Pinoy Buzz: PBA

LiAngelo Ball to play in the Philippines?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos might see one of the Ball brothers play live in action this year if plans don’t go accordingly for the most-hyped and young Ballers as local basketball agent Ms. Sheryl Reyes expressed her intent to bring Liangelo Ball in the country.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbv_dtwlFNu4Au4_FfoaKeySh9vaJ9Is_NIv04ysJrTHQh25Kc8FHUcImlRtkO8LcLG7vygf7p7_s6qcDeIWyptQipE9zKJqwwCktzqF89o9S8oKkNItH9VkJPCP9pmY1A18bf2lTi8Y8K/s1600/liangelo-ball-brothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="LiAngelo Ball to play in the Philippines?" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbv_dtwlFNu4Au4_FfoaKeySh9vaJ9Is_NIv04ysJrTHQh25Kc8FHUcImlRtkO8LcLG7vygf7p7_s6qcDeIWyptQipE9zKJqwwCktzqF89o9S8oKkNItH9VkJPCP9pmY1A18bf2lTi8Y8K/s1600/liangelo-ball-brothers.jpg" title="LiAngelo Ball to play in the Philippines?" /></a></div><br />Ms. Sheryl Reyes, one of the agents in the country who have the best pool of local and international players under her name, has just recently flown long-time <a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2018/01/brownlee-and-balkman-to-reinforce-alab-pilipinas.html" rel="nofollow">Ginebra import, Justin Brownlee and NBA veteran Renaldo Balkman</a> to Manila to play for Tanduay Alab Pilipinas in the ABL.<br /><br />The lady agent is not done yet in surprising the Filipino basketball fans as she posted her conversation with Ball Brothers’ agent, Harrison Gaines on her Facebook account inquiring about the availability of LiAngelo Ball.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqUxYtfCG3kVatwtBmMqCxxcQY6eWv5R3ycw8bYSZa5QjjUwtyy_XNpmeSSrWt-HdImwTPOopkdU9kCcK3vJhGoN58xpyE_zNHDVppUimPhfYBhpKSmaZNSdkavx00bP-31rZ6VFPuLtc/s1600/Sheryl_Gaines_Convo.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LiAngelo Ball to play Philippines" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="591" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqUxYtfCG3kVatwtBmMqCxxcQY6eWv5R3ycw8bYSZa5QjjUwtyy_XNpmeSSrWt-HdImwTPOopkdU9kCcK3vJhGoN58xpyE_zNHDVppUimPhfYBhpKSmaZNSdkavx00bP-31rZ6VFPuLtc/s1600/Sheryl_Gaines_Convo.jpg" title="LiAngelo Ball to play Philippines" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Sheryl Sanchez Reyes Facebook Account</td></tr></tbody></table><br />In the chat window, Harrison Gaines informed Ms. Sheryl Reyes that Liangelo Ball will not be available until mid this year as Gelo Ball is currently in contract with Vytautas Basketball Club in Lithuania together with his younger brother, LaMelo Ball.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />Come June this year, the middle Ball will still not be available as he prepares for the 2018 NBA Rookie Draft and will also suit-up for the NBA Summer League a month after.<br /><br />Reyes informed Gaines to give her a heads-up if Gelo Ball will not be going anywhere after the draft and summer league and if they want to try out the Philippine basketball market either for a PBA team or Alab Pilipinas in the ABL.<br /><br />The Ball Brothers became instant online sensations because of their father Lavar Ball who aside from establishing the sneaker company Big Baller Brand criticised various NBA personalities on Social Media as well as exchanges of twitter jabs against US President Donald Trump with regards to Gelo Ball’s theft case in China.<br /><br />The elder Ball, also made the headlines late last year as he pulled out LiAngelo Ball from UCLA and LaMelo Ball from Chino Hills High to hone their basketball skills more abroad. Lavar’s eldest son, Lonzo Ball is currently playing for the LA Lakers and an ambassador of Big Baller Brand.<br /><br />Whether most hoop junkies hate the Ball family or not, LiAngelo Ball’s presence will definitely add huge media mileage to any team or any league that he will be playing on especially here in the Philippines where basketball is a major sports.<br /><br />If Gelo Ball’s stint in PBA or ABL happens, Philippines will also be in the headlines of well-known sports websites and newspapers all around globe. <br /><br /><b>— Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

LiAngelo Ball to play in the Philippines?

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos might see one of the Ball brothers play live in action this year if plans don’t go accordingly for the most-...

ABL: Brownlee and Balkman to reinforce Alab Pilipinas

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Just as Pinoy hoop junkies thought that Tanduay Alab Pilipinas’ Asean Basketball League (ABL) season is almost over due to losing skids, a ray of hope has finally been seen as 2 prolific PBA imports are set to debut with the nationals couple of days from now.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmDs5CP1Gn05iAogLhUVuiW74mljm4sqQHL_eK-YzDSB5ifJwscHSdqzGIVTbhYhY-rVraZAGd-60ioZBlwPxYPkQt45BYBKphDzbaVdZZ13tc7DJW6x53xadhcGROA4LFfYff34t9caX/s1600/Brownlee_Balkman.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Brownlee and Balkman to reinforce Tanduay Alab Pilipinas" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmDs5CP1Gn05iAogLhUVuiW74mljm4sqQHL_eK-YzDSB5ifJwscHSdqzGIVTbhYhY-rVraZAGd-60ioZBlwPxYPkQt45BYBKphDzbaVdZZ13tc7DJW6x53xadhcGROA4LFfYff34t9caX/s1600/Brownlee_Balkman.jpg" title="Brownlee and Balkman to reinforce Tanduay Alab Pilipinas" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ginebra import Justin Brownlee and NBA veteran Renaldo Balkman to play for Alab Pilipinas in ABL.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Basketball agent, Ms. Sheryl Reyes greeted the Filipino basketball community a warm happy new year with a stunning revelation. Reyes posted on her Facebook account that her international players Justin Brownlee and Renaldo Balkman are flying to the country to reinforce the Philippine team in the ABL.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="613" scrolling="no" src="https://web.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D10155824223160482%26set%3Da.10151343767380482.521770.579135481%26type%3D3&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe></center><br />Justin Brownlee who steered Barangay Ginebra in its back-to-back Governors’ Cup titles along side with NBA veteran and ex-Petron Blaze Boosters import, Renaldo Balkman will be replacing Ivan Johnson and Reggie Okosa in hope to revive Philippines’ ABL team standings.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />The new Alab reinforcements will be arriving in the Philippines on January 3 and will immediately suit-up for Philippines’ first home game of the year against Westports Malaysia Dragons at 8 p.m. in San Juan Coliseum.<br /><br />Tanduay Alab Pilipinas is hurting with a 1-3 awful win-loss record and currently positioned at the 7th place. Brownlee’s scoring prowess will be a great boost for the Filipino cagers while Balkman’s hefty presence underneath the basket will be a big threat for other team’s big men and imports.<br /><br />Renaldo Balkman expressed his excitement to play in the Philippines once again after getting a sanction from the PBA Commissioner’s Office 5 years ago after a physical altercation with teammate Arwind Santos and Assistant Coach Biboy Ravanes when he was playing for the Petron Blaze Boosters.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b316gWRVOqir5w3phiWZKd5A_tECUtXlNyZcsfeEKNbBcEWRG-tNwuM3_ssfpFG2CqQyQdPOBVTLXHeQMwyrfRb-dTJPX_Chm2UL_pWnnOs5DeURI-QYJvfy2uLdKz9wqJVPMI-w2aAA/s1600/renaldo-balkman-abl.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Renaldo Balkman Facebook post ABL" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="503" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b316gWRVOqir5w3phiWZKd5A_tECUtXlNyZcsfeEKNbBcEWRG-tNwuM3_ssfpFG2CqQyQdPOBVTLXHeQMwyrfRb-dTJPX_Chm2UL_pWnnOs5DeURI-QYJvfy2uLdKz9wqJVPMI-w2aAA/s1600/renaldo-balkman-abl.JPG" title="Renaldo Balkman Facebook post ABL" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Renaldo Balkman Facebook Page</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Justin Brownlee, who’s no longer a stranger to Filipino basketball fans especially to the “Never Say Die - Ginebra” community will once again show his love by bringing his A Game in every Alab outing and hopefully in Ginebra Jersey anew after the ABL season.<br /><br />If everything goes well for Alab Pilipinas, the Filipino ballers together with Brownlee and Balkman will have a chance to play Hong Kong Eastern Basketball again in the playoffs after the latter dominated Alab twice late in 2017.<br /><br /><b>— Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

ABL: Brownlee and Balkman to reinforce Alab Pilipinas

MANILA, Philippines - Just as Pinoy hoop junkies thought that Tanduay Alab Pilipinas’ Asean Basketball League (ABL) season is almost over du...

Gilas Pilipinas gears up for FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Amidst the <b><a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2017/11/pba-board-withdraws-support-commissioner-chito-narvasa.html" rel="nofollow">Narvasa-outage controversy</a></b> and rift between SMC-led group and MVP faction, Gilas Pilipinas has resumed its practice today for the Asian qualifiers of the 2019 FIBA World Cup.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkWYFsJ46ld9TvTJh0qiuyyDCxBOByGUlDukWRx0a7z1EAXSYwwYv_4MUTZ_Gdpy4HWT8UXqugcFFnEDMDf6oevn9IaK8YfyCrTzjKB-XlTV16h6sbXJ43Ss8vdNjKWhf3ki-Sd5ZPSm1/s1600/Gilas-Pilipinas-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Gilas Pilipinas resumes practice amidst PBA controversies" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="940" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkWYFsJ46ld9TvTJh0qiuyyDCxBOByGUlDukWRx0a7z1EAXSYwwYv_4MUTZ_Gdpy4HWT8UXqugcFFnEDMDf6oevn9IaK8YfyCrTzjKB-XlTV16h6sbXJ43Ss8vdNjKWhf3ki-Sd5ZPSm1/s1600/Gilas-Pilipinas-1.jpg" title="Gilas Pilipinas resumes practice amidst PBA controversies" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No controversy can stop Gilas Pilipinas in fighting for country. Photo Credit: abs-cbn sports</td></tr></tbody></table>Head Coach Chot Reyes re-grouped the Nationals to condition them against Team Japan and Team Chinese Taipei this month.<br /><br />The tournament will now be in a home and away format where Philippines will fly to Tokyo Japan for the opener on November 24 while Chinese Taipei will bring its A game in the Philippine soil for Gilas’ only home game on November 27.<br /><br />Normally, season opener is being held in November. Since Gilas needs more time to suit up for its couple of crucial games, the PBA board has decided to move the Season 43 opening ceremony to December 17.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />Gilas Pilipinas’ first practice was attended by mainstays Gabe Norwood, June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Calvin Abueva, Raymond Almazan, Allein Maliksi, Jayson Castro, Mac Belo, Matthew Wright, Jio Jalalon, RR Pogoy, Carl Bryan Cruz and Troy Rosario. <br /><br />Asia’s Golden Boy Terrence Romeo didn’t make it to practice due to out of country tour and promotions commitment to the shoe brand that he’s endorsing while SMB top rookie Christian Hardinger began his contract with the Hong Kong Eastern Long Lions to defend their ABL title which will also commence this November.<br /><br />The new FIBA format will definitely affect the performance of our National Team in terms of practice and preparation due to conflict of schedules once the PBA season started. However, the team governors assured the public that they will continue to support the National Team program by lending their players despite the league calendar.<br /><br />Gilas’ first 2 games will certainly not be a walk in the park as Japan and Chinese Taipei are two of the mid-tiered teams in the region and both have the huge chance of upsetting Philippines.<br /><br />3 weeks are not enough to form the team and condition the players. But if there’s one thing that our very own Gilas Pilipinas will rely on, it will be our “puso”. Laban Pilipinas!<br /><br /><b>— Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

Gilas Pilipinas gears up for FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers

MANILA, Philippines - Amidst the Narvasa-outage controversy and rift between SMC-led group and MVP faction, Gilas Pilipinas has resumed its...

PBA Majority Board withdraws support for Commissioner Chito Narvasa

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Few days after the 2017 Rookie Draft, the PBA is once again in the midst of a controversy that resulted to Commissioner Chito Narvasa’s outage on Thursday, November 2, 2017.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuY8apVInjO8PjOk6fYBClyTSVkJDMWVKRZdEOnWkbRFNNbgyc9sgU4RFalD2pGDcUqFtWUU5kzrjt7_Jn_2ht-5ODKkTwNWR5M8saZhikAnERLCr6M2xJjWJp3rC5BCq0g0C826TWBNS/s1600/ps-chito-narvasa.png" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PBA Majority Board withdraws support for Commissioner Chito Narvasa" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuY8apVInjO8PjOk6fYBClyTSVkJDMWVKRZdEOnWkbRFNNbgyc9sgU4RFalD2pGDcUqFtWUU5kzrjt7_Jn_2ht-5ODKkTwNWR5M8saZhikAnERLCr6M2xJjWJp3rC5BCq0g0C826TWBNS/s1600/ps-chito-narvasa.png" title="PBA Majority Board withdraws support for Commissioner Chito Narvasa" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The controversial trade: Commissioner Narvasa approved sending SMB’s benchwarmers in exchange for Kia’s top pick. Photo credit: Philstar.com</td></tr></tbody></table>Majority of the PBA Board of Governors, headed by Incoming Chairman Mon Fernandez of NLEX bared to the media that they have convened and will no longer support the league’s head honcho’s term renewal.<br /><br />Together with 6 more Governors from TNT Katropa, Meralco Bolts, Alaska Aces, Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters and Blackwater Elite they gathered together today for an emergency board meeting to talk about various issues in the league.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />One of the main concerns is the Commissioner’s nod on San Miguel Beer and Kia Picanto trade where the Beermen acquired the 1st round pick in exchange for 3 benchwarmers and a future pick.<br /><br />Fernandez however emphasized that their support withdrawal is not due to the imbalanced-trade issue. “It’s a simple loss of confidence, among other things, including performance...The trade is not the main issue. It’s really a loss of confidence already.”<br /><br />The SMC Group Team Governors along with allied teams: Globalport Batang Pier and Pia Picanto were absent in the meeting. <br /><br />As per PBA bylaws, it will take two-thirds of a vote to expel any league official. Although majority of the board voted for non-renewal of the Commissioner’s term, it doesn’t mean that Narvasa is removed from his post because it takes 8 votes to discharge Narvasa from his duty. With only 7 votes, Narvasa will be able to finish his term for the 42nd season.<br /><br /><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Agree? <a href="https://t.co/uRP4hqhyX4" rel="nofollow">pic.twitter.com/uRP4hqhyX4</a></div>— PBAonTV5 (@PBAonTV5) <a href="https://twitter.com/PBAonTV5/status/926029942562856960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow">November 2, 2017</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br /><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Narvasa said he's not stepping down--for now. <a href="https://t.co/CmDmJJZoBj" rel="nofollow">pic.twitter.com/CmDmJJZoBj</a></div>— PBAonTV5 (@PBAonTV5) <a href="https://twitter.com/PBAonTV5/status/926021768908648448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow">November 2, 2017</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br />PBA Season 43 opens in a month and that’s the only time where Commissioner Narvasa will vacate his post. In the interim, Deputy Commissioner Ricky Santos will be the officer-in-charge until the board elects the new Commissioner with at least 8 or two-thirds of total votes.<br /><br /><b>— Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

PBA Majority Board withdraws support for Commissioner Chito Narvasa

MANILA, Philippines - Few days after the 2017 Rookie Draft, the PBA is once again in the midst of a controversy that resulted to Commissione...

2017 PBA Rookie Draft: Standhardinger officially joins SMB for the top pick

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - As expected, <b>Christian Standhardinger</b> was chosen number 1 overall pick by San Miguel Beermen (SMB) in the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft event on October 29 at Robinson’s Place Manila.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyc89QfM8d5Te0bvBSsdwE_IGAAwShFvlBheSgoNWNCwVwf5CsNq2_b31uudfMl809cbpH3oKCrjbvB8ZOrDfKhkxyInLxIQt_bJPKXtO8uy2tKDzsAgHmQy5hrhY6a0zj9ftJFDJkJPs/s1600/Standhardinger-GIlas-FIBA-Asia.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Standhardinger officially joins SMB for the top pick" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyc89QfM8d5Te0bvBSsdwE_IGAAwShFvlBheSgoNWNCwVwf5CsNq2_b31uudfMl809cbpH3oKCrjbvB8ZOrDfKhkxyInLxIQt_bJPKXtO8uy2tKDzsAgHmQy5hrhY6a0zj9ftJFDJkJPs/s1600/Standhardinger-GIlas-FIBA-Asia.jpg" title="Standhardinger officially joins SMB for the top pick" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christian Standhardinger joins San Miguel Beermen for the 1st overall pick. Photo Credit: Philstar</td></tr></tbody></table>Prior to the start of <a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2017/10/ginebra-governors-cup-2017-wins-back-to-back-title.html" rel="nofollow"><b>Ginebra-Meralco sudden death Game 7</b></a>, Commissioner Chito Narvasa approved the proposed trade between Kia and SMB where the Beermen will have the 1st pick of this year’s Rookie Draft while Picanto will have Rashawn McCarthy, Jay-R Reyes, Ronald Tubid and SMB’s 2019 1st Round Pick.<br /><br />The trade garnered different reactions from the fans and some of the PBA players. Even the approver, Commissioner Narvasa himself didn’t avoid the criticism. But newly appointed Team Manager, Joe Lipa, defended the team’s decision on letting go of their precious pick to fortify Kia Picanto in the league’s standing. <br /><br />Lipa stated that 3 players are better than one and a single player can’t make the team better. He also highlighted his new players’ strength specifically Jay-R Reyes, a big man who can run and score from the outside.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />As the annual Philippine basketball event started, Commissioner Chito Narvasa has officially opened the 2017 Rookie Draft and the San Miguel Beermen has officially picked the 6’8” Fil-German Christian Standhardinger. <br /><br />Standhardinger has proven himself to be a top scorer and tough defender during his Gilas Pilipinas tenure. Playing alongside with the 4-time MVP June Mar Fajardo will give SMB another chance to win more titles. However, Christian Standhardinger will not be available this coming All-Filipino Cup as he has just signed a 6-month contract for the Hong Kong Eastern Long Lions in the ABL.<br /><br />NLEX Road Warriors on the other hand selected King Eagle <b>Kiefer Ravena</b>. During the the Governor’s Cup eliminations, Coach Yeng Guiao expressed his intention to get Ravena that will bring depth to his backcourt.<br /><br />On pick number 3, Blackwater Elite opted for a big men in person of Reymar Jose who will complement its current center Poy Eram.<br /><br />Jason Perkins went to Phoenix Fuel Masters at the 4th pick. While Alaska Aces chose <b>Jeron Teng</b> at the 5th spot. Perkins and Teng both played for De La Salle University and won a championship together. Jeron Teng who’s a legit scorer, will definitely help the Aces improve their standing come Philippine Cup opener next month.<br /><br />PBA D-Leaguer Robert Herndon Jr. was selected by Globalport Batang Pier at the 6th pick and Rain Or Shine obtained Letran Knight Rey Nambatac for pick number 7.<br /><br />For the 2nd time and for the 8th pick, Phoenix Fuel Masters chose a big man: Sidney Onwubere who stands at 6’5”. The former Emilio Aguinaldo General is expected to bring more firepower to his new team.<br /><br />Lervin Flores went straight to Star Hot Shots for pick number 9. Coach Chito Victolero opted for a big man who can back-up veteran Jean Marc Pingris and Ian Sangalang.<br /><br />Unheralded Mark Tallo joins TNT Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy in the backcourt while 6’5” Jon Gabriel joins Moala Tautuaa and Kelly Williams in the front court for the 10th and 11th pick respectively. <br /><br />Governors Cup Champions Barangay Ginebra picked former UP Maroon and gunner Jett Manuel for the last pick of the 1st round.<br /><br />Surprisingly a handful of notable draftees went teamless on the 1st round. The likes of Davon Potts, Julian Sargent, Biboy Enguio and Joseph Gabayni were still hopeful to be on any team come 2nd round.<br /><b><br /></b> <b>Here’s the summary of 2nd, 3rd and 4th round picks: </b><br /><br />Second Round:<br /><br />1st Pick - John Grospe (NLEX Road Warriors)<br />2nd Pick - Joseph Gabayni (Star Hotshots)<br />3rd Pick - Emil Palma (Blackwater Elite)<br />4th Pick - Julian Sargent (Star Hotshots)<br />5th Pick - Louie Vigil (San Miguel Beermen)<br />6th Pick - Davon Potts (Alaska Aces)<br />7th Pick -  Jomari Sollano (Rain Or Shine)<br />8th Pick - Gwynne Capacio (Star Hotshots)<br />9th Pick - Jayson Grimaldo (Phoenix Fuel Masters)<br />10th Pick - Monbert Arong (TNT Ka-Tropa)<br />11th Pick - Wilson Baltazar (Phoenix Fuel Masters)<br />12th Pick - Andreas Cahilig (Globalport Batang Pier)<br /><br />Third Round:<br /><br />1st Pick - Chris De Chavez (Kia Picanto)<br />2nd Pick - Gabriel Dagangon (NLEX Road Warriors)<br />3rd Pick - Biboy Enguio (Blackwater Elite)<br />4th Pick - Roldan Sara (Phoenix Fuel Masters)<br />5th Pick - Zachary Nicholls (Globalport Batang Pier)<br />6th Pick - Pass (Alaska Aces)<br />7th Pick - Michael Juico (Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters)<br />8th Pick - Jebb Bulawan (Meralco Bolts)<br />9th Pick - Thomas Torres (Star Hotshots)<br />10th Pick - Dave Moralde (TNT Ka-Tropa)<br />11th Pick - Jerome Ortega (San Miguel Beermen)<br />12th Pick - Elmer Cabahug (Barangay Ginebra)<br /><br />Fourth Round:<br /><br />1st Pick - Arvie Bringas (Kia Picanto)<br />2nd Pick - Felix Apreku Jr. (NLEX Road Warriors)<br />3rd Pick - Kyle Neypes (Blackwater Elite)<br />4th Pick - John Casino (Phoenix Fuel Masters)<br />5th Pick - Gian Abrigo (Globalport Batang Pier)<br />6th Pick - Pass (Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters)<br />7th Pick - Pass (Meralco Bolts)<br />8th Pick - Pass (Star Hotshots)<br />9th Pick - Pass (TNT Ka-Tropa)<br />10th Pick - Joseph Nalos (San Miguel Beermen)<br />11th Pick - Pass (Barangay Ginebra)<br /><br />Fifth Round:<br /><br />1st Pick - Christian Geronimo (Kia Picanto)<br />2nd Pick - Pass<br />3rd Pick - Jhon Sumido (Blackwater Elite)<br /><br />Among the 44 draft hopefuls, Jeremiah Dela Pena was the only draftee who was not selected. The Rookies will undergo rigorous training under their new teams and will fight for roster spots that will ensure them long-term contracts.<br /><b><br /></b> <b>— Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

2017 PBA Rookie Draft: Standhardinger officially joins SMB for the top pick

MANILA, Philippines - As expected, Christian Standhardinger was chosen number 1 overall pick by San Miguel Beermen (SMB) in the 2017 PBA Ro...

Ginebra wins back-to-back Governors Cup titles!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is your 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup Champions! Ginebra survived Meralco’s late scary run in the final canto as they sent the Bolts home, 101-96 on Friday, October 27, 2017 at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimh_ycC8_3AYTGXumrucCE-VcyGHGsfHgM9jgFkFWYSd1bOAcIoovNIvfXePyq2HxXhlU-6mDFa6TMgjcwG1TCKHnR8M5chjycUk4VkKviRXsKLi_fnvGWjZC-HzvUFIlbRQhrqXqy4L4e/s1600/PBA-ginebra-champions.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ginebra wins back-to-back Governors' Cup title!" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="715" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimh_ycC8_3AYTGXumrucCE-VcyGHGsfHgM9jgFkFWYSd1bOAcIoovNIvfXePyq2HxXhlU-6mDFa6TMgjcwG1TCKHnR8M5chjycUk4VkKviRXsKLi_fnvGWjZC-HzvUFIlbRQhrqXqy4L4e/s1600/PBA-ginebra-champions.jpg" title="Ginebra wins back-to-back Governors' Cup title!" /></a></div><br />This is it! Meralco vs Ginebra in a do-or-die game, win or go home! Good sign for Ginebra as they bucketed the first basket followed by a Meralco turnover and a long three pointer from Justin Brownlee.<br /><br />Ginebra clogged the shaded area to prevent Allen Durham from muscling his way up and limit the Bolts to shoot from the lower percentage angles. Despite the glue-tight defense, Meralco managed to stay close with Ginebra in the early phase of the opening quarter.<br /><br />Ginebra looked scary in the first period as the Kings drained multiple treys and scored a handful in the paint. In contrast, Meralco started to shoot blanks and committed more turnovers which Ginebra converted into fast break points that lead to 27-19 advantage after the first 12 minutes.<br /><br />Barangay Ginebra continued to rain threes and block shots as they began the 2nd period. To his dismay, Coach Norman Black immediately called a timeout to stop the bleeding.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />In Spite of the timeout, Ginebra still surged and Meralco kept on missing. Worried and anxious, Coach Black burned another time out to find a solution to Ginebra’s unstoppable offensive onslaught.<br /><br />Reynel Hugnatan ended the scoring dry spell in the 4-minute mark as he sank a floater. However, the Bolts trailed 19 big points with plenty of time remaining before the half ended.<br /><br />Jared Dillinger was the only brave Bolt who kept on fighting until the 1st half wrapped up as he managed to cut the lead to 15, 52-37. Dillinger unleashed 11 points while veteran Ginebra guard LA Tenorio topped all scorers with 13 at the halftime break.<br /><br />Allen Durham, this conference’s Best Import might have met his kryptonite. “The Hulk” surprisingly jotted only 6 points as he entered the third. Durham even got blocked multiple times and had butterfingers that cause turnovers.<br /><br />In the contrary, Ginebra got nothing but all good looks in all sides of the floor whether from the inside or outside. Barangay escalated its lead to 20 with just 2 minutes gone by in the beginning of the 3rd period.<br /><br />Allen Durham who was an obvious sleeper in the first half completed a dunk and one plus a triple as a retaliation to Ginebra’s scoring barrage. Fact, Allen Durham’s triple at the 8-minute mark was his first in the series after 18 attempts.<br /><br />LA Tenorio was simply uncontainable in this game. The former Ateneo Eagle already had 21 point with 14 more minutes to go in the ballgame. His fellow alumnus Chris Newsome however, had a bad night with only 4.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8vPjRAmFMoqy_0uFRkOohjHb2_wKOmNvGhkJ1GTK4qTbzHR_oO_jGfzKKVShd0JHMKMdLV3vx6EgTi7kJjVnaFLWbAUG2kBYOj6mLe5ulA61Lrs-xkY9eEvXLabe7lBZ0C-Ycq5EIJpp/s1600/LA+Tenorio.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ginebra wins back-to-back Governors Cup title!" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8vPjRAmFMoqy_0uFRkOohjHb2_wKOmNvGhkJ1GTK4qTbzHR_oO_jGfzKKVShd0JHMKMdLV3vx6EgTi7kJjVnaFLWbAUG2kBYOj6mLe5ulA61Lrs-xkY9eEvXLabe7lBZ0C-Ycq5EIJpp/s1600/LA+Tenorio.jpg" title="Ginebra wins back-to-back Governors Cup title!" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ladies and gentlemen, your 2017 Governors Cup Finals MVP: LA “Tenyente” Tenorio! Tenorio finished with game-high 26 points backed-up by Justin Brownlee who had 23. Photo Credit: Philstar</td></tr></tbody></table>Tenyente Tenorio closed the third with another jump shot for the 81-64 lead.<br /><br />The Bolts somehow got closer to Ginebra and was able to lower the lead to just a dozen, courtesy of guards Anjo Caram and Baser Amer. But Meralco couldn't really get its momentum. Every time Meralco had a run, it will only be momentarily as Ginebra promptly fired back.<br /><br />Anjo Caram’s 2 fast break points broke the Ginebra double-digit lead and placed his team behind by just 9 points with over 4 minutes remaining in the game. Coach Tim Cone, bothered by Meralco’s run, requested for a ceasefire to talk things over.<br /><br />The 2-minute warning was announced by the coliseum barker with Meralco’s hope in winning the crown was slowly dimming as Ginebra’s lead was escalated to double figures anew.<br /><br />With 71 ticks remaining in the ballgame, Cliff Hodge got fouled out and Ginebra’s lead was 7, 100-93. <br /><br />Jared Dillinger’s three pointer cut the lead to just 4 with 40 seconds left in the game clock. Meralco posted a 7-0 blitz and saw a tiny chance of upsetting Ginebra.<br /><br />Meralco had its chance but it was too late. At the final horn, Barangay Ginebra ended the series 4-3 with a nail-biting 101-96 win over the brave Meralco Bolts in front of 54,086 die hard PBA fans.<br /><br />Watch full video replay.<br /><br /><center><div class="video-wrapper"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R8E0V7-e4I4" width="100%"></iframe></div></center><br />On behalf of The Summit Express, we congratulate the Barangay Ginebra for winning the 2017 Governors Cup Finals for the 2nd straight. Never Say Die!<br /><br /><b>— Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

Ginebra wins back-to-back Governors Cup titles!

MANILA, Philippines - The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is your 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup Champions! Ginebra survived Meralco’s late scary run i...

PBA Finals: Meralco shuts down Ginebra to force do-or-die Game 7

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - No confettis and colorful balloons for tonight as the Meralco Bolts tied the series to 3-all after pushing Ginebra to the edge of the cliff, 98-91 at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan on Wednesday, October 25, 2017.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBdQs8PCGt3iT1EwsC7X6_wH4Ret_3pT3wy4M_8FUrspSHfBDRh8gVc5Oik-dTh3lqUBwHPzasxxRG33nJwP6gxbJHKCHkgZ0Z6R19nftltGtC5CiFIR8tgAgSeelaXLtUe2QBN5IuDvL/s1600/allen-durham.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Meralco levels series, faces Ginebra in Game 7" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="758" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBdQs8PCGt3iT1EwsC7X6_wH4Ret_3pT3wy4M_8FUrspSHfBDRh8gVc5Oik-dTh3lqUBwHPzasxxRG33nJwP6gxbJHKCHkgZ0Z6R19nftltGtC5CiFIR8tgAgSeelaXLtUe2QBN5IuDvL/s1600/allen-durham.jpg" title="Meralco levels series, faces Ginebra in Game 7" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allen Durham along with Reynel Hugnatan postponed Ginebra’s victory party as they evened the series 3-3. Photo Credit: Philstar.com</td></tr></tbody></table>Coach Norman Black tweaked his starters for Meralco’s do-or-die game number 6. Instead of going for Baser Amer, he opted to start Garvo Lanete to provide early firepower for the Bolts. Lanete took the first shot of the game and drew the first blood from the outside followed by another trey by Reynel Hugnatan.<br /><br />The starting unit of Coach Black worked well for his team as they beat Ginebra in a foot race and garnered an early advantage of 12-4. Surprised by the Bolts’ attack, Coach Tim Cone was forced to waste a timeout to cut Meralco’s momentum.<br /><br />Greg Slaughter on the other hand, began to heat-up in the shaded area and was unstoppable. Likewise, Allen Durham was unguardable underneath the basket even with Slaughter’s wide arms over him.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />First quarter was pretty lopsided in favor of Meralco 29-17. <br /><br />Ginebra made a 7-0 run as the 2nd period started. But Meralco immediately bounced back to add more digits to its margin that led to another ceasefire called by Coach Cone after seeing a 14-point, 38-24 advantage by the men in blue.<br /><br />Meralco established its 20-point lead, its biggest so far in the series, in the 4:41 mark of the second. Jared Dillinger who was silent in the opening quarter finally woke up and contributed significant points to his team’s lead.<br /><br />Justin Brownlee had a fair share in the 2nd period as he tried to get closer with Meralco by draining triples. Ginebra trailed Meralco by 17 points after the 1st half, 54-37. Both imports led all scorers with 13 points apiece.<br /><br />During the halftime, the gallant soldiers who just came home after their tour of duty in Marawi were introduced to the 54,000 paying patrons inside the Philippine arena and were given a tribute for their bravery and heroism. Players from both teams met the soldiers in the center court to personally thank and honor them.<br /><br />As the third quarter unfolded, Ginebra finally found its rhythm and managed to cut the lead down to 11. This time, Coach Norman burned an unnecessary timeout to stop the raging Gins.<br /><br />The Bolts started to turn the ball over and it happened multiple times. Coach Black called a mandatory timeout as Barangay trimmed the margin to just a single-digit or 9-0 blitz from as high as 20 big points in the first half.<br /><br />Big shot after big shot were unleashed by both squads. Ginebra had the chance to lower the lead to just 6 points but Meralco guards Baser Amer and Garvo Lanete took over the scoring chores of Allen Durham who was neutralized by fellow import Justin Brownlee.<br /><br />Joe Devance closed the 3rd quarter from the downtown and again brought the Meralco lead down to just 6 points, 75-69.<br /><br />Meralco had no other choice but to win the game in order to send the series to a sudden death come Friday so they opened the final canto strong and managed to bring its lead back to double-digit courtesy of Hugnatan and Durham.<br /><br />Cliff Hodge who just got married yesterday uttered a joke prior to the game that their honeymoon is postponed because basketball comes first. Hodge surged and sacrificed his body to protect their lead and to live one more day.<br /><br />It was really a roller coaster ride for Meralco and Ginebra as both teams exchanged baskets and momentums. Midway of the last quarter, Ginebra found themselves down by 6 points again, 88-82.<br /><br />At the final 2 minutes of the game, it was still everybody’s ball game as Ginebra was behind by 7 points, 93-86.<br /><br />Meralco luckily got offensive boards and used the clock wisely. The Bolts patiently held the ball until they found the open man. Reynel Hugnatan placed the icing on the cake with a big trey to postpone Ginebra’s victory party. <br /><br /><center><div class="video-wrapper"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/faDSA0NF4tA" width="100%"></iframe></div></center><br />98-91 is the final score and both teams will have a day-off to prepare for their grudge match on Friday at the Philippine arena.<br /><br /><b>— Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

PBA Finals: Meralco shuts down Ginebra to force do-or-die Game 7

MANILA, Philippines - No confettis and colorful balloons for tonight as the Meralco Bolts tied the series to 3-all after pushing Ginebra to ...

Ginebra is just a win away from the title, outlasts Meralco for 3-2 lead

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - After losing two-in-a-row, Barangay Ginebra bounced back and outlasted Meralco Bolts, 85-74 on Sunday, October 22, 2017 in front of over 34,000 paying patrons at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA84YKUOyD7IP7E4KozqQAxBs2uFZ027iphUrQQoD2GkROhMwSgGPd91JtPyc9gW1eYyfyH_x5lqYE0IYqjPV4jlYyzeJa4H9Stb0J_ED3wc6OHcInmcAFxx0Dy6qzxkSAP6DjOPumrsg_/s1600/Greg+Slaughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Best Player of the Conference, Greg Slaughter posted 17 points" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA84YKUOyD7IP7E4KozqQAxBs2uFZ027iphUrQQoD2GkROhMwSgGPd91JtPyc9gW1eYyfyH_x5lqYE0IYqjPV4jlYyzeJa4H9Stb0J_ED3wc6OHcInmcAFxx0Dy6qzxkSAP6DjOPumrsg_/s1600/Greg+Slaughter.jpg" title="Best Player of the Conference, Greg Slaughter posted 17 points" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best Player of the Conference, Greg Slaughter posted 17 points, 16 rebounds and 6 blocks to help Ginebra gained a 3-2 series advantage. Photo Credit: Manila Bulletin</td></tr></tbody></table>Both teams have a man down at least due to injuries. Ranidel De Ocampo is out for the series because of calf ailment while Sol Mercado will spend the rest of the season as well in the sick bay with a sprained ankle.<br /><br />Sol Mercado, who’s marked as the best local defender in the league, hurt his ankle in the dying seconds of game number 4 where he chase blocked Jared Dillinger and landed awkwardly on the floor.<br /><br />Glue-tight defense was Coach Tim Cone’s main battle plan against Meralco in this game. Luckily, Ginebra got defensive stops early in the opening quarter and converted them offensively.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />At the 3-minute mark, it was Meralco’s turn to put pressure on Ginebra. Allen Durham blocked Japeth Aguilar’s potential dunk and Reynel Hugnatan connected from the outside off transition. But Barangay got back immediately and posted a 6-point, 21-15 lead as the 1st period ended.<br /><br />As Meralco continued to miss in all angles, it looked like the rim got bigger for Ginebra as the 2nd quarter started. The Gins enlarged their lead to 13 in just couple of minutes. Aside from the scoring barrage, Greg Slaughter devoured his defenders underneath the basket where the 7-footer swatted several shots and crushed the boards.<br /><br />Bad luck really hit the Bolts in all ends of the floor. Their misery worsened as they reached the foul limit too early and clearly exposed the shaded areas for Ginebra which the Barangay capitalized on by slashing and driving straight to the basket without any hesitations.<br /><br />Allen Durham, Reynel Hugnatan and Garvo Lanete became aggressive in the last phase of the 1st half to help their team caught up with Ginebra. They managed to bring the lead down to a single-digit at the halftime. 42-35 still in favor of Barangay Ginebra.<br /><br />Meralco blitzed a 7-2 run as the 3rd period began. Reynel Hugnatan really proved that he’s more than willing and worthy to fill in the void which RDO left. Hugnatan provided firepower from the outside that helped the Bolts got closer to Gineba.<br /><br />LA Tenorio’s offense was really impeccable in the third. The veteran guard had already 15 points with 17 more minutes remaining in the entire game and became Ginebra’s main man as its import got neutralized since the first half.<br /><br />Garvo Lanete hit a ring-less trey for the equalizer and the game’s first deadlock while Allen Durham muscled his way up against 3 defenders under the basket to gain the lead, 60-58 for the very first time. Coach Cone burned another time out and slammed a chair on the ground due to dismay during the huddle.<br /><br />Coach Tim’s ceasefire woke up the Gins and they bounced back promptly for the 66-62 advantage after the penultimate quarter.<br /><br />Allen Durham was relentless in the entire game. During the final period, Ginebra maintained its lead but the Best Import of the Conference tried his very best to prevent the Kings from exploding. Durham was a total workhorse, he even rejected the 7’0” Slaughter’s looper and sent the ball to the crowd.<br /><br />Multiple turnovers cost Meralco a lot midway of the fourth. Meralco’s careless passes and loose ball fouls gave Ginebra an untimely edge and brought them back at the helm. 81-71 under 4 minutes of the game. Bad news haunted the Bolts even more as Chris Newsome committed his 6th and last personal foul and Justin Brownlee all of a sudden erupted in the pay off period. <br /><br />Coach Norman Black waived the white flag with more than a minute ago as he pulled out Allen Durham and Reynel Hugnatan with Ginebra led his team by 11, 85-74 until the last second of the game.<br /><br /><center><div class="video-wrapper"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZOg3SB8F3QQ" width="100%"></iframe></div></center><br />Barangay Ginebra having a 3-2 series advantage can finish Meralco on Wednesday for the back-to-back Governors Cup Title.<br /><br />Game 6 will once again be held on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Philippine Arena.<br /><br /><b>— Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

Ginebra is just a win away from the title, outlasts Meralco for 3-2 lead

MANILA, Philippines - After losing two-in-a-row, Barangay Ginebra bounced back and outlasted Meralco Bolts, 85-74 on Sunday, October 22, 201...

PBA Finals: RDO-less Meralco tops Ginebra, levels series 2-2

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Meralco lost Ranidel De Ocampo last Wednesday due to calf injury while Kelly Nabong is still out indefinitely due to suspension. Still, Meralco led by Allen Durham and Chris Newsome got the win against Barangay Ginebra, 85-83 and levelled the series at 2-all on Friday, October 20 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9j4tcni-jljxNv6_ly4ZEKDg09c04BODmMdjaNNb6zSUUnivoCADFcMIeWD5ZIWlPeK1ZJciwZgtnOZa1j4LYHXCIEdYxsJbYhOK8Y-SpHZ-FixcIa16idh3Vpy4z92ZiuI7bzHAARpA/s1600/Allen_Durham.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Super Import Allen Durham strikes again with 28 points and 18 rebounds" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="827" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9j4tcni-jljxNv6_ly4ZEKDg09c04BODmMdjaNNb6zSUUnivoCADFcMIeWD5ZIWlPeK1ZJciwZgtnOZa1j4LYHXCIEdYxsJbYhOK8Y-SpHZ-FixcIa16idh3Vpy4z92ZiuI7bzHAARpA/s1600/Allen_Durham.jpg" title="Super Import Allen Durham strikes again with 28 points and 18 rebounds" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Import Allen Durham strikes again with 28 points and 18 rebounds to tie the series 2-2. Photo Credit: pba.ph</td></tr></tbody></table>Prior to game number 4, Coach Norman Black announced that newly acquired power forward Ranidel De Ocampo is out for the rest of the series due to a serious calf injury that he sustained in the previous game.<br /><br />RDO being out indefinitely means more woes for Meralco in the front court. This however leaves the door widely opened for Reynel Hugnatan to step up and carry the load. Hugnatan chipped in significant points in game 3 victory for the Bolts.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />Coach Tim Cone realized Meralco’s height disadvantage so he started the game with his twin towers Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter. <br /><br />Meralco didn’t want to use its lack of big men as an excuse and didn’t let Ginebra run over the entire team. At the end of the 1st quarter, the Bolts amazingly tied the ballgame at 17-all.<br /><br />The Bolts didn’t miss De Ocampo’s hot shooting hands from the outside at all as supersub Reynel Hugnatan filled the void that he left especially at the rainbow territory. Hugnatan sank back-to-back treys for the 27-21 lead and forced Coach Cone to burn a timeout early in the second.<br /><br />Meralco escalated its lead to 8 points under 3 minutes of the half. But bad news came in, Justin Brownlee started to wax hot from the outside. During the 2-minute warning, Bolts’ lead was cut to just 3.<br /><br />Ginebra made a significant and scary run in the dying moments of the 1st half. But nevertheless, Meralco maintained its lead heading to the dugout. Justin Brownlee’s 17 points in the first 24 minutes brought Meralco’s lead to a half-shot, 41-40.<br /><br />Before the game started, the annual Leo Awards was held. As expected, San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo bagged his 4th straight MVP award and cemented his PBA legacy together with Mon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio who both had 4 MVP titles during their heydays. For the other individual awards, Roger Pogoy won the Rookie of the Year award while Chris Ross was awarded with the Most Improved Player of the Year.<br /><br />The 15-minute powwow inside the Meralco locker room during the halftime break rejuvenated the players. As soon as the Bolts stepped on the hardwood, the players made sure that they will go ahead of Ginebra in terms of scoring. 52-44 midway of the third in favor of Meralco.<br /><br />Crushing the boards and forcing Ginebra to commit turnovers were the keys to success for Meralco’s run in the 3rd period. The Bolts hit the dozen-point lead at the 4-minute mark of the quarter while Mark Caguioa provided spark for the Gins and managed to cut the margin to a single-digit.<br /><br />Slowly but surely, Ginebra was trying to comeback and after the penultimate quarter, Meralco’s lead was reduced to 5, 68-63<br /><br />Japeth Aguilar rocked the house down with a two-handed jam that trim the lead to just a shot. Unfortunately, Aguilar committed his 4th personal right after the highlight. But Jayjay Helterbrand got away with a steal and finished with a layup for the 70-all equalizer.<br /><br />It was still everybody's ball game with more than 2 minutes remaining in the game. Both teams traded baskets and tied the score at 78. Japeth Aguilar broke the deadlock with an alley-oop dunk to regain the lead, 81-78 with 1:54 left in the game clock.<br /><br />Under a minute of the game, Reynel Hugnatan located Allen Durham under the basket for a clean 2 and lead. Meralco was up, 85-83 with 40 ticks remaining. Ginebra had the chance to tie or win the game but missed all of its shots until the horn sounded.<br /><br />Allen Durham might be the highest pointer of his team but the Best Player of the Game award went to Chris Newsome for his brilliant comeback game with 18 markers and 11 boards.<br /><br />Crucial game number 5 will be on Sunday, October 22 where the winner will get a huge series advantage at the Philippine Arena at 6:30 pm.<br /><br /><b>-- Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

PBA Finals: RDO-less Meralco tops Ginebra, levels series 2-2

MANILA, Philippines - Meralco lost Ranidel De Ocampo last Wednesday due to calf injury while Kelly Nabong is still out indefinitely due to s...

PBA Finals: Meralco avoids sweep, takes Game 3 against Ginebra

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Meralco Bolts dodged a fatal bullet and avoided a sweep as they posted their first PBA Finals series win against Ginebra, 94-81 on Wednesday, October 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYO5rkGUI9le8-H1Z00beqHR4IduIe0V1N-78TabJo0hG2VGfkAmeJ6n-oA6zH_o4XPTN-GBOOBf_bV0ZHxlA7nNYGaLv0sDOwvwzeTGzK1JJKMkv4b6A_CiumFnV-yg4bL7wMogVh3_G/s1600/durnham-brownlee.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PBA Finals: Meralco avoids sweep against Ginebra, takes Game 3" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYO5rkGUI9le8-H1Z00beqHR4IduIe0V1N-78TabJo0hG2VGfkAmeJ6n-oA6zH_o4XPTN-GBOOBf_bV0ZHxlA7nNYGaLv0sDOwvwzeTGzK1JJKMkv4b6A_CiumFnV-yg4bL7wMogVh3_G/s1600/durnham-brownlee.jpg" title="PBA Finals: Meralco avoids sweep against Ginebra, takes Game 3" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allen Durham posted monster numbers with 38 points, 20 rebounds and 5 blocks for the game 3 win. Photo Credit: Philstar.com</td></tr></tbody></table>In the entire history of PBA, there’s only 1 team that overcame a 0-3 deficit and won the title. That’s none other than San Miguel Beermen. But all the other teams prior to SMB’s “Beeracle” feat hit the rock bottom. Downed by 0-2 in the series, Meralco can’t afford to lose another game tonight but Ginebra will try to record one more win to make another step closer to its targeted back-to-back championships.<br /><br /><b>RELATED STORY</b><br /><a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2017/10/ginebra-vs-meralco-pba-finals-governors-cup-2017-livestream-schedule-results.html" rel="nofollow">Ginebra vs Meralco PBA Finals Governors' Cup 2017: livestream, schedule, results</a><br /><br />After 2 games, Ranidel De Ocampo started at the 4-position to contain the very versatile wingman Japeth Aguilar who plays center for Barangay Ginebra in the series while the Best Player of the Conference, Greg Slaughter comes off the bench for Coach Tim Cone.<br /><br />Fielding in RDO to put weight and body in the middle didn’t give Coach Norman Black the result that he wanted. Rather, Ginebra garnered majority of its points underneath the basket for the early headstart.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />The 6’9” Aguilar really owned the opening quarter and just gave Slaughter a short 3-minute appearance to have a breather after dropping 9 points.<br /><br />In the latter part of the opener, Meralco caught up with Ginebra through the gallant efforts of its secondary unit and Best Import Allen Durham. After the first 12 minutes, game was tied at 21-all.<br /><br />As if Japeth Aguilar was not enough for Ginebra against the undersized big men of Meralco. Adding Greg Slaughter in the front court could mean overkill. Surprisingly, it was the other way around, the Bolts even took the lead in the early phase of the second. Ginebra however regained the lead. But at least Meralco was able to keep it close.<br /><br />Prior to this series, Meralco sanctioned Kelly Nabong with indefinite suspension due to conduct detrimental to the team that gave them the height disadvantage over Ginebra. Worse came to worst, Ranidel De Ocampo sustained an undisclosed injury in the first period that left the center spot open for Reynel Hugnatan and Brian Faundo. <br /><br />Despite missing couple of big men and enduring the presence of Aguilar-Slaughter combo, the Bolts still managed to keep the game tight after the first half. 47-46 in favor of Barangay Ginebra. Allen Durham led all scorers with 15 while the “Twin Towers” had 9 apiece.<br /><br />Barangay stiffened its defense that paved way for good transition offense and forced Coach Norman Black to burn a quick timeout couple of minutes after the 3rd quarter started.<br /><br />During game 2, Ginebra got away with the lead when PBA legend, Robert Jaworski showed up in the venue. Coincidentally, the Big J appeared on the 3rd period of this game and Barangay all of a sudden pumped-up its score. Could Meralco be in deep and serious trouble with this?<br /><br />Ginebra could’ve dominated the penultimate quarter but it hit the foul limit too early that gave an opportunity to Meralco to get closer until it gave the lead to the Bolts 66-64 entering to the final canto.<br /><br />Ginebra surprised Meralco at the start of the fourth with a back-to-back treys from Joe Devance and Justin Brownlee. And just like that, the momentum abruptly shifted back to Barangay.<br /><br />Allen Durham single-handedly took over the scoring chores for Meralco Bolts and successfully levelled the score 77-all under 5 minutes of the ball game while his counterpart took a short rest from the sidelines.<br /><br />Together with Durham, back-up center Reynel Hugnatan erupted from the rainbow territory for the lead. Meralco savored a 6-point, 83-77 lead with 3:31 left in the game clock.<br /><br />With 90 ticks remaining, Meralco posted a double-digit advantage courtesy of “magic bunot” Reynel Hugnatan and Allen Durham. Durham not only showed finesse offensively but displayed a handful of defensive stops as well against Greg Slaughter and Justin Brownlee.<br /><br />With a 94-81 lead, the Bolts held on the ball until the final buzzer sounded. The Best Import, Allen Durham posted monster numbers with 38 points, 20 rebounds and 5 blocks.<br /><br /><center><div class="video-wrapper"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b2MMCWM3Cb4" width="100%"></iframe></div></center><br />Game 4 will be on Friday, October 20 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.<br /><br /><b>-- Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

PBA Finals: Meralco avoids sweep, takes Game 3 against Ginebra

MANILA, Philippines - Meralco Bolts dodged a fatal bullet and avoided a sweep as they posted their first PBA Finals series win against Gineb...

PBA Finals: Ginebra makes it two-in-a-row; Slaughter wins BPC

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Dejavu in the making. Allen Durham won his 2nd Best Import award but lost to Ginebra anew, 86-76 in Game 2 of the 2017 PBA Governors' Cup Finals on Sunday, October 15, 2017 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_lWmuLz7TKQY_-wEHWBKJeNvbhtXldroKUpDzOg9fK_XLlZt1RYK3MEzu1Pl-R7Y7OsuSlPRfvAhgsVTu2SWqRsTCkLndf7paFyc25rAXvtv9dpxSTFckOuQDkiEsi9mtlMR12MQHRJu/s1600/slaughter-bpc.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ginebra makes it two-in-a-row; Slaughter wins BPC" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_lWmuLz7TKQY_-wEHWBKJeNvbhtXldroKUpDzOg9fK_XLlZt1RYK3MEzu1Pl-R7Y7OsuSlPRfvAhgsVTu2SWqRsTCkLndf7paFyc25rAXvtv9dpxSTFckOuQDkiEsi9mtlMR12MQHRJu/s1600/slaughter-bpc.jpg" title="Ginebra makes it two-in-a-row; Slaughter wins BPC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg Slaughter won Best Player of the Conference Award while Allen Durham bagged the Best Import Award for the second straight time. Photo Credit: Philstar</td></tr></tbody></table>Prior to the tip off, the Conference’s individual awardees were presented to the humongous Araneta Coliseum crowd. Barangay Ginebra’s Greg Slaughter was crowned as the Best Player of the Conference while Allen Durham won his 2nd straight Best Import of the Conference Award. Backtracking to 2016, Durham bagged his 1st Bobby Parks Sr. Award but it didn’t go well for him and the Bolts as they lost to Ginebra, 4 games to 2.<br /><br />Ginebra’s impeccable speed on the floor became Meralco’s waterloo in Game 1. To counter it, Coach Norman Black forced his gang to run the court and tried to beat Barangay with its own game. Early in the first, the run and gun strategy paid off for the Bolts. But lo and behold, Scottie Thompson came to the rescue with his rebounding and putback prowess that made the game tight.<br /><br />Ginebra was too prompt to match up Meralco’s agility and intensity and so, Coach Norman Black unveiled his backup game plan: good ball distribution. Meralco took a 9-point, 17-8 advantage due to unselfish basketball of its players: finding the right and open man for the sure basket. With the run, Coach Tim Cone called for a ceasefire to ice the hot shooting Bolts.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />Greg Slaughter came off the bench and helped his team caught up with Meralco. On the other hand, Ranidel De Ocampo checked in as well to at least add size to the Bolts and put body on “Gregzilla” in the middle. <br /><br />After the first 12 minutes, Meralco had the 24-18 advantage over Ginebra.<br /><br />Both squads started the 2nd quarter without their respective imports. Meralco became a little bit of careless on the floor while Ginebra led by veteran Mark Caguioa began to attack and trim down the lead.<br /><br />During the Ginebra onslaught, PBA legend and basketball icon Robert Jaworski Sr. entered the venue to support his team. His presence helped boost the morale of Barangay Ginebra and took the lead from Meralco, 28-27 with 7 more minutes remaining in the half.<br /><br />Old but never forgotten. Despite the limited minutes, veterans Mark Caguioa and Sol Mercado made most of their time on the court. Caguioa alone posted 6 markers that initiated the Ginebra comeback.<br /><br />It was all Ginebra locals who were giving Coach Black a headache. Justin Brownlee only had 7 points but in spite of his slow start, Barangay Ginebra still managed to post a 3-point, 40-37 lead after the 1st half.<br /><br />Meralco slightly recovered at the start of the 2nd half. Allen Durham led the way as his team regained the lead, 41-40. Durham, the back-to-back Best Import had already recorded 16 points with over 21 minutes remaining in the game.<br /><br />After being scoreless for almost 5 minutes, Ginebra finally made a basket through a loose ball converted to a slam dunk from Japeth Aguilar followed by a monster swat. Ranidel De Ocampo however, pulled the trigger from the corner three as an answer to fellow Gilas Pilipinas cager.<br /><br />Aside from Allen Durham, another notable Bolt was Ranidel De Ocampo. RDO was a perfect aid for Durham in guarding Ginebra’s Joe Devance and Japeth Aguilar while the Meralco import took care of Slaughter. De Ocampo jotted down a dozen boards with one more period to go.<br /><br />Justin Brownlee who was almost a sleeper in this game, tied the game at 57 apiece with just a minute to go in the penultimate quarter. But Allen Durham sank 2 charities to retake the lead and Garvo Lanete ended the quarter with a trey. 62-57 in favor of Meralco.<br /><br />LA Tenorio and Sol Mercado combined efforts to level the scores at 62 as the final quarter unfolded.<br /><br />Meralco relied heavily on its transition offense that resulted to another 6-point lead and cost Coach Tim Cone another timeout. <br /><br />Coach Cone realized that his team was outrebounded by the smaller Meralco Bolts in entire game so he decided to field in his twin towers to take care of the boards and kick them out to the open man which became effective and tied the game anew, 75-all under 4 minutes of the game.<br /><br />LA Tenorio and Scottie Thompson added 2 points each to widen Ginebra’s lead to 4, 79-75 with 1:44 remaining in the game clock. <br /><br />Justin Brownlee located the wide-opened LA Tenorio for a seamless three pointer for a 6-point lead. The biggest margin that Ginebra recorded in this game. Tenorio made 2 bonus foul shots to make it 8 under a minute which sealed game number 2 in favor of his team.<br /><br />Led by 10 points, 86-76, Sol Mercado melted the clock as Ginebra heads to game number 3 with 2-0 series lead.<br /><br />Game 3 will be on Wednesday, October 18, 7pm at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.<br /><br /><b>--Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

PBA Finals: Ginebra makes it two-in-a-row; Slaughter wins BPC

MANILA, Philippines - Dejavu in the making. Allen Durham won his 2nd Best Import award but lost to Ginebra anew, 86-76 in Game 2 of the 2017...

LIVESTREAM: Ginebra vs Meralco Game 2 PBA Finals 2017

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines – The defending champion Barangay Ginebra is looking for a 2-0 advantage while the Meralco Bolts will attempt to tie the series in Game 2 of the 2017 PBA Governors' Cup Finals today, October 15 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrTj3G9wOZqFO8Pj9nVT8xXxzxaHgssZIaksonuar6ZS8vSelQnHiU8rVdyZJ8YxUYi8MAlsku60T6DJZOulXGo5FhAePsaxMmpv7BVNP59x2Hg8sramQ1NKKi4FopozlJq4U-sYKj5jv/s1600/pba-game-2-rdo.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LIVESTREAM: Ginebra vs Meralco Game 2 PBA Finals 2017" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="1222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrTj3G9wOZqFO8Pj9nVT8xXxzxaHgssZIaksonuar6ZS8vSelQnHiU8rVdyZJ8YxUYi8MAlsku60T6DJZOulXGo5FhAePsaxMmpv7BVNP59x2Hg8sramQ1NKKi4FopozlJq4U-sYKj5jv/s1600/pba-game-2-rdo.jpg" title="LIVESTREAM: Ginebra vs Meralco Game 2 PBA Finals 2017" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg Slaughter was indeed the x-factor for Ginebra in its 102-87 Game 1 romp of Meralco. Photo Credit: pba.ph</td></tr></tbody></table>Game time is set at 6:30 p.m.<br /><br />After Ginebra's dominance in the first game, 102 - 87, Coach Tim Cone wants his team to prepare for the best version of the opponent.<br /><br /><b>RELATED STORY</b><br /><a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2017/10/ginebra-vs-meralco-pba-finals-governors-cup-2017-livestream-schedule-results.html" rel="nofollow">Ginebra vs Meralco PBA Finals Governors' Cup 2017: livestream, schedule, results</a><br /><br />"You take everything after Game 1 with a grain of salt. This is not representative of anything as the series goes on," Cone said in a report shared on PBA website.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />"We played a very solid if unspectacular Game 1, but we know we caught Meralco on a cold shooting night," Cone added.<br /><br />Justin Brownlee topped all protagonists with 32 markers, 19 boards and 6 dimes on their first game. His peak offensive form and a lot of big bodies proved to be a winning formula for Barangay Ginebra.<br /><br /><b>Watch the Game 2 of 2017 PBA Governors' Cup Finals (best-of-seven series) on livestream </b><i>(video courtesy of sports.tv5.ph/live): </i><br /><br /><center><div class="video-wrapper"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k4y-DhOvgpM" width="100%"></iframe></div></center><br />Meanwhile, here are the live updates courtesy of PBA:<br /><br /><center><a class="twitter-timeline" data-height="800" href="https://twitter.com/pbaconnect?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tweets by pbaconnect</a> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br />Tell us your thoughts and predictions below!</div>

LIVESTREAM: Ginebra vs Meralco Game 2 PBA Finals 2017

MANILA, Philippines – The defending champion Barangay Ginebra is looking for a 2-0 advantage while the Meralco Bolts will attempt to tie the...

PBA Finals: Ginebra draws first blood, overpowers Meralco 102 - 87

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - For Meralco Bolts, Friday the 13th is really a bad luck as they lost Game 1 of the 2017 Governors’ Cup Finals to the defending champions Barangay Ginebra, 102 - 87 at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City on October 13.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9_-j6eJVwzC28k5_0p4lzF3tmV9QirT38EEHesXt3VWstTQQoievMJZbkAZEy7HQ5dzc_sh28Tj3CQF41gSubgSEINzNE7KUR41rAQjT5S3L8oJOxuaEQuYXcsXDY-T1MxdyZH6bc7qx/s1600/brownlee+vs+durham.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Justin Brownlee Ginebra" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9_-j6eJVwzC28k5_0p4lzF3tmV9QirT38EEHesXt3VWstTQQoievMJZbkAZEy7HQ5dzc_sh28Tj3CQF41gSubgSEINzNE7KUR41rAQjT5S3L8oJOxuaEQuYXcsXDY-T1MxdyZH6bc7qx/s1600/brownlee+vs+durham.jpg" title="Justin Brownlee Ginebra" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Justin Brownlee leads with 32 points, 19 rebounds and 6 assists to seal game 1. Photo Credit: Inquirer.net</td></tr></tbody></table>It was a year ago since Ginebra and Meralco squared off at the 2016 Governors’ Cup finals where Barangay ended its title drought after 8 long years. Tonight, same squads opened the new chapter of their rivalry book. The question now is, will “love be sweeter the second time around” for Ginebra or will it be “revenge is sweeter” for Meralco?<br /><b><br /></b> <b>RELATED STORY</b><br /><a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2017/10/ginebra-vs-meralco-pba-finals-governors-cup-2017-livestream-schedule-results.html" rel="nofollow">Ginebra vs Meralco PBA Finals Governors' Cup 2017: livestream, schedule, results</a><br /><br />Very rare that PBA goes out of town during the championship games. But for the opener, Lucena City hosted Ginebra and Meralco. In terms of crowd support, Ginebra has this humongous advantage.<br /><br />Truly, the Gilas Pilipinas stint helped Baser Amer in terms of skills and basketball IQ and it manifested right after the couple of international tournaments where he played a major role together with the rest of the cadets. The Meralco guard, didn’t mind the Ginebra crowd but rather, silenced the Barangay in the early phase of the game while Ginebra bigs Japeth Aguilar and Joe Devance provided the spark for their team.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />Height is might and speed kills. This was the story of the 1st quarter where Barangay dominated the Bolts. The towering presence of Greg Slaughter and the agility of Justin Brownlee placed Ginebra 11 points ahead of Meralco, 29 - 18 after the first 12 minutes of the game.<br /><br />The height discrepancy obviously hurt Meralco. The absence of Kelly Nabong due to suspension made it harder for the Bolts to contain the “Gregzilla” especially in 2nd chance opportunities. Allen Durham who originally plays the 3 and 4 position was forced to move to the center to defend the middle ground against Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar.<br /><br />As the 2nd quarter buzzer sounded, Meralco Bolts found themselves downed by 14 points, 49 - 35. Both imports led all scorers. Justin Brownlee had 13 while his counterpart, Allen Durham banked 10.<br /><br />Meralco started the 2nd half hot with Durham and Amer’s back-to-back baskets that forced Coach Tim Cone to call a halt with less than a minute gone by. LA Tenorio however, was too quick to retaliate as he stepped on the gas pedal for 4 points.<br /><br />Midway of the third, Allen Durham slowed down from scoring. Good thing, Meralco locals stepped-up and managed to cut the Ginebra lead to just a single digit. Cliff Hodge and Garvo Lanete led the offensive assault for the Bolts.<br /><br />Allen Durham came back to life at the 2-minute mark of the quarter with an alley-oop two-handed jam from Mike Tolomia and brought the margin down to 6.<br /><br />Mike Tolomia rang the bell from the outside and one after getting clipped by Sol Mercado. With the rare 4-point play, Meralco chipped the lead to just 4 but Greg Slaughter made a dunk and brought their advantage back to 6, 77-71 heading onto the final canto.<br /><br />Meralco’s offensive onslaught in the penultimate quarter was promptly stopped by Ginebra at the start of the fourth. Barangay added 5 more points to increase its lead to 11 with 10 more minutes in the game.<br /><br />Despite Ginebra’s hefty advantage, the players kept their pace quick that left the Bolts flat-footed. Barangay’s lead ballooned to 18 with 4 more minutes remaining in the game clock.<br /><br />Coach Tim Cone showed mercy on Coach Norman Black by pulling out his gunners and sent his 3rd stringers to the floor. The final horn echoed in the Quezon Convention Center and Ginebra officially took game number 1, 102-87 with Justin Brownlee topping all protagonists with 32 markers, 19 boards and 6 dimes.<br /><br />Game 2 will be on Sunday, October 15 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum at 6:30pm to be aired live on ESPN 5.<br /><br /><b>-- Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express</b></div>

PBA Finals: Ginebra draws first blood, overpowers Meralco 102 - 87

MANILA, Philippines - For Meralco Bolts, Friday the 13th is really a bad luck as they lost Game 1 of the 2017 Governors’ Cup Finals to the d...

San Miguel hampers Alaska's PBA Finals sweep, wins Game 4 in OT

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines  - The Alaska Aces were not able to sweep defending champions San Miguel Beermen on the crucial Game 4 of the 2016 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday, January 24 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8wNTsgBa3cUMDKk5VT6k8ocK7q3o9rfA4p1XAAzlMX3jw1odSND6DNgi_bQkO2W52VTl9Lvt38AbE7uGwVBbQKWY3KMXIY0igh8qGQubTg3PS-c2O8CgWbyJQuDIGcFiV0NGLg2LHP1I/s1600/Alaska-vs-san-miguel.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="San Miguel hampers Alaska's PBA Finals sweep" border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8wNTsgBa3cUMDKk5VT6k8ocK7q3o9rfA4p1XAAzlMX3jw1odSND6DNgi_bQkO2W52VTl9Lvt38AbE7uGwVBbQKWY3KMXIY0igh8qGQubTg3PS-c2O8CgWbyJQuDIGcFiV0NGLg2LHP1I/s640/Alaska-vs-san-miguel.jpg" title="San Miguel hampers Alaska's PBA Finals sweep" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: PBA Media Bureau</td></tr></tbody></table>San Miguel Beermen managed to pull off a stunning comeback, 110-104, to extend the series, 3-1 in the best-of-7 and now looking to become the first team in PBA history to come back from a 0-3 series deficit.<br /><br />San Miguel is still playing without the reigning back-to-back PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo, who received the Best Player of the Conference award prior to the game. <br /><br />Chris Ross was hailed as game's best player, scoring a near triple-double of 11 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists. Marcio Lassiter scored 26 points, Gabby Espinas had 21 points and 14 rebounds.<br /><br />Alaska’s Cyrus Baguio forced an extra period after a clutch three-pointer at the buzzer and the Aces again took the upper hand after Vic Manuel opened it with back-to-back baskets, 102-98.<br /><br /><center><iframe frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://vine.co/v/iiKXzg03w0q/embed/simple" width="480"></iframe><script src="https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js"></script></center><br />Game 5 of PBA Finals series is set on Wednesday, January 27.</div>

San Miguel hampers Alaska's PBA Finals sweep, wins Game 4 in OT

MANILA, Philippines - The Alaska Aces were not able to sweep defending champions San Miguel Beermen on the crucial Game 4 of the 2016 PBA P...

SPORTS COMMENTARY: Super Import seeks for local aid

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines – “I’m not exactly sure why Orlando Johnson is not in the NBA. He’s good.” These are the words that Alaska Head Coach Alex Compton uttered after their win against the crowd favorite Brgy. Ginebra Gin Kings in commendation to the prolific reinforcement’s 50-point effort.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4nu7QiS7eoap6t89gzt8XR0hSq7hlW9ljRAb2L3wrDcnq4siNtylnVLbQWi4Azy9o7Qke9IWCvs4i0xQHS9gAplS_vxLxBC6Uoc9NGAH39XvQi8EEMbp9vpbOezS82XQCeetymiB8zF-/s1600/Orlando-johnson.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Orlando Johnson posterizes Kevin Ighalo" border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4nu7QiS7eoap6t89gzt8XR0hSq7hlW9ljRAb2L3wrDcnq4siNtylnVLbQWi4Azy9o7Qke9IWCvs4i0xQHS9gAplS_vxLxBC6Uoc9NGAH39XvQi8EEMbp9vpbOezS82XQCeetymiB8zF-/s640/Orlando-johnson.jpg" title="Orlando Johnson posterizes Kevin Ighalo" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orlando Johnson posterizes Kevin Ighalo | Credit: Arvin Lim/ABS-CBN</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The 26 year old, 6’5” Johnson was drafted 36th overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2012 but was immediately shipped to the Indiana Pacers where he averaged 3.7 PPG. He was waived by the Pacers in 2014 and had a chance to play for the team who drafted him for a 10-day contract period. He signed a 1-year deal with Spanish team Laboral Kutxa Vitoria but was also released after six games.<br /><br />After 2014 - 2015 NBA D-League season with Austin Spurs, Orlando Johnson inked with Brgy. Ginebra Gin Kings as their Governor’s Cup reinforcement along with Asian import Sanchir Tungalag from Mongolia.<br /><br />All eyes were on Johnson during the start of the conference. Nobody knew how the new “Kabarangay” plays on the hard court unlike come backing imports like Marcus Douthit, Steven Thomas, Arizona Reid just to name a few who are capable of giving their respective teams wins.<br /><br />Lots of pressure on Johnson even before the conference started, with Gins’ Twin Towers: Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter in sick bay plus their wing man Chris Ellis who is also out for the entire conference due to a right ankle injury. Gins’ newly appointed Head Coach Frankie Lim is relying heavily on his imports especially on the American shooting guard.<br /><br />Orlando Johnson showcased his talents during their first game against the Alaska Aces and exploded for a very rare 50 humongous points. Despite of his explosion, Gins fell short. After his 50-point game, basketball aficionados still doubted Johnson. <br /><br />I can call it a fluke. Or, just a pure luck. But it was his first game. PBA imports usually do not score much during their first two games at least due to: cohesion issues with new teammates; warm weather and; most of the time, jet lags. But this guy, made himself a marked-man with 50 unbelievable points as if playing with his new team for quite so long.<br /><br />I wasn’t a believer. I don’t easily give in with just a single game output. “I’ll give this guy couple of games more. If he scores big again, then I’ll believe.” I told myself.<br /><br />May 10, 2015. Ginebra’s second game against the newly crowned Commissioner’s Cup Champions, Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters. Orlando Johnson scored big time once again, this time, just two shots short compared to his first game record: 46 points of Gins’ 91 point loss against the heavy weight. Still a very good contribution but needs lots of support from his local counterparts.<br /><br />Three days after his almost 50-point game performance, the Gin Kings finally nailed their first win of the conference against the lower ranked team, Coach Manny Pacquiao’s Kia Sorento, 105-98. Johnson improved his previous score with 47 and another almost 50-point game for the young shooting guard. <br /><br />Johnson hit his lowest output of only 30 points and his team’s third loss against Marcus Douthit and Blackwater Elite, 83-77 yesterday, May 16 at Dipolog Sports Complex.<br /><br />Was his 30 points bad? No, not at all. It was an excellent performance from Johnson. Ginebra locals just need to step-up and help their import in scoring to improve their record.<br /><br />There is no doubt, this young man has all the tools and skills to take his team farther. He is really explosive. He can score anytime he wants in all sides of the floor. He can shoot from down town. He can slash and drive. He has hang time. He’s shifty. I can compare him to a healthy Derrick Rose in fact. <br /><br />Many say he’s a ball hog that’s why he gets big points. Yes he is! Because that’s what he signed-up for. That’s what an import should do, to score, get rebounds, to score and to score. Ball hogging should not be an issue considering the conference is too short and in case of ties on the standings, there will be no playoffs, everything will be based on quotient system. The team who scored more advances.<br /><br />Orlando Johnson is doing his very best to help his team out. What’s missing is support from the locals. Too bad that Ginebra is currently being plagued by injuries. They are just missing the services of their key players. Imagine if Ginebra has a healthy line-up. Their import will be totally fearless in taking shots, minding that his big men are all on standby for the boards and can give him ample space under the rim.<br /><br />If Ginebra continue to lose, will they replace Johnson? I don’t see Coach Frankie replacing him. The conference is short and he can’t afford to lose a prolific import who has now adjusted well with his game plays and teammates. <br /><br />What else can Coach Lim do to win? Push his locals. That’s it. If he can threat his players to get traded, the better. Just like what San Miguel Beermen Coach Leo Austria did to his team. Because of the trade threats to SMB players, they are now on the winning streak with 2-2 record. They just blew Globalport Batang Pier out, 124-102 as of press time. For SMB locals, they stepped-up. Marcio Lassiter who was rumored to be shipped to Gin Kings after Coach Austria’s trade threat scored 26 points along with AZ Reid’s 41 for the very convincing win.<br /><br />Who knows? If Coach Lim trade-threats his players, they might improve their standings drastically.   <b><i>- D' Waterboy, TheSummitExpress</i></b></div>

SPORTS COMMENTARY: Super Import seeks for local aid

MANILA, Philippines – “I’m not exactly sure why Orlando Johnson is not in the NBA. He’s good.” These are the words that Alaska Head Coach Al...

TNT wins historic Double-OT to claim PBA Commissioner’s Cup title

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines – For the second straight conference, the PBA finals went into a do-or-die and a historic double overtime game seven match as Talk ‘N Text overthrew Rain Or Shine, 121-119 on Wednesday April 29 at the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum, in Cubao Quezon City.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQ0FL98pbrSkD2e4MO_gtz7f3o7B5ppDx-cURBiAOO-h3GbH3yTTC33gXGwOInnqbA7x32wSCKE3hdnomdyIlYJ6vNuKfMFLANLbumLEqTsdxQdIOiMCP_tIqMfHepNj_k1s18Xma2GSy/s1600/TNT.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="TNT made history in double OT win agaist ROS for the Title" border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQ0FL98pbrSkD2e4MO_gtz7f3o7B5ppDx-cURBiAOO-h3GbH3yTTC33gXGwOInnqbA7x32wSCKE3hdnomdyIlYJ6vNuKfMFLANLbumLEqTsdxQdIOiMCP_tIqMfHepNj_k1s18Xma2GSy/s1600/TNT.jpg" title="TNT made history in double OT win agaist ROS for the Title" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TNT made history in double OT win against ROS for the Title | Credit: Nuki Sabio</td></tr></tbody></table><br />As expected, this series got too physical on and off the court. Even wives of players from both squads got involved into a verbal scuffle. PBA fans were anticipating an “all-out war” and “no more tomorrow” game seven.<br /><br />In less than 30 seconds after the opening tip-off, Coach Jong Uichico’s boys engaged in an early 3-point shootout courtesy of Ranidel De Ocampo, Ivan Johnson and Jayson Castro. <br /><br />The Tropang Texters relied heavily on their outside and inside shootings to pose a 15-5 lead that prompted Coach Yeng Guiao to call for his first time out of the ball game at the 9:14 mark of the opening period.<br /><br />Larry Fonacier and Jay Washington joined the scoring party with their own rainbow arc shots.<br /><br />Paul Lee fired his own two three-pointers to catch-up with the surging Texters. But every time ROS scored, TNT fired back and maintained its comfortable lead in the entire first quarter, 29-21.<br /><br />Both crews adjusted their respective gameplays in the beginning of second quarter. Super tight defense was strictly enforced by both Head Coaches which limited the players to do the scoring in the foul lines.<br /><br />A fight almost erupted between Ranidel De Ocampo and Wayne Chism, when the Texter Forward intentionally extended his elbow on the Painters’ import during a fast break. De Ocampo was only charged with a regular foul that dismayed Coach Yeng Guiao who was consistently calling out the referees for a fair and square officiating since the playoffs started.<br /><br />Shootout continued after the two-minute warning between Ivan Johnson, Paul Lee and Ryan Arana. Rain Or Shine, however, missed the services of its top gunner Jeff Chan who remained quiet on the bench due to his foot injury. The Texters headed to dugout after 24 minutes of very intense basketball with an 8-point, 50-42 lead.<br /><br />Larry Fonacier rang the bell early in the third period and brought back his team’s double digit lead. But Jireh Ibanes immediately retaliated with a back-to-back baskets to stop the Texters’ momentum.<br /><br />Ranidel De Ocampo was feeling hot in the rainbow territory and sank two three-pointers and followed by another trey from the Best Player of the Conference, Jayson Castro. <br />Ivan Johnson who had an off-night last game, tallied his 20th point midway in the penultimate quarter and dropped 30 in total. <br /><br />Aside from Jeff Chan, another player spent most of his game time on the bench due to another foot injury. Talk ‘N Text Rookie, Kevin Alas was forced to sit down after spending few minutes on the floor because of his hurting left foot which he sustained during game six.<br /><br />Paul Lee was doing his best in all sides of the floor with a hand from Christ Tiu to trim down the lead to just 7 points, 76-79 entering to the final 12 minutes of the do-or-die duel.<br /><br />Wayne Chism who was quiet in the first three quarters, sensed that he had to step on the gas pedal in order to bring the trophy home. Chism single-handedly carried his team on his should in the final quarter and successfully cut the lead to just 4 points.<br /><br />The game was obviously very physical as expected. But most of the contacts were unseen by the game officials but were clearly caught on camera just like Ranidel De Ocampo’s short jab to Jonathan Uyloan’s stomach that sent the “Super Sub” down on the floor.<br /><br />Raining threes.<br /><br />Chris Tiu hit a big trey on the 4:30 mark of the fourth and trimmed down the lead to just a half-shot. Jayson Castro immediately fired back with two three pointers and Paul Lee did the same thing. Wayne Chism bagged his first three pointer of the game in less than a minute after the three-point barrage of both squads. The Texters had a total of 20 threes while the Painters had 18 for an epic game seven shootout.<br /><br />Fans were on their feet after the final two-minute warning was called with the Texters up by 5 points. But all of a sudden, Wayne Chism drained a cold-blooded trey to cut the lead once again to just 2 points, 96-94 with just a minute remaining in the fourth canto.<br /><br />Ivan Johnson hit the deck hard off the rebound against his fellow import with 39 seconds left in the ball game. The game was stopped momentarily due to Johnson’s bloodied right elbow which he sustained from the hard fall. Johnson was given two foul shots and made only one for a nail-biting 3-point lead, 97-94 with 31 seconds more to be played in the fourth.<br /><br />Wayne Chism tied the ball game 97 all with a dagger three. Coach Jong Uichico immediately called a team re-assembly to talk things over and set-up a final play.<br /><br />Texters’ final play was to maximize and kill the time. Jayson Castro took his team’s last shot but missed and Chism secured the board and called a time out for the final push. Rain Or Shine inbounded the ball with 1.6 seconds left. Chris Tiu went for a catch and shoot but failed to make the buzzer beater.<br /><br />48 minutes is not enough.<br /><br />The series extended for another 5 minutes of basketball. Talk ‘N Text won the opening tip-off but it was Rain Or Shine who scored first in the overtime and grabbed its first game seven lead. <br /><br />Ivan Johnson sank a two-pointer for the equalizer and Harvey Carey banked a shot to regain the lead, 101-99. Jericho Cruz found the open Wayne Chism on the right corner and hit another big time three followed by two foul shots due to a hack for 104-101 ROS lead. Ivan Johnson made a step back three-pointer in front of Jericho Cruz’s outstretched arms for the third dead-lock of the ball game.   <br /><br />Coach Guiao called a time out with 19 seconds remaining and once again, score was tied at 106 all.<br /><br />Paul Lee took the last shot in the middle but missed it and left Talk ‘N Text with 1.6 seconds for their own version of catch and shoot. Jayson Castro took a contested shot but also missed.<br /><br />Double Overtime.<br /><br />De Ocampo hit the first basket of the second overtime followed by a solid back-to-back treys for his 34th point of the ball game and his new career high. Ivan Johnson hit his two charities for a 118-113 lead with 24 seconds remaining. <br /><br />Jayson Castro gave his team a two-possession advantage by splitting his free throws 119-115. Paul Lee hit a quick three pointer for his 38th marker of the ball game to slash the lead to just 1 point. Larry Fonacier sank two foul shots for a 3-point lead. Castro fouled Paul Lee to eliminate the possibility of a 3-point shot and a tie. Lee, however, only made one of his two free throws and officially made the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters as the 2015 Commissioner’s Cup Champions.<br /><br />With his 34 big points and excellent performance in the entire series, Ranidel De Ocampo was awarded as the Finals MVP.<br /><br /><b>Score:</b><br /><br /><b>TNT</b> 121 – De Ocampo 34, Johnson 30, Castro 24, Fonacier 12, Washington 10, Carey 9, Ganuelas-Rosser 2, Williams 0, Alas 0, Miller 0<br /><br /><b>ROS</b> 119 – Lee 38, Chism 34, Tiu 10, Ibanes 8, Uyloan 8, Norwood 6, Arana 5, Cruz 4,  Quinahan 4, Belga 2, Chan 0<br /><br /><b><i>- D' Waterboy, TheSummitExpress</i></b></div>

TNT wins historic Double-OT to claim PBA Commissioner’s Cup title

MANILA, Philippines – For the second straight conference, the PBA finals went into a do-or-die and a historic double overtime game seven mat...

Talk 'N Text is 2015 Commissioner’s Cup champion, earns 7th PBA crown

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters earned its seventh PBA championship title as it won versus Rain or Shine, 121-119, in double overtime round of Game 7 of the 40th PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship series on Wednesday night, April 29 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jbnImiCwhWJHbp7EmLg9dkBIBSV6MhyphenhyphenaJx26C_SjYeixr-YqjjNtHjRhnpxRDj4FooUqQqFxnt6fEkzNIr4jbWTq4IvG1YsWm68WU3LGDap1_njsG-ZvXazYk7UObeHkS0mPTSv2P0io/s1600/PBA-FINALS-tnt-ros-game7.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Talk 'N Text is 2015 Commissioner’s Cup champion, earns 7th PBA crown" border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jbnImiCwhWJHbp7EmLg9dkBIBSV6MhyphenhyphenaJx26C_SjYeixr-YqjjNtHjRhnpxRDj4FooUqQqFxnt6fEkzNIr4jbWTq4IvG1YsWm68WU3LGDap1_njsG-ZvXazYk7UObeHkS0mPTSv2P0io/s1600/PBA-FINALS-tnt-ros-game7.jpg" title="Talk 'N Text is 2015 Commissioner’s Cup champion, earns 7th PBA crown" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br />The intensity between two squads hit its peak - Rain or Shine hoping for its second title in franchise history and Talk ‘N Text looking to end a championship drought.<br /><br />Tropang Texters finally brought home their second commissioner’s cup crown and their seventh crown since joining the league in 1990. Their first commissioner’s cup title was in 2011 with head coach Chot Reyes.<br /><br />Ranidel De Ocampo was named best player with 34 points (career-high).<br /><br />As the game is nearly on finish line, Castro of Tropang Texter misses jumper prolonging the match but Chism of Elasto Painter gets rebound and calls Rain or Shine timeout. The game tied at 97-all in the fourth quarter with 0.5-second remaining.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Rain Or Shine got first lead of the game during the overtime as Jericho Cruz scores fastbreak layup, 99-97.<br /><br />The final game entered double overtime with 106-106 scores.<br /><br />Throughout the run of the finals, Tropang Texters took the series opener, but the Painters bounced back in the next two games for a 2-1 lead. Talk ‘N Text seized the series advantage by taking Games 4 and 5. Rain or Shine, however, forced a do-or-die by claiming Game 6.</div></div>

Talk 'N Text is 2015 Commissioner’s Cup champion, earns 7th PBA crown

MANILA, Philippines - Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters earned its seventh PBA championship title as it won versus Rain or Shine, 121-119, in...

Rain or Shine forces PBA Finals Game 7 vs Talk 'N Text

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Rain or Shine and Talk 'N Text are going to a Game 7!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rpiIDAk8K63FNFPC9NG-vNiecyCE5qg4mVmKhKuXI1qqNTnXRawfttb9xsS0jq_FjGDArwcSnzj543-KgE5wxdGHF52Orpv91FKytkG13eKmrqsOyeH6scFm8LH0s_XFXCm9ewv5irAN/s1600/pba-game6-tnt-ros.png" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="PBA Finals Game 6 score" border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rpiIDAk8K63FNFPC9NG-vNiecyCE5qg4mVmKhKuXI1qqNTnXRawfttb9xsS0jq_FjGDArwcSnzj543-KgE5wxdGHF52Orpv91FKytkG13eKmrqsOyeH6scFm8LH0s_XFXCm9ewv5irAN/s1600/pba-game6-tnt-ros.png" title="PBA Finals Game 6 score" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br />The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters forced a sudden death Game 7 after winning the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals Game 6 versus Talk 'N Text, 101-93 on Sunday, April 26, 2015 at the Smart Araneta Coliesum.<br /><br />Raymond Almazan was named best player with 18 points and 10 rebounds. <br /><br />Jeff Chan, who missed the last two games because of an injury came in and finished with 11 points.<br /><br />Paul Lee, who was the recipient of several hard fouls throughout the game contributed 16 points and a team-high five assists.<br /><br />ROS and TNT will play the awaited Game 7 on Wednesday, April 29. PBA head of statistics Fidel Mangonon III said it will be the 24th Game 7 in PBA finals history.</div>

Rain or Shine forces PBA Finals Game 7 vs Talk 'N Text

MANILA, Philippines - Rain or Shine and Talk 'N Text are going to a Game 7! The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters forced a sudden death Game...

San Miguel Beer wins 1st PBA Philippine Cup crown in 14 years

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - The San Miguel Beermen won the PBA Philippine Cup championship crown against Alaska Aces, 80-78 in the do-or-die Game 7 match on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-fw_DKnc2SeLWf-5tasmAON8cciwTaS79teSdE1fqzOSAoR8BNBzFgLNGu0Q9OaY4R3n_uTWKjZQ3KX4Cr1jT4fVbX2EgYxEcJwKi-qMdLgobTkXWyQUzsLRXfze6qRlih8cBvReuZ8a/s1600/PBA-FINALS-2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="San Miguel Beer wins 1st PBA Philippine Cup crown in 14 years" border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-fw_DKnc2SeLWf-5tasmAON8cciwTaS79teSdE1fqzOSAoR8BNBzFgLNGu0Q9OaY4R3n_uTWKjZQ3KX4Cr1jT4fVbX2EgYxEcJwKi-qMdLgobTkXWyQUzsLRXfze6qRlih8cBvReuZ8a/s1600/PBA-FINALS-2015.png" title="San Miguel Beer wins 1st PBA Philippine Cup crown in 14 years" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br />The Beermen achieved elusive 20th title and first Philippine Cup crown in 14 years. It's the first PBA title under SMB coach Leo Austria.<br /><br />PBA named Arwind Santos as this season's best player for having 22 pounts, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks.<br /><br /><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Arwind Santos is Philippine Cup Finals MVP! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PBAfinals?src=hash">#PBAfinals</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pba2015?src=hash">#pba2015</a> <a href="http://t.co/HgQKT7gyg6">pic.twitter.com/HgQKT7gyg6</a><br />— PBAonTV5 (@PBAonTV5) <a href="https://twitter.com/PBAonTV5/status/557903088137142273">January 21, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br />The athletic forward was also the Finals MVP in San Miguel's last title in the 2011 Governors' Cup, then as the Petron Blaze Boosters.<br /><br />Santos together with June Mar Fajardo lead heroic efforts to claim the PBA title. The duo combined for 27 points in the first two quarters to bury the Aces in a 21-point hole at the half.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD33JbvsUu_4Ks_oF-RfTAgfm32Urgl3Xj6NPi4lPxuAm3jnhMcQuhMl6HajCn4PMTyO6sBjGm2ed-wFnjtZ-KE-P7v0lYak99seo4jk1NKrEIAOPbNrPcd5crUuOhznzCuFeCPoeAIm30/s1600/pba-wins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="San Miguel Beer takes home the Philippine Cup" border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD33JbvsUu_4Ks_oF-RfTAgfm32Urgl3Xj6NPi4lPxuAm3jnhMcQuhMl6HajCn4PMTyO6sBjGm2ed-wFnjtZ-KE-P7v0lYak99seo4jk1NKrEIAOPbNrPcd5crUuOhznzCuFeCPoeAIm30/s1600/pba-wins.jpg" title="San Miguel Beer takes home the Philippine Cup" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Miguel Beer takes home the Philippine Cup title</td></tr></tbody></table>Alaska trailed by as much as 23 points in the first half but came all the way back to lead by six points in the fourth quarter. It was San Miguel showing their heart in the end, though, as they made the big plays that eventually decided the series.</div>

San Miguel Beer wins 1st PBA Philippine Cup crown in 14 years

MANILA, Philippines - The San Miguel Beermen won the PBA Philippine Cup championship crown against Alaska Aces, 80-78 in the do-or-die Game ...