Ginebra wins Game 4, ties series after Talk `N Text walkout

Source: (Philippine Daily Inquirer) By Cedelf P. Tupas

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE) Ginebra tied its best of 5 KFC PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal series with Talk `N Text after the Tropang Texters walked out of game 4 at the Araneta Coliseum Friday.

Talk `N Text walked out with one minute left in the first quarter and Ginebra ahead 27-20 in protest of a flagrant foul 2 called on Ranidel de Ocampo, who committed a hard foul on Ginebra forward Ronald Tubid.

A flagrant foul 2 merits an ejection and an automatic one game suspension. The Tropang Texters lead the race-to-three affair, 2-1.

PBA Commissioner Sonny Barrios met with Talk ‘N Text team officials, led by Ricky Vargas, but failed to convince the team to go back and play. As a result, the game was forfeited in favor of Ginebra.

Talk `N Text's move marked the first time in 20 years that a PBA team walked out of a game. In the 1990 1st conference finals, Añejo also walked out in the second quarter of game 6, allowing Shell to clinch the series, 4-2.

TNT walks out of quarters match vs Gin Kings
Source: abs-cbnnews.com

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 2) Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters walked out from their KFC PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal match against Ginebra Gin Kings at the Araneta Coliseum on Friday.

According to ANC "Hardball" host Boyet Sison, the Tropang Texters squad walked off the court with over a minute left in the first quarter when Ranidel de Ocampo was ejected from the game for committing two flagrant fouls.
“This is a very surprising development as it is a very, very exciting quarterfinal series for both teams,” said Sison.

The entire Talk ‘N Text team including team owner and telecommunications magnate Manny Pangilinan walked out of the game to protest “unfair officiating” in the game.

League officials granted the win to Ginebra after ruling that Talk ‘N Text had already forfeited the game. The two teams are now tied at 2 games each in the best-of-five series.

A similar case happened in the PBA in May 1990 when the Añejo team walked out in Game 6 of the 1st Conference Finals against Shell. They were slapped a huge fine of half a million pesos.

'Ginebra got 50 more free throws'

Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes said that game statistics in their quarterfinal series with Ginebra clearly show that there was something wrong about the officiating.

“In the Talk ‘N Text-Ginebra series, Talk ‘N Text has taken 80 free throws… Ginebra has taken 126 free throws. They have taken almost 50 more free throws that we had in three games,” he said.

Reyes said that the numbers are questionable considering that most of Ginebra’s shots were taken beyond the arc as opposed to scoring inside the paint where they could fish more fouls.

“Ginebra has taken 25 more three-point shots in the three games… which means majority of the shots come from the three point line. In the first 12 minutes of this game (Game 4), they had already taken 14 free throws and they only took 6 attempts in the two-point area. We attempted 20 times in the shaded lane and we were given 5 free throws… It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the disparity,” he said.

Reyes said the second flagrant foul call against De Ocampo was the last straw. This, he said, prompted the team to walk out from the game.

Ginebra coach Jong Uichico merely shrugged off the walk out incident.

“We’ll take any win the way it is. If they give it to us by default, we’ll take it. We’re here to win,” he said.

With a report from Tony Velasquez, ABS-CBN News
 

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DONAIRE HAS TO LOSE SOME WEIGHT BUT FIGURES IT'S NO PROBLEM

Source: (philboxing.com) By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire says he has to lose some weight to make the 115 pound super flyweight limit in time for his WBA Interim title defense against hard-hitting Gerson Guerrero of Mexico, but says it won’t be a problem.

Donaire had his medical check-up in Las Vegas Thursday and told us he would have to go back for his blood test on Friday.

He said the medical went “pretty good, everything went well.”

Donaire said he was seven pounds overweight and was “just trying to cut down on my weight and am eating a little bit. So I am feeling a little weak but after the weigh in I should gain my strength back.”

The former IBF/IBO flyweight champion who relinquished the title after four rousing defenses of the belts he won with a spectacular 5th round knockout of Vic Darchinyan in July 2007 thanked the boxing people who spoke highly of him including internationally respected referee Bruce McTavish who said he is a class act, Manny Pacquiao’s first trainer, American Rick Stehely who predicted Donaire would win at least four world titles in different weight divisions and Australian “Promoter of the Year” Peter Maniatis who said Donaire was the complete fighter with a great future ahead of him.

Obviously a growing young man Donaire said he has been encouraged by their comments and said “we will do it” in reference to be a multi-titled champion saying that as of right now he is “feeling good” following two very successful and well-attended workouts in San Francisco and Los Angeles for the media and fight fans.

Donaire also expressed elation over the fact that the “Pinoy Power III/Latin Fury 13” fight card will be telecast by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN as one of the highpoints of its recently signed two-year deal with Top Rank Promotions of Bob Arum who is recognized as the leading promoter in the world today.

The telecast on Sunday, December 14 Manila Time will be on the pre-eminent Challel 2 beginning at 10:30 a.m. with a replay on Studio 23 at 8:00 p.m. and another replay on Channel 2 on Sunday’s Best at 11:15 p.m.

McTavish welcomed the news of the telecast in one word, “fantastic” while Maniatis commended the network for “ doing a public service in bringing the fights to a large audience nationwide in a country where boxing has zoomed to be the No.1 sports thanks to the exploits of “Fighter of the Decade” and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.”

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TEXTERS, GIANTS AIM FOR FINAL 4 ANEW VS NOW INSPIRED KINGS, ELASTO-PAINTERS

Source: pba.com.ph

Caloy Garcia believes his team could make it two in a row to force a deciding Game 5.

The Rain or Shine coach made his pronouncement shortly after the Elasto Painters earned a new lease on life Wednesday night.

“I still believe we can make a comeback in this series, “Garcia said.

One loss away from being swept, the Elasto Painters survived another late game meltdown and beat the shorthanded Purefoods TJ Giants, 95-92, in Game 3 of their 2009-10 KFC PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal series.

Barangay Ginebra also managed to live for another day with a 102-97 victory over Talk N’ Text in the other quarterfinal matchup also on Wednesday.

The Giants and Tropang Texters still lead their respective series, 2-1. But Wednesday’s turnaround enabled the Elasto Painters and the Kings to regain their confidence going into the crucial Game 4.

If necessary, Game 5 will be on Sunday. The winner of the RoS-Purefoods series will advance to the semifinals against Ssan Miguel while the Talk N’ Text-Ginebra match up victor will be pitted against Alaska in the other best-of-seven series.

“I’ve been telling the boys not to look at the standing. We just have to compete hard every game,” Garcia said.

He admitted their tendency to collapse late in the game worries him.

In Sunday’s Game 2, RoS allowed a 20-point lead to dissipate in the fourth quarter and on Wednesday they again nearly blew an 11-point margin in the last eight minutes of play.

“We need more maturity. But we’re learning fast from our mistakes (of crumbling in the end game).

Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said injuries to Kerby Raymundo (thigh) and Rico Mierhoffer (ankle) took its toll in Game 3 because their absence forced him to play James Yap, Nino Canaleta and Mark Pingris extended minutes.

The two frontlines remain doubtful for Friday’s game but Gregorio said they are ready for the challenge.

“We’re not looking beyond Friday. So we have to play with a sense of urgency for 48 minutes.”

The Kings also have shown the tendency to fade in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, something that coach Jong Uichico said must be addressed immediately.

“We’ve been having a hard time closing games. Obviously this is a concern that has to be remedied if we intend to force a Game 5,” he said. (DBC)

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76ers OT win ends Bulls run

Source: (The Philippine Star)

PHILADELPHIA – Elton Brand scored 26 points, and Andre Iguodala had 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to help the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls 106-103 in overtime in the NBA on Wednesday.

Willie Green added 15 points in place of Allen Iverson, while Lou Williams had 14 points, and Samuel Dalembert finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Iverson missed the game because one of his children was ill.

Derrick Rose scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. The loss snapped the Bulls’ road winning streak at five games.

At Toronto, Chris Bosh scored 20 points, Sonny Weems set career highs with 14 points and 11 rebounds and short-handed Toronto improved to 5-1 in its last six games, beating the New Jersey Nets, 108-99.

Andrea Bargnani added 20 points, and Antoine Wright had a season-high 18.

Yi Jianlian and Devin Harris each scored 15 points for New Jersey. The Nets have lost four straight to drop to 4-44 overall. They are 1-24 on the road.

At New York, Nate Robinson scored 23 points, and David Lee had 22 points and 10 rebounds to help New York snap a three-game losing streak, winning over the Wizards, 107-85.

Robinson also had eight assists and six rebounds.

Brendan Haywood and Nick Young each scored 15 points for Washington, which played without starting forward Caron Butler (bruised left knee).

At Atlanta, Joe Johnson scored 34 points, Jamal Crawford added 22, and Atlanta overcame a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit to improve to 20-5 at home with a 103-97 decision over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon each scored 17 points, and Marcus Camby had six points and 20 rebounds for Los Angeles. (AP)

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Patriots claim 1st final slot

Source: (The Philippine Star)

KUALA LUMPUR – The Philippine Patriots shackled the Kuala Lumpur Dragons with their pesky defense to pull off a 70-65 come-from-behind victory and clinch the first final berth in the Asean Basketball League at the MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last Wednesday.

The Patriots fell behind by as many as 16 points in the second quarter but toughened up on defense to force a series of turnovers and bounce back into the contest before hanging tough in the clutch to complete their sweep of the Dragons in their series.

A fiery 10-0 run highlighted by a triple by Rob Wainwright and a three-point play by Gabe Freeman at the start of the last period shoved the Patriots to the lead for the very first time en route to the victory.

Jason Dixon led the Patriots with 22 points, including a crucial three-point play off Jamal Brown for a 68-63 lead heading into the final two minutes. He also had 11 rebounds for his 13th double-double performance in his last 14 games as the Patriots completed a sweep of their best-of-three semis series.

The Patriots, co-owned by Harbour Centre’s Mikee Romero and businessman Tony Boy Cojuangco, will face either the Singapore Slingers or Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma for the crown.

The Jakarta-based squad forced a rubber match for the other finals seat after blasting the Slingers, 74-45.

Freeman had an awful six-of-18 shooting but still finished with 17 points and 12 boards.

“We were very complacent in the first half,” said coach Louie Alas. “But I told the boys to toughen up on defense and I guessed that’s the story of the game.”

The Dragons, starring Filipino import Rudy Lingganay, Cameroonian Chris Kuete, local Shee Fai Loh and Brown, raced to an early 35-19 lead. But a 13-5 windup on baskets from Jaypee Alcaraz and Warren Ybañez enabled the Patriots to cut the deficit to 40-32 at halftime.

JP Alcaraz had seven points, four rebounds and two assists, Ybañez tallied five points, four assists and two steals while forward Jerwin Gaco wound up with six points, one rebound, one assist and one shot block.

“We relied too much on our imports and we rarely attacked the basket in the first half,” said Alas. “But when Jerwin came in the third quarter, he was attacking aggressively.”

Christian Coronel, the Patriots’ second-string point guard, also provided steady contributions off the bench with five points, two rebounds, two assists, most of which came in the second half.

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Pacman wants big win over Clottey

Source: (The Philippine Star) By Abac Cordero

Manny Pacquiao hands over a souvenir glove to Hollywood star Steven Seagal who called on the boxer recently at the Filipino icon’s home in Los Angeles. The photo was lifted from the Facebook account of ex-boxer Jovie Jalog who’s now based in LA and a member of Team Pacquiao.

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao wants to come out impressive against Josh Clottey.

And impressive, by his usual standard, could mean no less than a knockout.

From his headquarters in Los Angeles, the Filipino pound-for-pound champion said he’s leaving no stone unturned that by the time he takes on Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13, he’d be in tip-top condition.

“I’m the WBO welterweight champion and the BWAA (Boxing Writers Association of America) Fighter of the Year and Fighter of the Decade so Clottey will do everything to win,” Pacquiao wrote in his regular column at www.philboxing.com.

“He’s looking for an upset. And I need to prove that I deserve these awards with another masterpiece. I need to come out impressive,” said Pacquiao, in the thick of his training for the bout being anticipated as the first big fight of the year.

The 31-year-old icon has no habit of predicting a knockout, even if he always ends up doing so. He has won his last 11 fights dating back in 2005 and has scored eight stoppages against some of the great names in boxing.

He’s the odds-on favorite to win the bout, and there may be very little hope that the fight is going to last the distance.

“Manny’s going to knock him out,” declared Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach.

“I’ve seen tapes of him (Clottey). He’s not good. He’s got no chance,” added the only man to receive the Trainer of the Year award from the BWAA four times. He seldom goes wrong when he says Pacquiao’s going to win by knockout.

The reigning 147 lb champion, who has knocked out his last four opponents, from David Diaz to Oscar dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, is entering his second week of training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.

Yesterday, he pounded the mitts for 10 rounds non-stop and today he’ll be back sparring. In a week, he has logged 16 rounds of sparring and by the time he leaves for Dallas on March 8 he should have logged close to 150 rounds.

Pacquiao said he knows what he’s dealing with.

“A lot of people say this is going to be an easy fight for me but actually it’s a dangerous one because Clottey has the strength, the size and the speed. He’s taller (5’8”) and heavier (being a natural welterweight) and he almost beat Cotto,” said Pacquiao.

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Texters, Giants go for the kill anew

Source: (The Philippine Star) By Nelson Beltran

MANILA, Philippines - Talk n Text and Purefoods, unable to deliver the knockout punch the other night, try again today, hoping to oust Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine in the fourth game of their KFC PBA Philippine Cup best-of-five quarterfinals showdowns at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Tropang Texters and the Giants have to close out the series today or face the specter of playing under tremendous pressure going through a possible sudden death Sunday.

The Texters take on the Kings at 5 p.m. while the Giants collide with the Elasto Painters at 7:30 p.m.

Despite their victories last Wednesday, pressure remain on the Kings and the Elasto Painters as they set out in their second do-or-die duel after dropping the first two games in their respective quarters series.

Both teams, however, are confident of forcing a pair of rubber matches, raring to come out and fight the way they did in Game Three.

The Elasto Painters fought ferociously throughout and squeezed out a 95-92 decision while the Kings squandered a 13-point halftime lead but recovered to salvage a 102-97 victory.

Rain or Shine, playing a third knockout game in two weeks, got a big break when Purefoods ‘ injured key players Kerby Raymundo, Rico Maierhofer and Peter June Simon took a rest Wednesday.

On the expected return of Raymundo and Maierhofer, Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia said the Elasto Painters are ready to rise to the challenge.

“We really have to compete every game. I still believe we can make a comeback if we compete with a big heart,” said Garcia.

Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio, meanwhile, said they would play with a sense of urgency in a bid to end the series in four games.

“It’s a must-win situation for us whether we play with a complete roster or not. We are not looking beyond Friday. The sense of urgency must be present from the opening tip till the end,” said Gregorio.

Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes also hoped they could finish off the dangerous Kings in Game Four.

With their back against the wall, Ginebra coach Jong Uichico was forced to reactivate Jayjay Helterbrand Wednesday with the 2008 MVP winner putting in significant contributions.

“It’s really hard to play Talk n Text. You have to find a way to beat them,” said coach Uichico as they squeezed through in Game Three to narrow their deficit to 1-2 in the best-of-five series.

“Jayjay was not yet supposed to return (Wednesday). But if we wait for his full recovery, he might miss the entire series,” Uichico said.

“We now have a semblance of a shot. Hopefully, we can get through again to force a sudden death,” he added.

JC Intal, Eric Menk and Ronald Tubid played key roles as the Kings frustrated the Texters in their first attempt at closing out the series.

Intal came through with a career-high 25 points on top of 10 rebounds, three assists and one steal while Menk added 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Tubid, a contender for the Best Player of the Conference, struggled in the first three quarters but delivered when needed the most in the crunch.

Helterbrand chipped in eight points, three rebounds and the same number of assists.

Willy Wilson, Mark Caguioa and Cyrus Baguio also chipped in their share but the Kings still had a hard time shaking off the gutsy Texters.

The Kings eventually escaped with the win only on three missed three-pointers by Jimmy Alapag and Renren Ritualo in the closing seconds.

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Jackson passes Riley as winningest Lakers coach

Source: gmanews.tv

LOS ANGELES — With his superstar hobbling and the Charlotte Bobcats refusing to go away, Phil Jackson never got terribly comfortable while becoming the winningest coach in Los Angeles Lakers history.

Andrew Bynum had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Lamar Odom scored 19 points while making several big plays down the stretch, making sure Jackson added another superlative to his matchless coaching career in Los Angeles' 99-97 victory over the Bobcats on Wednesday night.

Jackson, also the winningest coach in Chicago Bulls history, passed Pat Riley with his 534th win with the Lakers. The Hall of Famer won 545 games and six titles in nine seasons with Michael Jordan and Co. before winning four more rings in his first nine seasons with the Lakers, rising to fifth on the NBA's career coaching victories list when he passed Charlotte's Larry Brown earlier this season.

"It's been a really good run," Jackson said. "Having this opportunity to coach this team is always special. The fact that we've had some great teams, great players, is always a credit to them. It's not really an individual record in my mind."

Jackson is the winningest playoff coach in NBA history, and the only coach to win more than 70 percent of his regular-season games. Against the pesky Bobcats, he managed to coax a late-game win out of his Lakers even with just a season-low five points from Kobe Bryant.

Bryant aggravated his already-sore left foot when Odom stepped on it late in the first half. His jumping and speed obviously compromised, Bryant then failed to score in the fourth quarter of his first single-digit scoring game of the season.

"It was just stiff — stiff and tight," said Bryant, who's already playing with a broken finger on his shooting hand. "Lamar stepped on my foot as I was changing directions, so ... it just made it worse. It just set it back to Square One."

Pau Gasol and Ron Artest scored 14 points apiece for the Lakers, who returned from an eight-game trip to improve the NBA's best home record to 24-3 with their eighth consecutive victory at Staples Center.

"We struggled against them for a while, and we were able to play pretty well even though it wasn't our best game," Gasol said.

The Lakers hadn't been home since beating Orlando on Jan. 18. The defending champions went just 5-3 on their East Coast trip, staying atop the Western Conference but struggling against the demands of a schedule that includes four more games in the next seven days.

Stephen Jackson scored 30 points for the Bobcats, who played without injured All-Star Gerald Wallace in the finale of a six-game trip. Nazr Mohammed added 23 points and 17 rebounds, but the Bobcats couldn't quite pull ahead to beat the Lakers for the fourth straight time, even with Bryant's woes.

"Everybody played good, (but) they've got such length and depth and size," Brown said. "We weren't exactly perfect, but we were pretty darn good. ... We're getting better. We compete every night."

Neither team took a lead larger than seven points in the first three quarters, and Charlotte quickly erased an eight-point Lakers lead in the fourth. Mohammed's fallaway jumper with 1:38 to play trimmed Los Angeles' lead to 93-92, but Gasol responded with a quick hook shot before blocking Jackson's driving layup.

After Odom tipped home Artest's layup, Bryant missed a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to give the Bobcats a final chance to tie. But Jordan Farmar forced a turnover on Jackson's pass on a muddled inbounds play, and made a fast-break dunk on a pass from Gasol with 4.5 seconds left.

"I had everybody confused," Brown said. "That was my fault. We had another timeout where I don't think anybody really understood what we were trying to do, so that was on me. I told them all afterwards that that was just an old coach doing a stupid thing."

Flip Murray made a 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to trim the final margin.

"(A win) would have made a good road trip a great road trip, but they did what they had to do down the stretch, and that's what good teams do," Mohammed said. "We're still growing, and that is where we're going to be."

Wallace, the first All-Star in Bobcats history, strained his left hamstring late in their loss at Portland on Monday night. He skipped Wednesday's shootaround, but wasn't ruled out until game time, with Stephen Graham starting in his place.

Bryant's eventful night began with a standing ovation from a pregame ceremony in which Lakers great Jerry West presented him with a game ball in recognition of Bryant's ascension to the top of the Lakers' career scoring list. Bryant passed West on Monday night during the Lakers' loss at Memphis. - AP

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Ex-PBB housemate Princess Manzon faces her haters

Source: (www.abs-cbn.com) By Napoleon Quintos

After making a voluntary exit during the early part of Pinoy Big Brother Double Up, Princess Manzon returned to Kuya’s house together with other ex-housemates to form the Resbak Attack task force team. In an interview with ABS-CBN.com, Princess explained that she agreed to be a part of PBB again to challenge the remaining housemates. “Napag-usapan naming ex-housemates na ilalabas namin ‘yung mga narinig namin from them sa confession room na sinabi nila about each other. Pero ang nangyari ako ‘yung pinakamaraming sinabi kaya it appeared na ako ‘yung bitchy. In my own defense ‘yung mga sinabi ko sila ang nagsabi nun sa confession room. Hindi ko lang maintindihan bakit hindi nila ma-confront ang isa’t isa. Napaplastikan tuloy ako sa kanila. The reason I made a voluntary exit is hindi ko kaya ‘yun. Kaya siguro sila ganun kasi they were playing safe so they can win the competition.”

But Princess admitted that the task hurt her in the same way that the other housemates got hurt with her actions. She was given the chance to visit House A in an attempt to destroy the domino tower protected by the housemates as part of their weekly task. In the process she and housemate Mariel Soriño almost got into a catfight. “Hindi ko kasi masyadong nakausap si Mariel when I was still a housemate kaya hindi ako prepared na magiging aggressive siya. Hindi naman ako nasaktan sa mga sinabi niya. Nagulat lang ako na hinawakan niya ako so I just defended myself. I managed the situation naman.”

The Cebuana beauty said that with all the reactions she got from the housemates during the time that she was being aggressive, she was impressed with the stands of Melisa Cantiveros and Jason Francisco. “I realized that si Jason and Melisa lang ‘yung friend pa rin ang turing nila sa akin. I was very happy. Kung ako ang nasa lugar nila I would also value the friendship more than the money or the task. The others were just there to play the game, especially the guys. Nasaktan ako kay Paul Jake (Castillo) kasi hindi na niya ako makausap nang diretso. Hindi siya masyadong nagpapakita ng reaction. Also sobra siyang determined sa task hindi na niya inisip na may mga masasaktang girls. I expected more concern from him para sa ibang tao.”

Following the Resbak Attack, Princess, Yuri Okawa, and Rica Paras joined the other housemates for a special task ordered by Kuya which she admitted she would have said “no” to. “Kung pwede lang tumanggi ginawa ko na kasi hindi ko na gustong maki-bonding sa kanila sa loob ng bahay kasi because of the competition nagiging plastic ang mga tao. Hindi ko talaga kayang maging housemate. Hindi ko kayang makasama ang isang taong ayaw ko at ayaw ako. I feel sorry for those na hindi nagpapakatotoo thinking na that’s how they can win the game.”

Nevertheless she got the chance to explain herself to the housemates, although according to Princess, she was no longer expecting to salvage her friendship with them. “I explained myself to them na sinabi ko lang ang mga sinabi nila sa confession room. I just acted that way for the task. Bahala na sila kung ano ang gusto nilang paniwalaan. Bago naman ako pumasok uli inilagay ko na sa isip ko na these are the people who I don’t think I can be good friends with. Hindi naman sa I don’t care but the truth is hindi ako masyadong masasaktan sa kanila. Let’s just see na lang ano ang mangyayari after PBB. Sina Melisa and Jason okay kami nina Rica.”

When she returned to the outside world, Princess said she was already expecting lots of haters because of what she did inside the house. But she told ABS-CBN.com that she doesn’t mind those people who would label her as the “bad girl” of this PBB season. “Nung lumabas kami ng Kuya’s Darlings mainit naman ‘yung pagtanggap ng mga audience sa amin. Maybe they understand that what we did was just a task. But when I went online I read lots of negative reactions about me. It doesn’t affect me though. Okay naman ako sa family and friends ko. You don’t need to always explain yourself to people. They will say something bad kahit ano pa ang gawin mo. I don’t entertain those people.”

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Toni Gonzaga turns down TV5 offer

Source: abs-cbnNEWS.com By Reyma Buan-Deveza

MANILA, Philippines – Network TV5 has also offered a show to Toni Gonzaga, but she turned it down.

The singer-actress made this revelation in a press conference for her “Love is… Toni Gonzaga” concert to be held at the Music Museum on February 26 and 27 at 8 p.m.

"Nandoon ang kapatid ko [sa TV5]. May dating ino-offer sa akin na show... pero okay lang [kahit tinanggihan ko] dahil may kapalit naman [dito sa ABS-CBN]," Gonzaga said.

But what if she gets a new offer?

She said: "Nandoon na ‘yong kapatid ko. Sa kanya na i-offer. At marami pang season and PBB (Pinoy Big Brother), sayang naman kung iiwan ko."

Gonzaga's sister is Alex Gonzaga, who is also a television host and an actress.

For the elder Gonzaga, leaving the Kapamilya network is out of the question.

"Sa ngayon masayang masaya po ako as Kapamilya. I've been a Kapamilya for 5 years now and so far wala akong regret," she said.

Gonzaga is one of the most visible ABS-CBN stars. Aside from PBB, Gonzaga regularly appears in various ABS-CBN television programs. She is also a mainstay of musical variety show "ASAP XV."

The actress-host is also set to star in a romantic-comedy film with Robin Padilla.

Dolphy and Maricel Soriano, ABS-CBN’s biggest stars, have recently signed non-exclusive agreements with network TV5.

One of the stalwarts of ABS-CBN, Dolphy has signed a deal to do a sitcom with TV5. Soriano, on the other hand, will reportedly do a special to be followed by a drama series on TV5.

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Realtors tap old import Johnson for ‘Fiesta’ campaign

Source: GMANews.TV

After a painful exit in the Philippine Cup, Sta. Lucia is ready to get back on track by tapping an old reliable import in Anthony Johnson for the next tournament.

The 6-foot-6 Johnson led the Realtors to a quarterfinal stint in the Fiesta Conference last season, his solid performance enough to make him Sta. Lucia’s first choice for the coming import-flavored tilt.

“The good thing about Anthony Johnson is the energy he brings every game. He’s also no stranger to the things that we’re doing," Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez told GMANews.TV

Johnson actually first played for the Coca-Cola Tigers in 2007-08, but was replaced in the elimination round. The following season, it was the Realtors’ turn to get his services.

The Realtors are coming off a heartbreaking campaign in the Philippine Cup. They were a win away from an outright quarterfinal berth, but suddenly found themselves taking an early vacation in the company of Barako Bull, Burger King and Coca-Cola.

Once leading by six games over Rain or Shine and Coca-Cola, the Realtors surprisingly got booted out early after crucial losses.

They battled Purefoods for an outright quarterfinals berth, but lost and got relegated to the knockout wildcard phase.

Feeling the fatigue, the no. 6 seed Realtors played the no. 9 Elasto Painters and lost steam, 86-90, to eventually bow out of the tournament.

“We played back-to-back games and those games were both exhausting matches," said Fernandez. “There were opportunities for us to get into the quarterfinals, but there were several factors that hindered our chances."

Fernandez said that had San Miguel Beer’s protest against Talk ‘N Text been upheld, Sta. Lucia would have had a better chance of making it to the quarterfinals. Instead, the Realtors were forced to fight it out for a place in the quarters.

“We cannot do anything about it. That’s the decision of the commissioner so we have to live with it," said Fernandez, who steered the Realtors to the 2007-2008 Philippine Cup crown. - GMANews.TV

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King James Mr. Assist in Cavs win

Source: (The Philippine Star)

CLEVELAND – LeBron James tied a career high with 15 assists to help the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the worn-down Memphis Grizzlies, 105-89, on Tuesday for their ninth straight NBA victory.

James scored 22 but was more focused on setting up his teammates. It was the fifth time in six games he has had at least 10 assists, accepting the challenge of running Cleveland’s offense while the club waits for guards Mo Williams and Delonte West to return from injuries.

Shaquille O’Neal ruled beneath the hoop, collecting 13 points and 13 rebounds in 21 minutes as Cleveland again won comfortably - the Cavaliers have won their past four games by an average of 19 points.

Rudy Gay scored 15 for Memphis, playing its fourth game in five nights.

In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant had 33 points and 11 rebounds as Oklahoma City recovered from blowing a 13-point lead and still beat Atlanta, 106-99.

Durant became the first player since Allen Iverson nine seasons ago to score at least 25 points in 22 consecutive games. He made two free throws with 10 seconds left to complete a perfect 14-for-14 night at the foul line.

With Atlanta within two points, Durant hit jump shot of back-to-back possessions to make it 97-93 and then set up a three points by Jeff Green and a layup by Russell Westbrook that sealed the result.

Green finished with 19 points.

In Orlando, Florida, Vince Carter had 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead undermanned Orlando over Milwaukee, 99-82.

The struggling shooting guard had by far his most efficient game in more than a month, giving Orlando its seventh win in eight games.

Charlie Bell and Luke Ridnour had 13 points apiece for the Bucks, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Milwaukee fell to 0-3 against Orlando this season.

In Chicago, the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a four-game losing skid with a surprise 90-82 win over the Bulls.

Chris Kaman had 21 points and 11 rebounds in his return from injury and Eric Gordon scored 24 points for the Clippers.

Back home after finishing a long road trip with five impressive victories over good Western Conference teams, the Bulls shot 38 percent and committed 20 turnovers in losing to the struggling Clippers. Luol Deng scored 16 of his 18 points in the first quarter for Chicago. (AP)

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Pacman takes Golden Gloves champ to school

Source: By Abac Cordero (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Jose Benavidez, the 2009 National Golden Gloves light-welterweight champion who just turned pro, was supposed to provide some challenge for Manny Pacquiao in sparring yesterday.

But the 17-year-old, 5-foot-11 American, who carries an impressive 120-5 record as an amateur, was taken to school by the Filipino pound-for-pound champion at the Wild Card Gym.

“Pinag-laruan ( He toyed with the guy),” said Pacquiao’s pointman in Los Angeles, former Manila sports scribe Winchell Campos.

“He was supposed to be a phenom,” added Campos of Benavidez who fought his first professional fight only last month, knocking out fellow rookie Steven Cox right in the opening round.

Benavidez, now being trained by Freddie Roach, should pick things up in the next few days and weeks of sparring.

Pacquiao sparred two rounds with Benavidez, another two with Brian Brooks, and three more with another sparring partner which no one from within Team Pacquiao could name.

Campos said Shawn Porter, who played a big role in Pacquiao’s preparations for the Miguel Cotto fight last November, is set to come in and take the lead role in sparring.

So far, Pacquiao has logged 16 rounds in three days of sparring which is held Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays behind closed doors.

The 31-year-old Pinoy icon is only in his second week of training and already he has looks like he’s been training for a month now.

“Very impressive. He’s now working on his timing,” said Campos of the boxer who trains like no other.

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E-Painters, Gin Kings avert ouster

Source: By Nelson Beltran (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Gabe Norwood scored on a spectacular follow-up dunk in the closing seconds, and Rain or Shine survived a third knockout game in two weeks with a 95-92 decision over Purefoods in Game Three of their KFC PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals showdown at the Araneta Coliseum last night.

Norwood dished out a solid all-around game capped by a two-handed slam off a missed layup by Jeff Chan, allowing the Elasto Painters to avoid what could have been a second straight sorry endgame fold-up.

In the second game, Barangay Ginebra squandered a 13-point halftime lead but outfought Talk n Text in a battle down the stretch, squeezing out a 102-97 win to also keep its semis hopes alive.

“It’s really hard to play Talk n Text. You have to find a way on both ends to beat them,” said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.

JC Intal came through with a career-high 25 points while Eric Menk added 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists as the Kings dodged the Texters’ first knockout attempt.

Jayjay Helterbrand, reactivated from the injured list in this crucial game, chipped in eight points, three rebounds and the same number of assists.

Chan, Mike Hrabak, Sol Mercado and TY Tang had their significant contributions as Rain or Shine foiled Purefoods’ sweep bid in their best-of-five quarters duel, thus, staying in the hunt for a breakthrough campaign in the all-Filipino tourney.

Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia admitted they got a big break with Purefoods opting to rest injured key players Kerby Raymundo, Rico Maierhofer and Peter June Simon.

The Elasto Painters, survivors from the wildcard round plays, try to survive a fourth do-or-die game tomorrow to force a rubber match versus the Giants in their fight for a semis berth against the San Miguel Beermen.

“This is about the boys coming out to compete. Basically, the boys fight with character as they don’t want to lose specially by a sweep,” said Garcia.

“We really have to compete every game. Despite what happened in Game Two, I still believe we can make a comeback if we compete with a big heart,” Garcia added.

Chan and Hrabak nailed five three-pointers each and led five Rain or Shine players who finished in double figures.

“I was encouraged by the coaching staff to take the shots. When I made my first shot, I became confident with my shooting,” said Chan who wound up with 17 points, six rebounds and the same number of assists.

Chan highlighted his exploits with back-to-back triples that helped fuel a decisive run giving Rain or Shine an 11-point spread at 91-80 entering the last three minutes of play.

But the Elasto Painters faltered at the finish, allowing the Giants to threaten at 90-93 in the closing minute.

Norwood eventually settled the outcome of the game as he slammed in Chan’s missed layup with 4.6 seconds left.

It was Rain or Shine’s third win in a do-or-die game, following victories over Sta. Lucia and Coca-Cola in the wildcards.

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Mayweather still hasn't signed contract to fight Mosley

By Chris Mannix, SI.com

Sitting on desk in Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer's office in Los Angeles is Shane Mosley's signed contract to face Floyd Mayweather on May 1st in Las Vegas. Conspicuously missing, however, is Mayweather's.

Though both sides have agreed to the terms of the fight -- which will include random blood testing done by the USADA -- Mayweather has still not signed the deal. And Schaefer doesn't understand why.

"I have no idea what's going on," Schaefer told SI.com. "Every time I talk to [Mayweather's advisors] they tell me it's coming the next day. Every day it's the next day."

Schaefer had initially planned to bring both fighters to the Super Bowl in Miami to begin promoting the fight. That plan, however, has been scrapped.

"The Super Bowl was going to kick off the promotion," said Schaefer. "It would have been a great platform for promoting a fight this big. But I'm not going down there until I have a signed contract from Mayweather."

While Schaefer said he is willing to wait longer for Mayweather, he said Mosley was "getting close" to reaching the point where he will start looking for other opponents.

"Shane just wants to be in great fights," said Schaefer.

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Moment To Shine: Edwin Valero - Antonio DeMarco Preview And Prediction

Written by Tim Starks

Comes now the major U.S. television debut of Edwin Valero, the electric lightweight who's the biggest puncher in the sport today but has gobs of flaws and a messy life outside the ring. Even though it's his opponent Saturday, Antonio DeMarco, that Showtime has nurtured, make no mistake that Valero is the focal point of the night. How can he not be? Just check out that Charlie Manson look in his eye. Watch how his foes react when he connects on one of his quick, wild, thudding shots. Observe the arrogance with which he carries himself in the ring, the passion he exhibits when he scores a knockout, as he's done in all 26 of his fights. There are Valero believers and there are Valero skeptics and people like me who are somewhere in between, but he has commodities that give him big star potential, if he can even out the considerable potholes and uneven pavement in the road ahead.

DeMarco hopes to be a mighty big pothole for Valero. He's got his own path to popularity, like the chance to become the Mexican boxing hero that he'd likely become if he beat Valero. The 24-year-old really only recently graduated from prospect to contender, and just a couple fights ago, when it was clear he was lining up as a mandatory challenger for Valero's alphabet title belt, the idea of him beating Valero was outlandish at best. But over the course of his last three fights, DeMarco has matured from pure brawler to tentative boxer-puncher to something like a fully realized version of himself.

It's remarkable we even arrived at this point, given Valero's troubles. In the United States, he can only fight in Texas because of a brain injury he suffered in a motorcycle accident long ago that left him medically unfit to do battle in states other than Texas (although Nevada may reconsider due to some regulatory changes there). Then he went and earned himself a DUI when he was here, and that prevented him from getting a visa -- although his promoter, Bob Arum, says that he's sought treatment and that should clear up his visa woes. In between, he's had weird allegations of assault against his mother -- he denies them -- and he's espoused weird theories like saying his visa woes were related to his love of his president, Hugo Chavez, whose mug is tattooed on his chest. Turns out the way around it was that Valero-DeMarco is happening in Mexico.

In the ring, he has gifts that cannot be denied. Early on, his gaudy KO rate was the result of him not fighting much of anyone, but he's stepped up the competition and the gaudiness continues unabated. His first top-notch opponent was Vicente Mosquera, ranked #4 at junior lightweight by Ring magazine the year before they fought, and he went life and death with him. Mosquera decked Valero, which was a bad sign for him considering Mosquera's not a huge puncher, but Valero got up and showed heart to stop Mosquera late, which was a good sign. That was 2006. Last year, he knocked out fellow KO artist Antonio Pitalua in two rounds. Those are the two best opponents of his career, and Pitalua was ranked #7 by Ring at the time, so he's only beaten one really decent lightweight -- and even then, Pitalua really only had one quality win at the time. That makes the unranked but promising DeMarco one of the three best opponents of Valero's career, and you wonder if he wouldn't be further along without all the messiness, given that he's been a YouTube sensation for most of a pro career than began in 2002.

Besides his obvious consciousness-erasing specialty, and besides speed that's in the upper range of elite boxers, he does some other things well. He is pretty good at controlling distance, and he has good reflexes, so he never got hit cleanly by Pitalua for a test of his chin. It's an important point. If Mosquera could rattle Valero, it stands to reason someone else could. And while he's so offensive-minded his opponents are more concerned with getting out of the way than firing back, he's awfully vulnerable when he's on the attack. Valero makes no pretenses to tuck his chin down whatsoever. He comes in with his head straight up. And he's wild as Bill Donovan with his punches, which leaves him all the more open. They border on slaps. He gets away with both tendencies because he's so overwhelming and because he has such natural explosiveness that he can hurt you with even poorly-thrown shots. He's become more disciplined over the years, even working in a nice jab to the body in his repertoire, but I notice in equal parts when I watch him fight how dynamic he is and how vulnerable he is.

Like Valero, DeMarco is a southpaw, which adds a dimension of difficulty to fighting both men. DeMarco's height also makes him difficult. At 5'10" and with a 72" reach, he'll have advantages in both categories over the 5'7", 69"-reach Valero. He doesn't hit as hard as Valero, but nobody does. DeMarco hits plenty hard, with 17 KOs in 23 wins. His knockouts are usually the result of accumulated damage, but he does have one-punch power. He'll knock down or wobble an opponent with one punch. Valero has power in both hands; so does DeMarco. He's a converted southpaw, so his right hook is his favorite weapon, but his straight left is potent as well. He controls distance more by stepping back or to the side than with his jab, a most important punch for a tall fighter, but he worked it better in his last fight against Jose Alfaro than he had in the past.

If you go back four fights in DeMarco's career, you'll find a completely different fighter than the one who fought Alfaro. He was all about standing and trading. Against Almazbek "Kid Diamond" Raiymkulov, he was patient to a fault, but it was clear he'd recognized that Kid Diamond was a real puncher, and standing around and swapping punches with him would be unwise. Against Anges Adjaho, he also was patient to a fault, giving away rounds just as he had against Kid Diamond before closing the show. Against Alfaro, he was fighting in a patient, measured style, but winning, too. And then he closed the show. The proper balance between boxing smartly and being aggressive eliminated some of DeMarco's problems, but he still has some problems. His speed is in the "good" category, more like a C+ among top fighters than Valero's solid A, A-. He's sharpened up his defense, but he still gets hit a fair amount more than he'll want to against Valero, often getting tagged when retreating after throwing a long punch that misses. And his chin has held up to the tests presented to it, but it's still a little bit of an unknown, given his inexperience -- and inexperience is another knock on him.

I imagine the fighter who beats Valero will be a skilled counterpuncher with power who matches or exceeds him in speed. Valero wants Manny Pacquiao some day sooner rather than later, and while I wouldn't be surprised if Valero is the heavier hitter of the two men should that day come (Valero, according to his biggest advocate Ring writer Doug Fischer, says Valero KOs Urbano Antillon in sparring and Pacquiao doesn't), I would pick Pacquiao to demolish Valero. I don't think Valero quite deserves his #1 ranking by Ring based on his accomplishments, but I do think he's the guy I'd probably pick to beat all the other lightweights right now. That obviously foreshadows my prediction. There's a part of me that thinks DeMarco has the stuff to beat Valero, but I think that part of me is the part that likes the kid, who comes across as personable and passionate and has grown immensely as a fighter. I think DeMarco probably has the power to hurt Valero, and I think his size could present problems. I think DeMarco can counterpunch a little, which gives him opportunities to catch Valero. But mainly I think Valero's going to be zipping in on him, closing distance quickly, and at times trapping DeMarco against the ropes, where he gets a lot of hurting business done.

I bet DeMarco makes a fight out of it, but if he makes it out of the 8th, I'll be surprised.

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Should Golden Boy Promotions part ways with Floyd Mayweather Jr?

Source: Sacramento Fight Sports Examiner - Rick Rockwell

There are cracks forming in the foundation of the relationship between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Golden Boy Promotions. According to numerous sources, Mayweather’s delay in signing the contract to fight Shane Mosley has caused serious frustrations and concerns within Golden Boy Promotions. This tumultuous relationship begs the question, should Golden Boy Promotions part ways with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

* "He still hasn't signed. I am so frustrated," Schaefer said. "I wanted both guys to go down to the Super Bowl in Miami to do some promotional stuff. I don't know what Floyd is waiting for. I have no clue. I have a signed contract from Shane on my desk. I have nothing from Floyd." Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, in an interview with Dan Rafael of ESPN.com

Scott Hansen, Sacramento, CA “Golden Boy Promotions should part ways with Mayweather. He’s a chicken and he will only ruin the company’s image.” Well, he’s already ruined the company’s image in my opinion. In fact, read my latest article “Oscar De La Hoya has gone from ‘Golden Boy’ to ‘Fools Gold’” as I discuss some of the ways that Mayweather and others have tarnished the company and the image of Oscar De La Hoya. However, this latest stunt by Mayweather really is a slap in the face of GBP.

Both fighters are considered “in house” fighters because they are both contracted with GBP. For a company not to be able to sign a fight between two "in house" fighters is absurd. Mosley signed this contract last Friday. Now, I don’t always like to toot my own horn but “toot, toot” (Arn Anderson used to always say this back when he was a member of the 4 Horsemen) And yes, I just used a pro-wrestling quote. But, I said over the weekend and wrote an article that without a signature, Mayweather still has time to back out. “Still plenty of time for Floyd Mayweather Jr to back out of the fight with Shane Mosley.”

Nathan Breen Rosemont, CA “This obviously proves which fighter has been ducking the other one for the last decade.” Nathan you are right. I’m convinced more than ever that Mayweather has been the one ducking Mosley. When the CEO of the company you work for comes out and publicly questions your motives, hesitations, and thought process then you are in serious danger of major public backlash. The last supporter of Mayweather has now added more fuel to the fire of Mayweather's critics who claim Floyd is a "duck, coward, and chicken."

In my opinion, after all GBP has done to stick by Floyd, this should be the final nail in the coffin. GBP should part ways with Floyd and move on without all the criminal acts, ducking, false accusations, avoiding tougher fighters, only caring about the money, selfish attitude, preserving a tainted 40-0 record, and so much more.


Now, I'm not asking how practical this is to legally part ways, I'm just asking if GBP should part ways....

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PUREFOODS, TALK N TEXT TRY TO BRING OUT THE BROOM AND CRASH INTO FINAL 4

Source: PBA.COM.PH

Purefoods and Talk N’ Text have something in common when they step onto the court Wednesday night. The two teams have their sights trained at the Final Four.

Their chances of joining early semifinalists San Miguel and Alaska appears imminent. The Giants and the Tropang Texters both enjoy an imposing 2-0 lead and need just one more win to wrap up their respective quarterfinal series in the 2009-10 KFC PBA Philippine Cup.

But Ryan Gregorio, the Purefoods’ coach, remains cautious, warning his players from making any premature celebration.

“It’s a great feeling to be ahead but there’s nothing to celebrate yet. We need three wins to clinch the series,” he said.

The Giants are playing extremely well in the series hardly anybody noticed that Kerby Raymundo is playing hurt, his knee giving him problems.

Suffice to say, their confidence level has also gone as high as Mt. Everest in the aftermath of their incredible comeback in Game 2 that saw them rally from 20 points down and steal the victory from Rain or Shine on two free throws by James Yap with six tenths of a second remaining.

Gregorio said he expects Game 3 of the best-of-5 series to be a lot tougher because the Elasto Painters are fighting to live another day. Game time is set at 5 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum.

Sunday’s loss was truly frustrating but ROS coach Caloy Garcia has kept his faith in his team’s ability to make things happen when everything seems lost.

“We remain confident that we can win Game 3. We just have to learn from our mistakes to be a better team,” Garcia said.

He better make sure of that because Gregorio said the Giants are determined to play hard and smart to close the series.

“(James and Roger) Yap are playing consistently on both ends of the court and they’re giving us a huge lift. And for as long as we have players who are willing to step up when their numbers are called we’ll be okay,” Gregorio said.

TNT coach Chot Reyes also refused to count out the Barangay Ginebra Kings, saying the series’ score does not matter.

But jaded observers raised some doubts on the ability of the Kings to turn the series around after blowing a 20-point lead in Game 2 that could have evened their series with the Tropang Texters at one game apiece.

“Obviously our backs are against the wall. But we’ll try to live to fight another day,” said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.

Reyes said he no longer dwells on the what ifs nor thinks about the next level.

“Ginebra made the right adjustments in Game 2. So we have to be prepared. We have to make sure that we play with extreme urgency on Wednesday.”

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Purefoods' Yaps PBA week's best

Source: (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - James Yap and Roger Yap continued to combine for Purefoods both in offense and defense to give the team a 2-0 lead over Rain or Shine in their best-of-five quarterfinal round showdown in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup.

The Yaps have carried much of the scoring and defensive load for the Giants, who continued to dominate the Elasto Painters whom they swept in the double round elimination phase.

In Game One of the quarters, which Purefoods won, 90-85, James Yap sizzled with 31 points on top of six rebounds, three assists and a shot block while Roger Yap added 17 points, three rebounds and a steal aside from putting the clamps on Rain or Shine’s main man, Solomon Mercado.

In Game Two, James Yap hauled down five rebounds and made three assists and churned out 23 points, including two from the line off a foul by Eddie Laure with six-tenths of a second remaining to lift the Giants past the Elasto Painters, 95-94.

Roger Yap, on the other hand, had 22 points, five rebounds and three assists, hitting back-to-back triples in the final two minutes as the Giants completed a stirring comeback from 20 points down to clinch the win.

The pair was named KFC/Accel-PBA Press Corps’ Co-Players of the Week for the period Jan. 27 to 31.

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Pacman gets 3rd Fighter of Year award

Source: (The Philippine Star) By Abac Cordero

MANILA, Philippines - The Boxing Writers Association of America has chosen Manny Pacquiao as its Fighter of the Year for 2009, and in the process made the charismatic Filipino superstar only the fifth fighter in history to win the prestigious award three times.

Muhammad Ali, Jose Frazier, Sugar Ray Leonard and Evander Holyfield are the other three-time recipients of the award, which the BWAA has handed out yearly since it named Jack Dempsey as winner in 1938 or 71 years ago.

Ali, who will be remembered as “The Greatest,” won the award in 1965, 1974 and 1975, the year he shared it with Frazier who had won its previously in 1961 and 1971. It was in 1975 that Ali and Frazier staged the historic “Thrilla in Manila.”

Leonard won it in 1976, 1979 and 1981 while Holyfield earned the nod of the BWAA in 1990, 1996 and 1997. Among the two-time winners are Floyd Patterson, Carmen Basilio, Dick Tiger, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Mike Tyson.

Oscar dela Hoya, known as boxing’s golden boy, only won the award once, in 1995. as well as Ricky Hatton in 2005 and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007. The fact that Pacquiao has won it thrice only cements his status as the best there is today.

As an icing on the cake, the BWAA has also named Pacquiao as the Fighter of the Decade, an award that was bestowed to the 31-year-old pound-for-pound champion by the Ring Magazine, the bible of boxing, and ESPN, the mother of all sports channels.

Pacquiao won his first Fighter of the Year award in 2006, the year he knocked out Erik Morales twice, and in 2008, the year he jumped three divisions higher in beating Juan Manuel Marquez (130 lb), David Diaz (135 lb) and Dela Hoya (147 lb).

Pacquiao demolished Ricky Hatton in May last year to win the IBO junior-welterweight title and Miguel Cotto in November for the WBO welterweight crown, making him the only boxer in history to win seven world titles in seven different weight classes.

Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, has his fourth Trainer of the Year in the bag. He is the only trainer so far to receive the BWAA trainer three times (2003, 2006 and 2008) and this fourth one will put more distance between him and the rest.

“Manny and I are a great team and to win this award you need a great fighter. It’s my favorite award because its named after my trainer,” Roach told ESPN.com. referring to his trainer, the late Eddie Futch, who also took him in as an assistant.

“I give Eddie all the credit for where I am today. He gave me great guidance during my apprenticeship with him,” added Roach. The BWAA will hand out the awards on June 11 in New York.

His third Fighter of the Year award from the BWAA should serve Pacquiao in good stead as he prepares for his March 13 fight with Josh Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

More importantly, the award should put to rest allegations that Pacquiao, who had won titles as a flyweight, super-bantamweight, featherweight, super-featherweight and lightweight, is into performance-enhancing drugs.

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Roach: No way Clottey will win

Source: (The Philippine Star) by Dino Maragay

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao’s chief trainer Freddie Roach said Joshua Clottey has zero chance of beating the Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao when they collide on March 13 (March 14 in Manila) at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Speaking from the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Freddie Roach said he has studied Clottey’s style and sees nothing special in the Ghanaian that would enable him to win against Pacquiao.

“I’ve seen tapes of him (Clottey). He’s not good. He’s not good. He’s got no chance,” Roach said in a TV interview yesterday.

Roach, who has a reputation of accurately predicting the outcome of Pacquiao’s fights, said Clottey would suffer the same fate as his ward’s recent opponents.

“Manny’s going to knock him out,” the bespectacled trainer said.

Roach made the statement while enjoying a break from training Pacquiao, who spent the day accommodating fans and well-wishers in the gym.

Pacquiao and Clottey will clash at the Cowboys Stadium for the Filipino’s WBO welterweight title.

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NBA wrap: Lakers beat stumbling Celtics

 Source: gmanews.tv

Beat LA? Not this time for Celtics

BOSTON – Kobe Bryant sank a go-ahead fallaway jumper with 7.3 seconds left to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 90-89 victory over Boston on Sunday and send the struggling Celtics to their sixth loss in eight games.

The Celtics, who led by 11 points in the fourth quarter, nursed a one-point lead until Paul Pierce was called for an offensive foul for pushing off as he jumped to shoot with 28 seconds left.

Bryant, who shot just 8 for 20 in the game, dribbled down the shot clock before stepping back from defender Ray Allen and making a basket to give Los Angeles the lead.

Bryant finished with 19, and Andrew Bynum had 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Rajon Rondo had 21 points and 12 assists for the Celtics.

The Celtics led 81-70 before the Lakers made the next four baskets. Rasheed Wallace hit a 3-pointer — his only basket of the game — to stop the run, and it was still a three-point game with less than two minutes left when Bryant hit a pair of free throws to make it 87-86.

It was 89-88 when Pierce was called for pushing off. Bryant, who complained of a sore ankle after Friday night's win in Philadelphia, gave the Lakers the lead, then Allen's 3-point attempt at the final buzzer bounced harmlessly off the rim.

Pau Gasol had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who won their fourth straight game and beat Boston for the third consecutive time since losing Game 6 of the 2008 NBA finals to watch the Celtics clinch their 17th championship.

Pierce scored 15, Kevin Garnett had 10 with nine rebounds and Kendrick Perkins finished with eight points and 10 boards for the Celtics, who were coming off losses to Orlando and Atlanta — two of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference — that left them at 6-10 since beating the Magic on Christmas Day.

Garnett missed 10 of those games with a hyperextended right knee, and Boston was 4-6 without him. But Garnett's return hasn't solved all the Celtics' problems.

The Celtics fell behind 22-10 in the first quarter, when Bynum scored 12 points, and trailed 40-34 midway through the second before scoring the next 15 points. Rondo had nine points and eight assists in the quarter and was in double digits in both by halftime.

Cavaliers 114, Clippers 89

At Cleveland, LeBron James scored half of Cleveland's 46 points in the first quarter as the Cavaliers equaled an NBA record with 11 3-pointers in the opening period of their victory over Los Angeles.

The 46 points tied a franchise mark for most in a quarter, and Cleveland's 16 3-pointers fell one shy of the team record for a game. Cleveland has won eight straight.

James, who finished with 32 points and 11 assists, fueled the early outburst by making his first seven shots — including four 3s. Cleveland made 3-pointers on seven consecutive possessions during the spurt.

Thunder 112, Warriors 104

At Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant scored a season-high 45 points to take over second place in the NBA scoring race as Oklahoma City beat Golden State.

Durant made 16-of-21 shots and ended up two points short of the highest-scoring output of his career. Russell Westbrook added 28 points and eight assists.

Corey Maggette scored 26 points for Golden State and Monta Ellis added 25, including a pair of 3-pointers that got the Warriors within three late. But he missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 1:06 left, and the Warriors didn't score again.

Nuggets 103, Spurs 89

At San Antonio, Kenyon Martin scored 27 points as Denver won again without Carmelo Anthony.

The NBA's leading scorer missed his fourth consecutive game with a sprained ankle but the Nuggets still bounced back after Oklahoma City ended their eight-game win streak Friday. Anthony could return Monday.

Chauncey Billups scored 25 and J.R Smith had 18 for the Nuggets, who've breezed through the new year so far. Denver went 12-3 in January.

George Hill scored 17 points in place of San Antonio's own injured star, Tony Parker. The point guard sat out for the second game with a left ankle sprain.

Magic 91, Pistons 86

At Auburn Hills, Michigan, J.J. Redick scored 17 points and Dwight Howard overcame free-throw problems to put up 16 points and 14 rebounds as Orlando beat struggling Detroit.

The victory means Orlando's Stan Van Gundy will coach the Eastern Conference in the All-Star game Feb. 14 in Arlington, Texas.

Rodney Stuckey had 18 points and Tayshaun Prince added 16 for Detroit, which lost its fifth straight.

Suns 115, Rockets 111 OT

At Houston, Amare Stoudemire scored a season-high 36 points and Steve Nash handed out 16 assists as Phoenix beat Houston in overtime.

Nash scored 11 points and grabbed a season-high eight rebounds, and Grant Hill added 19 points for the Suns, who snapped a five-game road losing streak. Phoenix has won nine of its last 12 games in Houston.

Aaron Brooks scored 24 points after shooting poorly in the first half and Trevor Ariza had 21 for the Rockets.

Raptors 117, Pacers 102

At Toronto, Chris Bosh had 26 points and 15 rebounds, and Andrea Bargnani scored 17 points as Toronto won its fifth straight game.

Former Pacers guard Jarrett Jack scored 16 points and was one of seven Raptors to reach double figures as Toronto shot a season-best 60.2 percent (50 for 83) and topped 100 points for the 13th straight game.

Luther Head scored 15 points as Indiana lost its third straight. Troy Murphy and Brandon Rush each had 14.

76ers 83, Nets 79

At East Rutherford, New Jersey, Andre Iguodala scored 14 points, including seven in a key portion of the third quarter, leading Philadelphia over New Jersey.

The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Philadelphia, while the lowly Nets (4-42) kept pace with the 1972-73 Sixers for the worst record in NBA history.

The Sixers had five players in double figures, with Samuel Dalembert adding 12 points and 11 rebounds, Lou Williams scoring 11 points and Elton Brand 10.

Jarvis Hayes came off the bench to score a season-high 18 points for the Nets. Brook Lopez also had 18 points and eight rebounds, while Yi Jianlian had 15 points and 11 boards.

Timberwolves 112, Knicks 91

At Minneapolis, Kevin Love had a career-high 25 points to go with 11 rebounds as Minnesota exacted a little payback on New York.

Ryan Hollins had 16 points and three blocks in his second straight strong game since being inserted into the starting lineup for the Timberwolves, who lost by 27 points at Madison Square Garden last week.

Wilson Chandler scored 27 points for the Knicks (18-29), who fell 11 games below .500 for the first time since Dec. 2 when they were 4-15.

Jared Jeffries had 14 points and six rebounds for the Knicks, who have lost three in a row. - AP

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Taylor wins Grammy best album; Beyonce wins 6

Source: Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – Beyonce became the most decorated female on a Grammy night as she collected six trophies, including song of the year for her anthem "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)," but it was another diva — Taylor Swift — who nabbed the top honor, album of the year, for her best-selling "Fearless."

Swift, who won a total of four awards, jumped around like the 20-year-old kid that she is when beat out Beyonce, the Dave Matthews Band, Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas for the honor.

"Oh wow — thank you so much! I just hope that you know how much this means to me.... that we get to take this back to Nashville," said Swift, whose "Fearless" was last year's best-selling album of any genre.

"Oh my God, our families are freaking out in their living rooms," she added. "My dad and my little brother are losing their minds in the living room right now."

Although Beyonce also lost out on record of the year, which went to the Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody," the multihyphenate entertainer still owned the most awards of the evening.

Beyonce, who in 2004 won five Grammys on the strength of her debut album "Dangerously in Love," a mark tied by the likes of Alicia Keys, Norah Jones and Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse and Alison Krauss, reached that milestone again Sunday en route to the new record. She is the first to reach that mark twice.

She shared the song of the year trophy with three writers for "Single Ladies" and also won best R&B contemporary album for "I Am ... Sasha Fierce."
"This has been such an amazing night for me and I'd love to thank the Grammys," Beyonce said after winning best female pop vocal for "Halo."

The Kings of Leon were a bit more entertaining when they picked up their record of the year trophy, the family quartet's third of the night.

"I'm not going to lie, we're all a little drunk. But we're happy drunks," said lead singer Caleb Followill.

Lady Gaga won two Grammys during the pre-telecast ceremony but didn't get a chance to show her multitude of outrageous dresses during the primetime show, losing out on record, song and album of the year. But she made her presence felt when she kicked off the night with a sequined green leotard with massive shoulders as she sang her Grammy-nominated hit "Poker Face," then brought out Elton John as they melded her song "Speechless" and his classic "Your Song" together in a performance that featured dueling pianos, and glitter-painted faces.

Swift, who was second to Beyonce in Grammy nominations with eight nods, also won best country album among her other awards. The victory capped an amazing run for Swift, whose "Fearless" is only her second album. Her self-titled debut was a platinum success but "Fearless," with songs like "You Belong With Me," took her into the superstar stratosphere, as she won accolades across genres.

Another country act to take a top award was the Zac Brown Band, which won best new artist.

The Black Eyed Peas also had three trophies, as well as Jay-Z, who won for best rap solo performance and two awards for "Run This Town" with Rihanna and Kanye West.

Rihanna — who was forced to bow out of last year's awards as a performer after being assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown, accepted the trophy along with Jay-Z and with Beyonce's young nephew in tow. West — who has kept a relatively low profile since his dustup with Swift a few months back — was a notable no-show.

Maxwell, up for six awards, also won his first Grammys — best R&B male vocal for the ballad "Pretty Wings" and best R&B album for "BLACKsummers' night." The album marked the R&B crooner's return after an absence of eight years from the music business.

Many participants in the program wore red cross buttons in support of Haiti earthquake relief. Mary J. Blige joined Andrea Bocelli in a rousing rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water," which was not only designed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the song's big Grammy wins, but to raise money for the people in Haiti. The performance, introduced by Haitian native Wyclef Jean, will be available via iTunes.com/target, with the funds going to earthquake relief.

The show also included a special 3-D tribute to Michael Jackson featuring a video clip he made of "Earth Song" as Usher, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson sang along.

Jackson's young children, Prince and Paris, accepted a lifetime achievement award for their late father.

"Through all his songs his message was simple, love. We will continue to spread his message and help the world," Prince said.

___

On the Net:

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Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes: Are they ready to take it to the next level?

Source: (PEP.PH) By Elyas Isabelo Salanga

The February 2010 issue of YES! magazine features the romantic story of star couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera.

Marian and Dingdong started making sparks back in August 2007 when they were paired for the first time in the telenovela MariMar. Their unique chemistry together in MariMar paved the way for more primetime TV team-ups that eventually gave birth to a huge following.

Many of their fans however are still playing the guessing game on whether or not their idols are finally a real couple as opposed to the reel couple they see on TV. With the February issue of YES! finally out, it is time to put their doubts to rest.

"I just want the readers—kung ano man interpretation nila, ganoon na," Dingdong said in a segment interview with Showbiz Central aired yesterday, January 31. "Kumbaga, kung exact points, exact details kung kailan nangyari 'yong ganoon, e, kahit kami hindi namin masasagot 'yon dahil siyempre it just happens, so 'yon lang."

"Ang hirap kasing i-pinpoint," agreed Marian in a separate interview. "Kasi proseso talaga 'yong magmula sa simula hanggang sa natapos kami sa [Ang Babaeng Hinugot Sa Aking] Tadyang, e. Doon nabuo lahat, e."

YES! editor-in-chief Jo-Ann Maglipon herself gave clues about the couple's relationship status.

"I think it does not take too much intelligence to see what they are to each other from this article. Kasi, kung ikaw sabihin mo na ang una mong naiisip sa umaga paggising mo ay iyong isang tao. Ang isang tao naman, buhay niya iniikot niya doon sa babae na iyon, ano pa ba ang dapat na konklusyon? Sa kaso ni Dingdong at Marian, ang sinabi nila, 'read between the lines.' That's exactly what they mean—read between the lines. We don't have to spell it out for you. As far as I know, there is real love and passionate love going on between Marian and Dingdong."

THE TRIP IN THE U.S. Marian admitted that she never knew that her leading man was finally head over heels for her during their stay in New York.

"Siguro kung ano iyong sinabi niya na na-in love siya sa akin sa New York, e, hindi ko alam 'yan," smiled Marian. "Nalaman ko lang din 'yan noong in-interview siya at nagulat din ako doon."

She continued, "Iyong love hindi, pero na-realize ko na 'Ay, ang bait nito!' Na-appreciate ko siya.' Iyon ang term ko diyan, e, na-appreciate ko talaga siya. Siguro mga bagay na hindi mo na kailangan sabihin."

ONLY THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT. With their feelings for each other blossoming by the day, it cannot be ignored that rumors will continue to come to test their relationship to the limit. One such rumor was the news that Dingdong allegedly left ex-girlfriend Karylle for Marian. For Dingdong, however, it was an issue worth defending with nothing but the truth.

"Well," explained Dingdong, "Siguro always pag tuwing nangyayari 'yon, bumabalik kami sa katotohanan which is, hindi naman talaga siya nangyari. So there is really no reason. So, ganoon lang—back to reality lang, back to the truth. Back to what really happened."

Marian on her part gave her insight on such issues. "At least naliwanag diyan na wala talaga akong kinalaman na paulit-ulit kong sinasabi. Wala, e. Nasa showbiz ka at 'yon ang kailangan i-take talaga, 'yong mga consequences na hindi lahat ng tao, e, mapi-please mo talaga," she said.

READY FOR THE NEXT LEVEL? Now that the celebrity couple's love for each other is getting louder by the day, does it mean that wedding bells are the next sound the fans should hear?

"Siyempre, sa amin na lang 'yon," smiled Dingdong. "But it is really a very important for me. So maganda lang na i-celebrate siya with people na gusto mo na that you love. So, let's take it from there."

As for Marian, she said, "Bilang babae, masarap marinig iyan sa isang lalake, lalo na kung ang isang lalake, e...kahit sinong babae na sabihan siya ng lalake gusto siya at mahal siya, e, nakakataba talaga ng puso."

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