San Mig Coffee moved just a win away from clinching the PBA Philippine Cup title after taking a commanding 3-1 series lead against Rain or Shine in their best-of-7 finals duel.
The Mixers outlasted the E-Painters down the stretch for a 93-90 win in Game 4 on Friday.
Ian Sangalang led San Mig Coffee with 17 points on 8-of-12 field goal shooting. He also tallied 8 boards in 23 minutes.
Mark Barroca and James Yap added 17 points each for the Mixers' balanced attack versus Yeng Guiao's Elasto Painters.
The Mixers managed to survive even without their defensive ace, Marc Pingris, whose right eye got accidentally poked by JR Quinahan during the third quarter.
They also ruined Paul Lee's 28-point effort for Rain or Shine.
If San Mig wins the title, it will give Tim Cone a league-best 16th career championship as coach and break the record currently held by legendary coach Baby Dalupan.
As expected, it was a nip-and-tuck affair for both squads in the first 3 quarters. The Mixers, however, opened the fourth quarter with a 16-4 run that turned a 70-76 deficit to an 86-80 lead midway the period.
Lee rallied his team to bring Rain or Shine within 2 points, 88-90. But free throws from Barroca and Sangalang held off the E-Painters.
JR Quinahan finished with 11 points, while Beau Belga added 10.
Meanwhile, Petron Blaze's June Mar Fajardo was named as the Best Player of the Conference for towing his team to the Philippine Cup semis.
The 6'10" Booster bested teammate Arwind Santos, Barangay Ginebra's Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter, and GlobalPort's Jay Washington.
Box scores:
San Mig Coffee 93 - Barroca 17, Sangalang 17, Yap 17, Devance 12, Simon 12, Melton 7, Pingris 6, Mallari 3, Reavis 2, Gaco 0.
Rain or Shine 90 - Lee 28, Quinahan 11, Belga 10, Norwood 10, Cruz 8, Almazan 6, Chan 6, Tiu 4, Ibanes 4, Arana 3, Tang 0, Nuyles 0, Teng 0, Rodriguez 0.
Quarterscores: 26-27, 52-42, 70-76, 93-90
San Mig Coffee came back with a dominant Game 2 win against Rain or Shine to level the scores in their best-of-seven PBA Philippine Cup title series on Sunday.
The Mixers held down the Elasto Painters to just 24 points in the first two quarters before cruising their way to an 80-70 victory.
Marc Pingris led the way for San Mig Coffee with a double-double output of 11 points and 12 rebounds in 39 minutes of play. He rounded up his performance with four assists and two blocks.
But it was San Mig’s defense that broke Rain or Shine.
Among the Elasto Painters, only Jeff Chan managed to score in double digits with 18 points. Beau Belga, who scored 15 in Game 1, was limited to seven points, while Jervy Cruz was also held down to just eight.
The Mixers, on the other hand, had PJ Simon (15 points) Joe Devance (13 points), James Yap (13 points), Pingris and Ian Sangalang (10 points) all scoring in double digits.
“Our guys were surprisingly ready,” said coach Tim Cone in the PBA website. “I thought they might be a little bit tired after Game 1 but we came out strong.”
“We didn’t shoot that well in the first half, but we were defending well. We kept strong and kept our poise,” he added.
Rain or Shine managed to score only 29-for-78 from the field against San Mig Coffee’s brick wall defense.
Eager to make up for its heart-breaking Game 1 loss, San Mig hounded Rain or Shine’s shooters to gain a 20-13 advantage in the opening quarter.
With Chan and Paul Lee still having hard time buying baskets, the Mixers’ lead ballooned up to 13 points by the end of the first half.
With Rain or Shine’s scorers in check, San Mig Coffee never had any trouble pocketing its first win in the series.
The Mixers’ also avenged their 80-83 loss to the Elasto Painters in Game 1, which was ended via an impressive alley-oop between Gabe Norwood and Lee.
Box scores:
San Mig Coffee 80 - Simon 15, Devance 13, Yap 13, Pingris 11, Sangalang 10, Mallari 8, Barroca 4, Reavis 4, Melton 2, Gaco 0.
Rain or Shine 70 - Chan 18, Cruz 8, Norwood 8, Belga 7, Lee 7, Almazan 5, Teng 5, Quinahan 3, Nuyles 3, Tang 2, Ibanes 2, Rodriguez 2, Arana 0, Tiu 0.
Quarterscores: 20-13, 37-24, 58-48, 80-70
Paul Lee grabbed a crucial defensive rebound then converted a quick basket from an inbound in an endgame heroic, lifting Rain or Shine past San Mig Coffee, 83-80, in Game One of the PLDT MyDSL PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven finale at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday night.
San Mig Coffee actually had possession with time down to 22.5 seconds and the count tied at 80-80.
The Mixers played the clock, coach Tim Cone even calling a 30-second timeout in the last eight seconds to give instructions for a last-second shot. Alas, Mark Barroca attacked the basket too soon, leaving the Elasto Painters a chance to salvage the game with 1.6 seconds to go.
After running circle in an inbound play, Lee found himself open underneath the basket and in-bounder Gabe Norwood spotted the opening, executing a great play that gave the Elasto Painters the decisive 1-0 lead in the finals series.
“We got lucky in the end. We set up a play for Jeff Chan but it was Paul who got open. A big key was the good recognition of Gabe who threw the ball out to Paul,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.
“But it’s just the first game. This is the way the series will run its course – exciting games. This game could have gone either way,” Guiao also said.
Cone took responsibility for the loss, ruing the timeout he called in the last eight seconds.
“I should have let them run the play,” Cone said.
“I feel really horrible. That’s all on me. I feel bad because our guys worked so hard,” Cone added.
James Yap buried back-to-back baskets fresh from the bench as the Mixers, who trailed most of the way, seized an 80-78 lead with 34.7 ticks to go.
The Elasto Painters, however, tied the count 12 seconds later as Jervy Cruz grabbed a loose ball and made a semi-hook also coming off the bench.
Then came the winning moment that the Mixers let slip away.
“It’s really on me. And then coach Yeng made a brilliant play,” said Cone.
Cruz and Beau Belga topscored for the winning team with 15 points apiece while Lee finished with six points, counting three in the last 1.6 seconds.
After Lee’s quick basket from an inbound, San Mig called an excessive timeout in a bid to map out a play to force OT.
Lee canned in the charity for the final count as the Mixers couldn’t make a decent shot in the last .6 second.
San Mig Coffee played catch-up basketball from the opening tip before coming through with a 12-5 second-quarter closing run to pull even at 37-37 at the turn.
Ryan Araña put back his own miss then JR Quiñahan pumped in a top-of-the-key set shot as the E-Painters led by eight points in the first period at 20-12.
The E-Painters started strong with their starting unit of rookies Raymond Almazan, Jeric Teng, Belga, Lee and Norwood.
And curiously, Guiao had utilized all his 14 players in the first 16 minutes of the ball game.
The scores:
Rain or Shine 83 – Belga 15, Cruz 15, Chan 8, Norwood 8, Rodriguez 7, Araña 6, Lee 6, Tang 5, Teng 5, Almazan 4, Quiñahan 2, Nuyles 2, Tiu 0, Ibañes 0.
San Mig Coffee 80 – Devance 17, Pingris 13, Simon 13, Yap 12, Barroca 9, Melton 6, Mallari 4, Reavis 4, Sangalang 2, De Ocampo 0.
Quarterscores: 20-15, 37-37, 60-59, 83-80
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
San Mig Coffee banked on a strong first half to dominate Barangay Ginebra and complete a 110-87 Game 7 win in the semifinals of the PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday.
James Yap scored 24 of his 30 points in the first 2 quarters as the Mixers outpaced and outhustled the Gin Kings in front of a record 24,883 spectators at the Big Dome.
The victory enabled San Mig Coffee to arrange a titular match-up with early finalist Rain or Shine.
“Do-or-die, so kailangan talaga pag lumaro ka parang wala nang bukas,” said Yap in a post-game interview.
The two-time MVP, who was hampered by injuries in the eliminations, was a major factor in the semis.
It was his go ahead-jumper that saved the Mixers from the Gin Kings in Game 5. In Game 7, he rained successive triples in a 70% field-goal-shooting performance.
“Lagi kong inisiip kapag do-or-die ilabas mo na lahat ng nalalaman mo sa basketball mula nung bata ka,” said Yap, who also grabbed 6 rebounds. “Kailangan mong iprove ang sarili mo, na ‘hey, nandito pa rin kami.’”
Yap also got plenty of help from his teammates, particularly PJ Simon and Rafi Reavis.
Reavis did the most damage in the first quarter where he scored 12 of his 15 points. In the fourth quarter, it was Simon’s turn to terrorize Ginebra’s defenders for a total of 28 points.
San Mig Coffee raced to a 26-15 lead in the first quarter, until Jayjay Helterbrand stepped up to help Ginebra to slice the lead, 20-28.
Mark Caguioa started doing damage in the second canto when he partnered with Helterbrand in a run-and-gun game. “The Spark’s” jumper knotted the scores, 32-all, 8:30 minutes left in that period.
But the Gin Kings found themselves in serious trouble when Yap started nailing his triples. “Big Game James” pushed San Mig to a commanding 57-44 half time lead.
LA Tenorio and Billy Mamaril tried to rally Ginebra in the third. San Mig Coffee, however, held on to a 79-67 advantage going into the final quarter.
The Kings tried to get back in the fourth, but could not get nearer than 12. They appeared to have surrendered the fight when Mixers stretched the lead to 21 points before the final 2 minutes.
Mark Caguioa topscored for Ginebra with 23 points. His teammates, however, failed to provide additional scoring boost.
Tenorio had 16, while Chris Ellis was held to just 4.
Box scores:
San Mig Coffee 110 - Yap 30, Simon 28, Sangalang 15, Reavis 15, Pingris 8, Barroca 6, Mallari 6, Devance 2, Melton 0.
Ginebra 87 - Caguioa 23, Aguilar 17, Tenorio 16, Slaughter 12, Mamaril 6, Helterbrand 5, Ellis 4, Baracael 3, Reyes 1, Monfort 0, Urbiztondo 0.
Quarterscores: 28-20, 57-44, 79-67, 110-87
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
San Mig Coffee and Barangay will battle for all the marbles when they meet in Game 7 at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
No, they're not even fighting for the title, but their emotional match-up during their best-of-7 semifinal match-up seems worth a championship crown.
“It’s been a great series, a tough series with a lot of drama, and it seems only fitting that it should go to a Game Seven,” San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone said on the PBA website after seeing his boys engage Barangay Ginebra in a see-saw battle.
The Mixers claimed Games 1, 3, and 5, while the Gin Kings equalized in Games 2, 4 and 6. Almost all of their games ended via down-the-wire finishes.
But the momentum is at Ginebra’s side after its thrilling 94-91 win in Game 6.
“No doubt, Game 6 was a tough one for us to swallow. We felt we had it and then it was ripped away from us. Credit to Ginebra,” said Cone.
Although Barangay Ginebra expects San Mig to go all out in Game 7, coach Ato Agustin sees no need to make adjustments.
“Nakuha namin ang right formula the last time out. Walang pagbabago sa Game 7, pipilitin namin uling gawin ang mga tama naming ginawa sa Game 6,” he said.
The winner in Game 7 will face early finalist Rain or Shine in the finals.
Cone, however, said that winning Game 7 is just like winning the title itself.
“This is what we play for. As my daughter always reminds me, the best two words in sports: Game 7,” Cone said.
Agustin said the victory is for the Gin Kings to take.
“Nabigyan kami ng pagkakataon, sayang naman kung hindi namin kuhanin,” he said.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Barangay Ginebra completed another down-the-wire finish against San Mig Coffee as it carved out a 94-91 win to force a series-deciding Game 7 in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
Down 41-50 in the first half, the Gin Kings needed inspiration from former Ginebra coach Robert Jaworski to mount a huge fightback in the next two quarters.
Greg Slaughter unloaded 20 points, including a miracle jumper that kept Ginebra in finals contention.
The Kings were staring at a 3-point deficit when Slaughter completed a tough shot to pull Ginebra closer, 90-91, with barely a minute remaining.
A costly foul by James Yap allowed Mark Caguioa to push Ginebra ahead via free throws, 92-90.
Slaughter sank two more free throws and completed the job for a Game 6 win.
The victory enabled Ginebra to tie the best of 7 series, 3-all, keeping the hopes alive for a possible title encounter with early finalist Rain or Shine.
It also ruined the efforts of Marc Pingris and PJ Simon who were doing heavy damage against the Kings midway the fourth quarter.
Pingris, who finished with 20 points, looked unstoppable when he ignited a 6-2 run against Ginebra.
Simon also scored 5 straight points to push San Mig ahead, 91-88, with 1:24 minutes remaining.
It was at this point when Slaughter took over for Ginebra.
Caguioa finished the game with 21 points. LA Tenorio also made up for his miscue in Game 5 by scoring 16.
Box scores:
Ginebra 94 - Caguioa 21, Slaughter 20, Tenorio 16, Aguilar 13, Baracael 9, Helterbrand 5, Ellis 4, Reyes 4, Mamaril 2, Monfort 0, Urbiztondo 0.
San Mig Coffee 91 - Pingris 20, Simon 17, Barroca 14, Sangalang 12, Reavis 9, Yap 9, Melton 5, Devance 3, Mallari 2, De Ocampo 0.
Quarterscores: 22-24, 41-50, 73-74, 94-91
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
He ain't "Big Game James" for nothing.
With 13.4 seconds to go, James Yap buried the dagger triple that lifted San Mig Coffee past Barangay Ginebra, 79-76, in Game 5 of their PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series on Saturday.
The Gin Kings were up by a thread, 76-75, following Chris Ellis’ jumper when Mark Barroca made a quick pass to Yap.
Yap immediately went for the go ahead looper and connected the triple, beating Mac Baracael’s defense in front of more than 20,000 screaming fans at the Big Dome.
LA Tenorio tried to salvage the game for the Kings but the Mixers were quick on their feet and forced him to miss his layup.
San Mig’s Justin Melton split his free throws on the other end to peg the final scores at 79-76.
It was a nip and tuck affair for both squads in the first three quarters. San Mig Coffee then started to pull away when Barroca and Melton teamed up for a potent 9-0 run that had Ginebra trailing 57-66.
Japeth Aguilar later rallied the Gin Kings to bring Ginebra within one point. Yap responded with an easy layup, but Chris Ellis fired a triple that knotted the scores 72-all.
The scores remained tied 74-all with 52 ticks to go, when Marc Pingris split his charities to give the Mixers a 75-74 breather.
Ellis jumper pushed the Kings ahead, 76-75, before Yap nailed his game winner.
Yap finished the game with 10 points, while Barroca top scored the Mixers with 14 points, four assists and three steals.
Air Force Ellis had 20 for Ginebra, while JayR Reyes added 11.
The victory gave San Mig Coffee a 3-2 series lead against Barangay Ginebra in their best-of-seven showdown. The Mixers now only need one win to set up a title clash with Rain or Shine.
Rain or Shine defeated Petron on Friday to seal their semis series, 4-1, and clinch the first finals berth.
Box scores:
San Mig Coffee 79 – Barroca 14, Pingris 12, Simon 10, Reavis 10, Yap 10, Mallari 8, Devance 7, Sangalang 6, Melton 2.
Ginebra 76 – Ellis 20, Reyes 11, Aguilar 9, Slaughter 9, Tenorio 9, Caguioa 6, Baracael 5, Helterbrand 5, Mamaril 2, Monfort 0, Urbiztondo 0.
Quarterscores: 21-21, 46-44, 62-57, 79-76
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel evened their PLDT MyDSL 2014 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series against the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers with an 85-82 win that went down the wire, on Wednesday, at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum. Mac Baracael scored 20 points in 20 minutes after shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. LA Tenorio came up with 16 points, while 2013 top pick Greg Slaughter notched 11 points and 12 rebounds. The back-and-forth Manila Clasico series will last at least two more games with both sides knotted up at two wins apiece. San Mig Coffee feasted on Ginebra turnovers early in the fourth quarter, triggering a 20-2 rally to get up by four, 76-72. With time winding down, lucky plays swung the game in Ginebra's favor, forcing the Mixers to lean on a James Yap triple with 5.4 seconds left in the hopes of an overtime period. The shot missed, and Ginebra avoided falling into a 3-1 hole. "When they started pressuring us medyo maraming mistakes. But still the breaks were on our side, that's why we won the game," said Ginebra coach Ato Agustin. "We did a good job on our defense, we were able to control the tempo," he added. "Nag-stick parin sila sa gameplan namin." Ginebra prides itself as an up-and-down team, but on paper that wasn't the case. The Mixers led 26-18 in turnover points and 13-8 in fast break points. Though they were up 45-40 in rebounding, Ginebra scored only three more second-chance points than San Mig Coffee, 16-13. The Mixers used a 15-5 run in the first quarter, getting transition baskets from Joe Devance and hustle plays from Rafi Reavis, to lead 16-9 with four minutes to play. Ginebra finally broke through San Mig Coffee's defense though as Mac Baracael hit a triple with 3:24 to play. The bucket sparked a 12-4 counter for the Barangay, as JJ Helterbrand's turnover layup with five seconds left edged them ahead after the first frame, 21-20. In the second quarter, San Mig Coffee fielded a three-guard lineup that profited from creating turnovers against Ginebra. Alex Mallari hit back-to-back triples to kick off a rally, then consecutive transition hoops by Mark Barroca gave them a 34-28 advantage. However Ginebra eventually took control as they eased their starters back on the floor, and set a course straight for the hoop. The Barangay scored their last 18 points from the line or in the paint, and got a combined 12 markers from LA Tenorio and Greg Slaughter. The Mixers hung around by converting tough shots, including a long turnaround jumper from Devance as the half expired while his team trailed, 46-43. San Mig Coffee was on the losing end of a 13-6 fouls margin at halftime. Marc Pingris and James Yap had three personal fouls each for the Mixers, while Japeth Aguilar had two, and was the only Ginebra player with more than one. Ginebra ripped open a double-digit lead to start the second half. While they scored inside at will, Mac Baracael drained three triples to augment a 65-50 lead. Consecutive baskets from Yap and Pingris stopped the bleeding with three minutes to play, but the Mixers couldn't put together a run as Ginebra led 70-56 after three quarters. San Mig Coffee dug deep on defense in the fourth and forced Ginebra into several turnovers in a row. Yap and Justin Melton made Ginebra pay for their errors, combining for 13 in a 20-2 onslaught during the first six minutes, to seize a 76-72 lead. Ginebra lucked out when Emman Monfort banked in a triple, while Baracael drew an and-one in the post to bolster an 8-2 run. San Mig Coffee was equally unlucky as Devance fumbled two straight layups, and fell behind 80-79 after split charities from Yap. With 1:18 left, Aguilar cleaned up a Tenorio layup to put Ginebra up by three, forcing the Mixers to call timeout. Baracael though stole the ball, and called timeout before falling out of bounds. Tenorio then drew a pushing foul on the other end, and came away with a split, 83-79. Barroca tried to cut into the lead with a three-pointer but drew no iron, returning the ball to Ginebra with 47 seconds remaining. Ginebra milked the clock before Monfort missed a trey, while on the other end, Devance showed the second-year point guard how it was done, to make it a one-point game, 83-82. The Mixers took a while to foul before sending Tenorio to the line with 5.4 left, where he calmly sank two charities, 85-82. San Mig Coffee called their last timeout to set up Yap for a three, but his attempt went halfway in before curling out, preserving the win for Ginebra. Ginebra shot 32-of-74 (43.2 percent) from the field, while San Mig Coffee was 33-of-75 (44 percent). James Yap led his team with 20 points and five rebounds. Joe Devance added 13 points, while Mark Barroca had 10 points, five rebounds and seven assists. - AMD, GMA News The scores: Ginebra 85 - Baracael 20, Tenorio 16, Slaughter 11, Ellis 9, Aguilar 7, Caguioa 7, Helterbrand 5, Monfort 5, Reyes 3, Mamaril 2 San Mig Coffee 82 - Yap 20, Devance 13, Barroca 10, Melton 9, Pingris 7, Sangalang 7, Mallari 6, Simon 5, Reavis 5, De Ocampo 0 Quarter scoring: 21-20, 46-43, 70-56, 85-82 Source: gmanews.tv
Source: The Philippine Star
-- Denzel Bowles came out as the leading Best Import contender that he is, asserting his presence in their decisive surges in the early goings and at endgame as B-Meg repulsed Talk n Text, 88-82, in the opener of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals that drew a crowd of over 13,000 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.
Bowles imposed his huge presence to collect double-double numbers of 25 points and 11 rebounds, and struck hardest when it mattered most, giving the Llamados the decisive head start in the best-of-seven titular series.
The Llamados drew first blood as they outplayed the Tropang Texters in the first half and in the payoff quarter with PJ Simon providing Bowles a big support.
B-Meg, as a whole, imposed its will on Talk n Text in this game, dictating the tempo by playing good defense and controlling the boards.
“We showed our depth today. We went big (tall lineup) for a period of time helping us control the boards, and I think that’s the key,” said B-Meg coach Tim Cone.
Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes rued they gave away the game by failing to convert the charities.
“Just two words – free throws. You can’t win the game if you can’t make the foul shots,” said Reyes.
“These guys have been playing basketball since they’re in shorts pants. They should make the free throws. That’s their job. I can’t help them there,” added Reyes whose team bungled 20 of 36 charities in this contest.
Donnell Harvey matched Bowles' 25-point output but he missed four crucial charities. Kelly Williams had five missed free throws while Larry Fonacier and Jarred Dillinger three each.
Still, the Texters, who trailed by 14 points early on, got into the game in the second half only to lose just the same, hurt by the exploits of Bowles and Simon.
James Yap struggled with a 3-of-8 shooting facing the tight guarding of Ryan Reyes but the Llamados bucked the adversity with Bowles and Simon firing away eight points apiece in the fourth quarter.
“They wiped us out in the third quarter but PJ got back us in the game. He would have played the entire second half if not for fouls,” said Cone.
Cone said they have to do better if they’re to make it two in a row tomorrow.
“It’s not a good recipe to beat Talk n Text. Luckily we built a lead in the first half. We have to play basketball for four quarters, not just two or three,” said Cone.
Shooting and tending the boards better, the Llamados twice led by 14 before settling for a 48-40 cushion at halftime.
B-Meg erected its first 14-point spread at 28-14 after a 20-3 romp it made in a seven-minute stretch bridging the first two quarters.
The Llamados asserted themselves early, dominating the boards, 17-9, and converting a high 52.2 percent of their shots for a 25-14 lead in the opening canto.
Harvey was the lone bright light for Talk n Text early on, leading all scorers with 15 points in first half.
The Texters struggled with a 40-percent field shooting and, curiously, were worse from the stripe with a woeful 6-of-16 clip (37.5 percent). TnT was a 70.65-percent shooting team going into the series.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- The Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters and the B-Meg Llamados begin their best-of-seven PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals series tonight at the Araneta Coliseum in a match-up that is believed to be too close to call.
In what is their fifth straight Finals appearance, the Texters are looking to defend their Commissioner's Cup title against the Llamados, who are in the Finals for the first time since the 2009-2010 season.
Both coaches agree that each team will have its own distinct advantage over the other.
"B-Meg has the depth advantage," TNT head coach Chot Reyes told PBA.ph. "They are also fresher, as we're playing our fifth Finals in a row."
"They have the advantage in size, and we have the advantage in speed," he added.
"If they can play up-tempo, we may not have the chance," B-Meg mentor Tim Cone conceded. "But if we can slow them down, make the game ugly, then we have a chance."
Talk 'N Text is the second highest scoring team in the conference, scoring an average of 100.43 points per game, while B-meg is the best defensive team, giving up only 87.06 points per contest.
But Reyes insists that at the end of the day, the Finals will boil down to adjustments and execution.
"It will be close, and it will be about who's able to execute at the finish," he said. "The series will be won by the team that imposes its game and makes quick adjustments."
Cone, for his part, acknowledged that the Texters have the advantage in terms of experience but said his team is hungry for victory.
"The experience you gather, doing it over and over again, winning in every conceivable way makes your confidence extremely high," he said. "That's their edge. But I take that we're fresh and hungry, and we'll see how far that takes us."
In an interview with The Philippine Star, former Smart Gilas head coach Rajko Toroman said that while both teams have a chance to win, "experience is on Talk 'N Text's side."
"If they play their game, it's hard to beat Talk 'N Text. They will try to speed it up and use 10 players in their rotation. If they shoot well from three-point distance, it will be very difficult to beat them," Toroman said.
"With all of Talk' N Text's advantage, I think B-Meg has a chance but they must slow down the game... If B-Meg can execute its system offensively and defensively, anything can happen," he added.
"B-Meg has a lot of talent in their team and they match up well against Talk 'N Text."
Toroman said that Talk 'N Text has the advantage on the inside, while B-Meg has the advantage on the perimeter.
"It's a very close call," he admitted. "Both teams have great players in different positions and the coaches (Reyes and Cone) are two of the best in the PBA."
The Texters defeated the Llamados, 102-96, in their meeting in the elimination round.
Source: Manila Bulletin
-- The Petron Blaze Boosters finally landed rookie sensation Marcio Lassiter after PBA Commissioner Angelico “Chito” Salud approved the revised trade late this afternoon.
Under the revised trade, Petron will get Marcio Lassiter and veteran guard Celino Cruz in exchange for Petron’s Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Rey Guevarra and Lordy Tugade.
Atty. Salud through a text message relayed:
“The terms of the revised trade are hereby approved. There is acceptable parity in the cumulative skills, value, use and potential the players from each side of the trade will bring to their respective new teams.“
Back in February, Petron had initially offered Nonoy Baclao and Rey Guevarra for Powerade’s Marcio Lassiter. Salud however disapproved the trade and asked that the trade be revised because the deal was too favorable for the Blazers.
With the trade, Petron gave away 2 of the top 3 rookies they acquired from Air21 last year for Danny Seigle, Dorian Pena, Dondon Hontiveros and Paul Artadi.
Source: GMA News
-- The Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters are loaded with championship experience. The B-MEG Llamados, on the other hand, are on a title drought as they will play in the finals for the first time since the 2009-2010 Philippine Cup.
An experienced team against a hungry squad, that's what both teams will be dealing with when they vie for the 2012 Commissioner's Cup title with the best-of-seven series starting Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Tim Cone will vie for the Commissioner's Cup title for the first time under B-MEG. Chot Reyes, meanwhile, has been a staple to the finals and will appear in his fifth consecutive titular series.
Both coaches assessed their chances in the championship series during Friday's press conference at the Gateway Suites in Quezon City.
Cone knows what his team will be dealing with. He is familiar to the feeling of Talk 'N Text's championship poise, he had a string of titles of his own with Alaska.
"I had that experience in the 90s of going what Talk 'N Text is going through in terms of every conference having the opportunity to win the crown. I can't speak for Chot but for my own experience, the experience you gather every conference, they have won in every conceivable way possible," Cone said.
"But I'll take being hunger and fresh," he said after the Llamados dispatched Barangay Ginebra in four games in their semifinals series.
Talk 'N Text reached the finals the full route defeating the Barako Bull Energy in five grueling matches. The Texters have been in the finals in the last two years and while that is an edge, it is something that could also be a cause of concern.
"We have been playing in an unbelievably high number of games in the past two years, it's going to take its toll on our bodies," Reyes said. "It's a fact, we have to deal with it. Everybody understands that we need to deal with that and we have to deal with BMEG. They are the deepest and biggest team in the PBA, we just have to find a way."
Talk 'N Text scored the most points during the semifinals with an average of 97.25 a game while BMEG gave up the least with 79 per outing. The Llamados showed their height advantage with a league-best 10.75 average in second chance points and second in rebounds with 50.75 while the Tropang Texters had an average of 15 fastbreak points in the semis.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Defending champion Talk N’ Text sealed a finals showdown with B-Meg Derby Ace by disposing of the hardworking Barako Bull in their 5-game semis series.
The Texters battled past the Energy’s brute style of play to fashion out a 101-90 win in Game 5.
“This was a really, really tough game. We have no illusions, we knew Barako is a good team. They're very deep and they have a lot of veterans. They know how to win and how to play this game,” said Talk N’ Text coach Chot Reyes, who will be making his 15th finals appearance.
“In the end, I said we just have to focus on what we do well and that's to play through the physicality and play Talk N' Text basketball,” he added.
By that, Reyes meant wearing down Barako by using Talk N’ Text’s run-and-gun game.
Texters import Donnell Harvey led all scorers with 29 points, connecting on 12 of his 19 attempts from the field.
He also hauled down 14 rebounds, helping Talk N’ Text into its 5th-straight PBA finals appearance.
Harvey had to work extra hard against the Energy’s tight and sometimes physical defensive tactics in order to steer the Texters to the finals.
“It's playoffs basketball baby... they play hard, but I'm still here,” he said.
Ranidel de Ocampo and Jared Dillinger also stepped up their game as Barako clipped wingmen Jimmy Alapag and Larry Fonacier.
De Ocampo eventually finished with 18 points, while Dillinger had 14.
Gabe Freeman top scored Barako with 22 points and received additional firepower from Danny Seigle who tallied 21 points.
But the efforts of other Energy locals came up short.
Former MVP Willie Miller only had 6 points while Don Allado scored 12.
Talk N’ Text will star its finals series against B-Meg on Monday.
Reyes is expected to map out plans on beating the Llamados, who are led my multi-titled coach Tim Cone.
“We're good friends [with Cone] but in the finals, on the playing court, we're the bitterest of rivals. In the end it's really gonna be about the players, not Cone and me, but about the players.”
Box scores:
Talk N’ Text 101 - Harvey 29, De Ocampo 18, Dillinger 14, Castro 14, Williams 9, Peek 7, Alapag 6, Fonacier 3, Reyes 1, Alvarez 0.
Barako 90 - Freeman 22, Seigle 21, Tubid 18, Allado 12, Miller 6, Salvador 4, Najorda 3, Arboleda 2, Pena 2, Weinstein 0, Pennisi 0.
Quarters: 25-27, 56-47, 77-74, 101-90
Source: Manila Bulletin
-- Four players, led by former Most Valuable Player James Yap of B-Meg, have yet to commit themselves to the Smart-Gilas II national team, a week after the deadline has elapsed, according to team manager Butch Antonio.
“If anything, it only shows that the four are disinterested,” said Antonio during a phone interview Wednesday.
Aside from Yap, the other players are Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot of Petron and Mark Pingris of B-Meg.
Antonio said he had a chance meeting with Yap who told him to talk to B-Meg governor Rene de Pardo.
When consulted, Pardo told Antonio to course the letters through the PBA Commissioner’s Office.
On March 27, the PBA board of governors has agreed to lend up to 20 players for the Gilas II national pool.
“We would like to stress that players are not forced to play for Gilas. It is purely voluntary, if they don’t want to play, we cannot do anything,” Antonio said.
Twelve of the 16 players named by national coach Chot Reyes have already signed the commitment letters.
They are Enrico Villanueva of Barangay Ginebra, Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Kelly Williams, Ranidel de Ocampo, Larry Fonacier and Ryan Reyes of Talk ‘N Text, Gary David and Marcio Lassiter of Powerade, LA Tenorio and Sonny Thoss of Alaska and Gabe Norwood of Rain or Shine.
Part of the players’ commitment is to devote full time and effort to Smart Gilas in the off-season until the FIBA-Asia Championships in September, 2013 and even possibly the FIBA World Championships in September, 2014.
Villanueva was first to sign the commitment letter on March 29 followed by Norwood the next day. Tenorio signed on March 31.
The national team was set to meet for the first time last Monday, but was reset because of the ongoing PBA semifinal playoffs.
If the four players beg off, Antonio said they may have to look for other players to fill their spots.
“I understand the PBA has given us up to 20 players. It’s up to coach Chot if he wants to increase the pool of players,” Antonio said.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- After playing catch-up in the first quarter, B-Meg Derby Ace steamrolled Barangay Ginebra in the next three periods to clinch the first ticket to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals on Tuesday.
Denzel Bowles helped the Llamados conclude the semis series with a 108-84 drubbing of the Gin Kings in Game 4 of their best-of-5 showdown.
As her mother watched in the audience, Bowles exploded with 34 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the field.
“It was enjoying for her to come out here and I was able to get her to some here and watch me play live. There's nothing better than watching your son play live,” said the B-Meg import, who also collected a total of 14 rebounds.
Llamados coach Tim Cone is thankful that his team made some adjustments after struggling in the first quarter.
B-Meg was 7 points down in that period, 31-24.
“I made a bad decision in the beginning of the game to go to zone. We thought we catch them by surprise then they came out and hit all those shots. I was kind of embarrassed because that's our big game plan and it fell on our faces,” said Cone.
“Good thing we have a good group of guys and they came back, later in the game,” he added.
It will be Cone’s 24th appearance in a PBA finals and his first under B-Meg.
The multi-titled coach said the game went to their favor when they began picking up their pace.
“We tried to up tempo the game little bit today, get the ball up quickly, move it up the floor faster pressure, so they couldn't pressure us much, I think that was the key,” said Cone.
“Then Denzel really came up and played a monster game, what can I say? He played a monster effort game.”
The Llamados started establishing their dominance in the second and third quarter, where they led as much as 15 points.
By the time they entered the fourth, the Gin Kings virtually surrendered the game.
Their top scorer in the game, Dylan Ababou, fouled out with over 11 minutes left.
Before being sent to the bench, Ababou scored 17 points.
Ginebra import Jackson Vroman followed later, fouling out with 5:56 left.
Vroman scored 14 points. Mike Cortez and Niño Canaleta added 13 and 12, respectively for the Gin Kings.
Joe Devance and James Yap were more generous in their contributions to B-Meg.
Devance had 18 points, while Yap finished with 16.
B-Meg will face the winner of the semifinals between reigning champion Talk N’ Text and giant slayer Barako Bull.
The Texters and the Energy are in a 2-2 deadlock in their own best-of-5.
Talk N’ Text and Barako Bull will settle their score in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Box scores:
B-Meg 108 - Bowles 34, Devance 18, Yap 16, Simon 11, Pingris 7, Barroca 5, Intal 5, Villanueva 5, De Ocampo 4, Reavis 2, Urbiztondo 1, Acuna 0, Gaco 0.
Ginebra 84 - Ababou 17, Vroman 14, Cortez 13, Canaleta 12, Helterbrand 10, Hatfield 8, Raymundo 5, Labagala 3, Mamaril 2, Wilson 0, Villanueva 0.
Quarters: 24-31, 58-46, 86-71, 108-84
Source: The Philippine Star
-- With its back against the wall, Talk n Text stayed focused and fought with determination every inch of the way, mangling Barako Bull, 108-90, and forcing a deciding Game Five in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four confrontation last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Tropang Texters imposed their will early, building a 16-point bulge in the first half and dominating the Energy to the finish, thus, keeping their hopes for a title repeat in the mid-season tourney they won over the Barangay Ginebra Kings last year.
Forging a two-game deadlock in the series, the Texters battle the Energy in a do-or-die match at 6:45 p.m. tomorrow, also at the Big Dome.
Ginebra likewise tries to force a sudden death with B-Meg in their side of the semis also at 6:45 p.m. tonight at the same venue.
The Gin Kings stayed alive by stopping the Llamados, 88-79, Sunday to force a fourth game.
“I’d like to say that we beat ourselves last game by playing with little focus and awareness,” said B-Meg coach Tim Cone. But when our guys come out like that, it’s on me. It’s my fault. I’ll need to have them better prepared for Game Four.”
TnT coach Chot Reyes, meanwhile, stressed the need for the Texters to focus on the task at hand.
“All we did was tied the series. We can’t celebrate, not for one minute. We can’t be satisfied. We’re just halfway there,” said Talk n Text coach Reyes.
“Hopefully, we will come out with even more energy in the next game. The same amount of energy won’t make the job done. We have to play better,” Reyes added.
After Game Three, Barako coach Junel Baculi promised they would do their best to “slay the giant in Game Four.”
The Texters, however, played every inch a champion team, smothering the Energy with their firepower and hardly giving them a chance to recover.
The match was practically over by the third period after the Texters posted leads of as many as 29 points.
They breezed through in a game they couldn’t afford to lose, completing the romp that could give them the needed momentum heading to the sudden death.
TnT forward Ranidel de Ocampo underscored the Texters gutsy stand, bucking a cut in his right eyebrow and returning to deliver huge numbers.
He went 2-of-2 from the three-point area and finished with a game-high 23 points that went with seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block against three turnovers.
For Barako, import Gabe Freeman proved to be the biggest flop in a match the Energy had hoped to hurdle, going 1-of-9 from the field and 4-of-5 from the stripe for his least output (six points) in a game in all his playing stints in the PBA dating back to 2009 with San Miguel Beer.
It was the first time ever, he was held to single-digit output.
The Texters came out smoking, outscoring the Energy with a 13-2 binge to built leads of as many as 16 before settling for a 55-42 spread at the turn as Barako’s Ronald Tubid hit a buzzer triple triple.
The Texters set the tone of the game early as they converted 51.5 percent of their shots as against the Energy’s 31.4-percent clip in the first two quarters.
Talk n Text was efficient on both ends, forcing Barako to 12 turnovers and scoring 13 points off those miscues in the first 24 minutes of play.
Barako enjoyed the lead just once as Freeman nailed the game’s first basket from the stripe.
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: The Philippine Star
-- Barangay Ginebra refused to surrender, reliving its never-say-die spirit as it thwarted B-Meg, 88-79, to force a fourth game in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup best-of-five semifinal showdown at the Cuneta Astrodome tonight.
Mike Cortez and KG Canaleta stepped up big time and proved to be the Kings’ biggest saviors as they ducked the Llamados’ knockout blow, thus, staying in the fight for the finals.
The Kings try to stretch the series to full distance as they go for a follow-up win in Game Four at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday.
Cortez came through with a rare triple-double performance with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists while Canaleta got away with 4-of-8 three-point shooting and a total of 23 points as the Kings lived to fight another game.
“I can’t ask anything more from the guys. They know our situation that we have to cover for the 18 points we usually get from Mark Caguioa. Everybody’s pitching in and that has to be the way,” said Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen.
Dylan Ababou and Jayjay Helterbrand also produced double-digit outputs as Ginebra finally pulled one in the series with injured main man Caguioa helpless on the bench.
“For sure, we played better tonight than the first two games. The sense of urgency was there. It’s no longer about the X's and O's of the game. It boiled down to heart,” said Tanquingcen.
Ginebra triumphed even as Jackson Vroman limited to eight points and 10 rebounds.
B-Meg import Denzel Bowles, however, also groped for form and the early ejection of Marc Pingris didn’t help the Llamados’ cause.
Pingris was thrown out of the game in the second quarter on two technical infractions he committed 36 seconds apart.
The 6-foot-4 B-Meg forward and Kerby Raymundo were earlier called a double T. Pingris later got the boot on a flagrant foul on a driving Canaleta.
Hardly shaken, Canaleta led all scorers in the contest with a 7-of-15 field shooting and 5-of-6 free throws.
The high-leaping Ginebra forward waxed hottest in the fourth quarter, knocking four treys in a decisive romp that gave the Kings an 83-74 lead entering the last two minutes of the game.
B-Meg hit strides playing all-Filipino in the closing minutes of the second quarter, erasing a 10-point deficit, 29-19, and drawing even at 37 at the half.
James Yap banged away two three-pointers while PJ Simon converted two baskets on tough drives in the key run forging the first deadlock in the contest.
Ginebra, however, returned with a renewed energy in the third quarter, regaining double-digit spreads at 53-43 and 57-47.
The Kings seized the early initiative, opening with a 15-7 binge and leading by as many as 11, 23-12, with Canaleta and Raymundo combining for the first six points in the second period.
The two imports were non-factors with Vroman stuggling with a 2-of-7 shooting as against Bowles’ 0-of-6 clip in the first two quarters.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Barako Bull psyched out defending champion Talk N’ Text with a highly physical game to take the series lead in their Best-of-5 semifinal showdown on Saturday’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The Energy hammered out an 85-81 victory against the Tropang Texters, who are just a game away from getting eliminated from their race to the finals.
Barako now hold a 2-1 edge against Talk N’ Text in their semis duel.
The Texters were expected to carry the momentum of their Game 2 win where they routed the Energy, 123-98.
But Barako came out with spunk and grit in Game 3, to ruin Talk N’ Text’s play.
Mick Pennisi led the Energy with 15 points through 4-of-8 shooting from the field.
He also collared 8 rebounds while outplaying Texters’ import Donnell Harvey.
“He's very tough, he's a rebounder, he's physical, I'm just a little bit longer... The last couple of games I've been on the shooting slot, luckily I hit a couple today for the team,” said Pennisi.
Barako coach Junel Baculi said the game showed which team was hungrier for the victory.
“The players showed they want to win this one… They showed it, displayed it, we got away with the lucky win,” he said.
The Energy surprised the Texters by taking the halftime lead, 42-31.
Along the way, Talk N’ Text lost Jimmy Alapag after the fleet-footed point guard got ejected from the game over an altercation with Barako’s Ronald Tubid.
Barako’s lead went as high as 21 points, but this was cut down by Talk N’ Text’s furious run in the fourth quarter.
Kelly Williams’ free throws brought the Texters at striking distance, 82-81, with 57 seconds remaining.
But Willie Miller was able to fish a foul off Harvey Carrey in the ensuing play. His charities brought the scores to 84-81.
Williams fired a potential equalizer from the rainbow territory but missed.
Pennisi went for the rebound and was awarded two free throws after a contact with Harvey.
He split his charities to make it 85-81, 26 seconds remaining.
Coach Chot Reyes drew a play for Williams, but the latter missed his undergoal stab.
This allowed Tubid to secure possession for Barako until the end of regulation.
Gabe Freeman topscored the Energy with 27, while Miller finished with 17 points.
Texters’ reinforcement Harvey got 19 points. Teammate Harvey Carey added 15 points for Talk N’ Text.
Baculi said they hope to close out the series on Monday when they again play Talk N’ Text in Game 4.
The Energy is expected to make new adjustments to keep the Texters guessing.
“We still have to go back to the drawing board, look at the tape and see what else we can adjust to win Game 4… for us the key is Game 4. If we give that to Talk N' Text on Monday, mahihirapan kami to win Game 5,” said Baculi.
Box scores:
Barako 85 - Freeman 27, Miller 17, Pennisi 15, Seigle 14, Tubid 8, Salavador 2, Pena 2, Aquino 0, Najorda 0, Allado 0, Arboleda 0.
Talk N’ Text 81 - Harvey 19, Carey 15, Alapag 14, Castro 11, Williams 7, Fonacier 7, Dillinger 3, Reyes 3, De Ocampo 2, Gamalinda 0.
Quarters: 19-17, 42-31, 67-57, 85-81
Source: The Philippine Star
-- B-Meg wore down Barangay Ginebra in a gut-wrenching battle, and PJ Simon delivered all the firepower the Llamados needed at the finish to pull off a difficult 83-77 win to move in the threshold of a first PBA finals in three years at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.
Simon poured eight of his 15 points in the last two minutes and the Llamados squeezed through from the tight duel, gaining a commanding 2-0 lead in their Commissioner’s Cup best-of-five semifinal showdown.
B-Meg now has three shots at nailing down a ninth final in import-laden tourneys and 22nd in all in franchise history.
“It takes a special effort to go 2-0 against a team like Ginebra. You need calmness, living through mistakes, living through bad calls and moving forward. We’re able to do that,” said multi-titled coach Tim Cone, now on the verge of a first final outside of Alaska Milk.
“Do I think it’s over? You know better,” Cone added. “We put out a special effort tonight. We need special effort times two to make it 3-0.”
True enough, the Llamados dished out a huge job to survive a whale of a fight put up by the beleaguered Ginebra team.
Denzel Bowles came through with game highs of 21 points and 15 rebounds and drew all the help he needed from his local teammates as B-Meg repeated its 82-67 win in Game One.
The count was tied at 75-all before the Llamados cashed in on crucial errors by a Ginebra team obviously reeling from fatigue.
There was Jackson Vroman who had to fight off cramps.
Niño Canaleta was bigger than life coming off the bench but he himself lost steam at endgame.
The Kings scored only two points in the last three minutes, running into a maze of errors and missed shots.
Simon parlayed into a breakaway layup a turnover by Mike Cortez to break the 75-all deadlock. Then after Canaleta misfired a three-pointer, Simon canned two charities as the Llamados put more pressure on the Kings.
Vroman and his teammates failed to recover, thus, moving on the brink of elimination.
Jayjay Helterbrand got away with a reversed four-point play in the last four seconds as Ginebra took the half at 41-37.
The two teams engaged in a defensive battle in the first half, limiting one another to 27 points each through the first 17 minutes.
The Kings picked up their offense towards the end of the first half through second-string forwards Canaleta and Rudy Hatfield.
Bowles, meanwhile, carried the cudgels for the Llamados piling up 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the first two quarters as against Vroman’s six markers and six boards.
Canaleta came off the bench with his guns ablaze, firing away three treys and a total of 11 points in the second period.
