Kings take on Fiesta Cup champion Beermen

Source: GMANews.TV

Barangay Ginebra coach Jong Uichico acknowledged defending PBA Fiesta Cup champion San Miguel Beer as the team to beat.

And on the way to the championship, one has to go through the Beermen themselves.

Uichico and the Kings get the initial crack at it when they battle the talent-laden Beermen in the main game of a Sunday doubleheader at the Araneta Coliseum.

“If you want to be contenders for the championship, you have to be able to compete with San Miguel," said Uichico.

The Beermen (4-1) shot on top of the standings following Coca-Cola’s 91-80 loss to Rain or Shine Friday.

Just half a game behind, the Kings can catch up with the reigning champions on top with a win in their 6:30 p.m. encounter.

Making Sunday’s schedule – which has Air21 battling Sta. Lucia in the curtain raiser – is the special appearance of former league commissioner Rudy Salud and ex-Senator Robert Jaworski Sr., along with some members of the Toyota and U-Text teams that saw action in the inaugural games of Asia’s first ever pro league 35 years ago.

The guesting of Salud and yesteryear’s star players is part of the PBA’s weeklong celebration in commemorating its foundation in April 1975.

San Miguel is currently on a three-game winning roll, although it was pushed to the limit the last time by Alaska in a 95-89 overtime victory.

Ginebra has the luxury of resting for about a week after picking up its second straight win last Saturday, coming back from a 16-point third-quarter deficit to drop Rain or Shine, 100-98, in a game held at Victorias City, Negros Occidental.

Prior to that, the Kings dealt the Coca-Cola Tigers their first loss in the tournament, 98-91.

Knowing how dangerous the league’s crowd darling is, San Miguel mentor Siot Tanquingcen is not about to take chances, directing his team to take care even the nitty gritty of things.

“We have to make sure we don’t get outrebounded and give up second chance points," he said. “Likewise, we have to be able to make key stops and not allow them to get the momentum in the game."

Serving as sidelight of the potentially explosive game is the match-up between Ginebra’s Awvee Storey and Gabe Freeman, last year’s Best Import winner when he steered the Beermen to the title opposite the Kings.

Storey exploded for 40 points and pulled down 25 rebounds in the Kings’ victory over the Elasto Painters.

Meanwhile, the Realtors and Express each try to snap their three-game losing streaks in their 4 p.m. duel.

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SMBeer survives hot Air21

Source: By Nelson Beltran (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Jay Washington nailed two free throws and blocked a three-point shot by Beau Belga in the last 16 seconds of play as San Miguel Beer bucked Gabe Freeman’s early exit on fouls to edge Air21, 92-87, in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum last night.

Alex Cabagnot, a former Sta. Lucia Realtor, Coke Tiger and BK Whopper, made a decent debut in a San Miguel uniform, piling up 13 points and six assists to help the Beermen start their title-retention bid on a winning note.

Freeman had produced 23 points and 19 rebounds when he fouled out with still 2:22 left and San Miguel ahead by only five at 86-81.

Air21 threatened at 87-88 but San Miguel pulled through on key plays by Washington and Cabagnot in the closing seconds.

The Express put up a tough challenge with Keena Young delivering 23 points and 21 rebounds and local teammates Ronjay Buenafe and Belga adding double-digit outputs.

Earlier, James Penny marked another return stint in the local pro league with a near triple-double job, and Coca-Cola got off to rousing start with a 97-74 whipping of Barako Energy Coffee.

Penny led a vicious Coca-Cola attack in the fourth quarter giving the Tigers an auspicious debut in the tourney where they finished eighth the last time.

The former Texas Christian U star churned out 27 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists to prove he’s as dependable as ever.

He’s in his fourth tour of duty in the PBA after leading Red Bull to the championship in 2006 then to a third-place finish the following year before moving over to Coca-Cola last season. He has PBA career averages of 24.6 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.7 blocks.

“I’m back and I intend to win. Our team is looking pretty good,” said Penny.

“We challenged James, and he responded well. I told him we need him to be a scorer,” said Coca-Cola coach Bo Perasol.

“I also told him that they (other teams and fans) are not talking about him. They are talking about the other imports but we believe that he’s the best,” Perasol added.

Penny had back-to-back slams touching off a decisive assault that opened an 84-64 bulge for the Tigers.

Gary David, Asi Taulava and Norman Gonzales put in tremendous help offensively while RJ Rizada had a big hand on the defensive end.

Sammy Monroe, who erupted for 39 points in a triumphant debut versus Sta. Lucia on opening day, was held down to 25 this time, going 0-of-6 in the field while guarded by Rizada.

David fired 17 points, Taulava tossed in 11 while Gonzales added nine, all coming in the payoff period.

The Tigers, seventh placers in the recent Philippine Cup, took command early, leading by 15 points, 42-27, at the half, but the Coffee Masters waged a fierce chase to come to within four in the third quarter.

Barako was still within striking distance at 60-67 before Penny, Gonzales, David and Taulava combined in a sizzling run to rip the game wide open, 82-63.

Coca-Cola took double-digit spreads right in the first quarter and enjoyed a lead as many as 17 in the second period.

The scores:

First Game

Coca-Cola 97 — Penny 27, David 17, Taulava 11, Gonzales 9, Lanete 6, Rizada 6, Espino 6, Macapagal 5, Bono 4, Allera 3, Cruz 2, Ross 1, Rodriguez 0.

Barako Coffee 74 — Monroe 25, Alonzo 10, Vergara 6, Aljamal 6, Dimaunahan 6, Wainwright 6, Najorda 5, Menor 4, Duncil 4, Reyes 2, Gaco 0, Faundo 0, Hubalde 0.

Quarterscores: 20-12, 42-27, 65-53, 97-74

Second Game

San Miguel 92 – Freeman 23, Washington 19, Cabagnot 13, Peña 12, Pennisi 9, Santos 4, Hontiveros 4, Yeo 3, Miranda 3, Villanueva 2, Ildefonso 0.

Air21 87 – Young 23, Buenafe 13, Belga 12, Matias 9, Ritualo 8, Kramer 4, Sharma 4, Alvarez 4, Gonzales 4, Williams 3, Cortez 3, Billones 0, Yee 0.

Quarterscores: 21-20, 44-39, 70-62, 92-87

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Beermen open title defense versus Express

Source: By Nelson Beltran (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The San Miguel Beermen and prolific import Gabe Freeman start their title defense in taking on the Air21 Express and debuting reinforcement Keena Young in the second play date of the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum today.

Game time is at 7:30 p.m. pitting two teams, which made some changes in their lineups after falling short in their bids in the recent Philippine Cup.

San Miguel overhauled its backcourt by acquiring Alex Cabagnot from Air21 for Mike Cortez then getting Joseph Yeo from Sta. Lucia Realty for Bonbon Custodio.

Air21, meanwhile, has new recruits in Cortez, Rich Alvarez, Renren Ritualo and Doug Kramer as the Lina Group franchise rebuilt its team after a poor ninth-place finish in the all-Filipino tourney.

The team lost original import choice Leroy Hickerson to an injury he suffered in a car accident a few days before his scheduled flight to Manila. But the Express are hopeful they’ve got a dependable replacement in Keena Young.

“He may not be as spectacular as Hickerson but the important thing is he’s effective. If he blends well with the locals, then we can have a good run,” said Air21 coach Yeng Guiao.

Freeman needs no introduction. He’ll be a marked man, being a player that took the PBA by storm last year.

He warmed up for his return engagement with San Miguel in helping the Philippine Patriots rule the inaugural Asean Basketball League.

With their formidable lineup, the Beermen are again considered the team to beat in this Fiesta Conference.

Barako Energy Coffee and Coca-Cola play in the 5 p.m. curtain-raiser with the Coffee Masters looking for a follow-up on their triumphant opening game versus Sta. Lucia Realty Sunday.

Sammy Monroe had an impressive debut, leading the Harbour Centre-sponsored Barako team to a 97-93 win over the Realtors.

After holding his own against Anthony Johnson, Monroe will be next up against James Penny, veteran reinforcement of a Coca-Cola team raring to improve on its sixth-place finish in the Philippine Cup.

Coca-Cola made no changes in its lineup except the reactivation of William Antonio.

The Tigers had a scrambling start in the all-Filipino tourney with Asi Taulava suffering a foot injury right in their opening game.

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San Mig, Derby Ace teams to beat in Fiesta

Source: By Nelson Beltran (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - San Miguel Beer, the defending champion, and Derby Ace (formerly Purefoods), the Philippine Cup winner, are among the teams to reckon with in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference, which comes off the wraps tomorrow at the Araneta Coliseum.

Coaches also pointed to Alaska Milk, Talk n Text and Barangay Ginebra as the teams likely to figure prominently in the fight for the championship in the event won by the Beermen over the Kings last year.

The others, however, are not totally discounted with the coaches stressing the imports role in the reinforced tourney.

They mentioned Rain or Shine last year when the Elasto Painters made the Final Four for the first time in franchise history behind hard-working import Jai Lewis.

Barako Energy Coffee and Sta. Lucia Realty clash in the 4 p.m. curtain-raiser then Ginebra and Talk n Text collide in the 6:30 p.m. main setto on opening day.

On Wednesday also at the Big Dome, Barako squares off with Coca-Cola at 5 p.m. then Air21 tangles with San Miguel Beer at 7:30 p.m.

However, San Miguel, Derby Ace, Alaska, Ginebra and Talk n Text remain the favorites to fight it out for the crown.

Coaches say the Beermen, the Llamados, the Aces, the Kings and the Tropang Texters have the built-in advantage with their solid local crew.

Derby Ace coach Ryan Gregorio said San Miguel and Alaska are the teams to beat but the Llamados will be out there to contend for a possible double championship.

For Alaska coach Tim Cone, San Miguel, Derby Ace and Ginebra are the teams that could well pose biggest problems to his troops.

“It’s hard to make predictions without seeing all the imports, but the SMC teams (San Miguel, Derby Ace and Ginebra) will all be favored, especially SMB with returning import Gabe Freeman. Purefoods, as the all-Filipino champion, will be there as well as Ginebra since they went to last year’s Fiesta Conference finals,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

“But as I always say, it’s not about getting the best import. It’s about getting the import that best fits your team. San Miguel has shown that already,” Cone added.

Bo Perasol and Siot Tanquingcen are two coaches which rated Talk n Text in the Top Three. Chot Reyes and Boyet Fernandez, meanwhile, included Alaska Milk in their lists. Jong Uichico picked San Miguel, Derby Ace, Alaska and Talk n Text but not necessarily in that order.

“San Miguel should be there because it’s the defending champion, Purefoods should also be a top choice since it’s the all-Filipino champion, then there’s Alaska with its great import,” said Reyes.

“Purefoods should be there. Talk n Text is also tough with Shawn Daniels. Ginebra will be a tough contender with the return of Rudy Hatfield, the addition of Yancy de Ocampo, the continuous improvement of JC Intal and the presence of healthy Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand. Rain or Shine, to me, is a contender with Jai Lewis and its young, energetic local crew,” said Tanquingcen.

“San Miguel, Talk n Text and Purefoods are strong contenders with their solid local lineups,” said Perasol.

Aside from Freeman, Daniels and Lewis, other imports seeing action in the tourney are James Penny for Coca-Cola, Anthony Johnson for Sta. Lucia, Lorrenzo Wade for Derby Ace, Keena Young for Air21, Diamon Simpson for Alaska, Sammy Monroe for Barako and Awvee Storey for Ginebra.

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Beermen, Aces determined to win Fiesta Cup title

Source: GMANews.TV

San Miguel wants to keep the Fiesta Cup crown while Alaska hopes to finally nail a 13th title so they can finally join the legendary Crispa Redmanizers as the two most winningest franchises in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

This was according to Gee Abanilla and Dicky Bachmann, the assistant coaches of the Beermen and the Aces, during Friday’s SCOOP sa Kamayan weekly session in Manila.

The PBA’s Fiesta Conference opens on Sunday, March 21, at the Araneta Coliseum with the Sta. Lucia Realtors taking on the Barako Energy Coffee Masters (Barako Bull) in the 4 p.m. opening game while the Barangay Ginebra Kings battle the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters at 6 p.m.

San Miguel and Alaska became victims of eventual champion Purefoods (now the Derby Ace Llamados) in the recently concluded Philippine Cup with the Giants eliminating the Beermen in the semifinals. Purefoods then scored a 4-0 sweep of Alaska in the finals series.

The Beermen, who captured the same tournament at the expense of sister team Ginebra, beefed up their already formidable lineup to assure themselves of a back-to-back Fiesta Cup crown.

The Aces, likewise, revamped their lineup to avenge their embarrassing loss.

Abanilla said bringing back last year’s best import winner Gabe Freeman is one of the moves San Miguel has down to show its determination that they want to keep the crown in the import-laced tournament.

The Beermen also traded playmakers Mike Cortez and Bonbon Custodio in favor of Air21’s Coca-Cola’s Alex Cabagnot and Sta. Lucia’s Joseph Yeo.

Bachmann, on the other hand, said during their acquisition of Beermen Samigue Eman from the free agent market midway through the Philippine Cup, is exactly what the Aces needed to strengthen their almost intact roster.

The Aces, who actually are eyeing a 13th championship that would tie them with the Redmanizers as the second winningest ballclub in PBA history, will be parading a new reinforcement in Diamon Sampson.

Sampson’s impressive showing in the National Basketball Development League impressed Alaska head coach Tim Cone.

“Let’s just say that we’ve learned our lessons in the last conference which we believe have already been addressed," Bachmann said, admitting that the Alaska management was disappointed in what happened to the Aces last conference.

Ginebra team manager Samboy Lim, who spoke in behalf of coach Jong Uichico, said that addition of Yancy de Ocampo from Talk ‘N Text and John Ferriols from Alaska strengthened the Gin Kings’ frontcourt.

Lim said the Ginebra coaching staff is satisfied in choosing Awvee Storey, who played alongside Gilbert Arenas with the Washington Wizards, as their reinforcement.

“Ang Ginebra naman lagging contender ke malakas o mahina ang lineup. This is because of our do-or-die style of play which we will maintain in the Fiesta Cup," Lim said.

Also present were Freeman, assistant coaches Cholo Martin of Sta. Lucia Realty, Nash Racela of Talk ‘N Text and newly-appointed coach Junel Baculi of the Coffee Masters.

Martin said Yeo’s absence would hardly be felt with Custodio’s arrival and Felix Belano returning in a Sta. Lucia jersey.

He added that unlike last year where Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes spent most of their time on the bench due to injuries, the Realtors expect to have a healthy and injury-free lineup this year.

Tal ‘N Text believes they already solved its defensive woes when it acquired Aaron Aban and Mark Yee from Air21 and having Shawn Daniels as its reinforcement.

Baculi, who replaced Leo Isaac, said mainstays of the ASEAN Basketball League champions Philippines Patriots would help the Photokina franchise reclaim its old winning form.

The Coffee Masters recruited Rob Wainwright, Jerwin Gaco and Christian Coronel from the Patriots.

“Being last placers in the previous conference, the teams, I believe can go nowhere but up," said Baculi, a former assistant of Burger King coach Yeng Guiao.

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SMB sends Custodio to SLR for Yeo

Source: By Nelson Beltran (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - San Miguel Beer continued to rebuild its aging lineup, acquiring Joseph Yeo from Sta. Lucia in exchange for Bonbon Custodio five days before the opening of the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Beermen, who settled for third place after losing to the eventual champions Purefoods Giants in the recent Philippine Cup, have bolstered their backcourt rotation with Yeo’s acquisition, which came on the heels of an earlier trade deal involving Alex Cabagnot and Mike Cortez.

Yeo, a former La Salle standout, blossomed into a fine playmaker with Sta. Lucia after a forgettable stint with Coca-Cola in the 2006-07 campaign.

In his second season with Sta. Lucia last year, Yeo effectively played his off-the-bench role, winding up as the team’s second-best scorer behind Kelly Williams with a 13.5-point average.

He also normed 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in a remarkable season, prompting the team management to give him a three-year contract-extension worth the maximum pay allowed in the league.

Meanwhile, Custodio, a product of University of the East, is in his second year in the pro league, also playing the off-the-bench role creditably.

The only rookie in the star-studded, talent-laden Beermen squad last year, Custodio performed well to earn a spot on the All-Rookie selection by the PBA Press Corps. He played for San Miguel’s farm team in the PBL before being elevated to the pro ranks. He was the eighth pick in the 2008 annual draft.

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