to the Beermen the first time they met and move his wards up into a share of fourth with idle Talk N Text and Purefoods.
To achieve those goals, Sta. Lucia must stop SMB's tournament-best winning streak at eight.
“It will be a tough game,” said Fernandez. “San Miguel is one of the top teams with a star-studded lineup. We have to show up with lots of intensity and mental toughness to win tomorrow. We are always ready every game and the SMB game is no exception.”
The Realtors have already shown they can hold down the Beermen.
In SMB's streak, it won by an average margin of close to 17 points with a score ratio of 100.1-83.6. Only the Realtors held them below 100.
“Our defense will be crucial tomorrow,” reiterated Fernandez. (NC)

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

PUREFOODS DOWNS COKE, GAINS SHARE OF 4TH

SOURCE: PBA.PH


Wed, 12/02/2009 - 22:39 — junior

The Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants had their contribution making their special company event more meaningful.

The Giants scored their first back-to-back victories in the 35th PBA season, following up their 68-63 win over the Sta. Lucia Realtors Saturday with an 88-79 whipping of the Coca-Cola Tigers at the Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.

"We really prepared hard to break our win-loss-win-loss ride. It came at the right time when we're celebrating a special event," said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

The Giants chalked up a sixth win in 10 games in the 2009-2010 KFC Philippine Cup on the day Purefoods and Hormel Foods International Corp. celebrated their 10th year of partnership.

Company bigwigs stood as witnesses as the Giants got back at the Tigers, nailing the win that tied them with the Talk n Text Tropang Texters at third place behind the Alaska Milk Aces (9-1) and the San Miguel Beermen (8-2).

"We're well within the leaders. This is sweet for us but definitely there's still a lot to be done," said Gregorio.

Purefoods was the lone team beaten by Coca-Cola in the first round. The Giants exacted revenge even with Kerby Raymundo confined on the bench with a sore knee.

Wing men James Yap and Peter June Simon both played well, combining for 40 points, six rebounds and four assists.

The two themselves presided over a key fourth-quarter run that shattered Coca-Cola's bid.

The Giants broke away from a 68-70 count, handing the Tigers a ninth loss against a lone win.

"I'm happy both James and PJ, who struggled in the first round, came out and dished out excellent games tonight. They stepped in a special game. I think it's a good sign for us," said Gregorio.

"Kerby is negative on MCL and negative on ACL. But something is hurting inside his knee. It's been my philosophy as a coach that if someone's hurting, I won't jeopardize his career," said Gregorio on Raymundo's status.

Don Allado assumed Raymundo's role as starting big forward and the former La Salle Archer came through with 11 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in 31 minutes of action.

He had 10 as the Giants took the half at 40-36.

Yap and Simon, however, stood out in the end as they starred in Purefoods' back-breaking run at the finish.

Simon had 11 of his 18 points while Yap made nine in the final canto. (SB)

The scores:

Purefoods 88 - Yap J. 22, Simon 18, Yap R. 11, Allado 11, Artadi 6, Artadi 6, Maierhofer 5, Reavis 4, Adducul 3, Timberlake 2, Salvador 0.

Coca-Cola 79 - Rodriguez 21, Ross 13, Cabagnot 12, Macapagal 11, Espino 7, Rizada 6, Gonzales N. 6, Bono 2, Gonzales W. 1, Allera 0, Calimag 0.

Quarterscores: 21-18, 40-36, 63-58, 88-79

ARANA-LED RoS BATTLES BACK FROM 20 DOWN TO BEAT TNT

SOURCE: PBA.PH

Wed, 12/02/2009 - 20:35

Jeffrei Chan scored in traffic with 13 seconds remaining as Rain or Shines upset defending champion Talk ‘N Text, 95-93 Wednesday night in the 2009-10 KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

But it was Ryan Arana who led all scorers with 20 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter to spark a last-ditch rally by the Elasto Painters, who trailed by 20 points early in the third quarter and by 12 with six and a half minutes left to play.

It marked the first time that RoS had won back-to-back in the conference but it raised the hopes of coach Caloy Garcia with regards to their chances of advancing to the quarters.

“We are the worst 3-point shooting team and the worst free throw shooting team. But the good thing is we are not the last team in the standings. I hope things will get better in the second round and we’ll be able to make it to the quarterfinals,’ Garcia said.

Although he was visibly celebrating the win, Garcia didn’t forget to commend Eddie Laure for his defensive effort.

“Eddie did a good job slowing down Jimmy (Alapag) and that was the key,” Garcia noted. “It was a big win for us.”

Gave Norwood poured 10 of his 13 points in the second half, Mike Hrabak added 12 and Jay-R Reyes had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Painters, who improved to 3-7 (win-loss) record without starting guard Sol Mercado, who was nursing a fever, and rookie Marcy Arellano who rested a hurting right shin.

It was disappointing defeat for the Tropang Texters, who appeared to have the game in control by the time Nic Belasco made two free throws to give TnT a 54-34 lead early in the third period.

But they shot just 18 percent (3-of-16) throughout the period while the Painters made 50 percent of their field goals enabling them to cut the deficit to just 65-71 going into the fourth.

Harvey Carey scored all his 14 points in the fourth and Ali Peek had as many for TNT, which snapped a two-game winning streak and fell to 6-4.

With Carey asserting his huge frame in the lane, Talk 'N Text stretched the lead to 85-73 four minutes into the fourth and it looked like the Tropang Texters had it all wrapped up.

But the Painters refused to go away. With Arana and Chan (14 points) scoring mostly on drives, RoS slowly got back into the game.

Arana’s put RoS ahead, 92-91, with a three point play with 1:21 left to play. But Ranidel de Ocampo sank two freebies in the next play to give TNT a one point lead.

The two teams traded turnovers before Chan got a pass from the right corner. He quickly attack the lane scored on a reverse shot to put the Elasto Painters ahead to stay.

Jimmy Alapag scored 13 and Macmac Cardona added 12 but the two of them accounted for nine of TNT’s 16 turnovers. (DBC)

The scores:

RAIN OR SHINE 95 - Arana 20, Chan 14, Norwood 13, Hrabak 12, Reyes 11, Telan 11, Laure 6, Cruz 3, Ibanes 3, Tang 2, Dulay 0.

TALK ‘N TEXT 93 - Carey 14, Peek 14, De Ocampo R. 13, Alapag 13, Cardona 12, Dillinger 8, Castro 6, De Ocampo Y. 6, Ritualo 4, Belasco 3.

QUARTERSCORES: 14-23, 34-52, 65-71, 95-93.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Santos shows way in race for PBA’s best player honors

source: gmanews.tv

Now with San Miguel Beer, Arwind Santos is again making a case for a first ever Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy.

The lanky former Far Eastern University King Tamaraw showed the way in the race for the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award at the halfway mark of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup elimination round.

Santos garnered a leading average statistical points (SPs) of 38.9 after coming in second in scoring and in rebounding, while ending up as the only non Fil-Am to average in double figures in the said departments.

He normed 18.22 points and 10.22 rebounds through nine games to take the No. 1 spot in the BPC race.

Acquired by the Beermen in the off-season, Santos had been a perennial Best Player of the Conference and MVP contender in his three seasons with Burger King, but never got to win either of the individual plum.

Sta. Lucia Realty’s Kelly Williams, who’s the top rebounder (13.44) and fifth-best scorer (16.89), came in second in the SPs with an average of 38.1.

Alaska’s Willie Miller, the first guard to win the MVP twice, occupied third in the BPC derby with 35.6 SPs while Mac-Mac Cardona of Talk ‘N Text stood at fourth spot with his 33.4 SPs average.

Rounding out the Top 10 contenders for the BPC were LA Tenorio of Alaska (31.3 SPs); Ronald Tubid of Ginebra (30.0); Joe DeVance of Alaska (29.6); Jimmy Alapag of Talk ‘N Text (29.1); Dondon Hontiveros of San Miguel (28.6); and Jay-Jay Helterbrand of Ginebra (28.4).

A career best 40-point output against Burger King last Nov. 27 allowed Cardona to become the leading scorer so far with his 21.0 average.

Helterbrand, on the other hand, emerged as the leading assist man with 6.2 per game while teammate and 1996 MVP Johnny Abarrientos, who played three games in the first round, showed the way in steals (2.33).

Tenorio got the distinction as the top free-throw shooter with a 90.32 percent clip (28-of-31) while Ali Peek came out as the best shot blocker (2.22).

In the race for Rookie of the Year honors, Purefoods’ Rico Maierhofer, the second pick in the draft, enjoyed a commanding lead over the rest of the pack.

The ex-La Salle slotman has normed 23.1 SPs on the strength of his 9.44 points an outing and 7.22 rebounds a game. Coming in second was Realtor Joshua Urbiztondo, who logged an average SP of 16.2, followed by Roger Menor of Barako Bull (14.0 SPs) and former UAAP MVP Jervy Cruz of Rain or Shine (13.6).

Alaska-SMB rematch up

source: Joaquin Henson | philstar.com

The PBA’s top two teams Alaska and San Miguel Beer will slug it out in a possible finals preview at the Araneta Coliseum on Dec. 9, leaving oddsmakers scratching their heads not knowing whom to pick as the favorite.

It will be their second meeting in the Philippine Cup. Alaska thrashed San Miguel, 85-74, in the first round last Oct. 17 but since the setback, the Beermen have been unbeatable.

San Miguel’s 109-96 loss to Smart-Gilas last Friday was no-bearing, meaning it had no impact on the Beermen’s scorching streak. The game, however, gave San Miguel a lot to think about, particularly as the Beermen missed 27 free throws and had 11 less fastbreak points.

San Miguel has another game to play – against Sta. Lucia Realty on Friday – before the Alaska rematch. The Aces play Gilas on Friday but the outcome won’t be reflected in the standings.

At the moment, Alaska and San Miguel are on top of the roost. The Aces have won their last three. The only blemish in coach Tim Cone’s record was an unexpected 86-81 loss to Rain Or Shine, No. 9 in the ladder with a 2-7 slate.

San Miguel started the conference on the wrong foot, yielding back-to-back decisions to Barangay Ginebra by 12 and Alaska by 11. But coach Siot Tanquingcen has rebounded in a big way and the Beermen are now the league’s hottest team with eight wins in a row.

Even as Alaska and San Miguel are 1-2 in the honor roll, neither is a shoo-in for the semifinals – yet. Talk ‘N’ Text, Ginebra and Sta. Lucia tote only three losses apiece and aren’t far behind in the race. Purefoods, in sixth spot at 4-4, is also in contention for an outright semifinals slot.

At the lower end are Burger King, Barako Bull, Rain or Shine and Coca-Cola, in that order, with at least seven defeats each.

* * * *

Willie Miller and ex-San Miguel guard L. A. Tenorio struck hardest against San Miguel in the first encounter as they combined for 33 points with no other Ace in twin digits. In contrast, ex-Alaska star Mike Cortez and Denok Miranda went scoreless.

Alaska and San Miguel are neck-to-neck in the battle for supremacy in the department of defense. The Beermen are now No. 1 in the league, allowing 85.2 points a game but the Aces are just a whiff away at No. 2 with 85.5. In offense, San Miguel is No. 2 with 96.1 and Alaska, No. 3 with 95.8. Talk ‘N’ Text is ahead in the production derby with a 98.2 clip.

It’s the same tight situation in the assists category. Alaska picked up 27 dishes in its 99-88 win over Barako Bull last Sunday to boost the Aces’ conference-high average to 21.4. San Miguel relinquished the driver’s seat in assists by accounting for only 15 in its 100-85 victory over Burger King last Sunday, lowering the Beermen’s average slightly to 20.7.

In other departments, San Miguel was tops in rebounding (54.0), turnover points (21.5) and steals (7.5) while Alaska was No. 1 in free throw percentage (.703), three-point percentage (.351) and second chance points (12.2).

The stats show that San Miguel’s biggest chink in the armor is a tendency to commit errors – the Beermen are averaging a league-high 20.4 turnovers. Another indication from the stats is Alaska’s controlled tempo as a key to its attack. The Aces are getting the job done defensively without taking too many risks in going for steals – they’re only No. 9 in average swipes, No. 9 in least opponents’ turnovers and No. 9 in turnover points, meaning that while Alaska isn’t forcing a truckload of miscues, rivals find it difficult to shoot a high percentage against a team-oriented clamp-down. Another indicator of Alaska’s deliberate style is the Aces’ No. 8 ranking in fastbreak points.

* * * *

The duel between San Miguel and Alaska should be a humdinger. San Miguel will try to dictate the pace by controlling both boards and playing up-tempo while Alaska will slow it down and lean on half-court execution.

Matchups will be vital. Do-it-all star Arwind Santos played in only his second game with San Miguel in the initial bout against Alaska but now, he’s a lot more familiar with Tanquingcen’s system and his teammates. Spiderman has been nothing less than a superhero in his last four games, including the Gilas loss, with an average of 24.8 points. Against Alaska, he’ll be a major headache for Cone with his versatility allowing shifts from position to position, depending on where to capitalize on his mismatch. Defensive specialist Tony de la Cruz will likely get the assignment to shadow Santos at No. 2, 3 or 4.

Another interesting matchup is Tenorio versus Cortez who were swapped in a trade between the two teams. Cortez still isn’t at 100 percent, nursing a shoulder injury, but may be up for the challenge next Wednesday particularly as he went zero in the first encounter. The Cool Cat wants redemption.

If Tanquingcen plays Danny Seigle, the question is what position the Fil-Am will settle in – at No. 3, he’ll clash with Santos for minutes unless Spiderman slides to No. 2 and at No. 4, he’ll be a little slow for Joe DeVance.

Ultimately, the winner will be the team that is able to impose its defensive will. Just like Seigle’s status, that, too, is a question mark – which only makes the coming showdown even more intriguing.