Source: ABS-CBN News
-- The Alaska Aces have appointed Luigi Trillo as interim head coach of their ball club after Joel Banal decided to step aside over the weekend.
In a statement, the Alaska organization said Banal decided to step aside "to give the Alaska Aces management an opportunity to explore coaching alternatives."
"The goal of the Alaska franchise is to be in the semi(finals) of every conference, and we did not meet that goal in the past two conferences," Banal said in the team statement. "I wanted to give management the chance to look at options."
"Joel's selflessness to offer us options is extremely magnanimous on his part," Alaska team owner Fred Uytengsu said.
Uytengsu thanked Banal, who filled in as head coach of the Aces after longtime Alaska coach Tim Cone decided to leave the team.
"Joel stepped in at our request with very short notice and worked hard to continue Alaska's success. Unfortunately, it did not go the way we had wanted," Uytengsu said.
Uytengsu said Jojo Lastimosa was also considered for the head coaching position, but they decided to go with Trillo because of his coaching experience in the Philippine Basketball League and the PBA Developmental League.
"I'd like to thank Mr. Uytengsu and the Alaska organization for entrusting me with this position. Alaska has a winning tradition and we look forward to the challenges ahead. We can't wait to get started," Trillo said.
The Aces stumbled out of the gates in the PBA Philippine Cup, finishing in 9th place. They made the quarterfinals in the Commissioner's Cup, but were swept by the Barako Bull Energy in the opening round of the playoffs.
Alaska was also missing key players, including team captain Tony dela Cruz, Brandon Cablay and Wesley Gonzales, who were all out due to injuries.
This will be the first time that a father-son tandem will manage and coach a team in the PBA, as Joaqui Trillo remains the Alaska team manager.
Uytengsu said Joaqui Trillo inhibited in the final decision because of conflict of interest, being Luigi Trillo's father.
"Given that we are two-thirds through the season, we felt it made more sense to appoint an interim head coach, and then decide on a longer-term solution after the end of the season," Joaqui Trillo said.
The Aces also announced that they will bring back Jason Forte as their import for the third conference.
Forte brought the Aces to a tie for the second spot in Finals of the Governor's Cup in 2011, but lost out due to the quotient system.
Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - Quarterfinals top seed Barangay Ginebra simply re-asserted its mastery over Rain or Shine, fashioning out a 100-91 win to move in the threshold of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four at the Araneta Coliseum last night.
With a steady shooting and a good defense on Hassan Adams, the Kings foiled the Elasto Painters anew, making it 4-0 in their head-to-head duels in the season and 8-1 dating back to the 2009-2010 campaign.
Nate Brumfield, Mark Caguioa and Ronald Tubid poured in at least 18 points each as Ginebra repeated its 95-90 conquest of RoS in the elimination round and, thus, moved a win shy of a best-of-five semifinal showdown with Smart Gilas.
Limiting Adams to a personal tournament-low of 12 points was also a key factor as the Kings pressed their bid in the short best-of-three series.
“We tried to limit him the best way we can. Nothing technical; just best effort, and it helped that he had a bad night,” said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.
“Ronald Tubid shooting well made the game easier for us. We got the first win but it’s just one win. Game Two is like the start of the series because Rain or Shine didn’t have enough time to prepare for tonight’s game,” Uichico also said.
Well rested, the Kings made good use of this advantage, stepping on the gas early before standing their ground on the Elasto Painters’ repeated comeback bids.
Behind a 16-4 closing run, Ginebra took the half at 50-34.
The Kings then sustained the momentum in their return from the halftime huddle, ripping the game wide open at 58-38 on an 8-4 opening tear in the third quarter capped by a Mike Cortez triple.
Ginebra took control early as the Kings dominated the boards, 29-22, and hit 46.5 percent of their shots compared to the Elasto Painters’ 35.7-percent shooting in the opening half.
The Kings converted 50 percent of their three-point tries with Tubid accounting for four of the team’s six conversions.
Tubid ended up with 18 points with 12 fueling their second-quarter breakaway.
Brumfield led all scorers with 24 points that went with five rebounds, four assists and one steal against one error in 37 minutes of play.
Mark Caguioa had significant contribution on an off-the-bench role, piling up 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
With Adams shackled down by the Ginebra defense, Larry Rodriguez and Gabe Norwood tried to carry the fight for the Elasto Painters, combining for 38 points.
LA Tenorio went 3-of-3 from the three-point area in the last two minutes and Sonny Thoss made the winning tip-in with four-tenths of a second left as Alaska Milk nipped Air21, 91-89, in Game One of their own best-of-three quarters showdown.
“Obviously, it’s not over till it’s over, but I would rather be 1-0 up than 0-1 down,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.
Scores:
AIR21 92—Bangura 25, Hontiveros 18, Arboleda 17, Seigle 9, Urbiztondo 6, Sharma 6, Reyes 5, Najorda 2, Avenido 2, Pena 2, Juntilla 0, Artadi 0.
ALASKA 83—Williams 27, Tenorio 12, Thoss 8, Baguio 8, Custodio 7, Eman 7, Dela Cruz 6, De Vance 4, Bugia 4, Borboran 0, Cablay 0.
Quarters: 23-21, 42-39, 77-61, 92-83
Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - Rain or Shine simply outplayed an all-Filipino Alaska Milk side, pulling off a 113-97 win that boosted its playoff hopes in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum last night.
The Elasto Painters pounded the Aces minus import LD Williams and hacked out a key win that resulted to the eventual elimination of the Meralco Bolts B-Boys (2-6) and the Powerade Tigers (2-6).
With San Miguel Beer also out, Rain or Shine, Alaska Milk, Barangay Ginebra, B-MEG Derby Ace and Air21 were the teams left to dispute the four slots in the quarterfinals.
The Aces moved out of contention for an outright semifinals seat with their crucial loss to the Elasto Painters. They slid to joint third with the Kings at 5-3.
Hassan Adams led all scorers with 22 points while Beau Belga came through with a double-double game with 20 points and 10 rebounds as Rain or Shine checked its four-game skid and improved its win-loss record to 4-4.
“I’m not too sure what this win means to us. But I’m sure it gives us better chance to make the next round. When we make the next round, we don’t care what place we’re in. We’ll be ready to play whoever is matched up with us,” said RoS coach Yeng Guiao.
“This is a big break for us after four losses. We needed this to boost our confidence,” Guiao added.
Gabe Norwood, Jeff Chan, Doug Kramer and Jervy Cruz also stepped up in the contest helping the Elasto Painters beat the Aces with relative ease.
“We actually expected a hard game even with Alaska playing minus its import. Our worry was that they would hang around until end game,” said Guiao. “We tried to avoid that. Their cohesion and experience would be hard to beat. So we tried to put some distance as early as we can.”
Actually, the Aces even took control at the start, beginning the contest with a 13-7 run.
The Elasto Painters, however, got their act together towards the end of the first quarter and dominated the Aces the rest of the way.
Curiously, Rain or Shine put the game away with Adams resting on the bench in the fourth quarter.
Relievers Ronjay Buenafe, Josh Vanlandingham, Kramer and Jervy Cruz did the job, enabling RoS to break away for good at 102-82.
The Elasto Painters enjoyed their biggest spread a 103-82 as Adams knocked in a free throw upon his return to the floor in the last four minutes.
The Aces had a hard time filling in the void left by Williams who average 21.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists an outing.
He served a one-game suspension incurred for a flagrant infraction on Macmac Cardona in their last game.
Minus Williams, Joe Devance and Tony dela Cruz led the Aces with 19 and 17 points, respectively. The two also combined for 20 rebounds.
First game: Rain or Shine 98 def. Barako Bull 86
Box Scores:
Rain or Shine (98) – Mercado 21, Reyes 20, Chan 11, Rodriguez 10, Norwood 8, Arana 8, Tang 6, Cruz 5, Vanlandingham 3, Kramer 2, Bugia 2, Ferriols 2, Jazul 0, Ibanes 0
Barako Bull (86) – Isip 29, Juntilla 15, Bono 10, Hubalde 9, Salvacion 5, Wainwright 5, Yee, 5, Andaya 3, Cruz 2, Dimaunahan 2, Duncil 1, Thiele 0, Alonzo 0
Quarter Scores: 25-16, 53-35, 79-62, 98-86
Second game: Talk ‘N Text 93 def. Alaska 83
Box Scores:
Talk ‘N Text (93) - Castro 17, Alapag 16, Dillinger 13, Carvey 12, Williams 11, Peek 10, Fonacier 8, Reyes 6, Aban 0, Alvarez 0
Alaska (83) – Devance 23, Hugnatan 13, Thoss 12, Tenorio 11, Baguio 10, Dela Cruz 8, Custodio 4, Borboran 2, Eman 0
Quarter Scores: 28-25, 44-46, 68-70, 93-83
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Eric Menk of the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings is the latest cager to be named the Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week after contributing greatly to his squad’s recent back-to-back victories.
According to PBA.ph, the 35-year-old Menk averaged 16 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in Ginebra’s wins over Barako Energy Coffee Masters and Sta. Lucia Realtors, making him the Player of the Week for the period of May 10 to 16.
The stats showed a marked improvement from the 2004-2005 Most Valuable Player, who averaged 7.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in Ginebra’s first 8 games in the Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference.
“The other guys were looking for me and luckily my shots went in,” Menk told PBA.ph.
Ginebra coach Jong Uichico commended his veteran player, calling him their “steady guy inside.”
“He has been working extra hard to be in the best shape possible and is so focused on his game,” added Uichico.
The Gin Kings, with 6 wins and 4 losses, will go against the Alaska Aces on Saturday in Cebu City.
Source: Nelson BeltranPhilippine Star
-- Cyrus Baguio made a big impact in his first game as an Alaska Milk player, fueling the team’s comeback from 15 points down as the Aces withstood the Barangay Ginebra Kings, 86-81, at the resumption of the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum last night.
Baguio took charge at the finish, stealing the thunder from Willie Miller as Alaska made it five in a row versus Ginebra dating back to their Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinals showdown swept by the Aces.
Baguio and the Aces stunned the Kings with a huge closing run, overcoming a poor first half in notching a third straight win following a 0-2 win-loss start in the season-ending tourney.
“We’re totally out of whack in the beginning. Mark Caguioa was going crazy and we couldn’t stop him. Then Cyrus turned things around for us,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone on Baguio’s heroics.
“Willie (Miller) would certainly have his moments and Ginebra would love him, but tonight’s Cyrus’ night,” Cone added.
“I didn’t expect it. I was kind of gun shy in the beginning. Good thing, I got my game going in the end and I was able to help my new team win the game,” said Baguio.
San Miguel Beer, making key adjustments and coming up fresh from the All-Star break, clobbered Rain or Shine, 105-97, in the first game,
The Beermen pummeled the Elasto Painters in the first three quarters and simply went through the motion at the finish as they firmed up their hold of the lead with a 6-1 card.
Coach Siot Tanquingcen and his troops stretched their streak to five games while dealing the Elasto Painters their third loss in six starts.
Meanwhile, second-running Talk n Text also seeks a fifth straight victory as the Texters play the Air21 Express and new import Reggie Larry in a rare Saturday double-header at the Astrodome tonight.
Coca-Cola and Sta. Lucia Realty mix it up in the 4 p.m. curtain-raiser of the weekend bill serving as part of the PBA Phoenix Fuel on Tour.
“The break worked to our advantage. We’re a bit banged up before the break. We’re able to rest our players and at the same time worked on several things,” said Tanquingcen.
Source: GMA News
-- Tim Cone’s success as Alaska coach is anchored behind the Aces’ vaunted Triangle Offense, a strategy that helped the squad in building a Philippine Basketball Association dynasty in the 1990s.
Cone and Alaska are like any other sweet couple that stood the test of time.
But will the multi-titled coach and the Aces keep their 20-year-old affair after Alaska suffered a 4-0 beating against the Purefoods TJ Giants in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup?
For Cone, the setback could only mean one thing – his tenure as Alaska coach isn’t anymore secured.
"There’s no excuse for the setback. Either we lose by one point or by 20 points. The bottom line there is that you still lost games. And in an organization like ours, there’s no guarantee in terms of security once you performed that way. What more when you got swept in the finals?," Cone told GMANews.TV.
Owner of 12 league championships – all from Alaska – and architect of the franchise’s only grandslam feat in 1996, Cone got swept in the finals for the first time in his career by Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.
In fact, in three head-to-head duels with Gregorio, the veteran mentor lost all of them against his youthful counterpart.
Cone, the longest tenured mentor in the PBA and winnigest bench tactician among active coaches, also had his ups and downs in the 20 years of coaching Alaska.
"I swept a team and was swept as well. I fought in short series and seven-game series and won and lost quite a number of them. In 20 years of coaching you will experience a lot of those," he added.
Cone’s contract is set to expire this July. He admitted that his fate as Alaska coach remains uncertain, especially after the team was swept in the finals.
So what does the future hold for Cone? For the American mentor, coaching is still his ultimate priority.
"I love coaching and I would love to coach any team," added Cone, who is second in the all-time list for most number of championships behind his idol, the legendary Virgilio “Baby" Dalupan.
"But if Alaska would want me to be there, then I would stay. Alaska has been my home in the PBA and the leaders in the organization are my mentors."
Alaska team manager and PBA board governor Joaqui Trillo said in a text message that “he sees no problem with Alaska dealing with Cone on a possible contract renewal."
Whether he would be offered to continue coaching the Aces, be given a new position with Alaska or find himself going into another team remains to be seen. Cone is now setting his sights for the PBA Fiesta Conference where teams will parade imports 6-foot-6 and below.
"We’re all excited in the coming conference. We’re looking forward to have Sam (Eman) playing for us and see what impact he can bring while seeing action along with Sonny Thoss," said Cone.
Source: Waylon Galvez, Manila Bulletin
-- Purefoods ace gunner James Yap won his MVP award five years ago but it was only in this conference that he bagged his first-ever Best Player of the Conference (BPC) – a testament to his status as one of the league’s certified stars.
Interestingly, Yap beat two-time MVP winner and Alaska’s top gunner Willie Miller for the BPC award of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup during the awarding ceremony last night at the Araneta Coliseum.
The 28-year-old Yap, now in his sixth season in the pro league, actually finished only eighth after the semifinals stage with 27.6 statistical points, an improvement from 12th place at the end of classification phase.
“Siyempre masaya, first time ko ito manalo ng Best Player after six years ko sa PBA,” Yap said. “Sobrang blessed ako, dahil na din sa tulong ng mga teammates ko, coaches and also the management.”
Yap, no doubt one of the most popular players in the PBA today, also credited the support of his family, as well as the family of actress wife Kris Aquino, particularly the late President Cory Aquino, who he mentioned as his “No. 1 supporter”.
After norming only 15.8 points in the eliminations, Yap managed to raise his game in the quarterfinals that saw him average 21.4 points per contest as Purefoods eliminated Rain or Shine in a grueling five-game series.
After winning the BPC award, Yap has become a strong candidate for this year’s MVP award.
In the semifinals, he tormented San Miguel Beer by averaging 16.3 points per game as the Giants booted out the Beermen to clinch their 22nd Finals stint, 14th in an all-Filipino conference.
In Game 1 of the finals which the Giants won, 81-77, Yap scored 24 points with four rebounds then followed it up with a 32-point explosion, including 12 in the fourth quarter, in an 86-85 victory in Game 2.
In Game 3, he again led the Giants in scoring with 14 as they edged the Aces, 79-78, to move a win away from clinching the title.
Miller, a former two-time MVP and the reigning BPC (Philippine Cup), finished second in the voting, which ended last Monday conducted by the PBA Press Corps, TV carrier Solar Sports Entertainment, the PBA Commissioner’s Office, the players and coaches.
Others in the Top 10 were San Miguel Beer’s Arwind Santos, Alaska teammates Joe Devance and LA Tenorio, Talk ’N Text’s Mark Cardona and Harvey Carey, Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood, and Ginebra’s Ronald Tubid.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Purefoods captured the KFC PBA Philippine Cup All-Filipino title as it beat Alaska in 4 games to become the 3rd team in the league's history to win the crown via clean sweep.
The Giants outpointed the Aces, 86-76, in Game 4 of their best-of-7 championship series before a jampacked Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday night.
Just like the first 3 games, Purefoods paced Alaska with its superior defense.
In the 35-year history of the league, only 2 other teams have completed a 4-game sweep in a championship series, according to PBA.ph.
The RP Team, mentored by Ron Jacobs and carrying the colors of Northern Consolidated Cement, first accomplished the feat as guest squad by beating Manila Beer in the 1985 Reinforced Conference Finals.
The Swift Mighty Meaties, powered by import Tony Harris and coached by Yeng Guiao, duplicated the feat against Seven-Up in the Finals of the 1992 Third Conference.
In Game 1, the Giants outpaced the Aces, 81-77. They followed it up with 2 straight wins in Games 2 and 3, scoring 86-85 and 79-78, respectively.
Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star
-- No team has ever swept the PBA All-Filipino finals. But with the feat within reach, expect Purefoods to go for it.
“We are upbeat about our chances in Game Four. We expect a determined Alaska team to come out firing on all cylinders and we must equal if not surpass their effort,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.
The Giants take on the embattled Alaska Milk Aces in Game Four of the KFC PBA Philippine Cup titular showdown tonight, looking to become the first ball club in league history to score a 4-0 sweep in the all-Filipino finals.
Gametime is 7:30 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum with the Giants also out to distinguish themselves the first team to win the prestigious tourney five times after the Crispa Redmanizers in the early years of the league.
The Best Player of the Conference will be named before the opening tip-off, and it could well be Purefoods top gun James Yap.
The Giants intend to step up their game to complete their mission of ending the team’s three-year title drought.
“It has been a defensive match-up. We will set the tone on defense. In the first three games, we’re able to disrupt the rhythm of their triangle offense. We intend to do the same in Game Four,” Gregorio added.
Alaska isn’t losing hope, though, despite being in a hole no team in league history has ever recovered from.
“Our attitude is that they beat us three straight so there’s no reason we can’t beat them three straight as well. We believe,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.
The veteran Alaska mentor is confident they can still regain the impressive form they’ve shown in topping the elimination phase then sweeping past the Barangay Ginebra Kings in their best-of-seven semifinal showdown.
If not, the Aces would go down in history as a team swept in the finals after sweeping their way in the semis.
The Giants are raring to finish off the Aces, wary of fatigue since they’ve been playing without relief since the quarterfinals.
“The same intensity on defense and intelligence in our execution of offense are required if we’re to close out the series,” said Gregorio, on line to achieve a third personal championship.
Gregorio and his troops set out for today’s game riding the momentum of a six-game romp, the team’s longest streak since a 7-0 start in the 2007-08 Philippine Cup.
Purefoods is 3-0 in a best-of-seven series versus Alaska for the second time after posting the same advantage in their 1994 Commissioner’s Cup finals duel. The Hotdogs were stopped then in Game Four before eventually winning the series in the next game.
Alaska went down 0-3 the last time versus Gordon’s Gin in the 1997 Commissioner’s Cup finale. The Aces survived two knockout games before succumbing in Game Six.
Cone said they have to solve Purefoods’ defense if they’re to get another day to live.
Source: Waylon Galvez, Manila Bulletin
-- Will it be James Yap of Purefoods or Willie Miller of Alaska?
The former national team backcourt partners are again locked in a tight and exciting race for the Best Player of the Conference in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup, a development that is expected to add to their ongoing final series.
Interestingly, the coveted award will be given in Game 4 with the Giants going for a ‘dream sweep’ of their best-of-seven series.
Though Miller is ahead of Yap in the statistical points category, the Purefoods’ top gunner has provided leadership and consistent scoring for his team and is the big reason why the Giants are leading 3-0 in their series.
Yap has been doing great for the team since their classic quarterfinal duel with Rain or Shine where the former MVP averaged 21.4 points.
The 5-foot-11 Miller actually finished tied for third with Alaska teammate, forward Joe Devance, at the end of semifinals with similar 31.0 Statistical Points (SP).
Sta. Lucia’s Kelly Williams, the MVP two years ago, emerged the topnotcher with 40.6 followed by San Miguel’s Arwind Santos (35.4).
William’s bid, however, was scuttled when the Realtors lost to the Elasto Painters in the knockout wildcard.
The same thing befell on Santos as the Beermen, despite gaining outright semis berth, were beaten by the Giants in the Final Four.
The 6-foot-2 Yap, on the other hand, climbed steadily since their quarterfinal win over Rain or Shine.
From No. 12, Yap moved up to No. 8 with 27.6 SP.
In the first three games of the series, Yap averaged 23.3 points, which included a 32-point explosion in an 86-85 victory in Game 2, while Miller normed 18.3 points.
Miller, a two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP), is out to repeat his feat last year, and if successful, it will be his third BPC award.
Yap, on the other hand, is eyeing only his first trophy given to the top individual player every conference despite having won the MVP in 2005-06.
The two played together for the PBA-backed Powerade-Team Pilipinas in the previous FIBA-Asia Championship in Tianjin, China.
Others in the Top 10 were Talk ’N Text guard Mark Cardona (No. 5, 30.7), Alaska’s LA Tenorio (No. 6, 29.8), Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood (No. 7, 29.0),TNT’s Harvey Carey (No. 9, 27.5), and Ginebra’s Ronald Tubid (No. 10, 27.2).
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Purefoods Tender Juicy crawled back from 14 points down in the last 5:29 to stun Alaska, 86-85, in Game 2 of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup finals and take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 championship series Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
James Yap and Kerby Raymundo spearheaded the Giants’ uprising in the final 5 and 1/2 minutes to complete their miraculous win and move to two wins of claiming their 5th All-Filipino crown.
Yap had a season-high 32 points, 12 came in the fourth, while Raymundo had 6 of the team’s last 8 points in the last 1:21 including the game-winning free throw.
“We really fought hard to come back. We did not give up. We just kept on playing and got the chance to win in the end,” said Purefoods head coach Ryan Gregorio.
“We were so determined to win this game. We did not give up until the final buzzer,” he added.
With LA Tenorio and Brandon Cablay connecting their treys, Alaska zoomed to a 78-64 spread before the Giants staged the rally behind their two superstars.
Purefoods unloaded a 19-6 run capped by Raymundo’s two free throws on the final foul of Sonny Thoss to push the Giants within one, 83-84, 51.5 seconds left in the game.
Reynel Hugnatan turned the ball over in the next Aces possession and Yap gave Purefoods the lead with two free throws on Joe Devance’s foul, 85-84, 14.3 ticks remaining.
Devance knotted the score at 85-all on his split free throws, 5.6 seconds in the game clock before Raymundo was fouled by Devance in the next play, 1.7 seconds left.
Raymundo made the first and intentionally missed the second to deny Alaska a clear look for a last-second heave.
Aces head coach Tim Cone vehemently protested on the last call by referee Maui Maurillo on Devance and confronted the game officials after the final buzzer.
“Purefoods is sad tonight because they don’t want to win that way,” said Aces team manager Joaqui Trillo. “I think they don’t like that victory because it was given to them on a silver platter,” he added.
But for Gregorio, the referees were just consistent in the game.
“There was a contact and if you are batting for consistency, there should be a call because they’ve been calling that since the first quarter,” said Gregorio.
Rafi Reavis added 17 points and 7 rebounds for Purefoods in 41 minutes of action.
Tenorio led the Aces with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Devance and Willie Miller each had 12 for the Uytengsu franchis, which will try to avoid a 0-3 hole with a win on Sunday.
No team in the PBA history has able to erase that deficit and win the best-of-7 series.
“Definitely we are happy but there’s no reason to be satisfied,” said Gregorio.
Source: GMA News
-- Purefoods’ shock troopers delivered when needed most, carrying the Giants past the Alaska Aces, 81-77, to take the opener of their KFC-PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven Finals on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.
It was Purefoods' fourth straight win dating back from its semifinals series against the San Miguel Beermen. Alaska was coming off a week-long break after a 4-0 sweep of Barangay Ginebra in their own semis contest.
Rafi Reavies and KG Canaleta scored the Giants last seven points while Mark Pingris had a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds in Purefoods’ Game 1 win that was tightly-fought all the way to the final seconds.
With a 1-0 lead, Purefoods hopes to make it two-in-a-row when Game 2 is played Friday also at the Big Dome.
Reavies finished with only six points, but scored all of them in the stretch run, including back-to-back baskets that kept the Giants afloat, 78-74.
He then blocked Willie Miller’s shot at the other end, before scoring on a follow up off a Roger Yap miss as Purefoods stretched the lead to six with 35 seconds left.
Alaska threatened for the last time at 80-77 on a pressure-packed three-pointer by Miller on top of the key in the final 11 seconds, but Canaleta sealed the win with a split from the foul line.
James Yap paced Purefoods with 24 points while Kerby Raymundo added 15, although both have to sit out considerable minutes in the third period due to foul trouble.
The Aces got 23 points from Miller, but the two-time most valuable player struggled from the field on a 9-of-23 shooting.
Joe DeVance was the only other Alaska player to hit double figures with 10.
Alaska trailed by seven early in the final quarter, only to bounce back and tied the game on a by Reynel Hugnatan, 72-all, midway in the final quarter.
The opening half was a tightly-fought one as Alaska and Purefoods battled to a 36-all tie after two quarters, with Miller showing the way for the Aces with 11 points, and James Yap for the Giants with 12.
After 12 minutes of play, the Aces held a 19-14 edge and could have led even more had Tony dela Cruz’s follow up basket not came a second short after the first quarter buzzer sounded.
Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star
-- Purefoods is back in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup finals, ranged against a team – Alaska Milk – it has an old score to settle with.
The Giants arranged a third all-Filipino final showdown with the Aces as they completed an upset of the powerhouse San Miguel squad in their semifinal series with a stirring 87-78 win at the Araneta Coliseum last night.
For the third straight game, the Giants humbled the Beermen with a gutsy stand to win their best-of-seven series at 4-2.
Purefoods, thus, made the all-Filipino finals for the second time in three years and for the 12th time in franchise history, getting a crack at a fifth crown versus Alaska.
“It’s so nice to be back in the finals after a three-year dry spell. It’s like a rain after a long, long summer,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.
The top-seeded Alaska team and No. 3 Purefoods start their best-of-seven titular series with Game One Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Giants are out to sustain their searing playoff run, looking to avenge losses to the Aces in their two previous all-Filipino confrontations.
“This is really answered prayers. We were witnesses to a great miracle in this series. We all know how strong that team is and how good a coach they have,” said Gregorio of their conquest of the second-seeded San Miguel side.
“At the start of the playoffs, I told myself I would be happy reaching the semis. But my players wanted more. And we knew all along that it doesn’t take the best players to win, it’s the players who give their best and that’s what we have in this team,” Gregorio added.
“Beating San Miguel is like winning a championship. But that is not enough. We’ve got past the second-seeded team and we’re looking forward to also make it past the top seed. We hope we still have the legs to prevail,” Gregorio also said.
So impressive were the Giants in the last three games, they led the Beermen from start to finish in each of those contests.
And like in Games Four and Five, starters James Yap, Roger Yap, Marc Pingris, Rafi Reavis and Kerby Raymundo gave Purefoods a tremendous lift in dishing out splendid jobs.
Roger Yap and Pingris both churned out double-double numbers while James Yap, Reavis and Raymundo contributed double-digit outputs.
Roger Yap had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Pingris 15 points and 13 rebounds, James Yap 18 points, five rebounds and three assists, Reavis 12 points and eight rebounds, and Raymundo 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
The Purefoods starters badly outscored their SMB counterparts, 76-39.
The Giants erected a 20-point spread late in the first half and showed tremendous staying power, repelling repeated comeback attempts by the Beermen.
San Miguel failed to shake off Purefoods, unable to get a shot at back-to-back championships after its triumphant finish in the 2008-09 Fiesta Conference.
More efficient on both ends, the Giants raced to a 20-point lead at 48-28 before settling for a 48-32 spread at halftime.
Purefoods established control early while hitting at a 48.6-percent clip, 12 percent better than San Miguel’s shooting in the first 24 minutes of play.
The Giants also dominated the boards, 25-18, on tremendous hustles.
Arwind Santos sank two free throws and converted an undergoal stab to narrow their deficit to 16 at the half.
The Giants were holding a slim 26-23 lead when they launched a searing attack to pull away at 48-28.
Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star
-- Alaska Milk is back in the all-Filipino finals.
The Aces cut loose from a tight game in the homestretch and completed a masterful sweep of the Barangay Ginebra Kings in their KFC PBA Philippine best-of-seven semifinal showdown with a 102-95 win last night at the Araneta Coliseum.
Pointguard LA Tenorio presided over the Aces’ mighty finish that carried them to an eighth all-Filipino finale and 24th overall with a crack at a 13th championship.
“Wow! Who would have thought we could do this. To be here beating Ginebra four in a row is an incredible feat,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone of their sweet sweep.
“I don’t know where we came from. The guys lifted our game to a whole new level. From the beginning in Game One, the guys were fresh, hungry and sharp. And they didn’t lose anything along the way. It’s kind of unusual,” Cone also said.
“Ginebra played well tonight. They had the game they wanted to play. But we still had a better night,” Cone added.
Tenorio produced 20 points and 10 assists, Reynel Hugnatan put in 18 points and 10 rebounds and big men Sonny Thoss and Joe De Vance combined for 29 points and 12 rebounds as Alaska kept its mastery of Ginebra, essaying only the fourth 4-0 playoff sweep in league history.
So impressive were the Aces in the series they walloped the Kings by an average margin of 13.25 points.
“We just had a real unusual series. Just anybody I picked from the bench played very well,” said Cone.
The Kings engaged the Aces in a battle in Game Four but ran out of gas, slowing it down at the finish.
After the Kings tied for the last time at 85-all, Tenorio banged away a trey to spark a decisive eight-to-nothing run, getting the Aces ahead to stay.
Purefoods rebounded from a humbling defeat, whipping San Miguel Beer, 97-84, and forcing a 2-2 deadlock in the other semfinal game.
James Yap and Kerby Raymundo, the team’s main men, shared the load with their teammates, resulting in a better team performance and the crucial win watched by a crowd of over 12,000.
Roger Yap went a rebound shy of a triple-double effort with Marc Pingris and Rafi Reavis having their own double-double job as they gave the Giants a tremendous lift in springing back from a 76-88 loss in Game Three.
Yap produced 15 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, Pingris submitted 15 points and 11 rebounds while Reavis tallied 14 rebounds and 12 points in the game marred by the ouster of a San Miguel support staff on a technical infraction.
“I think this is the first time we hit the 20s in assist department. I told James and Kerby they have to share the ball. We have to get the other players involved on offense. Good thing they bought the idea,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.
“We’re not able to play our game. We allowed them to shoot 48 percent from the field and we’re also down in assists. Basically, that’s the story,” said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.
Imposing their game, the Giants led by as many as 21 points right in the first period before slowing down in the next two quarters then getting back into the groove in the final canto.
“It was a game of adjustments. They threw good defensive efforts but we had some antidotes and good thing they worked,” said Gregorio.
“We want to stay alive and we want to stay competing. When we regained control in the fourth, I practically begged (my players) ‘please don’t let them make a run again,’” Gregorio added.
The Beermen, behind Jonas Villanueva, Jay Washington and Arwind Santos, waged a searing rally in the final half, reducing a 22-point gap, 20-42, to three, 71-74, early in the fourth quarter.
The Giants, however, showed great composure, regaining control at 90-74, on a decisive roll led by Pingris and Roger Yap.
“It’s down to a best of three, and honestly I feel we have a legitimate crack with the way we’ve been playing and with the way we’ve been concentrating in trying to stop the team,” said Gregorio.
“But we need to give my players who play extensive minutes some rest again. At this point, it’s better to spend time in video room and talk about things that should be done. It’s unnecessary to practice on the court,” Gregorio added.
The Giants came out revitalized, sprinting to a 21-point spread at 29-8.
They then had several 22-point leads before settling for a 53-44 cushion at halftime.
San Miguel made it a more manageable deficit as Danny Ildefonso, Denok Miranda and Washington closed out the second period with five straight charities.
Source: GMA News
-- The Alaska Aces are back in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
The Aces limited Barangay Ginebra to just two points in a crucial four minute span on their way to pulling off a 102-95 win Wednesday to earn a return trip to the championship round of the All-Filipino conference.
LA Tenorio paced Alaska with 20 points and led a key scoring run that saw the Aces rattling off eight unanswered points in the homestretch of Game 4 at the Araneta Coliseum.
That scoring binge readily took the fight out of the embattled Kings as they got swept by the Aces in their best-of-seven semifinals series, 4-0.
Alaska, the second seeded team at the end of the eliminations, now await for their best-of-seven Finals opponent after Purefoods leveled their own semifinals duel with San Miguel at 2-2.
"I really don’t know what’s happening, but they (Aces) are really playing spectacular basketball," said Tim Cone in giving the ultimate praise for his squad.
The Aces are on their 24th finals appearance and are in a good position of winning the title that slipped out of their grip last year when it bungled a 2-0 lead in the finals to yield the series to Talk ‘N Text in seven games.
The Aces’ 4-0 win is also just the fourth time in league history that a team completed a sweep of a best-of-seven series.
Tenorio also had 10 assists, while Reynel Hugnatan had another solid performance with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The Kings gave the Aces some anxious moments until the final six minute mark when Billy Mamaril’s jumper just inside the foul line tied the game for the last time at 85-85.
Then coming off a time out, Tenorio hit a three-pointer, and after a Ginebra turn over, the wily 5-foot-10 guard initiated a fastbreak play which Joe Devance finished with a three-point play, putting the Aces in command, 91-85.
Hugnatan stretched the lead to eight with an inside stab, before Enrico Villanueva broke the Kings’ silence to make it 93-87.
But Tenorio scored three straight from the foul line, allowing the Aces to pull away for good, 96-87, with three minutes left.
"They came into the series looking tired," said Cone of the Kings, who went the full five games against the Tropang Texters in the quarterfinals after being down 0-2 in the best-of-five duel.
"In contrast, we’re coming off a rest so we just bring it on to the entire series."
JayJay Helterbrand finished with 20 points while Ronald Tubid and Villanueva tallied 15 each for the Kings, who once again missed the services of the injured Eric Menk.
