Lee propels Cobra five over AddMix

Source: (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Paul Lee fired 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter as he powered fancied Cobra Energy Drink to a come-from-behind 81-77 victory over AddMix in the PBL PG Flex-Erase Placenta Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig yesterday.

Lee, a mainstay of the Univ. of the East, came through with big baskets, from the long range and inside incursions, midway in the fourth as the Ironmen battled back from eight points down to fashion out the victory and tie opening day winners Excel Roof and Cossack Blue.

In the second game, Pharex B Complex drew solid games from unheralded Vic Manuel, Woody Co and San Beda standouts Chico Tirona and JR Tecson to beat Agrinurture (Ani-FCA), 82-62.

Manuel, who saw action with the PSBA Jaguars in the UCAA and NCRAA, led the Fighting Maroons with 17 points and nine rebounds in just 19 minutes while Co added 13. Tirona and Tecson chipped in 11 points each to join the early leaders.

Lee, who is also acting as the team’s assistant coach, made 8-of-14 shooting and finished with eight rebounds, five assists and two steals in 31 minutes of action.

Meanwhile, Jai Reyes, a vital cog in Ateneo’s back-to-back title romps in the UAAP, debuted for the Ironmen and scored four points and had three rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes.

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Cone sees tough title showdown

Source: (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Despite impressive form his team has dished out, Alaska Milk coach Tim Cone said they have a tough finals series coming versus either San Miguel Beer and Purefoods.

Cone said San Miguel is simply such a talent-laden squad while Purefoods is a team which gives Alaska problems on match-ups.

“Honestly, I want their series to go Game Seven and both end up beat-up, and hopefully we play similar basketball we showed in the Ginebra series,” said Cone.

“Either (team) would be a tough opponent. We played San Miguel in a practice game during the break and they ate us up right from the start. It’s a wake-up call that they’re deep and really scary. The last time we played Purefoods, they also gave us a real tough time. They’re really also a tough match-up for us,” Cone added.

Alaska beat Barangay Ginebra via a four-game sweep in their best-of-seven semifinals showdown, and Cone hopes they could ride the momentum for a good start in the finals.

“But definitely, we can’t be confident after this (semifinals versus Ginebra). It’s going to be a whole new different series,” Cone said.

Cone and his Aces are in their eighth all-Filipino finals with a crack at a fourth crown.

“I’ve been in the finals a bunch of time. I’ve been to all-Filipino finals two times in the last couple of years and we keep on losing. So we have a streak to break,” said Cone.

The veteran Alaska mentor, however, stressed they have a job cut out for them.

“Both (Purefoods and San Miguel) cause us a lot of problem. San Miguel with its incredibly tough lineup. We have a problem matching up with Mick Pennisi, a big man who shoots well from the outside. Arwind Santos is a hell of a match-up for any team and they have guys like Mike Cortez who works well with their system,” said Cone. – Nelson Beltran

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Patriots win shy of ABL crown

Souce: (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots took a step closer to becoming the first Asean Basketball League champion as it plastered Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma, 72-53, at The Arena in San Juan late Wednesday to move within a win from sweeping their best-of-five title series.

The Patriots played aggressive on defense and proved unrelenting on offense, using a decisive 20-4 run in the fourth quarter to all but wrap up the game at 72-50 with a little over two minutes left in the contest.

The Indonesians struggled all game in the face of the Patriots’ suffocating defense anchored on imports Gabe Freeman, Jason Dixon, Nonoy Baclao and guard Christian Coronel.

“Defensively, it was a job well done and I hope we could bring the same amount of energy in Jakarta,” said coach Louie Alas, whose wards thumped the Indonesians, 78-68, in the series opener.

The win – their fifth over the visitors dating back to the elims – put the Patriots of Harbour Centre CEO and president Mikee Romero and businessman Tonyboy Cojuangco within a victory from sweeping their best-of-five title series.

But the Patriots will have to do it on a hostile turf as the Indonesians host the Filipinos at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta on Sunday.

“I want to win because it’s tough to play in front of a hostile crowd,” said Alas, whose team leaves today.

Freeman started poorly, missing a couple of shots from close range, but found his rhythm in time before getting into foul trouble, completing another double-double job of 24 points and 14 rebounds.

“This is I think perhaps one of our sweetest wins in the tournament. That’s because our locals did their share,” said Romero, referring to Rob Wainwright, Baclao and Coronel.

Wainwright took charge as the foul-riddled Freeman rode the bench, making two triples in the second quarter, helping the Patriots erect a 41-26 halftime lead. – Joey Villar

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GIANTS, BEERMEN BREAK DEADLOCK

Source: PBA.COM.PH

Ryan Gregorio believes his team is headed for a titular series with finalist in waiting Alaska Aces.

The eloquent Purefoods coach made his bold statement Wednesday in the aftermath of the Giants’ 97-84 victory that evened their 2009-10 KFC PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series with San Miguel at two games apiece.

“Honestly I feel we have a legit crack [at making the Finals] because of the way we’ve been playing and the way we’ve been concentrating and being in focus in trying to stop this team [SMB],” Gregorio said.

He cautioned, though, that Purefoods’ success remains dependent on the willingness of the team’s two superstars – James Yap and Kerby Raymundo – to share the ball and get others involved on offense.

Gregorio said his two superstars bought the idea and it worked well for them in Game 4.

The plan netted James Yap 24 points – 11 more than his average in the first three games. It also opened scoring opportunities for Roger Yap, who was one rebound short of his first career triple-double, Mark Pingris and Rafi Reavis.

“I told James and Kerby, ‘you’ve got to share the ball. Basketball will be a lot easier if you get the others involved’,” Gregorio said of his instructions to his two superstars.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is set at 7 o’clock on Friday at the Araneta Coliseum while Game 6 will be at the Cuneta Astrodome on Sunday at 6 p.m.

To make sure the Giants stay as sharp and as energized as they were in Game 4, Gregorio opted to rest his troops Thursday.

After a 10-minute walk through, the Giants spent the rest of their practice session watching and analyzing the video tape of Game 4.

“I think it’s unnecessary at this point to practice on the court. It’s so much better to spend time at the video room and talk about the things that should be done,” Gregorio said.

SMB coach Siot Tanquingcen said the Beermen had no one else to blame for Wednesday’s loss but themselves.

He said if the Beermen can’t execute their plays, chances are “ganun talaga ang mangyayari,” Tanquingcen said.

But he is confident his chargers will recover quickly and regain the lead. “We really play well when under pressure.” (DBC)

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Doing a Pacquiao: Foreman, Cotto could be headed to Yankee Stadium

Source: Associated Press and GMANews.TV

NEW YORK — Jewish boxing champion Yuri Foreman hopes to defend his title at Yankee Stadium in June — unless a bar mitzvah gets in the way.

The 154-pound champion would fight former welterweight titleholder Miguel Cotto on June 5 at the ballpark in the Bronx, promoter Bob Arum told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Arum has been hoping to bring a fight to Yankee Stadium for years.

"The Yankees want to make a deal, we know we can make a deal, they're just working through a problem at Yankee Stadium," Arum said. "But you wouldn't believe it if I told you."

He's not kidding.

"They've leased out some lounges for this bar mitzvah and part of the deal was for a half hour or so, they could use the big screen in center field to show pictures and all that sort of stuff," Arum said, laughing. "Obviously you can't do that if there's fights going on."

Ramping up the irony, Foreman is studying to become a rabbi.

Arum said he's hopeful that something can be worked out, perhaps by giving the families holding the bar mitzvah credentials for the fight. If the conflict can't be resolved, Foreman would defend his WBA junior middleweight belt on June 12 at Madison Square Garden — the eve of the annual Puerto Rican Day parade in New York City.

Top Rank president Todd duBoef has said that he has the arena, where Cotto has fought some of his most thrilling bouts, on hold for that date.

Either way, the fight on a midsummer Saturday night creates another logistical problem. The Jewish sabbath does not officially end until sundown.

"Because of the sabbath ending late, we would announce that the main event would not start until after 11:30 p.m.," said Arum, himself a devout Jew. "There's a lot of great things we would have to do around it."

Foreman, a New York-based native of Belarus, would be making the first defense of the title he won from Daniel Santos on the undercard of Cotto's loss to MannyPacquiao last fall.

While he doesn't have tremendous name recognition, Foreman (28-0) does have substantial backing from the large Jewish population that makes up the New York metropolitan area.

"The magnitude of this event cannot be overstated," said Foreman's confidant, Dovid Efune. "It may be the biggest Jewish sporting event of all time, certainly since David fought Goliath."

While the logistics of holding a fight in Yankee Stadium are unclear, Arum hasn't shied away from staging fights in massive venues. He promoted the final bout at the old Yankee Stadium across the street when Muhammad Ali fought Ken Norton on Sept. 28, 1976, a fight remembered more for the chaos caused by a police strike than anything else.

On March 13, Arum is taking Pacquiao's title defense against Joshua Clottey to the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium just outside Dallas. The facility will be configured for about 40,000 fans, although Top Rank is hopeful that up to 70,000 show up the night of the fight.

Arum has approached the Yankees several times over the past 30 years about staging another event at the stadium, but George Steinbrenner and club brass had always been tepid about erecting a ring and seating on the immaculate infield grass. Scheduling also created problems because a fight would have to be staged when the team is on the road.

All of those concerns seem to be washing away as the new leadership of Hal and Hank Steinbrenner work to maximize revenue from the luxurious ballpark.

Last September, a makeshift dais was set up along the first base line for a news conference to announce the Pacquiao-Cotto fight, which was ultimately held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Yankees chief operating officer Lonn Trost joked at the time that Arum should bring a fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to the stadium.

The cast of characters may be different, but Trost could be getting his wish for a fight.

"I'm very excited to defend my title in New York, which is the Jewish capital of the Diaspora," Foreman said in a statement. "Having the fight in Yankee Stadium would be the icing on the cake, so please God it is finalized."

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Freeman leads 'balik-imports' in PBA Fiesta tilt

Source: GMANews.TV

Former Best Import Gabe Freeman of San Miguel Beer will bring his act anew along with other "balik-imports" when the Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference opens shop on March 20.

Freeman is currently in town playing for the Philippine Patriots in the Asean Basketball League finals and he’ll be hooking up with the Beermen after his stint in the fledging league.

Also set to return for a tour of duty in the PBA are Jai Lewis for Rain or Shine, Anthony Johnson for Sta. Lucia and Chris Porter for Ginebra.

Lewis steered the Elasto Painters to their first-ever semifinals stint in the league last season. The burly but shifty Lewis is a former teammate of Gabe Norwood with the George Mason University Patriots in the US NCAA, who went all the way to the Final Four.

Johnson will be on his third outing in the country. An energetic player who plays solid at both ends of the court, Johnson first played for the Coca-Cola Tigers in 2007 but was replaced by Jeff Varem. The following year, he was picked up by Sta. Lucia and suited up for the Realtors in the Brunei Cup and the Fiesta Conference.

Porter, on the other hand, played for the Gin Kings in the 2005-06 season. He piloted the team to the semis but went a game short of reaching the championship round after losing to James Penny and the Red Bull Barakos in Game 7 of the semis.

But while teams are bringing in old faces, Coca-Cola has decided to shop around for a young reinforcement.

The Tigers are now looking at Jason Forte, brother of former Boston Celtics and Seattle Supersonics guard Joseph Forte.

Coca-Cola coach Bo Perasol revealed that Forte is now in town to try to land a spot in the team.

“He agreed to come here and paid his own travel ticket just to tryout for a spot in the team," said Perasol of Forte. “There’s no guarantee yet. We will evaluate him."

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Gorres' huge hospital bill still unpaid

Source: By Joaquin Henson (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - A bill of $560,000 covering stricken fighter Z Gorres’ hospital expenses remains unsettled but Dr. Ben Calderon, president of the Philippine Medical Association of Nevada, said yesterday the University Medical Center (UMC) in Las Vegas allowed his release from confinement because there was simply no money to pay.

“It’s not like in some hospitals where a patient isn’t released until he pays the bill,” said Calderon who cared for Gorres in Las Vegas and flew with him to Cebu the other day. “The hospital will incur more costs if it keeps a patient so the county will eventually absorb the cost. However, there is still an obligation to pay the bill but can Z afford it?”

Calderon said Gorres has not claimed the $50,000 insurance provided by Top Rank and the money raised by the Filipino community in Las Vegas was for his family, amounting to about $10,000.

Gorres, 27, collapsed in the ring after it was announced that he had won a decision over Colombia’s Luis Melendez in Las Vegas last Nov. 13. He decked Melendez in the third round and was in total control when a left hook dropped him with a few seconds left in the fight. As Gorres fell, his left leg folded up under him and his head hit the bottom rope, creating a whiplash. Gorres got up to beat the count but lost consciousness as he was about to leave the ring.

Gorres was rushed to the UMC where a team of five doctors led by neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Seiff performed emergency surgery to drain the blood causing compression on the outer layer of the brain after removing a portion of the skull. The portion was stored in a bone bank and placed back on Gorres’ head in another operation last Jan. 12. Two days after the second procedure, Gorres was discharged.

Gorres underwent a month of daily two-hour sessions in Las Vegas under rehabilitation specialist Dr. Maria Gaerlan and physical therapist Ramon Lasao before he was cleared to fly back home. It was Calderon who arranged the free-of-charge therapy.

Gorres and his wife Datches, who was flown to Las Vegas by ALA gym owner Tony Aldeguer, lived in Calderon’s home then transferred to the apartment of another Filipino supporter, Wynn’s massage therapist Richard Legaspi.

“The Filipino community spirit was so overwhelming,” said Calderon, 42, a native of Isabela who earned his medical degree at La Salle Dasmariñas and practiced in Ohio before settling in Las Vegas with wife Sophia and daughter Vanessa. “About 70 percent of the nurses at UMC are Filipinas and they went around passing the hat from station to station for Z. The outpouring of support was incredible as Filipino doctors, nurses and therapists volunteered their services. The entire Filipino community pitched in.”

Calderon said University of Nevada at Las Vegas boxing coach Fred Slaughter has initiated a move to lobby for a proposed Z Gorres Bill to raise fighters’ insurance to $1 Million in the US. The bill is expected to be made into a law early next year and the plan is for Gorres to attend the signing.

Gorres’ manager Michael Aldeguer said the immediate priority is to continue his rehabilitation. A meeting was set last night to discuss where the therapy will be done. The options are the Chong Hua Hospital and Velez General Hospital, both in Cebu City, and the Perpetual Succor Hospital in Mandaue.

Gorres said God didn’t let him down.

“I know God still has plans for me,” said Gorres. “I won’t be able to fight again but I can share my knowledge about boxing with others. I hope to work in Sir ALA’s gym and train boxers. I owe everything to Sir ALA. When I came home, he told me not to worry about my family, that he would take care of me, that my priority should be to get strong.”

Gorres arrived in Cebu last Tuesday and was welcomed by over 200 well-wishers in the airport. He had a heartwarming reunion with his four children – Dheybert, 7, Sheiladhey, 5, Zhey, 3 and Rhodney, eight months old.

“I miss my kids,” said Gorres. “My daughter, Sheiladhey, cried when she saw me, like she understood what happened to me. I asked her why she was crying and she told me it was because I was so thin. I think I lost about 10 pounds. I embraced all my kids. I’m happy to be home.”

Gorres said the memory of his fight against Melendez is blank in his mind. “I don’t remember anything about the fight,” he said. “I know I won. I’ve watched it on tape. But I don’t really remember what happened.”

Gorres’ wife Datches stayed in Las Vegas for over two months. “Dr. Calderon was a big help,” she said. “He spoke with the hospital authorities to get the release. He took us into his home, gave us medicine and arranged for the rehab. Richard was also very helpful. We stayed in his apartment. He brought us to the rehab clinic and picked us up every day. He massaged Z’s legs and arms every day. We never expected this kind of support from the Filipino community.”

Aldeguer said Gorres is like a brother. “Z grew up with us,” said Aldeguer. “He’s like a son to my father. Z will always be with us. He can work in our garment business or in the gym. The important thing is for him to get back to normal.”

Gorres said he still needs a walker and sometimes a wheelchair but vowed to be on his own soon.

“I told Sir ALA I’m sorry I wasn’t able to win a world title but he told me it’s alright because in his eyes, I’m more than a world champion for surviving this test,” said Gorres. “Sir ALA told me not to worry about the future. I’m truly blessed.”

Solar vice president Ralph Roy was at the Manila airport to greet Gorres upon his arrival before the flight to Cebu. “I have a plan to try and put up a Z Gorres Foundation,” said Roy. “I’ll talk to managers and promoters to put up seed money. This will help fighters who get hurt and those who retire with nothing. For Z, the important thing now is for him to be strong enough to be a father to his kids and to provide for them. I think he’ll get there. The US doctors said he had no chance to survive but he’s back.”

Roy said Gorres’ case is an eye-opener. “Z has put the issue of caring for injured and retired fighters under the microscope,” he said. “Michael was telling me he has been getting calls from fighters asking for help since this happened. Maybe, this is Z’s calling – his way to help others.”

Gorres’ purse for the Melendez fight was $13,500.

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Barrios firm on Texters fine

Source: By Nelson Beltran (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios stood firm on his decision to sanction Talk n Text with a fine of P1.25 million for its walkout, saying it’s not excessive contrary to the claim of the Smart-PLDT ball club.

“In the light of history of fines, we didn’t view it as excessive,” said Barrios in answer to one of the points raised by Talk n Text in a letter Friday.

“With regards officiating, we admitted there were games where the performance of the referees was below par even in our own assessment. But it didn’t give undue disadvantage to Talk n Text alone. It was not biased and unfair to Talk n Text alone,” Barrios also said.

The league commissioner said the PBA board has a plan to update penalty on walkout in the aftermath of the incident that happened in Game Four of the Talk n Text-Ginebra quarterfinals showdown.

“Half-a-million-peso fine for a walkout is a 20-year-old amount,” said Barrios.

Meanwhile, Barako Bull waived its rights on Alex Crisano and Adonis Sta. Maria as it started its preparation for the Fiesta Conference Tuesday.

Barako Bull board representative Raffy Casyao said they’re back in training as they intend to continue their participation in the pro league.

“If we’re leaving, the Commissioner’s Office will be the first to know,” said Casyao, denying news report (not in The STAR) that the ball club is being bought by Meralco.

Smart-PLDT top official Ricky Vargas also denied the news, saying it can’t be done even if Meralco wants it.

Vargas pointed out PLDT owns only 30 percent of Meralco which is a publicly listed company.

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Aces drop Kings; Giants level series

Source: By Nelson Beltran (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Alaska Milk is back in the all-Filipino finals.

The Aces cut loose from a tight game in the homestretch and completed a masterful sweep of the Barangay Ginebra Kings in their KFC PBA Philippine best-of-seven semifinal showdown with a 102-95 win last night at the Araneta Coliseum.

Pointguard LA Tenorio presided over the Aces’ mighty finish that carried them to an eighth all-Filipino finale and 24th overall with a crack at a 13th championship.

“Wow! Who would have thought we could do this. To be here beating Ginebra four in a row is an incredible feat,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone of their sweet sweep.

“I don’t know where we came from. The guys lifted our game to a whole new level. From the beginning in Game One, the guys were fresh, hungry and sharp. And they didn’t lose anything along the way. It’s kind of unusual,” Cone also said.

“Ginebra played well tonight. They had the game they wanted to play. But we still had a better night,” Cone added.

Tenorio produced 20 points and 10 assists, Reynel Hugnatan put in 18 points and 10 rebounds and big men Sonny Thoss and Joe De Vance combined for 29 points and 12 rebounds as Alaska kept its mastery of Ginebra, essaying only the fourth 4-0 playoff sweep in league history.

So impressive were the Aces in the series they walloped the Kings by an average margin of 13.25 points.

“We just had a real unusual series. Just anybody I picked from the bench played very well,” said Cone.

The Kings engaged the Aces in a battle in Game Four but ran out of gas, slowing it down at the finish.

After the Kings tied for the last time at 85-all, Tenorio banged away a trey to spark a decisive eight-to-nothing run, getting the Aces ahead to stay.

Purefoods rebounded from a humbling defeat, whipping San Miguel Beer, 97-84, and forcing a 2-2 deadlock in the other semfinal game.

James Yap and Kerby Raymundo, the team’s main men, shared the load with their teammates, resulting in a better team performance and the crucial win watched by a crowd of over 12,000.

Roger Yap went a rebound shy of a triple-double effort with Marc Pingris and Rafi Reavis having their own double-double job as they gave the Giants a tremendous lift in springing back from a 76-88 loss in Game Three.

Yap produced 15 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, Pingris submitted 15 points and 11 rebounds while Reavis tallied 14 rebounds and 12 points in the game marred by the ouster of a San Miguel support staff on a technical infraction.

“I think this is the first time we hit the 20s in assist department. I told James and Kerby they have to share the ball. We have to get the other players involved on offense. Good thing they bought the idea,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

“We’re not able to play our game. We allowed them to shoot 48 percent from the field and we’re also down in assists. Basically, that’s the story,” said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.

Imposing their game, the Giants led by as many as 21 points right in the first period before slowing down in the next two quarters then getting back into the groove in the final canto.

“It was a game of adjustments. They threw good defensive efforts but we had some antidotes and good thing they worked,” said Gregorio.

“We want to stay alive and we want to stay competing. When we regained control in the fourth, I practically begged (my players) ‘please don’t let them make a run again,’” Gregorio added.

The Beermen, behind Jonas Villanueva, Jay Washington and Arwind Santos, waged a searing rally in the final half, reducing a 22-point gap, 20-42, to three, 71-74, early in the fourth quarter.

The Giants, however, showed great composure, regaining control at 90-74, on a decisive roll led by Pingris and Roger Yap.

“It’s down to a best of three, and honestly I feel we have a legitimate crack with the way we’ve been playing and with the way we’ve been concentrating in trying to stop the team,” said Gregorio.

“But we need to give my players who play extensive minutes some rest again. At this point, it’s better to spend time in video room and talk about things that should be done. It’s unnecessary to practice on the court,” Gregorio added.

The Giants came out revitalized, sprinting to a 21-point spread at 29-8.

They then had several 22-point leads before settling for a 53-44 cushion at halftime.

San Miguel made it a more manageable deficit as Danny Ildefonso, Denok Miranda and Washington closed out the second period with five straight charities.

The scores:

First Game

Purefoods 97 – Yap J. 24, Pingris 15, Yap R. 15, Raymundo 13, Reavis 12, Maierhofer 8, Simon 5, Artadi 4, Adducul 2, Allado 0.

San Miguel 84 – Ildefonso 17, Washington 14, Villanueva 13, Santos 11, Hontiveros 10, Custodio 6, Miranda 6, Peña 4, Pennisi 3, Holper 0, Cortez 0, Racela 0.

Quarterscores: 36-15, 53-44, 74-67, 97-84

Second Game

Alaska 102 – Tenorio 20, Hugnatan 18, Thoss 15, De Vance 14, Dela Cruz 9, Cablay 8, Borboran 7, Miller 7, Cariaso 4, Fonacier 0, Ferriols 0.

Ginebra 95 – Helterbrand 20, Tubid 15, Villanueva 15, Intal 10, Mamaril 9, Caguioa 9, Salvacion 5, Baguio 4, Alvarez 3, Wilson 3, Cruz 2, Abarrientos 0.

Quarterscores: 27-27, 53-59, 72-73, 102-95

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Brown: Jordan determined to buy Bobcats

Source: GMANews.TV

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Michael Jordan has been called the NBA's greatest player, a supreme competitor and top pitchman.

Jordan soon could have a much different role: team owner.

Charlotte coach Larry Brown said Monday night that Jordan has told him he's doing all he can to buy majority control of the Bobcats from owner Bob Johnson.

"He said he's doing his best to put himself in a position to get the team," Brown said after practice. "He wants it badly."

Johnson is eager to sell the unprofitable club, and NBA commissioner David Stern said Saturday he expects a deal to be completed within two months.

While Stern has said Jordan owning the team "would be a good thing," he may have competition. Former Houston Rockets executive George Postolos has made inquiries, and it's possible if Postolos gets control Jordan would no longer have a role with the team.

Jordan, currently a part owner with the final say on basketball decisions, would have to put an ownership group together and agree with Johnson on a price. Jordan declined comment Monday through a team spokesman.

"I didn't talk to him about the particulars," Brown said of his conversation with Jordan last week. "He just told me don't believe everything you read in the paper and I'm trying my hardest to get this thing done. I'm hopeful that at the end of the day Michael will be running the Bobcats."

Postolos, who once worked as an assistant to Stern in the NBA offices, has been in talks with Johnson for months.

"I am still not talking to media about Charlotte," Postolos wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Monday.

Jordan currently has a unique role in Charlotte. While he runs the basketball operations, he's not officially a team employee and rarely attends practices or games. But he was able to lure Brown, a fellow Hall of Famer, to coach the Bobcats and Charlotte (26-25) is in position to make its first playoff appearance this season.

"Anytime I read a possibility that Michael is not going to be involved it impacts my family and me because I came here because of him," said Brown, in his record ninth NBA head coaching job. "Now after I got here I realized there were a lot of real plusses for being here. But again, I wouldn't have thought about it and I've been thrilled since I've gotten here with the arrangement."

Guard Raymond Felton was even more confident that a deal would be struck to make one of North Carolina's most popular figures owner of the state's NBA team.

"From what I've been hearing it's probably going to happen," Felton said. "So I hope it works out and he gets the team."

Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television and the first black majority owner of a major professional sports team, also wasn't talking Monday. He has declined interview requests for months.

What's clear is Johnson is looking to unload the Bobcats. After paying $300 million for the expansion franchise that began play in 2004-05, Johnson has lost tens of millions of dollars each season as the Bobcats have struggled to draw fans and find sponsorships.

But after five losing seasons, the Bobcats sit in sixth place ahead of Tuesday's game against New Jersey.

"(Johnson) wanted the snow in Dallas to freeze the season so that the Bobcats would go right to the playoffs for the first time," Stern joked at his news conference Saturday. "So I think they have done a good job of putting a team together."

Jordan has had a role in that since buying into the team in 2006 and getting control over basketball decisions. After a rocky beginning that included drafting the disappointing Adam Morrison, he's made several moves that have helped the team, including November's acquisition of Stephen Jackson from Golden State.

Owning a team outright would be another milestone for the six-time NBA champion.

"He's as good a player as we've ever had in this sport. He's a wonderful guy," Brown said. "I think when the NBA bounced back, Magic (Johnson) and Larry (Bird) and then Michael sustained it. A lot of people owe a lot to him. I don't think David Stern takes that lightly. I think he admires Michael and realizes what he means to our sport.

"I just think we've got to have him involved. ... I just can't see the NBA without him being involved." - AP

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The Final Score: Dallas Ready for Pacquiao-Clottey

Source: MICO HALILI (GMANews.TV)

Dallas is on a roll. Racing from Mavericks town to Cowboys territory to NBA All-Star state, Dallas heads the Texas offensive like Carl Lewis on the US 4 x 100 meter relay team. The finish line, though, is far from sight. That suits Dallas just fine. It’s having too much fun turning the Lone Star State into a global sports hub.

After hosting a record-breaking NBA All-Star Week, Dallas prepares for the big fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey on March 13. By all indications, the Dallas area and its fans are ready to host another grand event and all-set to watch Pacquiao deliver another knockout show.

“I can’t wait to see Pacquiao in action here in Dallas," exclaimed Ronald “Popeye" Jones, former 11-year veteran for the Mavericks turned Mavericks Player Development Coach. “You see that burning fire in Pacquiao to win, to be successful. It’s the same fire that Michael Jordan had."

Perhaps that’s what drove Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones to aggressively lure Pacquiao away from the bright lights of Las Vegas and into the first-rate amenities of Cowboys Stadium. Jones really wanted to host Pacquiao versus Mayweather. Mayweather has cemented his place in boxing history. Pacquiao has done likewise while turning himself into one of the hottest commodities in professional sports.

It makes perfect sense, therefore, for Jones to unite the Michael Jordan of contemporary boxing with the Hercules of football stadiums. Jones wanted to bring boxing’s pound-for-pound king into the newest sports capital of Texas. Even former Maverick and Pacquiao fan Steve Nash was impressed with Jones’ sports cathedral. “People (who watched the NBA All-Star game) felt they were in the coolest sports bar of all-time with the biggest wide screen TV in the world."

By all indications, the Dallas area and its fans are ready to host another grand event and all-set to watch Pacquiao deliver another knockout show.
Last week, tall buildings and posh hotels in Dallas were covered with gigantic billboards promoting the NBA All-Star game. In the coming days, however, expect Pacquiao’s intense face to replace oversized action shots of Nowitzki, Bryant, James and Garnett. And fans are eager to turn Dallas from All-Star town to Pacquiao city.

“I paid extra to make sure I’ll watch Pacquiao from a nicer seat," James Farias, 26, Texas-native and food server for a popular Tex-Mex restaurant in the Dallas area, said. “I just hope Pacquiao doesn’t beat Clottey too easily. After all, I’m paying to see Manny not Clottey."

There’s a Pacquiao-Clottey billboard on the freeway and excited fans on the streets. On this trip, we met Mavericks/Cowboys fans who have become Pacquiao believers. Tickets for Pacquiao-Clottey were reportedly sold out as early as three weeks ago. A ticket was said to cost anywhere from 50 USD to 700 USD. Fans still without tickets have no choice but to purchase them from third-parties.

It’s a problem basketball Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman, a boxing fan since the glory days of her good friend Muhammad Ali, won’t have. She made sure she got her VIP tickets weeks ago. “Pacquiao will be fighting here in Dallas and I’ll be there for the fight."

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Gerry defers decision to retire

Source: By Joaquin Henson (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Two-time world boxing champion Gerry Peñalosa said the other day he hasn’t made up his mind whether or not to retire but will make an announcement in a week about his future plans.

Speaking from his Las Vegas Hilton hotel room in an overseas phonecall, Peñalosa deferred making a hasty decision after he lost a controversial split 12-round verdict to Eric Morel in an interim WBO bantamweight title bout last Saturday. He left Las Vegas for Los Angeles yesterday and will fly back to Manila today, landing on Friday.

“My dream is to retire a world champion,” said Peñalosa. “I’m no quitter. But I’m thinking about the future. I’m talking things over with my family. I’m considering my health which is important to my wife and kids. I think Morel can become a world champion someday. He has a good chance to beat (Fernando) Montiel if they fight for the WBO title. But is Morel worthy to become a world champion?”

Peñalosa said it’s not fair for Morel to challenge Montiel for the world crown because last Saturday’s outcome wasn’t conclusive. He disclosed that Freddie Roach, who worked his corner, wants a rematch.

“After the fight, I asked Freddie what he thinks is next for me, what he wants me to do,” said Peñalosa. “He told me I won the fight and he wants a rematch. Even if we ask for a rematch, I don’t think Morel will agree to fight me again. Why will he take a chance on me?”

Peñalosa said if not for the cuts he suffered from headbutts, the fight would’ve had a more decisive conclusion. Morel’s headbutts opened two cuts on both Peñalosa’s eyebrows. Peñalosa said two of the four cuts had to be closed with four stitches each in the hospital.

“The cuts weren’t that deep but the blood was bothering my vision,” said Peñalosa. “I wanted to pressure Morel a lot more especially when he started to slow down midway in the fight. I think I controlled the fight in the late rounds and hurt him with body shots. But because of the blood, I couldn’t go all out. I had to fight a little defensively.”

Peñalosa said despite the handicap, he refused to quit. “When the ringside doctor examined me a second time, he asked if I could see clearly,” he related. “I told him I couldn’t see too much but I could still fight.”

Peñalosa insisted none of Morel’s blows had a major impact.

“I can take his power,” said Peñalosa. “His power wasn’t the problem. It was my cuts. I could see his first punch coming but because of the blood entering my eyes, I couldn’t see his follow-up so I had difficulty countering. I had to cover up more than I wanted to because I couldn’t see where his second punches were coming from.”

Peñalosa said he trained hard for the fight and it showed down the stretch.

“My stamina was good,” he continued. “I never got tired. I think I was fresher than him in the end. If ever we fight again, I’ll pressure him from the start. My mistake was I let him get an early lead then when I got cut, I fought defensively and became erratic with my offense.”

Peñalosa said he hasn’t discussed the future with promoter Bob Arum.

“We haven’t talked,” said Peñalosa, referring to the Top Rank chief executive officer. “But I spoke with my manager Billy (Keane, Roach’s best friend). Billy told me he’ll abide by whatever decision I make. Billy feels that if I’m still hungry, if I still want to win the title badly, I should go on. If you’re hungry, you’ll have the discipline to train hard. But if you’ve lost the will to win, then it’s time to retire.”

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Gorres, the fallen victor, comes home

Source: By Abac Cordero (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - With no fanfare, boxer Z “The Dream” Gorres arrived home yesterday, more than three months after he nearly lost his life for winning what proved to be his last fight on the ring.

He flew in from Las Vegas under cover of darkness and was wheeled to a VIP room. He looked happy shaking the hands of some of his well-wishers as he made his way out of the immigration line.

Gorres granted an early interview with GMA-7. He held on to the microphone and stammered as he fielded simple questions. But he sounded very happy that he’s finally home and will get to see his children

“By God’s mercy, I’m okay,” said Gorres in Filipino as he sat on a wheelchair and often wiped his face with a white towel.

“Good morning,” he said. “I’m very happy being able to return to see my kids. I have four kids.”

Gorres, who underwent brain surgery after collapsing on the ring just moments after winning his bout against Luis Melendez last Nov. 13 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, was flown straight to his home province of Cebu.

He held a press conference later in the day, and again showed his happiness being able to return home, when three months ago there was great doubt whether he would live.

Gorres thanked his family and friends as well as his fans for providing all the support, and singled out Sen. Lito Lapid as the only government official to visit him while he was fighting for his life.

“He was the only one who visited me, and I’d like to thank him for helping me,” said Gorres.

Manny Pacquiao, the greatest boxer in the planet today, has vowed to provide financial support for Gorres, now that he’s home, and never to fight again.

Gorres’ hospital
bills in Las Vegas totalled more than half a million dollars. His promoter, Top Rank, shouldered $50,000 and the rest was paid for by the state of Nevada.

Now, he needs to continue with his rehabilitation, and his personal doctor, US-based physician Benito Calderon, said there’s a very good chance Gorres will be able to walk again.

“His improvement was so fast, we did not expect it,” Calderon said, adding that Gorres, who suffered paralysis on the left side of his body, is now able to move freely and can even get up with the help of a walker.

It will take time before Gorres fully recovers. But what’s important, to him, his family and friends, is that he’s finally home.

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Patriots seek 2-0 lead vs Indonesians

Source: (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots hope to make the most of their homecourt edge and build a 2-0 cushion heading to Indonesia as they go for a two-to-nil lead against Satria Muda BritAma in Game Two of the Asean Basketball League (ABL) Championship today at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Patriots banked on imports Gabe Freeman and Jason Dixon in the final quarter to fashion out a 78-68 victory in the opener of their best-of-five series last Friday.

It was actually the fourth straight victory by the Patriots over the Indonesians, whom they swept in the elims but the hosts remain wary of their rivals heading into their 8 p.m. encounter.

“For the past three days, we devised ways on breaking their pressure zone defense. It’s very hard but the boys are improving,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas. “I told them that we beat them in our first three games with our own defense, now it’s time to show to them that we can play smart defense.”

Alas also stressed that Freeman joined the team just recently, replacing Brandon Powell near the end of the elims.

“We did not win those games through our offense, our defense did it for us,” Alas said.

Harbour Centre president and CEO Mikee Romero and co-owner businessman Tonyboy Cojuangco also believe that the local crew, led by Rob Wainwright, Nonoy Baclao, Val Acuna, Erwin Sta. Maria, Elmer Espiritu, Warren Ybanez and JP Alcaraz, will have to do their share to ease the load off their imports on the offensive end.

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Excel, Cossack draw first blood

Source: By Joey Villar (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Newcomer Excel Roof came away with a stunning 82-73 victory over title-favorite Ascof Lagundi, making quite an impact right at the start of the PBL PG Flex-Erase Placenta Cup at The Arena in San Juan yesterday.

Bannered by members of the NCAA champion San Sebastian squad, the 25ers stymied the Cough Busters with a stifling defense then leaned on the troika of Jimbo Aquino, Calvin Abueva and Ronald Pascual in the clutch to fashion out the victory against a team that finished runner-up in the Unity Cup last year.

Aquino, the NCAA Finals MVP, paced Excel Roof with 17 points while Abueva and Pascual tossed in 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Two other 25ers churned out double digit outputs as Gilbert Bulawan also scored 11 points and John Raymundo finished with 10 to underscore the team’s balanced offensive sock.

In the other game, Cossack Blue leaned on the 13-point, 17-rebound effort of former San Beda standout Jay-R Taganas as it edged Fern-C, 81-77.

Excel Roof also used its quickness and played with a lot of spunk and hustle to dominate their rivals off the boards, 53-35, that set up a series of fastbreak plays for the 25ers.

Raymundo also pulled down 11 rebounds, becoming the first guard in the season-opening tournament to produce double-double game. He also made five assists in 21 minutes of action.

“The PBL is a totally different level than the NCAA and the collegiate leagues and it’s about speed and physical game,” said Excel Roof coach and SSC mentor Ato Agustin, who played for YCO and Swift in the then PABL in the 80s.

“So we came into this game ready to play tough defense,” he said.

Ex-FEU center JR Gerilla led Ascof with 13 points while former UST Growling Tiger Marc Canlas added 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

Ascof Lagundi fell back late in the second quarter as Abueva lead the 25ers’ charge en route to a 40-32 lead at the half.

Two consecutive fastbreaks by Gerilla tied the score at 45 with 7:20 in the third period but Aquino hit one of his two triples while Abueva scored inside off a foul by Richard Cole with 1:32 left for a 64-55 Excel Roof lead.

Pascual later put the 25ers in front by 10 points with a three-pointer for a 78-68 lead with 2:14 remaining in the final period while Abueva scored on a drive to post the team’s biggest lead at 80-69 with 90 seconds left in the contest.

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ALASKA GOES FOR JUGULAR, SAN MIGUEL EYES 2-GAME LEAD

Source: pba.com.ph

Alaska coach Tim Cone and his Aces will be driven by a common goal when they take the court Wednesday: Get Barangay Ginebra out of the way!

The Aces hold a commanding 3-0 lead over the Kings in their best-of-seven semifinal series and need just one more win to eliminate Ginebra and advance to the Finals of the 2009-10KFC PBA Philippine Cup.

Game 4 of the Alaska-Ginebra series is set at 7:30 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum. The other semifinal series between San Miguel and Purefoods fires off at 5 o’clock.

Cone said they have nothing special for D-Day.

“We’re just going to focus on the things that made us successful and try to keep our momentum,” he said.

Nobody could blame Cone if he sounds as if the Aces were the underdogs and down 0-and-3. In his 20 years in the business the Alaska chieftain knows well that strange things could happen in a series like this.

Back in 2006, the Aces were 3-1 up on the Purefoods TJ Giants in their best-of-seven Philippine Cup semifinal showdown, only to lose the next three games.

“I’ve seen a lot of things happen one way or another. I’m smart enough to communicate that this [3-0 lead] is not safe at all. Against a different opponent, maybe it would be safe. But against Ginebra, no. They still believe,” Cone said.

Ginebra diehards are expected to show up in full force and fill the Big Dome up to the rafters to hopefully boost the confidence of their embattled court heroes.

Problem is the Kings are not playing with the same kind of zest and energy that enabled them to come back from a 0-2 deficit against Talk N’ Text in their best-of-five quarterfinal match-up to get here.

In the first three games of the series, Ginebra shot only 36 percent from the field and converted only 17 percent from the three-point range. The Kings also shot poorly from the free throw line, making just 65 percent of their freebies.

To make matters worse, history is not on the side of the Kings. No team in the 35-year history of the league has ever come back from a 0-3 hole.

But despite the greatest challenge confronting his team, Jong Uichico, the low-keyed Ginebra coach, isn’t losing hope.

“We just have to find ways to win,” he said. “If we could win on Wednesday, it will be only 1-3 and I know there’s a team that came back from that deficit.”

Meanwhile, second-seed SMB tries to make it two in a row and push Purefoods on the brink of elimination.

The Beermen lead the Giants, 2-1.

SMB coach Siot Tanquingcen has repeatedly said that defense will be their key to winning the series. His conviction hasn’t changed.

As for Ryan Gregorio, the Purefoods coach is convinced they have to win Game 4 if they intend to make the series interesting.

Making stops, he said, is not enough to beat SMB. He pointed to their horrendous shooting from the three-point range as reason why Purefoods is trailing SMB in the series.

In three games, the Giants have made just 11 of 56 attempts from the trifecta zone.

“We were making stops but there’s something in our ring that did not make the ball fall in,” Gregorio said. (DBC)

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Thankful Z Gorres arrives in Manila

Source: GMANews.TV

A wheelchair-bound but thankful Filipino boxer Zeta Celestino Oliveros “Z" Gorres arrived home before dawn Tuesday, three months after suffering a traumatic brain injury as he fought Luis Melendez in Las Vegas in November last year.

Gorres, who lost weight and had slight difficulty in his speech, thanked fellow Filipinos for their prayers for his quick recovery.

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng Pilipino na nagdarasal para sa akin, thank you (I thank all Filipinos who prayed for me. Thank you)," he said in an interview on dwIZ radio.

Amid his fading dream as a boxer, he said he will not stop his children from taking up boxing if they want, even as he voiced regrets he could not realize his dream of becoming a world champion.

“Depende sa anak ko kung kursunada, wala tayong magawa kung gusto talaga nila (It depends on my children. If they want to take up boxing, I can do nothing to stop them)," he said when asked if he will stop his children from taking up boxing.

The dwIZ report said Gorres will be brought to Cebu shortly after his arrival, to continue his rehabilitation.

Gorres’ wife Duchess said that in the first weeks after her husband was hurt, they communicated through writing.

“Laki talaga ng pasasalamat namin sa Diyos at sa lahat ng mga taong nag-pray para kay Z, malaki ang pasasalamat namin sa kanila kasi tinulungan kami nila na marinig ang panalangin namin na ipahiram uli sa amin si Z kaya maraming salamat po (We thank God and Filipinos who prayed for Z. God heard our prayers to have Z stay with us)," she said.

Despite his condition, Gorres struck a pose for photographers upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Aiport Terminal 2 past 5 a.m., following a Philippine Airlines PR-107 flight from Las Vegas.

US-based Filipino doctor Benito Calderon said Gorres’ progress was amazing, and that while he may no longer be able to fight, he is likely to walk again.

Calderon said Gorres, who was paralyzed in the left side of the body and had to be carried since his injury, had been able to move his hands and knees, and walk with the help of a walker.

“His improvement was so fast, we did not expect it," Calderon said.

“Malamang di na siya makakalaban. But ang question will he lead a normal life? I think he wants to be able to lead (a normal life), he can still walk. With the showing yung improvement ng lakas niya I think he can walk (He is not likely to fight again. But the question is, will he lead a normal life? He can still walk. And with the improvement he made, I think he can walk)," he added.

Pacquiao to help shoulder rehab efforts

Filipino boxing icon Emmanuel “Manny" Pacquiao will help shoulder the rehabilitation expenses of Gorres.

According to Gorres wife, Pacquiao approached her husband while they were watching the “Pinoy Power 3" card in Las Vegas, and told him to get well soon.

“Z, pagaling ka, huwag kang mag-alala, tutulungan ka namin (Z, get well. Don’t worry, we’ll help you)," she recalled Pacquiao telling her husband.

On the other hand, Calderon said Nevada taxpayers will likely shoulder the bulk of Gorres’ $550,000 (P25.473 million) hospital fees, and are pushing for a law that will increase insurance coverage for fighters.

At present, Calderon said fighters can only avail of up to $50,000
(P2.315 million) in insurance.

Surgery

Gorres underwent brain surgery after a life-threatening subdural hematoma (traumatic brain injury) he suffered from a fight last November in Las Vegas.

The convalescing Gorres made his first public appearance at the Pinoy Power card last Saturday at the Las Vegas Hilton (Sunday in Manila).

He watched compatriots Nonito Donaire, Jr., Bernabe Concepcion and Mark Jason Melligen beat their respective opponents, and Ciso Morales and Gerry Peñalosa bow to their rivals.

Gorres got hit by a left cross from Melendez in the final round of that nightmarish fight, managed to get up for his win. However, he fell unconscious before leaving the ring.

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Darchinyan may have to wait as Donaire weighs option

Source: GMANews.TV

Vic Darchinyan may have to wait for his long-sought rematch with the “Filipino Flash" Nonito Donaire, Jr.

Annoyed by the continuous tirades being thrown at him by the loudmouth from Armenia, Donaire expressed his intention not to give Darchinyan a return bout, and instead look for another title option, including a showdown with World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel.

“I may not fight him [Darchinyan] because there’s Montiel and his showing was great," said Donaire minutes after scoring a third-round knockout of Mexican Manuel Vargas in the main bout of the boxing card “Pinoy Power 3/Latin Fury 13" at the Hilton Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Saturday.
Nonito Donaire GMANews.TV

Montiel certainly, was great in his first round demolition of Filipino Ciso Morales as he retained his 118-pound belt in the undercard of the same promotion put up by Top Rank.

But a fight with Montiel may have to take a while for Donaire as the Mexican is likely to meet Eric Morel of Puerto Rico first.

Morel earned a shot at Montiel’s crown when he scored a split decision over veteran Gerry Peñalosa in a title eliminator match that may be the last fight for the 37-year-old Filipino warrior.

Donaire (23-1, 15 KOs) also expressed his intention to move up again in weight after admitting he’s beginning to outgrow the super-flyweight division.

Door still open to 'Darchi'

But at the same time, he’s not also closing a possible meeting with Darchinyan since, “he [Darchinyan] wants a rematch, and I want his belts."

Darchinyan is now the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) super-flyweight champion following a devastating second-round knockout of Tomas Rojas last December.

Now based in Australia, the Armenian suffered his first career loss at the hands of Donaire in a stunning fifth-round technical knockout in Connecticut three years ago.

The win allowed Donaire to wrest the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight title in a match later voted as the 2007 Upset of the Year.

During the same “Pinoy Power" boxing card, pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao urged the throng of Filipinos in the crowd to donate whatever amount they can to his foundation, the proceeds of which will be used to finance the recovery of Z “The Dream" Gorres.

The injured boxer finally left Las Vegas for the Philippines Sunday together with wife Datches after spending more than two months in the U.S. to recover and rehabilitate from brain surgery.

Gorres collapsed inside the ring moments after a 10-round unanimous decision over Colombian Luis Melendez.

He underwent surgery to relieve the swelling on his brain owing to a blood clot.

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Focus on vets, college stars as PBL unwraps

Source: (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Basketball League unwraps its new season today with a promise of high-powered action among the league veterans and the top collegiate stars in the PG Flex-Erase Placenta Cup at The Arena in San Juan.

Except for Ascof Lagundi of Pascual Laboratories, the three other teams seeing action in the season-opening tournament are made up of stars from various collegiate leagues, thus guaranteeing torrid action right from the opening buzzer.

“There are a lot of exciting players out there, even the rookies are expected to make an impression,” said PBL commissioner Chino Trinidad.

After a 20-minute opening ceremony, Ascof Lagundi (formerly Pharex), which lost to Oracle Residences (Harbour Centre franchise
) in last year’s Unity Cup title series, battles Excel Roof, a team built around the core of NCAA champion San Sebastian College.

Clashing in the second game at 4 p.m. are Fern-C and Cossack Blue, spearheaded by the University of the East Warriors. Games will be aired on Basketball TV starting at 3:30 p.m.

PBL chairman Ding Camua, deputy commissioner Tommy Ong and executive director Butch Maniego will grace the opener while San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito has been invited to do the ceremonial toss. He will be assisted by Camua, the board representative of Pascual Lab.

Cobra’s Paul Lee and Fern-C’s John Wilson will lead the Oath of Sportsmanship.

Aside from Ascof Lagundi, also tipped to contend for the crown is Cobra Energy Drink, led by last year’s top rookie Paul Lee and Parri Llagas, former UAAP scoring champion Patrick Cabahug and Ateneo star Jai Reyes.

Cobra will debut against AddMix on Thursday while Pharex-B, the second team of Pascual Laboratories in the league, battles the Ani-FCA Cultivators in the tournament backed by UK Derm, Spalding, Accel, Izod and Van Heusen, Burlington, Gold’s Gym, Fern-C, Gatorade, Extreme Magic Sing, The Filipino Channel, Business World and NU 107.

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Fight odds soar for Pacquiao

Source: (The Philippine Star) – Abac Cordero

MANILA, Philippines - Not even Freddie Roach’s statement that he sees the fight going the distance could keep the fight odds from sky-rocketing in favor of Manny Pacquiao.

The other day, the four-time Trainer of the Year told fightfan.com that he’s not looking for a knockout. Instead, he said he sees a 12-round battle with Joshua Clottey.

But no one seemed to listen as oddsmakers for the March 13 showdown at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas remained convinced it’s going to be one-sided.

At least four online betting stations in the United States have placed Pacquiao as the overwhelming favorite, and the only way he could lose if he doesn’t show up on fight night.

Sportsbook, which has control of the betting stations in Las Vegas, has the 31-year-old Filipino superstar at -500 and Clottey, the hungry challenger from Ghana, at +300 with less than a month left.

It’s so huge that you need $500 to win a hundred bucks if you’re rooting for Pacquiao, and that a $100 bet on Clottey gives you $300 in return in case he pulls off the upset of the century.

At sportsbetting.com, Pacquiao was at -500 and Clottey at +350. Bookmaker.com was a little more conservative with its -440 for Pacquiao and +350 for Clottey while sportsinteraction.com has it at -556 and +300.

Clottey having problems in training makes it easier for oddsmakers to point at Pacquiao as the favorite.

First, the 33-year-old challenger could not take his long-time trainers with him to the United States after they failed to secure the required working visas from the US Embassy in Ghana.

And while he trained briefly in New York, a snow storm kept Clottey indoors and unable to do roadwork. For his part, Pacquiao is in the thick of things at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

Those close to him say Pacquiao looked so fit the past week that he’s ready to fight Clottey tomorrow. Roach has even ordered the number of sparring rounds slashed from around 150 to just a little over a hundred.

Still, Roach said he sees a tough fight.

“The first half of the fight will be very hard for both guys,” he told fightfan.com.

“Then we’ll take over in the middle or late rounds. Clottey waits for you to punch yourself out and get tired. But Manny Pacquiao doesn’t get tired,” he said.

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Ref says Gerry was robbed

Source: By Joaquin Henson (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Veteran international referee Bruce McTavish said yesterday he scored it 115-113 for Gerry Peñalosa in his interim WBO bantamweight title fight against Eric Morel and couldn’t understand how the San Carlos City southpaw lost a split 12-round decision at the Las Vegas Hilton last weekend.

McTavish, who has worked in over 100 world title bouts, said Morel got off to a strong start but Peñalosa clearly controlled the action in the last six rounds. He added that referee Russell Mora should’ve penalized Morel at least a point for repeated holding.

“Morel was warned three or four times for holding,” said McTavish. “If you’re the referee, you deduct a point after the third warning or else why issue a warning in the first place? I thought he did a good job except for the holding.”

McTavish noted that under WBO rules, it isn’t mandatory to deduct a point from a fighter who inflicts a cut on his opponent with an accidental headbutt. However, it is mandatory under WBC rules outside of the US.

“In a WBC-sanctioned bout, a fighter who cuts up an opponent with an accidental headbutt is penalized a point even if he didn’t initiate the contact,” said McTavish. “That’s because of the handicap of a cut fighter. However, the rule doesn’t apply in the US even if it’s a WBC fight. Japan opposed the WBC rule at first but eventually accepted it.”

Morel inflicted severe cuts over both Peñalosa’s eyes with headbutts, causing the Filipino visual difficulty. Twice, Mora called on the ringside physician to check on Peñalosa’s wounds. On one occasion, Peñalosa told the doctor he couldn’t see clearly but wanted to continue fighting.

Although Mora wasn’t obliged to penalize Morel for the headbutts, he should’ve at least docked a point for repeated holding, said McTavish. Morel often locked Peñalosa’s arm when they came close and even held his head down with an arm to throw a punch with his free hand.

The judges’ scoring showed a stark disparity. Duane Ford, 72, saw it 116-112 for Morel, a margin that raised a lot of eyebrows. Paul Smith, 65, had it 115-113, also for the Puerto Rican. Richard Houck dissented, scoring it 115-113 for Peñalosa, the same tally as McTavish.

If Mora penalized Morel two points for holding and other foul tactics, the fight would’ve been a split draw.

Mora has worked in only 10 world title bouts, including four in the women’s category. He was the referee when Juan Alberto Rosas pounded out a 12-round decision over Filipino Federico Catubay in Las Vegas last November. Mora’s inexperience in handling a bout between two veterans – Peñalosa is 37 and Morel, 34 – was evident last weekend.

McTavish said the loss shouldn’t be a reason for Peñalosa to retire despite his age.

Former WBC secretary-general Rudy Salud, who was once Peñalosa’s manager, left the decision to retire up to the fighter.

“My heart tells me he should stop before he gets seriously hurt,” said Salud. “But if you compare Gerry with Filipino contenders like Ciso Morales, he’s way ahead so why should he stop? He might be one small step slower but he’s still good enough to win big fights. When to quit is his decision.”

As for Peñalosa’s fight against Morel, Salud said he agreed with the decision although the four-point margin in Ford’s card was ludicrous.

“I thought Gerry lost a close fight,” said Salud. “Morel had the early lead and Gerry tried to catch up but it wasn’t enough. Gerry got in some good body shots and at one stage, Morel looked like he was going down. Gerry’s deficiency is his size. He’s short in height, reach and limbs. It’s like he has to take a shot before being able to give one back. His physical make-up is a disadvantage. He’s often shorter than his opponents and his reach is less. That’s how it was against Daniel Ponce de Leon, Juan Manuel Lopez and even In Joo Cho.”

Salud revealed that when Peñalosa was under his care, the fighter was given a $20,000 step aside fee for another contender to fight for the WBC superflyweight title and called out Morel as an interim opponent. That was about 10 years ago and Morel refused.

Peñalosa, whose cuts were stitched up in a hospital after the fight, was consoled by Manny Pacquiao’s remarks that he was robbed of a victory. Pacquiao said in his opinion, Peñalosa took at least seven rounds. But the word from Las Vegas was Peñalosa is close to making an announcement of his retirement.

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Aces sign Eman to 3-year pact

Source: By Nelson Beltran (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Alaska Milk signed up Samigue Eman to a three-year contract, giving the Aces a potent triple tower combination in the 6-foot-9 Davaoeno behemoth and 6-foot-7 old mainstays Sonny Thoss and Joe De Vance.

Eman, the 2007 PBA Draft No. 2 pick whose existing pact is to expire in July, was given a three-year contract extension deal by Alaska worth around P11 million.

The Aces got the opportunity to acquire Eman after San Miguel Beer put the player on its unrestricted reserve list so it could reactivate Danny Seigle and Danny Ildefonso from the injured pool.

Before he was signed by Alaska, the SMC management was thinking on working a deal that would have sent Eman to Barangay Ginebra.

“I understand other teams tried to sign up Eman but the guy chose to be with Alaska, believing he would have the chance to show what he can do with us,” Alaska team manager Joaqui Trillo told The STAR.

“I believe he’ll have his playing minutes but he has to work hard for it,” Trillo added.

With the addition of Eman, coach Tim Cone is looking forward to the near future where he could have a triple tower combination like that of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers.

“The lineups of the four teams in the semifinals are basically frozen right now. So obviously we cannot include him in our lineup. But this is a real opportunity because we got him about a month before the next conference. So we will have the chance to teach him our system, develop him during our practices and to teach him our triangle. So it’s really good timing for us because it gives us time for him to come in and learn,” said Cone.

Eman, a bench tenant at San Miguel in his first two seasons in the pros, was introduced to his new teammates in practice Saturday.

“I’m thankful to San Miguel, they treated me well in my stint with them. But I’m already in my third year in the PBA and I want an opportunity to prove myself. Hopefully, I can get it with Alaska,” said Eman.

“I’m happy I’ll be playing alongside Sonny Thoss. I’ll not be challenging him but I’ll challenge myself. I want to see if I really belong in the pro league,” Eman added.

Trillo and Cone both see a lot of untapped potential in Eman.

“I saw a lot of him (Eman) while he played in the PBL and at the time he was much more advanced than Sonny at that stage in their careers. Look how far Sonny has gone now. But you know Sam’s a hardworking guy. He seems to be a pretty decent guy. He seems to be a hard worker and he assures us that he will do anything it takes to be able to play quality minutes,” said Trillo.

“Sam is a big man who won’t only back up Sonny (Thoss). We really envision Sam and Sonny playing together a lot. Sam did not have a spot with San Miguel because their roster is so deep,” said Cone.

“We will give him that opportunity to come in and play. We feel the triangle is a great developer of big men because it demands that big men use their skills. And so I think Sam has a big opportunity to develop with us and we will assist him and give him minutes to play,” Cone added.

At San Miguel, Eman was able to play only 19 games in his rookie year and 12 games in the next season. In those games, he averaged 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per outing.

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Nowitzki to bag MVP trophy in All-Star Game?

Source: By Joaquin Henson (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The way is clear for hometown hero Dirk Nowitzki to make a serious bid for the MVP trophy in the 59th NBA All-Star Game at the mammoth Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, this morning (Manila time) and if the expected attendance of 90,000 turns out, the building will be rocking with each touch of the ball by the 7-foot Dallas Mavericks stalwart from Germany.

Nowitzki, 31, has never claimed an MVP title in eight previous All-Star appearances although he was honored as the NBA MVP in 2007. He was picked by the Western Conference coaches to fill one of seven reserve spots in the West All-Star team but was elevated to starter status by coach George Karl with Kobe Bryant vacating the spot because of an ankle injury.

Nowitzki is No. 7 in league scoring with a 24.6 clip and he’s also averaging 7.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 37.7 minutes this season. But even more impressive than his stats is Nowitzki’s ability to bring out the best in his teammates and lead the Mavericks to a lofty 32-20 record, fourth in the tough Western Conference, at the All-Star break. Only the Los Angeles Lakers (41-13), Denver Nuggets (35-18) and Utah Jazz (32-19) are ahead in the West standings.

The other Maverick in the West squad is Jason Kidd who is Nowitzki’s chief feeder and caddy. Kidd was named by commissioner David Stern to replace New Orleans’ Chris Paul in the All-Star roster. There’s no more familiar player than Kidd to make sure Nowitzki has his touches and if he is to contend for the MVP plum, the German must be productive with the ball in his hands.

Kidd, 36, is in his 16th NBA season and has so far played in eight All-Star Games. He’s averaging 9.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 9.3 assists. Stern’s decision to pick Kidd was seen as a political move because Dallas is hosting the event. It was also seen as a ploy to prop up Nowitzki’s chances for an MVP performance.

Surely, there are more deserving guards to choose from the Western Conference. Two backcourtmen who come to mind are Golden State’s Monta Ellis and Houston’s Aaron Brooks, both enjoying breakout campaigns. Ellis is averaging 26.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists while Brooks is hitting at a 19.4 clip, grabbing 4.9 boards and dishing off 2.6 assists an outing. The downside is neither Golden State nor Houston is in the West’s top eight. But there are two players in the West cast from teams outside of the top eight - Memphis’ Zach Randolph and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Kaman who was tapped by Stern to replace injured Portland star Brandon Roy.

The West is favored to beat the East if only because of its higher talent level. If the season ended today, the eight West playoff qualifiers would brandish winning records with three teams - Houston, New Orleans and Memphis - missing the cut despite over .500 marks. In contrast, two Eastern Conference teams would make it to the playoffs with losing records - Miami (26-27) and Chicago (25-26).

The West has won two of the last three All-Star Games but the East still leads, 35 wins to the West’s 23, since the annual extravaganza made its debut in 1951. The East got off to a fast start by winning 11 of the first 16 All-Star Games because of the Boston Celtics dominance.

There have been 13 MVPs named from teams that hosted the All-Star Game. Last season, Shaquille O’Neal shared MVP honors with Bryant as his team, the Phoenix Suns, hosted. O’Neal was also named the MVP when his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, hosted in 2004. O’Neal was not chosen to play in the All-Star Game this year.

In 1993, John Stockton and Karl Malone were named co-MVPs in the All-Star Game, which was hosted by their team, the Utah Jazz, in Salt Lake City. Michael Jordan was the MVP when his team, the Chicago Bulls, hosted in 1988.

For the West, the starters are Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan and Amare Stoudemire. Two Phoenix teammates, Nash and Stoudemire, will make life a little easier for Karl who earned the right to coach the West because Phil Jackson claimed the honor last year. The coaches for the East and West are those whose teams are leading at the All-Star break but if they called the shots in the All-Star Game the previous year, the coaches with the next best records are chosen. Denver has the second best record in the West.

Others in the West lineup are Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Randolph, Utah’s Deron Williams, the Lakers’ Pau Gasol, Denver’s Chauncey Billups (replacing Paul), Kidd and Kaman. The first-timers in an All-Star Game are Durant, Randolph, Williams and Kaman.

For the East, the starters are Cleveland’s LeBron James, Miami’s Dwyane Wade, Boston’s Kevin Garnett, Orlando’s Dwight Howard and Atlanta’s Joe Johnson, elevated from the reserve cast to replace Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson who is missing in action.

Completing the East roster are Boston’s Rajan Rondo and Paul Pierce, Toronto’s Chris Bosh, Chicago’s Derrick Rose, Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace, Atlanta’s Al Horford and New York’s David Lee. The first-time All-Star Game performers are Rondo, Rose, Wallace, Horford and Lee. Although the East has more All-Star Game rookies, coach Stan Van Gundy has the luxury of playing three mainstays from the same team - Rondo, Pierce and Garnett. Chemistry is crucial in an All-Star Game where players come from different teams and are unfamiliar with each other’s moves on the whole.

Under NBA rules, Stern has the right to name a replacement for an All-Star player who is unable to play for whatever reason but the coach chooses whom to replace an All-Star starter. In Iverson’s case, his starting spot was taken over by Johnson in a choice made by Van Gundy but Stern picked Lee to replace the Answer in the East squad.

Van Gundy was named to coach the East by virtue of his team Orlando’s second-place standing in the conference. Cleveland is No. 1 overall with a 43-11 mark but coach Mike Brown isn’t eligible for the All-Star Game because he was on the bench last year.

Fans vote for the starters in both teams while the coaches name the reserves. To allocate the votes, the starters are picked on the basis of most votes for two guards, two forwards and one center. The reserves are two guards, two forwards, one center and two regardless of position.

Van Gundy will probably favor his Orlando center Howard in the MVP derby. Howard, 24, is playing in his fourth All-Star Game and enjoying an incredible season, averaging 18.0 points and league-highs of 13.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots. It would’ve helped Howard’s cause if the East had another Magic player but surprisingly, Vince Carter was snubbed by his own coach.

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Donaire stops foe in third round

Source: By Abac Cordero (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Nonito Donaire Jr. only needed three rounds to knock out Manuel Vargas of Mexico while veteran Gerry Peñalosa used all 12 rounds but still fell short against Erik Morel of Puerto Rico in the featured bouts of the “Pinoy Power III” fight card in Las Vegas yesterday.

Manny Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound champion, and Z Gorres, who fought for his life following a brain operation last November, were at ringside of the Hilton Hotel and Casino and watched three other Filipinos take the spotlight before going opposite ways.

Bernabe Concepcion showed what a sound training camp can do as he pulled off a convincing win over Mario Santiago. He sent the Puerto Rican down on the floor in the sixth round and cruised to a decent 10-round decision in their featherweight contest.

Welterweight Mark Jason Melligen bounced back from a bitter loss to Michel Rosales late last year when he scored a TKO win over erstwhile unbeaten Raymond Gatica while Ciso Morales, the Filipino who showed great promise in the previous fights, was a disappointment.

Morales, winner of his first 14 bouts, almost killed himself trying to lose 12 pounds in the week heading to his bantamweight clash with WBO champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel. He paid the price when he took a body shot and was knocked out in the 2:06 mark of the opening round.

Pacquiao must have felt the pain watching from ringside as Morales went down and out after taking a solid blow to the mid-section.

But none would have hurt the world’s greatest boxer today than the bitter loss suffered by Peñalosa, his close friend. Morel was the taller, longer fighter but Peñalosa, at 37 just trying to stretch his luck on the ring, managed himself pretty well, and dropped a split decision.

Peñalosa’s trainer, Freddie Roach, felt they could have won the bout, which could be the last for the fearless Peñalosa.

It was the eighth loss for Peñalosa, a former world bantamweight champion who has won 54 fights, 36 of them by knockout. When he lost to Juan Manuel Lopez last year, many thought he should have retired, and now the question will continue to haunt him.

Lopez was also at ringside, and may be looking at Concepcion, of Virac in Catanduanes, as his next opponent. That would be a fight worth looking forward to, but the Filipino must do a lot better if he wants to take the world title away from Lopez.

Donaire, the WBA interim super-flyweight champion, improved to 22 wins with 11 knockouts against a single loss, was in a hurry to get rid of his opponent, actually a last-minute replacement for Gerson Guerrero who had a torn retina.

Yet, the Filipino landed most of his punches, and in the 1:33 mark of the third round he connected with a left uppercut that signalled the end of the bout. Vargas was counted out as he lay on the canvas.

After the fight, Donaire told fight commentator Ronnie Nathanielzs he was “just being cautious” since he wasn’t too sure what Vargas could offer.

“I felt stiff in the first two rounds but I wanted to knock him out,” said Donaire, who admitted that Vargas was “strong” and “hits hard.”

Again, Donaire hinted of moving up in weight, from 115 to 118, and is looking at WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel. Or even Morel, for a chance to avenge Peñalosa’s defeat.

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ALASKA STAVES OFF BIG GINEBRA ENDGAME RALLY, PUTS KINGS ON THE BRINK

Source: Pba.com.ph

A LONG coaching career has given Tim Cone not only the chance to see and experience almost everything there is to see a game. But Sunday night, he went through one gut-wrenching rollercoaster ride he’d rather forget.

“After 20 years in this business, this is not the first time this has happened to my team. Hopefully, this is the last,” said Cone after the Aces narrowly held off the Barangay Ginebra Kings 91-88 to move within another win of making the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup finals at the packed Araneta Coliseum.

Before a predominantly pro-Ginebra crowd of more than 18,800, Alaska almost squandered a 23-point lead in the last eight minutes. Good thing the Kings fully ran out of steam in the dying seconds, enabling the Aces to escape and move within another win of completing a rare sweep of a best-of-seven duel.

“We were lulled into thinking the game was over. Against Ginebra we should have known better,” said Cone.

The Aces now have the chance to advance into the finals with another win on Wednesday and Cone said the biggest lesson of Sunday’s game should brace them for that match.

“We know we can’t let our guard down and this should reinforce us, set us up for Game Four and get us by,” he stated.

“We kind of let down there, stopped playing after we led by 23 points,” Cone added. “Luckily, we made some good defensive stops in the end. We lost our poise but gained back some to eke out the win.”

Since best-of-seven duels were first began in 1982, only three teams have swept a series and Cone said that only tends to show how tough it is to pull off the feat.

The Aces sure will try though. “We’ll keep on plugging along,” Cone said.

Barangay Ginebra completed its fightback from a 65-88 deficit by pulling within 88-90, on a drive by Mark Caguioa, still 33.8 left, and it had the chance to at least tie when Ronald Tubid stripped LA Tenorio of the ball and was fouled with the Aces in penalty.

But Tubid came up empty on two charities and Reynel Hugnatan canned one in the ensuing play off a foul by Tubid to make it a three-point game, only 7.7 ticks left.

With no time out left, Barangay Ginebra was forced to freestyle it in the ensuing play. Caguioa then missed his three-point try and Sunday Salvacion’s own attempt was blocked by Mark Borboran as the final buzzer sounded.

Despite scoring only two points in the second half, Tenorio still shared Alaska scoring honors with Tony dela Cruz as each scored 15, with the latter also snaring as many rebounds. Joe Devance added 13 and seven and Miller 10 and nine.

Caguioa led all scorers with 20 points, along with nine rebounds and six assists, in another outstanding performance off the bench. JC Intal, Salvacion, Jayjay Helterbrand and Tubid chipped in at least 10 points each.

For a very long while it looked as if Alaska, which won via a lopsided 104-79 win in the opener, was set for a more comfortable victory than its 90-82 triumph last Friday when Hugnatan’s short stab first put the team up by 84-61, 9:35 left.

Borboran’s short stab staked the Aces to an 88-85 lead, 8:06 left, the biggest of the game, before they unexpectedly got held to just three free throws for the remainder of the game. In that stretch, Tenorio and Miller each had two of the team's seven turnovers while the Aces shot 0-for-7 from the field.

“We just started going through the motions, started playing cool and stopped doing what made us successful,” related Cone.

“They broke our rhythm with pressure down the stretch,” he added. “We thought we could get it back, but we just couldn’t.”

Dela Cruz already secured his second straight double-double as early as the third quarter, when he already had 13 points and as many rebounds and helped Alaska take a 76-59 lead into the last 12 minutes.

Thoss and Hugnatan had at least two fouls each as early as the first period and Miller was shut out by Ronald Tubid, but the Aces still dominated the first half due to the alternating sparks provided by Dela Cruz and Devance and sustained fire from Tenorio.

The Aces broke away from an early 15-13 count with an 8-0 run anchored on Tenorio and led by as much as 45-29 before settling for a 49-37 halftime count.

Barangay Ginebra had a bright spot in Caguioa, who already had 10 points at the half. Most of the other Kings, however, were unable to provide ample support and that simply would not do against the Aces’ vastly superior team play.

Tenorio already had 13 points at the half, eight coming in the opening quarter which Alaska took 23-14. Barangay Ginebra started digging the hole by going just 5-of-18 from the field and committing six turnovers. (NC)

The scores:

Alaska 91 - Tenorio 15, Dela Cruz 15, De Vance 13, Miller 10, Fonacier 9, Thoss 9, Hugnatan 9, Borboran 6, Ferriols 2, Cariaso 2, Cablay 1.

Barangay Ginebra 88 - Caguioa 20, Intal 12, Salvacion 12, Helterbrand 12, Tubid 10, Villanueva 9, Baguio 7, Abarrientos 4, Mamaril 2, Alvarez 0, Wilson 0, Cruz 0.

Quarterscores: 23-14, 49-37, 76-59, 91-88

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SAN MIGUEL FROM START TO FINISH, NOW UP 2-1

Source: Pba.com.ph

Going back to their old ways, the San Miguel Beermen moved back on top in their Final Four duel with the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants.

The Beermen restored order in their game after a floundering performance Friday, smothering the Giants, 88-76, for a 2-1 lead in their KFC PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinals series at the Araneta Coliseum Sunday.

“The main thing was the effort we put in. We went back to basics. Bumalik kami sa depensa na nagpapanalo sa amin sa elimination round. We’re more committed on defense in this game than the last time,” said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.

“In Game Four, we intend to stay in business. We’ve learned our lesson (in Game Two). We must not commit the same mistake again,” Tanquingcen added.

“One glaring stats for today’s game was our inability to score. That’s basically the story of the game,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

“We’re taking a rest tomorrow (Monday). I told the boys to return with their legs ready Tuesday and be ready for the war Wednesday,” Gregorio added.

Truly, the Beermen employed an efficient defense after being torched by the Giants with their hot shooting in Game Two.

Jay Washington, Dondon Hontiveros, Arwind Santos, Jonas Villanueva and Mike Cortez delivered offensively while practically the whole team worked well on the defensive end.

The Beermen limited the Giants to two triples out of 23 tries and held to 36 percent field-goal shooting overall.

James Yap was 0-of-6, Paul Artadi 0-of-5, Kerby Raymundo and Roger Yap both 0-of-3 while Rico Maierhofer and PJ Simon both 0-of-1 from the three-point area.

Nino Canaleta was the only Giant to score from the trifecta land, making two of four attempts.

“If we can’t shoot from the outside, San Miguel will clog the lane, forcing us to low-percentage shots,” said Gregorio. “Partly, our weariness manifested again. We didn’t have the usual lift from beyond the three-point area.”

With a good job on both ends, San Miguel established control early and led by as many as 17 in the third quarter before holding off a Purefoods rally at endgame.

Villanueva and Cortez led the Beermen in closing out the game with eight points each in the final quarter.

Washington, Hontiveros, Santos, Mick Pennisi and Denok Miranda got the Beermen to a strong start, taking the first quarter at 24-12.

The Giants drew within six, 34-40, at halftime before the Beermen buckled down to work again, breaking away at 74-57. (SB)

The scores:

San Miguel 88 - Hontiveros 15, Washington 15, Santos 13, Villanueva 10, Cortez 10, Pena 9, Pennisi 8, Miranda 4, Ildefonso 4, Racela 0, Seigle 0.

Purefoods 76 - Yap J. 14, Canaleta 14, Raymundo 11, Yap R. 11, Reavis 8, Maierhofer 6, Simon 4, Allado 4, Artadi 2, Pingris 2, Timberlake 0, Salvador 0.

Quarterscores: 24-12, 40-34, 67-55, 88-76

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