OFFICIAL PBA THREAD

[mike23theking]

From Game 2 vs Alaska...

My dude Ryan in Kobe 3's and Kelly Williams in Lebrons...?

 

[air marvin]

Yes!! you can still play in PBA but you must play first in PBL, at least for one year...Goodluck man..

 

[carlofromdapi]

THRILLER TIME ANEW

Player of the Week January 21 to 27

INDIVIDUAL accolades have come Willie Miller's way before and again he is on track to snaring one. But bagging such a distinction is farthest from his mind right now, busy as he is in helping Alaska win a second straight title through the Smart PBA Philippine Cup. Still, people can't help but notice, especially when he repeatedly comes up with a gem of a game, that's why he's being feted once anew as the PBA Press Corps' Smart/Accel Player of the Week for the period January 21 to 27. It was the second such citation for the 6-foot guard, having been so honored by the scribes regularly covering the beat for the period October 29 to November 4. The award will also go a long way in realizing for the Olongapo native a third MVP award after last year and in 2002 since it is used as a criterion in voting for the conference's Best Player and, ultimately, the MVP plum. But, as is his wont, the southpaw player known as "The Thriller" would rather concentrate on the task at hand. "Mas importante sa akin ang manalo ang team dahil mas marami kaming panalo kapag champion kami," Miller said. "Tuloy, mas marami kaming masaya." The league's highest individual awards can only act as spice, maintained the man who ran only second to Air21's Arwind Santos in the BPC race after the 18-game eliminations. "Kung sakali mang darating iyang Best Player of the Conference o MVP, darating iyan," he stressed. The award is seemingly certain to head towards his direction after playing a key part in Alaska's two-game sweep of Coca-Cola in the quarterfinals, where he averaged 25.5 points and 6.0 assists. He further greased that award's path by helping Alaska dominate Sta. Lucia Realty at the start of their best-of-seven semifinals showdown last Sunday. Miller scattered 19 points on 6-of-11 field shooting and also had 10 assists, five rebounds, a steal and a block in the Aces' 107-94 victory. Admittedly, Miller's backcourt mates, Mike Cortez and Jeffrey Cariaso, also lent a big hand in the victory but his all-around contributions could simply not be discounted, nor forgotten. "Anything for the team," shrugs the former Letran stalwart, the only guard in PBA history to have won MVP honors more than once.

 

[carlofromdapi]

SLR MAKES IT BACK-TO-BACK OVER ALASKA, GOES AHEAD 2-1

Williams soars high with 27 points, 12 rebounds to lead Realtors

Friday, 01 February 2008

The Sta. Lucia Realtors may lack playoff experience, but certainly they're not wanting in energy, determination and heart. Led by Kelly Williams, who was playing inspired ball in front of his Cebuana mother, Andrea, the Realtors once again held Alaskabelow the century mark and came away with a 91-82 victory in Game 2 of their semifinals series Friday night at the Cuneta Astrodome. The Realtors, who are eyeing their first-ever Finals appearance in an all-Filipino conference, trailed 78-79 with 4:30 remaining but closed the fourth quarter with a 13-3 run for a second straight win and a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series, moving within two wins of advancing to the Last Dance. Williams, the top pick of the 2006 Draft who went on to win Rookie of the Year honors at season's end, finished with 27 points - matching his highest output this conference -- and added 12 rebounds, his 14[sup]th[/sup] double-double in the tourney. His three-point play with 3:51 left in the fourth gave the Realtors the lead for good, 81-79 time down to 3:01 remaining. After Willie Miller split his free throws to make the count 80-81, Dennis Espino (18 points) scored on an offensive rebound and Nelbert Omolon (13 points, 12 rebounds for his first double-double in the conference) scored on a fastbreak following a turnover by Sonny Thoss to make it a five-point lead 85-80 that was never threatened the rest of the way. "We started poorly, trailed at halftime but my players never lost heart. We regrouped and came out with a lot of spunk in the second half. In the end our efforts were rewarded," said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez during the post-game interview. "We're happy to be leading. But it's just one game. I don't want to make any pronouncement. We'll just take it one game at a time. I'm sure Alaska will be come back strong in Game 4," added Fernandez, who played 42 games for the Aces in 1997. For the second straight game, the Realtors overshadowed Alaska's experience factor with their energized game, hustle and tough defense that again silenced the Aces' veteran backcourt trio of Willie Miller, Jeffrey Cariaso and Mike Cortez. The reigning league MVP, Miller led all scorers with 28 points but was held to only three points by Denok Miranda in the fourth quarter. Cortez, struggled against the Omolon, a 6-3 forward, and finished with 10 points and committed five turnovers while Cariaso couldn't keep pace with the young Joseph Yeo (17 points, 7 assists) and scored only five points on a 1-for-7 shooting from the floor. "We had the lead at halftime but we came out flat in the third quarter. We stayed in the game and kept it close in the fourth but it was too late. We gave Sta. Lucia the confidence in the third quarter," offered Tim Cone, who said his team lost it in the third. Game 4 will be played at 6:30pm on Sunday also at the Cuneta Astrodome, the league's final playdate in Pasay City before it shifts to the Araneta Coliseum starting on Wednesday, February 6. John Ferriols turned in 17 points and 15 rebounds for Alaska but his solid game hardly mattered. The game was close in the first half before Miller scored on a jumper and Sonny Thoss knocked in three free throws as Alaska wsent to the l.ocker room enjoying a 41-36 lead - the first time the Aces led at the half in the series. The scores: Sta. Lucia 91 - Williams 27, Espino 18, Yeo 17, Omolon 13, Miranda 6, Aquino 5, Reyes 3, Gonzales 2, Mamaclay 0, Coronel 0, Daa 0. Alaska 82 - Miller 28, Ferriols 17, Cortez 10, Thoss 9, Bono 7, Cariaso 5, Laure 4, Dela Cruz 2, Quinahan 0. Quarterscores: 17-21; 36-41; 61-61; 91-82

 

[mike23theking]

2 good games I got to watch while I was here... Willie Miller is a damn problem. Denok's a decent defender on him, but he still gets his buckets. Yeo'sa different story.

@ Ryan calling Cariaso an "old man".

 

[s0le candy]

damn, i wish i could watch the games here.

i need to go to the PI again!

 

[size twelve]

Originally Posted by mike23theking

@ Ryan calling Cariaso an "old man".

true heads recognize.. jeff is cold. those two j's he hit back to back in the waning minutes of game 1 killed the realtors.

ryan reyes sucks anyway. and kelly is quickly turning into the vince carter of the PBA. dude is too good to be settling for long 3s all the time.


i'm probably to blame for marlou's recent resurgence this conference.. in a few of the earlier games i was heckling him pretty hard - sayang kasi lakinya. marlou, dumakdak ka naman!

 

[mike23theking]

true heads recognize.. jeff is cold.

I'm a believer... when Ryan told me dude is in his late 30's I was already in awe. I just thought the exchange they had early in the game was funny...Then I just saw Ryan laugh it off. He said it was all good towards the end of the game. Basically just heat of the moment type stuff anyway.

ryan reyes sucks anyway.

Aww, don't take jabs bro. My dude's holding his own. At least give him that much.

Then again... which team do you play for?

 

[carlofromdapi]

SPLENDID BOARDWORK GIVES PUREFOODS 2-1 EDGE

Pingris, Salvador combine for 30 rebounds; Yap, Raymundo for 56 points

Saturday, 02 February 2008

Purefoods tended the boards with authority, cashing heavily on it on the way to rebounding from its Game Two defeat. The Giants pummeled the Red Bull Barakos under the basket and pulled off a 99-90 victory to regain the upperhand after the third game of their 2007-08 Smart PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal showdown at the Astrodome Friday night. With a 2-1 lead and momentum back on their side, the Giants seek to move on the threshold of the Finals in Game Four Sunday in the same venue. "That's (rebounding) something we did consciously because their small men always lead out for the fastbreak. That enabled us to crash the boards and we drew tremendous power from it," said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio. The Giants terribly outrebounded the Barakos, 55-37, with Marc Pingris accounting for a career-high 19 and Jondan Salvador 11. The dynamic duo of James Yap and Kerby Raymundo snared 14 rebounds together while also exploding for a combined output of 56 points. The Giants regained the lead in the series yet Gregorio said they surely don't intend to relax. "Playing Red Bull is always tough. You don't know what to expect and you can't celebrate a victory for long. You relax a bit and it could prove costly," said Gregorio. "When you play Red Bull, people tend to think they don't have the talent. But they have Cyrus Baguio who's the best slasher in the league, Junthy Valenzuela who's an underrated No. 3 man and two bigmen (Mick Pennisi and Mike Hrabak) who can shoot the trey. Then there's coach Yeng Guiao. The reality is they're strong," Gregorio added. The Giants, however, had the answers for all those Red Bull talents Friday night. It was Red Bull which just couldn't find an antidote for the Yap-Raymundo combo and for Purefoods' tenacious rebounding. Yap fired three triples and totaled 29 points while Raymundo rifled in two trifectas and finished with a total of 27 points, his highest in the conference. Energized by Yap's and Raymundo's torrid shooting and Pingris' power off the boards, the Giants took the half at 51-43 and held on to the finish. The Barakos actually waged a rally in the fourth largely behind Valenzuela. They came within three at 82-85 but were stopped on their tracks with Raymundo and Noy Castillo pumping in back-to-back triples to ignite a run that eventually settled the outcome of the game. The Barakos still managed to put up some scare in the fourth despite the ouster of Baguio and Pennisi on early fouls. The scores: Purefoods 99 - Yap 29, Raymundo 27, Pingris 13, Lanete 10, Simon 7, Salvador 4, Adducul 4, Castillo 3, Yap R. 2, Larong 0, Yee 0. Red Bull 90 - Valenzuela 26, Baguio 14, Pennisi 12, Adriano 10, Cruz 7, Sharma 6, Duncil 5, Hrabak 4, Bugia 3, Ybanez 3. Quarterscores: 28-24, 51-43, 77-68, 99-90.

 

[carlofromdapi]

Cone mad, declares war vs SLR

Sunday, February 3, 2008 http://
Realtors coach Boyet Fernandez, however, says they're ready.

The heated exchange of words between Cone and Fernandez has added spice and color to the Smart PBA Philippine Cup Final Four fastshaping up as wars of attrition between Alaska and Sta. Lucia, and Purefoods versus Red Bull.

Both enjoying a 2-1 lead, the Realtors and the Giants seek a more comfortable advantage in Game Four today at theAstrodome.

The Alaska-Sta. Lucia series has come to the fore with Cone not hiding his disgust over what he felt was a disrespectful play byKelly Williams in the closing seconds of Game Two and on one confusing call by referee Boy Cruz at endgame in Game Three.

Admitting he's offended, Cone said: "It's going to be tough the rest of the series, I guarantee youthat."

Fernandez, however, seems to be taking things in stride.

"I can understand the pressure of the semifinals. Probably, coach Tim Cone, being a veteran coach up against a neophyte, isfeeling more pressure. I understand his actuations and I still respect him. He's my coach," said Fernandez, who had played under Cone at Alaska in the90s.

Williams drew the ire of Cone on his thunderous slam in the closing seconds with the game in the bag for Sta. LuciaWednesday.

On Friday, Williams could have only angered Cone all the more with the Fil-Am forward exploding for 27 points with 21 coming in thefinal half.

The Realtors may lack playoff experience, but they certainly aren't wanting in energy, determination and heart.

"We started poorly, trailed at halftime but my players never lost heart. We regrouped and came out with a lot of spunk in thesecond half. In the end our efforts were rewarded," said Fernandez after their Friday victory that pushed them ahead in the series.

"We're happy to be leading. But it's just one game. I don't want to make any pronouncement. We'll just take itone game at a time. I'm sure Alaska will come back strong in Game Four," Fernandez added.

Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio was also magnanimous in victory.

"Playing Red Bull is always tough. You don't know what to expect and you can't celebrate a victory for long. You relaxa bit and it could prove costly," said Gregorio.

"When you play Red Bull, people tend to think they don't have the talent. But they have Cyrus Baguio who's the bestslasher in the league, Junthy Valenzuela who's an underrated No. 3 man and two bigmen (Mick Pennisi and Mike Hrabak) who can shoot the trey. Thenthere's coach Yeng Guiao. The reality is they're strong," Gregorio added.

The Giants, however, had the answers for all those Red Bull talents Friday night. It was Red Bull which justcouldn't find an antidote for the James Yap-Kerby Raymundo combo and for Purefoods' tenacious rebounding.

The Giants pummeled the Bulls under the basket and pulled off a 99-90 victory to regain the upper hand in their own seriesFriday.

"That's (rebounding) something we did consciously because their small men always lead out for the fastbreak. That enabledus to crash the boards and we drew tremendous power from it," said Gregorio.

The Giants terribly outrebounded the Barakos, 55-37, in Game Three with Marc Pingris accounting for a career-high 19 and JondanSalvador 11.
The dynamic duo of Yap and Raymundo snared 14 rebounds together while also exploding for a combined output of 56 points.

 

[carlofromdapi]

RED BULL WINS GAME 4 IN OT AS PUREFOODS LOSES JAMES YAP TO INJURY

Baguio-led Barakos reduce series to best-of-3

Sunday, 03 February 2008

Red Bull watched the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants self-destruct in overtime and the Barakos won an erstwhile tightly-fought Game Four, 97-88, Sunday night to even their best-of-seven semifinal series at two games apiece before a sellout crowd at the Cuneta Astrodome. After missing his first four 3-point attempts, Celino Cruz finally knocked in a shot from downtown with 2:35 remaining in the extra session which broke an 86-86 deadlock and sparked Red Bull's 11-2 finishing kick. "I thought one of the teams was about to break up at that point. So I kept telling the players to just hold on until something happens. Fortunately, it was the other team that broke up," said Red Bull head coach Yeng Guiao afterwards. The Red Bull coach also admitted the absence of Purefoods' top gunner James Yap in the final three quarters of the game also was a huge help to his team. The league MVP two seasons ago when the Giants won the Philippine Cup, James Yap scored 10 points on a 4-of-6 shooting from the floor in the first quarter but never returned since being pulled out at the 2:21 mark of that period. According to Purefoods team physician Raffy Sanchez, the Giants' hotshot suffered a left knee contusion he sustained a few plays prior to his going to the bench. His status has been listed as day-to-day. "Hindi na namin ni-risk na ipasok siya uli. We'll see how serious it is or not tomorrow. But we're all hoping and praying he'll be okay," said Purefoods representative to the Board Rene Pardo. Red Bull was actually at a loss why the conference's second leading scorer failed to return. "I was really surprised that James did not play the rest of the game after scoring 10 points in the first quarter. Whatever the reason we're lucky he wasn't around," Guiao said. Without James Yap, Purefoods' offense was a complete nightmare especially in overtime which saw the Giants shooting a horrendous 1-of-12. Their only basket in the extra session - courtesy of Peter Jun Simon - came with 23 seconds left and the result of the game already beyond doubt. Cyrus Baguio took scoring honors with 20 points despite making just 11 attempts. He also had four assists, one steal and two blocks. He sent the game into overtime with a slashing drive to the basket with 1.3 seconds left in regulation. Kiko Adriano scored 16 points and had four steals and Cruz and Junthy Valenzuela added 13 and 12 points respectively for the Barakos, their unselfishness paying off when the going got tough. Red Bull had a total of 23 assists, 10 more than the Giants. Valenzuela also actually lived up to his new title as the league's new fourth quarter man by firing nine of his total in the final 12 minutes of play. Before Game 4, he was averaging a league-best 6.7 points in the final period. Curiously, coming next to Valenzuela in that category was James Yap with his 6.6 and could have been the reason for Purefoods' loss. "I kept telling you guys, if we can keep the series longer, the better for us. Kerby Raymundo and James Yap are just playing to hard and too long. I'm certain the pressure will soon take its toll on them," said Guiao, who has won five titles in his 15-year coaching stint in the league but is still aspiring for his first all-Filipino crown. Game 5 of the Smart-PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series on Wednesday now shifts to the Araneta Coliseum where Purefoods has the best record this conference. The Giants are 6-2 at the Big Dome this conference while Red Bull is tied for the third-best record with its 3-2. "Whoever wins Game 5 will have a luxury to experiment on anything. We just have to keep up with our pressure on them next game," Guiao said. With Yapleading the way, the Giants took a 31-28 lead after one quarter. But the Barakos stayed in the game with their tenacious defense that held the Giants to a 2-of-14 shooting and seven turnovers in the second period to take a 45-41 lead at half time. Marc Pingris and Raymundo each scored 14 points to show the way for Purefoods which shot just 37 percent (34-of-91) and gave up 22 points on 19 turnovers. Purefoods outrebounded Red Bull for the fourth time in as many games in the series 60-41 but it hardly mattered as the Barakos still went on to outscore the Giants 15-6 in fastbreaks. The Giants' two points in OT was the lowest by any team since Alaska was also held to the same number in an 86-84 loss ironically to Purefoods on October 14, 2005 in the 2005-06 Fiesta Conference eliminations. The scores: Red Bull 97 -- Baguio 20 points, Adriano 16, Cruz 13, Valenzuela 12, Sharma 9, Pennisi 9, Robinson 9, Hrabak 7, Bugia 2, Duncil 0, Ybanez 0. Purefoods 88 -- Pingris 14, Raymundo 14, Lanete 13, Salvador 10, J. Yap 10, Simon 10, R. Yap 7, Larong 4, Yee 4, Adducul 2, Castillo 0. Quarterscores: 28-31; 45-41; 66-66; 86-86; 97-77

 

[size twelve]

Originally Posted by mike23theking

Then again... which team do you play for?

tondo holdapers ftw!

ALASKA SQUARES SERIES AT 2-2

Miller explodes for 27 in scary win

Sunday, 03 February 2008

ALASKA got Sta. Lucia Realty precisely where it wanted it: In a shootout. And the Aces thrived on the OK Corral-like setting, pulling off a 90-83 victory Sunday evening to even up their 2007-08 Smart PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series at two games apiece at the Cuneta Astrodome. Willie Miller scored a game-high 27 points and the rest of the Alaska starters also came up with double figures each, the bulk coming during a big fourth quarter breakaway that finally broke SLR's back. The Realtors showed grit by coming back from a 26-point deficit, but the Aces made coach Tim Cone prouder after showing more resolve in coming back from an 82-91 defeat the last time out and weathering Sunday's storm. "We could have taken a step back after losing two tough games (earlier in the series) but we did not," said Cone. "We came out breathing fire, played some defense and kept battling and challenging them and gave ourselves a chance." The way Sta. Lucia chiseled the deficit to just 60-62 and 74-78 could not be ignored, however. "They (Realtors) could have began thinking about Game 5, but they did not. They made it a battle and my hats off to them," said Cone. "We know how good they are, how tough they are and they're showing great character in that team. It's tough to compete with that hunger and that's something we have to do," he added. Kelly Williams had 23 points and 13 rebounds for his 15th double-double, tying him with Air21's Arwind Santos for the most in the season-opening conference. Save for a brief spell in the two middle quarters, however, those figures and the others put up by his teammates went for naught in the face of Alaska's fourth quarter tear. In all, Alaska went 10-of-13 from the field in the fourth, including 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. When the smoke from those fiery guns cleared, the Aces were sitting on an unassailable 88-74 spread, going into the last 2:18, and looking forward to the next game of the best-of-seven series. The game turned into a no-quarters-asked-nor-given type despite Alaska's hot start, giving Cone some anxious moments, especially when SLR came within 60-62 on Marlou Aquino's charity, just inside the final 10 minutes. "It was a battle from there. One play here or there would have given them a tie. Lucky for us," said Cone. For a long while, Miller single-handedly equaled SLR's entire output, his 11th point off a short stab making it a 37-11 count, 6:09 to go in the second quarter. And then the Realtors suddenly sprang back to life, staging a comeback that was relatively expected but still amazing in the swiftness and boldness it was fashioned. Prior to Sunday's match, Sta. Lucia was averaging just 7.5 three-point shots made per game in the conference and came tantalizingly close to totaling that right in the second quarter when it made seven. Williams took full advantage of the fast-paced action that never really let the defense form, booming in four of those triples to spark and fuel a 24-7 barrage that closed the gap to a very manageable 35-44 at the half. That explosion in the final half of the second quarter was hardly expected from a SLR team that practically had to scrape for every point in the opening period, in stark contrast to Alaska that seemed to be just going through target practice and made 10 of its first 19 shots. Aside from getting outrebounded, 9-16, the Realtors also opened up shooting 3-of-21 from the field and consequently found themselves in a very deep 6-25 hole. (NCo)

in case you're wondering, your boy ryan reyes had 6 points on 1/2 from 3, 0/7 from 2, and 3/4 from the line. he also had 3 rebounds and 3 assists.


jeff had 11, 4, and 5, but more importantly, alaska came away with the W.

 

[mike23theking]

In case you're forgot, he plays in the PBA and you just watch.

 

[carlofromdapi]

THREE'S A CHARM FOR KELLY AND JUNTHY

Co-Players of the Week January 28 to February 3

Wednesday, 06 February 2008

THEY come from teams with different systems, but Sta. Lucia Realty's Kelly Williams and Red Bull's Junthy Valenzuela still have more than a few things in common. Like them being cited for the third time as the PBA Press Corps' Smart/Accel Co-Players of the Week for the period January 28 to February 3. It is inarguable that Williams and Valenzuela are the fires stoking their respective team's drives, their example by deed and the figures they churn up showing the way for their teammates to follow. As a direct result, the Realtors and Bulls have managed to keep in step with their highly-touted rivals in the ongoing Smart Philippine Cup semifinals. "Kelly has been consistent in his game. He's playing great," noted SLR coach Boyet Fernandez of Williams, who was been previously accorded the same honor in the periods December 3 to 9 and December 31 to January 6, the latter he shared with Purefoods star James Yap. "He's been showing signs he can be a good all-around player who can play both offense and defense," Fernandez added. "He's been choosing his shots lately and it's working wonders on his field goal percentage." As if to stress Fernandez's words, Williams defied the different kinds of defensive tactics Alaska has thrown at him by averaging 24.6 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the week that was. The Realtors closed out the week with an 80-93 loss to the Aces last Sunday, but Williams still managed to cap his sizzling performance with 23 points and 13 rebounds for his 15th double-double, third-most behind the 17 of Air21's Arwind Santos and the 16[sup]th[/sup] of Coca-Cola's Asi Taulava. Seemingly having as much fun just shredding Purefoods' defense was Valenzuela, who was also previously cited October 22 to 28 and November 19 to 25, the latter also shared with James Yap. For the tournament, Cyrus Baguio may be Red Bull's leading scorer and he highlighted this by sinking a difficult buzzer-beating lay-up that forced overtime and which led to a 97-88 Game 4 win last Sunday. But it was Valenzuela who often put the Photokina franchise in a position to win, exploding the most during the payoff period with his 11.3-point average in the fourth quarter of the three games they have played the past week. "What makes those numbers noteworthy is the fact Junthy just lets the game come to him. Hindi niya pinipilit," said Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao. "But aside from those, he is the standout court leader in our team and his teammates often take the cue from him," the coach added. In all, Valenzuela averaged a team-high 18 points, 3.6 rebounds and as many assists for the week while doing more than his share in trying to stifle the Giants scorers, like James Yap. Both best-of-seven series are tied at two games apiece after four games, and the Realtors and Barakos can consider themselves lucky to have Williams and Valenzuela giving the cue in the projected down-the-wire, pressure-laden finish up ahead.

 

[carlofromdapi]

REALTORS A WIN SHY OF FIRST-EVER ALL-FILIPINO FINALS

Mendoza steps up, fires conference-high 19 to lead SLR to 3-2 lead over Alaska

Wednesday, 06 February 2008

The Sta. Lucia Realtors blew a 17-point third quarter advantage but showed remarkable poise in the stretch to hold off the Alaska Aces, 95-90, in Game 5 of their semifinal showdown Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum. Paolo Mendoza, who was averaging only 5.3 points in the series, hit big shots one after the other in the third quarter and Marlou Aquino asserted his height and 12 years of experience in the pros as the Realtors moved within a win of advancing to just their third Finals appearance since joining the league in 1993 and first in an all-Filipino conference. "We're just one game up. Coach Tim is a great coach. I'm sure his players will come out highly motivated in Game 6. But as long as our players run our defense to the letter we've a chance," said the novice Sta. Lucia coach during the post-game news conference. "The players deserve all the credit. They fought hard and never gave when Alaska threatened to turn the game around," Fernandez added. Game 6 of the SMART-PBA Philippine Cup Final Four is set on Friday also at the Araneta Coliseum with the Realtors eyeing their first Finals appearance since winning the 2001 Governors Cup, their only title in the league. The last six minutes of Game 5 featured horrendous shooting from both teams which shot a combined 9-of-18 from the field. Sta. Lucia separated from Alaskain the second quarter as Aquino emphasized his 6-foot-9 size on defense as well as on offense. The 35-year old center scored nine of his 18 points in an eight-minute stretch as the Realtors went on a 23-8 run and returned to the locker room holding a 48-37 advantage. Aquino also cornered five rebounds, dished off two assists and had two blocks in a terrific performance that inspired his teammates. The Realtors stayed in control in the third as Mendozatook care of the offense. He scored 11 of his team-high 19 points in the period including three successive 3-pointers as Sta. Lucia posted the game's biggest lead at, 64-47. The Aces, however, didn't give up in that most trying situation and they had some ray of hope as their bench picked up the slack. John Ferriols, one of the most consistent performers among the Aces in this series, clustered nine of his 13 points in the fourth before Tony dela Cruz scored on a lay-up as Alaska regained the lead for the first time since early in the second quarter, 66-64, with 7:03 remaining. Mendozatied the score with a lay-up of his own in the ensuing play but was called for a flagrant foul in the next play for hitting Mike Cortez in the face while trying to knock the ball away from the Alaska guard underneath the basket. During the brief lull, Jeffrey Cariaso, the most veteran among the Aces, pushed Mendoza aside, earning his second technical in the game that led to his ejection. "That really hurt us. Jeffrey should not have done that. He's our leader on the floor and what he did really cost us," Alaska head coach Tim Cone said. To make matters worse, the Aces went 1-of-11 from the field and committed three turnovers in the last six minutes that shattered their hopes to steal the game. The Realtors also struggled offensively during that stretch, going 0-for-8 but made up for it by making nine of 14 free throws. Willie Miller led all scorers with 23 points and as a consolation became the sixth Alaska players to join the 5,000-point club and 57[sup]th[/sup] overall in the league. He achieved the feat with 1:07left to play. Miller, who was fouled while scoring, completed the three-point play to tie the count at 90-all and reach the milestone but the Realtors scored the next five points from the line. The scores: Sta. Lucia 95 - Mendoza 19, Aquino 18, Espino 16, Yeo 14, Williams 13, Miranda 7, Omolon 6, Reyes 2, Coronel 0, Daa 0, Gonzales 0. Alaska 90 - Miller 23, Aban 14, Cortez 14, Ferriols 13, Dela Cruz 13, Cariaso 5, Bono 4, Bajar 3, Quinahan 2, Thoss 2, Hugnatan 0. Quarterscores: 21-20; 48-37; 76-69; 95-90

 

[size twelve]

haven't been to a game in a long time, since i hate the cuneta astrodome and they only recently went back to araneta.. let's squash the e-beef, beef isfor kids.


sucks to lose game 5 but the aces did come back against TNT last year after losing game 5. i guess we'll see how they settle it on-court.


tama pala sinabi ni papa.. talo ang pikon. i just think it's funny that my boy who's a die-hard sta. lucia fan hates paolo mendoza..

 

[carlofromdapi]

RED BULL FORGES DO-OR-DIE GAME 7

Adriano fires career-high 29 to lead hot-shooting Barakos over Purefoods in Game 6

Friday, 08 February 2008

Coach Yeng Guiao has been telling everyone all along that the longer the series goes, the better for his team. He got his wish. Red Bull displayed remarkable shotmaking from long range in Game 6 and dealt Purefoods its worst defeat of the season, 123-97, Friday night to force a deciding seventh game in their 2007-08 SMART-PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series at the Araneta Coliseum. "This is what we wanted in the first place… to drag them (Giants) to a deciding seventh game. It's a good win because momentum has now shifted back to us," offered Guiao during the post-game news conference. With their campaign on the brink, the Barakos -- playing only on a short rotation due to the absence of the injured Leo Najorda and with Paolo Bugia and Topex Robinson hurting -- showed a terrific sense of urgency in Game 6 and shattered Purefoods' zone defense by going 17-of-30 from the 3-point range, the franchise's all-time best performance from that area since entering the league in 2000. "I was surprised they lived and died with the zone," Guiao said of Purefoods' defense. Kiko Adriano, one of the most consistent among the Barakos in this series, led all scorers with 29 points - a new career high - on an 8-of-14 shooting. He also went 6-for-6 from the 15-foot line and dished off five assists. Mick Pennisi went 7-of-10 from beyond the arc and finished with a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds for Red Bull which shot 56 percent from the 3-point range. "We wanted a high-percentage defense. We defended well with the zone in Game 5. It was a game we won then and we gambled on it again this time. And they just really shot well again tonight," offered Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio. Red Bull opened the game with a 17-1 run and ended the quarter with a 42-20 advantage. The Barakos, who shot 10-of-17 threes in the first two quarters, ended the half at 66-46. For the record, Red Bull's 42 points in the opening quarter was the highest by any team in a quarter this conference. It was also the highest since Air21 scored 42 in the fourth quarter of a 116-115 loss against Talk 'N Text in the elminations of the Fiesta Conference last year. The deciding game is set for Sunday also at the Big Dome and Guiao doesn't expect any more surprises. "All the adjustments have been made. I don't think there will be more on Sunday. This series now boils down to sheer determination and greater desire to make the Finals," said Guiao, winner of five championships in the league - three with Red Bull and two with Swift in the 90s -- but still aspiring for his first all-Filipino trophy. Peter Jun Simon scored 26 points and James Yap added 18 but their effort couldn't lift the spirits of the team as Kerby Raymundo and Mark Pingris struggled all night. Pingris managed just seven points and Raymundo scored only four points on a 1-of-6 shooting. Despite the jolting loss, Gregorio remains undaunted. "All they did was tie the series. It all boils down to Sunday. We'll definitely go flat out in Game 7," the Purefoods coach explained. The scores: Red Bull 123 - Adriano 29, Pennisi 23, Baguio 18, Hrabak 9, Duncil 8, Ybanez 8, Cruz 8, Valenzuela 8, Sharma 7, Membrere 5, Andaya 0. Purefoods 97 - Simon 26, J. Yap 18, Lanete 14, Pingris 7, Evangelista 7, Yee 7, Salvador 5, Sanz 4, Raymundo 4, Castillo 3, Adducul 2, R. Yap 0. Quarterscores: 42-20; 66-46; 97-71; 123-97

 

[feathertouch29]

GO MICK!

 

[carlofromdapi]

ACES LIVE TO FIGHT FOR ANOTHER DAY

Miller shines as Alaska forces rubber match

Friday, 08 February 2008

Alaska did its share to force a Super Sunday double knockout setto. The Aces fought with sheer determination and great desire with their backs against the wall, pulling even with the Sta. Lucia Realtors after six games of their 2007-08 Smart PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal showdown at the Araneta Coliseum Friday night. The semifinals boil down to a double sudden-death with the Red Bull Barakos also stalling the Purefoods Giants' bid in their own duel. The Aces played their cards well and pounded out a 106-87 win to force the rubber match with the Realtors. Willie Miller, the two-time MVP who floundered at the finish in Game Five, redeemed himself with a solid game laced with acrobatic plays highlighting the Aces' decisive breakaway in the third quarter. "This guy represented our effort tonight," said Alaska coach Tim Cone of Miller. Alaska actually started strong on both halves, doing much damage to Sta. Lucia in the first and third quarters. The Aces beat the Realtors by 23 points in those periods. Showing they wanted it more in Game Six, the Aces opened a 22-11 lead in the first period and zoomed away at 80-57 after the third canto. "Game Six is always tough to win when you have the lead. Tonight's games proved that," said Cone. The veteran Alaska mentor sees Game Seven as anybody's game. "Game Seven is a matter of intensity, who comes out and executes. Coaches have little thing to do there. All the adjustments have been done going to Game Seven," said Cone. Cone said they played actively defensively and he gave much credit to assistant coach Joel Banal. "We gave the rein to coach Joel and he did a great job doing that. I really appreciate what he did," said Cone. The Aces dragged the Realtors to a defensive battle in the first half before Miller unraveled an offensive show in the third quarter. At one point after Miller scored on a tough reverse lay-up, Cone was seen jumping up in joy, egging on the crowd to give his flamboyant guard a big round of applause. "Willie was so awesome with that shot. He's just been awesome, doing some kind of deals Johnny (Abarrientos) had done in the past," said Cone. Miller logged 23 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in a sterling 35 minutes of action. Tony de la Cruz contributed 20 points with four other Aces each adding at least 10. The scores: Alaska 106 - Miller 23, De la Cruz 20, Hugnatan 14, Thoss 12, Ferriols 12, Cariaso 10, Bajar 5, Aban 3, Cabatu 3, Laure 2, Cortez 2, Quinahan 0. Sta. Lucia 87 - Williams 20, Omolon 20, Yeo 11, Daa 10, Gonzales 10, Reyes 7, Espino 4, Mamaclay 2, Coronel 2, Aquino 1, Miranda 0, Mendoza 0. Quarterscores: 22-11, 46-35, 80-57, 106-87.

 

[size twelve]

oh

. looks like i gotta make some calls and get some tix for sunday.


who's down to roll with?

 

[bigballer23]

GO! KIKO!

 

[carlofromdapi]

HISTORY ANEW FOR STA. LUCIA

Rookie Reyes finally shows up in Game 7 as Realtors barge into their 1st-ever AFC Finals

Sunday, 10 February 2008

Sta. Lucia's unheralded young warriors and their tireless defensive efforts propelled the long shot Realtors to a 92-84 victory over the Alaska Aces in the deciding Game 7 of their semifinal series and into the Finals of the 2007-08 Smart-PBA Philippine Cup. The Realtors have never been in the 'Last Dance' since capturing the PBA Governors Cup in 2001 - the franchise's first and only title since joining the league in 1993 - and their hunger to win another one was evident Sunday night before a crowd of over 17,000 at the Araneta Coliseum. They were ruthless on the offense, attacking the lane on every opportunity. They were also ferocious on defense, virtually silencing Alaska's deadly backcourt trio of Willie Miller, Jeffrey Cariaso and Mike Cortez which eventually turned the experienced Aces into a dysfunctional unit. "I'm so happy. The boys did what they have to do. They never gave up and they showed tremendous teamwork," said Boyet Fernandez, Sta. Lucia's coach for only the second conference who has not won a championship as a player during his entire 12-year career in the league. Sta. Lucia's run-up to the Finals was totally unexpected. With a revamped roster that was viewed by many as rag-tag, the Realtors were never given a ********'s chance to make the semis or probably even contend for the championship. But they overcame the odds with tenacious defense, grit and determination. "Nagbunga din ang mga paghihirap namin. I guess the coaches also deserved the credit. They prepared us really well for this conference," said Dennis Espino, who along with Marlou Aquino and Paolo Mendoza are the only three remaining members of their 2001 champion team. Rookie Ryan Reyes, in a slump in the first six games of the series averaging only 5.8 points and largely as a result of tendinitis on both knees, brought his A-game back in the most appropriate moment, leading all scorers with 21 points. He also did an exemplary job on defense, holding Miller, the reigning MVP, to just 10 points and a 5-of-14 shooting, which included a scoreless stint in the fourth period. All together, Sta. Lucia's starting five scored all but 10 of the team's total output. Kelly Williams scored 19 points and cornered 15 rebounds - his 16[sup]th[/sup] double-double in the conference, Nelbert Omolon had 17 and 12 boards, Espino registered 17 and had three assists and Dennis Miranda added eight points and seven assists. "My tendinitis has been bothering me all conference but I just try to do what I can to help the team. If we keep playing they way we did today I think we could make it all the way," said Reyes, Sta. Lucia's first round and third overall pick in the 2007 Draft. Game 1 of the best-of-seven finals will start on Friday at the Araneta Coliseum. The Realtors will play the winner of the other semifinal series between the Red Bull Barakos and the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants. Sta. Lucia broke the game in the second quarter by holding the Alaska to just a 5-of-10 shooting from the floor and forcing the Aces to commit 12 turnovers that earned them 13 big points. That decisive quarter saw the Realtors outscoring the Aces, 24-15, to take the half at 45-31. Sta. Lucia took its biggest lead at 20 points (59-39 and 61-41) in the third quarter. Alaska coach Tim Cone said the Realtors deserved to be in the Finals. "They were hungrier than us. And (coach) Boyet really got his team ready every game. They were really focused," Cone said. This first stint in the all-Filipino conference Finals is another feather in the cap for this Realtors squad, adding another milestone to their list of achievements this conference which also includes an all-time franchise best eight-game win streak, a first outright semis berth, an all-time most 12 wins in the eliminations, a first-ever best-of-7 semifinal and a first-ever Game 7. The scores: Sta. Lucia 92 -- Reyes 21, Williams 19, Omolon 17, Espino 17, Yeo 8, Miranda 8, Gonzales 2, Aquino 0, Mendoza 0. Alaska 84 -- Cortez 17, Ferriols 12, Dela Cruz 12, Cariaso 12, Miller 10, Bono 9, Hugnatan 8, Thoss 2, Layre 2, Quinahan 0, Aban 0, Bajar 0. Quarterscores: 21-16; 45-31; 66-53; 92-84

 

[mike23theking]

Rookie Reyes finally shows up in Game 7 as Realtors barge into their 1st-ever AFC Finals

Congrats again Ryan! Bring that 'chip home and you know where we headed!!



sizetwelve: it ain't even that serious man... it's all love. Only reason I back up Ryan is cause I grew up w/ him... known him since '94 whenhis pops was throwing full court passes and he was cherry picking.

(Ryan... you know what I'm talkin about! "BATO-BATO!"

)

 

[size twelve]

word man, it's all in good fun. it's boring if we're all rooting for the same barangay ginebra.

(i hate all the players except johnny a. butsamboy is my boy).


anyway, congrats to the realtors, and i guess i'll be pulling for them in the finals. lesser of two evils.

sucks i didn't get to go to the game, but i had to work this whole weekend. plus nobody was giving up free tix, so oh well.. we all gotta eat, right?

 

[carlofromdapi]

HURTING OR NOT, BIG GAME JAMES STEPS UP TO PLATE AND DELIVERS

Player of the Week February 4 to 10

Monday, 11 February 2008

JAMES Yap is proving to be a lethal weapon, more so when he is a walking wounded. Despite nursing knee and groin injuries, the former Most Valuable Player still stood out from the rest, prompting the PBA Press Corps to name him as its Smart/Accel Player of the Week for the period Feb. 4-10. It was the fourth such recognition for Yap, having been previously cited for the periods October 14 to 21, November 19 to 25 (with Red Bull's Junthy Valenzuela) and December 31 to January 6 (with Sta. Lucia Realty's Kelly Williams.) All because of an unflagging mind-set to do his best for his Purefoods team. "Ang katwiran ko kasi, kung kaya namang maglaro, bakit hindi?" explained Yap a day after scattering 28 points to lead the Giants to an 83-71 win over the Barakos last Sunday that wrapped up their semifinals series, four games to three and clinched for them a finals seat in the Smart Philippine Cup. That scorching performance came after he poured in 25 points in a close 96-95 escape in Game 5 regardless of a strained hip flexor muscle he suffered after favoring his left knee that was badly bruised the Sunday before. "Kailangang-kailangan kasing manalo kaya ibinuhos ko na. Alam ko namang it will all be worth it," he said. "It's amazing to see a player rise to the challenge even after an injury," said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio for his part. "His amazing performances in Games 5 and 7 propelled our entry to the finals." The ironic thing is, he came up with his best scoring performance when he was supposed to be running on vapors after playing too many minutes and too hard in the series, as Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao had previously quipped. "Just when people thought that he might have ran out of gas, he surprises everybody with an amazing display of basketball skills in the most important game of the conference," gushed Gregorio. Purefoods is now gunning for a fifth crown in the conference formerly dubbed as the All-Filipino Cup. If successful against Sta. Lucia in the best-of-seven finale that starts Friday, the Giants will tie legendary Crispa's record of five AFC crowns. That is now Yap's target. "Baka kasi mahirapang maulit na kaya ibubuhos na naman ang makakaya," said the MVP of the 2005-06 season. For the moment, he has time to savor the moment and heal his injuries for he has every reason to prepare for the finals. His wife, celebrity-actress Kris Aquino, celebrates her birthday on Valentine's Day and he turns 26 the day after. "Parang birthday gift na rin sa amin kapag nanalo sa Game 1," he said.