ELIN NORDEGREN TO DIVORCE TIGER WOODS!

Yep, it's on.

ABCNews.com and other news agencies are reporting that former Swedish model Elin Nordegren has decided to start divorce proceedings against Tiger Woods.

The couple have already separated and will spend Christmas apart. Nordegren will push through with the divorce when all of Woods' "dirty laundry" has been aired out.

The couple has been married for 5 years and have a 2year old daughter and a 10month old son.

Woods has taken an indefinite leave from golf and public life since the scandal broke out.

My opinion? Elin should definitely divorce Tiger. Being a celebrity is no excuse for being a philanderer. And she should take him for all he can. He's a billion dollar athlete. Make sure you get 500Miliion, Elin.

NIKE AD STARRING PUUPET LEBRON AND KOBE!

Puppet Lebron accuses puppet Kobe of stealing his new shoe!

HOW LUCKY IS MO WILLIAMS?

Even when things go wrong...the shot goes in.

PAYBACK IS ALWAYS A BITCH.

Last year, Rajon Rondo basically slapped Brad Miller in the dying seconds of Game 5.

This year, Miller takes down Rondo.




PS. Rondo is a dirty player. A good player, but yes, a dirty player.

WORLD'S TOP 4 BBALL TEAMS SEPARATED FOR 2010 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!!

The world's four top ranked teams will not meet each other in the group stages of the 2010 World Championships.

The USA, Spain, Argentina and Greece were put in 4 different brackets to ensure competitive balance in the groupings.

FIBA also decreed that no more than 3 European teams or 2 teams from the Americas will be grouped together.

There will be 3 teams coming from FIBA Africa (Angola, Cote d' Ivorie, Tunisia), 4 from FIBA Asia (China, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon), 5 from FIBA Americas (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Puerto Rico, USA), 2 from FIBA Oceania (Australia, New Zealand) and 10 from FIBA Europe (Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey).

CELEBRATE BIRDMASS!

In honor of the great Celtic, Larry Bird.

WORST BASKETBALL SEQUENCE EVER!

Ever heard of a basketball player named Kosta Koufos?

If you haven't it's because of sequences like this one.

EVER TIED YOUR SHOE LACES IN A LIVE GAME?

The entire Bulls team lose their focus, and the game by about 20+ pts, as Jarrett Jack casually does what no NBA player has done before: tie his shoelaces with the shot clock running down.

JAMIE JUNGER: A TIGER WOMAN!

A Las Vegas model and party girl working for trashygirl.com, Jamie claims to have had sex with Tiger within a day of meeting him.

All I can say is...Tiger is still one lucky bastard!

IS LEBRON JAMES A BAD DANCER?

Joakim Noah must think so coz he took offense to Lebron James dancing on the sidelines as Cleveland takes a 20 point lead over the Bulls.

Could Noah take LBJ in a fight? Probably. Dude's got crazy eyes.

TIGER'S WOMEN!

After Tiger Woods' accident last week, it became apparent that not all was well in Tigerdom.

And yes, the bomb finally exploded as a LA cocktail waitress finally came out and admitted to being Tiger's lover for nearly 3 years.

Jaimee Grubbs claims to have met Woods in a nightclub after the 2007 Masters tournament, 2 months before Tiger's wife, Elin Nordegren, gave birth to their first child.

Woods issued the following statements on his website:
"I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart," 
"I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves.
"I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect," 
"I am dealing with my behavior and personal fallings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone."


Another woman has surfaced, claiming to be one of Tiger's lovers. More on that on the next posts!

IS IVERSON BACK?

Yes, he is!

Welcome back to Philadelphia, AI!

SPAIN MAKING A NAME AS RICH BASKETBALL TALENT SOURCE.

It used to be that 99.9% NBA players came from the US, with a token European for every 10 teams or so.

Now, after countries like Canada, Yugoslavia and Argentina have proven themselves as countries rich in basketball talent, we can add to that mix the football-crazy country of  Spain, with the likes of the Gasol brothers, Jose Calderon, Rudy Fernandez and the surprising Sergio Rodriguez.

Sergio "Spanish Chocolate" Rodriguez is a 3rd string PG for the Sacramento Kings and used to be part of the Spanish National Team. He was a benchwarmer  for the Portland Trailblazers (where he was barely used) before being traded to the Kings and was left off the Spanish National Team to create a roster spot for rising Spanish PG sensation Ricky Rubio.

In the past few games, Rodriguez has been showcasing his mad passing skills for the Kings and was even the key to a recent Kings victory over the Hornets. Rodriguez scored 24 points (a career high), had 5 assists and no turnovers in that game.

Rodriguez now has the opportunity to grab even more playing time as the Kings' leading options as SG, Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia, have yet to return to the Kings.

Here are his highlights from Hornets game.

THE ORIGINAL BEHIND THE BASKET SHOT!

Larry Bird started it all.

NATE ROBINSON SHOOTS AT WRONG BASKET!

Nate Robinson tries to be funny by shooting a three pointer immediately after the buzzer. He makes it and sets off coach Mike D'Antoni, who fumes, saying "What if they refs count it?"

 

KOBE MAKES BEHIND THE BOARD SHOT!

Larry Bird first did it in a preseason game in the early 80's. It was waved off then. The NBA changed the rules soon after and allowed shots made behind the backboard to count.

Kobe, give Bird a shoutout k?

Manu Ginobili snatches a bat out of mid-air. 

Said Ginobili: "When you can't dunk anymore, you have to find a way to make it into the news. So that's what I did. I grabbed a bat. I didn’t think it was a big deal."

Added Spurs coach Greg Popovich: "He never ceases to amaze me and he just did it again. The legend grows. It's incredible on Halloween night. You would call someone a liar if they told you that story."

Of course, he gets rabies shots after, which is very painful.

CAVS GO 0-2, CELTICS HOLD BOBCATS TO 59!

Cavs lose to Raptors, 101-91.

Lebron James exploded with a triple double and it still wasn't enough as the Cavs fell to the impressive Raptors, 101-91. Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh was an explosive inside-outside Twin Tower combo for the Raps even as new recruit Hedo Turkoglu had a decent outing for Toronto. Mo Williams and Shaq, again, could not provide enough support for the King.

STUDS. Lebron James (23pts, 11 rebounds, 12 assists) was stellar for the Cavs while Andrea Bargnani (28pts, 5rebs) and Chris Bosh (21pts, 16rebs) delivered for the Raptors.

DUDS. Anderson Varejao (2pts, 4 rebs) and Zydrunas Ilgauskas (4pts, 5rebs) continue their sucky play.

Celtics steamroll Bobcats, 92-59.

The Celtics roared to an 20point lead early on and then coasted to defeat the hapless Bobcats. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce starred for the Celtics once again as Gerald Wallace was the only Bobcats player to score in double digits.

STUDS. Ray Allen (18pts, 4 3pointers), Kevin Garnett (10pts, 7 rebs, 3 blocks) and Rajon Rondo (10pts, 11 assists) were noteworthy.

DUDS. The entire Bobcats starting 5. They combined for just 30pts all in all.

NBA 2009 OPENING DAY!

Four games were played today and all four were entertaining.

Celtics win over Cavs, 95-89!

It was the Big Three against the King and Shaq Fu. Paul Pierce started out on fire, Ray Allen and new recruit Rasheed Wallace kept the fire going and Kevin Garnett finished the Cavs off with a solid all around game. The Cavs kept the game close by virtue of a brilliant performance by the King but Lebron needed more support from Shaq, Mo Williams and Big Z.

STUDS. Paul Pierce (23pts, 11 rebs), Ray Allen (16pts, 3 assists, 3 steals) and Kevin Garnett (13pts, 10rebs, 3 blocks) seem to be in mid-season form already. Lebron James (38pts, 4 rebounds, 8 assist, 4bloclks, 2 steals) seemed to be the only Cavs player in similar form. 

DUDS. Kendrick Perkins had 9 points and ONE rebound in 25minutes of play. He's 7 feet tall, He should be able to get 2 rebounds by simply showing up. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 6points and 5 rebounds. Wasn't he a starter on a team playing for a championship just a couple of years ago? 

Wizards upend Mavs, 102-91

Agent Zero is back! The Wiz barely missed All-Star Antawn Jamison as Gilbert Arenas was hot in his first NBA game back from his most recent knee surgery. Caron Butler, Randy Foye and Andray Blatche also had good games. The Mavs were fueled by Dirk Nowitzki (and his hair) and Shawm Marion but couldn't get Jason Terry going.  

STUDS. Gilbert Arenas (29pts, 9 assists), Randy Foye (19pts, 2steals) and Andray Blatche (20pts, 7rebounds, 2 blocks) were the difference-makers. Dirk Nowitzki (34points, 9rebs, 2 blocks) was also in vintage form.

DUDS. Mike Miller (6pts, 8 rebs) was supposed to be a deadeye shooter. What gives? Jason Terry (12pts, 4 rebs, 4 assists) was also horrendous, hitting at a 4-15 clip.

Blazers top Rockets, 96-87!

The big question heading into this match up was, with T-Mac and Yao still sidelined, who was going to score for the Rockets? Aaron Brooks tried his best and so did Trevor Ariza but it simply wasn't enough. For the Blazers, it was old

 reliable Brandon Roy who went to town as well as designated gunner Travis Outlaw.

STUDS. Brandon Roy (20pts, 5 rebs, 5 assists) and Travis Outlaw (23pts, 4 rebs, 2 assists) were simply unstoppable. On the defensive side of things, Greg Oden (2pts, 12 rebounds 5 blocks) and Joel Przybilla (2pts, 10rebs, 2 blocks) were insurmountable.

DUDS. Luis Scola (3pts, 4 rebs) and Shane Battier (8pts, 4 rebs) need to step it up.

Lakers dump Clippers, 99-92!

The Lakers got their rings then tried to run rings around the Clippers.  Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum managed to build a lead, only to see their teammates almost lose it, so they went back in to make sure of the win. Clips showed amazing resiliency and drive to keep the game competitive throughout, led by standout supersoph Eric Gordon and veteran Chris Kaman.

STUDS. Kobe Bryant (33 pts, 8rebs) and Andrew Bynum (26pts, 13rebs) more than offset the loss of All Star Pau Gasol. Eric Gordon (21pts, 4 assists) and Chris Kaman (18pts, 16rebs) were the main men for the Clippers.

DUDS. Baron Davis (2pts, 4rebs, 8assists) bombed miserably in this first game, shooting a miserable 1-10 from the field.

RICKY RUBIO ROCKS!

Truly an incredible player. Too bad the T'Wolves couldn't get him to play in the NBA.

But he's gonna be special. You can see why.

WYNNE ARBOLEDA FOR THE KO!

Unbelievable. And I thought Ron Artest was crazy.

At least, Artest got hit by a cup of beer. Arboleda went berserk over nothing!

MAGIC STABS ISIAH IN THE BACK!

Here are some choice quotes from Magic's soon to be released tell-all "When the Game Was Ours" and some choice comebacks from Isiah Thomas.

One thing I can say about this is...Magic sucks! Larry Bird forever!

Magic on Thomas not making the Dream Team

"Isiah killed his own chances when it came to the Olympics. Nobody on that team wanted to play with him. ... Michael didn't want to play with him. Scottie [Pippen] wanted no part of him. Bird wasn't pushing for him. Karl Malone didn't want him. Who was saying, 'We need this guy?' Nobody.''

(But wait! Wasn't Magic supposed to be Isiah's best friend? Why didn't he stand up for Isiah? Why did Magic let the world think Jordan was the one who kept Isiah off the team?)

Isiah on Magic saying Thomas questioned his sexuality when he came out with HIV.

"What most people don't know is, before Magic had HIV, my brother had HIV. My brother died of HIV, AIDS, drug abuse. So I knew way more about the disease, because I was living with it in my house.''

Isiah on Magic finally admitting he kept Thomas off the Dream Team.

"I'm glad that he's finally had the nerve and the courage to stand up and say it was him, as opposed to letting Michael Jordan take the blame for it all these years. I wish he would have had the courage to say this stuff to me face to face, as opposed to writing it in some damn book to sell and he can make money off it.''

Thomas on Magic's 1992 All Star Game

"They weren't going to let Magic play in the All-Star Game; all the players were coming out [against him]. You know how that all got turned around? I had a meeting with all of the players -- because I was president of the players' association -- and I told them not only was he going to play, but we were going to shake his hand and give him a hug. And I was the first to shake his hand and hug him and give him a kiss, to let people know that's not how the virus is spread. And you can go back and check at the players' association. Call Charlie Grantham [the former union executive director and COO] and ask him how Magic got to play in the All-Star Game. Ask him who called the meeting.

RON ARTEST SINGS CELINE DION!

With a Pinoy family, to boot!

SMART-GILAS ROUTS POWERADE TEAM!

Is there really hope for the RP Men's basketball team?

If last night's game is any indication of the team's capabilities, then we may have made a mistake in sending the Powerade Team Pilipinas to the FIBA-Asia Qualifiers. 

The all-amateur Smart-Gilas team routed the all-pro Powerade team 98-69. In fact, by the second quarter, the game was over, with just the final score in doubt.

Lakers big man CJ Miles was a big part of the rout, scoring 22 points, grabbing 16 rebounds and blocking 5 shots but the real revelation was the revitalized Japeth Aguilar, who terrorized his FIBA-Asia teammates with 24 points.

UAAP stars and rivals Chris Tiu and JV Casio also shone even as Dylan Ababou and Jason Ballesteros stood toe-to-toe to the more heralded PBA counterparts.

What's next for the PBA all-stars? Local fame, I guess.

What's next for the Smart-Gilas team? A chance to become national heroes.

(Oh yeah, and Rajko Toroman is a hell of a coach. For every other Filipino coach who dares complain, I say, prove you can do what he just did, then you can complain.)

RON ARTEST WITH SEXY MODEL!

 

Here's new laker forward Ron Artest with sexy pictures with the beautiful Natalin Avci.

Which brand/mag is this photoshoot for?

No brand. No mag. Artest just felt like doing a photoshoot with a hot girl so he set this up. Maybe it's his way of satisfying with his incessant need for attention.

STEVE NASH WITH THE BEST SPORTS INFORMERCIAL EVER!

Steve Nash is not only the 3rd best current NBA player but is also the second best NBA pitchman of all time.

WEIRDEST LARRY BIRD COMMERCIAL

Totally weird.

LARRY BIRD, BILL WALTON AND THE 80'S CELTS GIVE A BIG WAVE!

But this commercial ain't one of Larry's best.

LARRY AND LAYS EQUALS BALD LARRY!

Larry bird's best acting job yet!

LARRY BIRD DOES HIS PART TO SAVE YOUR HEART!

He can't act to save his life but he does his part to save yours!

80's NBA ALL STARS SCORE BIG WITH CONVERSE TVC!

What makes this commercial frightening is the fact that the extremely white Kevin McHale can rap better than Magic Johnson and Isaiah Thomas. Mark Aguirre is actually the best of the bunch.

Larry Bird? The dude can play but he has no business rapping. Unless it's Christmas gifts or something.

MICHAEL JORDAN'S HALL OF FAME SPEECH!

And MJ still delivers the hardest hitting shots ever! 

Zingers for Jerry Krause, Isaiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, George Gervin, Jeff Van Gundy, Pat Riley and even Jordan's own family.

RP POWERADE TEAM GOES UP AGAINST JORDAN!

Whatever happens, we have already bettered our standing from the last Fiba Asia Tournament (9th place).

What's at stake tomorrow afternoon is a place in the Final Four and a chance to get one of three slots to the Fiba world championships, where we can get creamed by the likes of Greece, Spain, Argentina and the USA. 

Do we have a chance? Of course. It's about as likely as me winning the lotto tomorrow. Still, it just might happen, you know.

Key Men: 

James Yap, Willie Miller, Mick Pennisi. These sharpshooters must connect from the outside for the RP Team to have a chance of winning.

Gabe Norwood, Jared Dillinger and Arwind Santos. They must contain on Rasheim Wright or else, the RP cause will be sunk.

RP FALLS TO IRAN. 88-78!

The bad news...we lost to Iran.

The good news...it was only by 10 points.

The better news...we're still on track to get into the quarterfinals.

The best news...we just need to win over UAE to avoid China.

Willie Miller and James Yap led the RP Team in scoring once again, with 14 points each. Gabe Norwood seems to have regained his offensive touch to finish with 13 while Asi Taulava was the most effective big man once again, showing that Japeth Aguilar and Sonny Thoss still have a lot to learn before they can supplant the Tongan behemoth at center.

RP POWERADE TEAM SHOCKS CHINESE TAIPEI 77-70!

James Yap and Willie Miller, acknowledged PBA gunners, sucked for the first 3 games of the FIBA Asia elimination round.

And then, in a game where the Philippines was given a slight-to-none chance of winning, they finally showed up with guns a-blazing.

Yap (23 points) hit 4-6 three pointers, including 3 straight threepointers in the 3rd quarter to put the Philippines up for good while Miller (17 points) hit 5 of 5 three pointers, including a game sealing one with 14 seconds to go and the Philippines up by just 2 points.

Terrific interior defense from the RP big men (Thoss, Pennisi, Raymundo and Taulava) kept the Taiwanese at bay while Dillinger, Helterbrand and Norwood were solid at the perimeter.

The Philippines go up against Iran tomorrow at 11am. Again, pundits say that they have no chance of winning. 

But the ball is round and anything can happen.

RP POWERADE TEAM MASSACRES SRI LANKA, 115-31!

We knew they would win but by a whopping 80+ points? Whoah.

But then again, this is Sri Lanka we are talking about. So we've officially secured a berth in the second round (barring a colossal upset by Sri lanka over Japan or Korea). Now, we just need to keep on winning so that we can avoid the Middle Eastern juggernauts until much. much later.

STUDS: Jared Dillinger was unstoppable with a double-double (21 points, 11 rebounds). This kid never stopped hustling the entire game. Asi Taulava also had a double-double of his own (15 points, 13 rebounds). The Man Mountain wreaked havoc on the offensive glass.

DUDS: Arwind Santos got chewed out by Guiao for lackluster play in the 2nd quarter and got benched for the third. Not a good sign. Gabe Norwood also seems to have regressed from his 2007 form, when he was one of Chot Reyes' most versatile men. Now, he seems tentative and hesitant.

I MISS SPORTS COMMERCIALS LIKE THESE!

The Big J's Anejo Rum commercial.

Paul "Mr. Excitement" Alvarez's Metrobank commercial

REMEMBER WHEN THE RP BASKETBALL TEAM WAS STILL GOOD?

Yeah, we were so damn good that Chinese coaches actually scouted us. And other teams devised defensive schemes against players like Alvin "The Captain" Patrimonio, Samboy "Skywalker" Lim and Allan "The Triggerman" Caidic. 

Where have those days gone?

A GUARDED QUESTION!

In my humble opinion, most of the members of the RP Powerade Team are the clear cut choices for their positions. 

If there is ever a question mark in the team, it has got to be Cyrus "Skyrus" Baguio, the man who takes over Dondon Hontiveros' spot as designated shooter and who takes a roster spot away from Jimmy "The Mighty Mouse" Alapag.

Based on Baguio's performance in the Jones Cup, there is absolutely no reason for him to be on the RP Team. He was unable to get his offense going and was barely a factor on defense. In fact, all Baguio contributed to the Philippine cause was a couple of highlight plays in the Iran game that barely made a dent in Iran's 20 point lead.

So why Baguio over Hontiveros (acknowledged as a better shot, a better defender and a veteran internationalist) or Alapag (also a better playmaker, better shot and another veteran internationalist)? 

Only Yeng Guiao knows. And I sure hope he, and Skyrus, prove me wrong.

OPTIMISM OR MISDIRECTION?

In today's sport pages, RP Team coach Yeng Guiao was guardedly optimistic, saying we had a fair chance of earning one of the three FIBA-World championship slots at stake. He also said that we had a good chance of going to the semifinals and a great chance of advancing to the quarterfinals.

Really? Seriously? Now, I'm all for hope and optimism and all that jazz but after the Jones Cup, I am simply not as optimistic as Yeng Guiao. 

Sure, we'll make it out of our group. But we are expected to. After all, no one expects Sri Lanka to actually beat us. But if we lose to Korea and Japan like we did in the Jones Cup, our next opponent may well be Iran, who beat us by 25 points without breaking a sweat. Then where will we be?

For us to actually have a chance of advancing to the semifinals, we need to finish first in our so-called "Group of Hope". That way, we get to face either Uzbekistan or Chinese Taipei (who also beat us by about 10 points in the Jones Cup).

If we don't do that, then we can chalk this team up as just the latest in a series of heartbreaking mishaps in the increasingly dimming Philippine basketball scene. 

VOTE! BE HEARD!

Are you a die hard Pinoy basketball fan? Want to let the world know your opinion of the RP Powerade Team?

Vote now and we'll see how you stack up against Yeng Guiao's choices!

Go to http://sportsfandom.blogspot.com/ to vote!

I'M SICK OF MORAL VICTORIES.

Spin doctors have called it a "learning trip" as well as a "testing ground". Team officials have labeled it "a success" in terms of solidifying the team as well as in discovering the opponents' strengths and weaknesses.

Somewhere along the way, they forgot to mention that we finished 2-6, with two blowouts from Middle Eastern teams we will surely meet on the Fiba-Asia tournament and losses to teams in our so-called "Group of Hope".

The Iran-Philippines game was called a moral victory, like the Jordan game, the Japan game and the Chinese Taipei game. A game where we officially lost but "actually" won because we, supposedly, were able to accomplish something bigger. It's akin to losing a battle but winning the war.

Now I don't know about you but I don't think we're winning any war. In fact, I think we just proved how ill-equipped we are to fight any basketball war. 

The Jones Cup sportscasters were among the most inept I have ever heard (our PBA sportscasters would kick their butts every which way and twice on Sundays as far as basketball knowledge is concerned) but they were right about some things, mainly, that we will never win in the international stage using our PBA style.

I mean, even NBA stars lost using their NBA style. They had to bring in a college coach and spend 4 years of training in the international style just to win the Olympic gold medal. 

But not us, oh no, heaven forbid. We insist on using our PBA stars and the PBA "me-first" style and attitude, despite the fact that we lose horribly to teams who display more teamwork in one quarter than we do in an entire game.

For us Pinoy basketball fans, what can we do? Hope. Hope that Ehadadi develops a serious case of the runs on game day. Hope that El-Khatib sleeps through his alarm and fails to show up for the game. Hope that James Yap morphs into Kobe Bryant.

But please. Stop it with the moral victories. Accept the loss like a man and move forward. 

RP TEAM LOSES TO KOREA, 83-80!

The good news, Arwind Santos (22pts) finally has a good game.

The bad news, we seem to suck big time.

How in the hell are we supposed to be at least twice as good in just 2 weeks (right when the FIBA-Asia competitions start?)

WHEN WILL THE BLEEDING STOP?

The loss was expected. After all, Lebanon made its bones on dominating the Philippine basketball team.

Vogel was gone but in his place were 2 more naturalized American, a former NBA player in Jackson Vroman and collegiate stand out Brian Feghali.

Vroman scored 24 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. Feghali had 29 points and 10 rebounds in an efficient 8-9 shooting display.

The Philippines had Jayjay Helterbrand leading the team with 12 points. Japeth Aguilar was solid once again, scoring about 8 points and had 3 blocks, 2 of which came with Aguilar nursing 4 fouls.

The Philippines had 27 turnovers for the game. That's more than twice the number of turnovers Lebanon had (12). Willie Miller turned the ball over 3 times with the same play (driving to the baseline then throwing a bounce pass behind him straight to a chasing Lebanese player).

So when will the bleeding stop? Maybe we should stop playing this game and concentrate on boxing?

REGGIE THEUS DOES NOT LIKE ME!

Ouch! What have I ever done to you?

RP LOSES TO JAPAN, 87-85!

With 3 seconds to go and a shot at a tie or outright victory, Jayjay Helterbrand did what any other Pinoy basketball player would do in that same situation.

Ignore the coach's set play and take the shot himself. For his selfishness, he was rewarded with an ego-deflating block. And the Philippine Team paid for it with another loss.

And to think it was a won game that we lost through lackluster defense and selfish offense. The Philippines led by 19 points in the 1st quarter and by 12 points with 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

The combination of Asi Taulava, Kerby Raymundo, Gabe Norwood and Cyrus Baguio was particularly disastrous on both offense and defense as Willie Miller tried to outplay the Japanese 5 by himself.

Gabe Norwood and Ranidel de Ocampo were ineffective as well as designated shooter James Yap went down with a neck injury.

The only bright spot was Japeth Aguilar, who was dominant on offense, going for something like 14 points on 6-7 shooting while being extremely active on the boards and being quite adequate on defense.

But as long as we play the US brand of basketball (aka selfish, showboat-y basketball), we will never win at this level.

FINALLY! A JONES CUP WIN!

At the very least, we know we won't get whitewashed at the Jones Cup.

We'll go up against Lebanon next, then Japan and South Korea. Japan and South Korea are crucial games, since they are our groupmates in the so-called "Group of Hope" in the FIBA-Asia Tournament. 

We win there, we go to the World Champsionships, where European, North American and South American teams can beat us up at their leisure.

JONES CUP DEBACLE

What is wrong with the Philippine National Basketball Team?

First they lose to Jordan (expected) by a humiliating score of 90-59(unexpected), never even being in the game since the Jordanians' 20-0 run(what?!) in the second quarter.

Then they lose to Chinese Taipei-A by a more palatable score of 86-77 but not after they go down by 19pts in the second quarter (again?!).

The only bright light? US collegian Japeth Aguilar who had a strong showing in the Jordan game with 8 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks and followed it up with 10 points in the Taiwan game, including a booming tomahawk jam that would have been sweeter had the Filipinos won.

Now, I seem to remember the Philippines lording it over the Jones Cup whenever PBA players are used. Evidently, we have either sent amateurs pretending to be professionals or our professionals are still at the amateur level.

The fiery Guiao must turn into Albus Dumbledore now and conjure up a spell to turn this team into a competitive team come the Fiba-Asia qualifiers. 

If they don't think they can be competitive, then they should just send Coach Toroman's Smart-Gilas Team. At least they seem to fight tooth and nail in every game.

A TOPSY TURVY OFF SEASON

Ben Gordon (Bulls) and Charlie Villanueva (Bucks) are now Pistons.

Hedo Turkoglu (Magic) was first a Blazer then a Raptor.

Shaq (Suns) is now with the King in Cleveland while Richard Jefferson fortifies the Spurs.

Treveor Ariza (Lakers) is now a Rocket while Ron Artest (Rockets) is now a Laker.

And we've barely scratched the surface.

So, let me make a deal with you. I'll let the NBA off season madness run its course and when all the wheeling and dealing is done, I'll let you know who I think are the winners and losers in the NBA 2009 offseason.

HOW CAN DWIGHT HOWARD BECOME AN ALL TIME GREAT?

How about adding a skyhook to his power dunks?

Created and perfected by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the skyhook is the only shot ever called "unstoppable" by friends and foes alike. Of course, it helps when you're an agile 7footer but we've seen big men get flummoxed by lay ups, much less an 18-19 foot skyhook. A jumper is not even automatic from that distance.

But you don't need me to tell you that. How about I let THEM tell you that?

LAKERS WIN GAME 2, 101-96!

It took them a little more time and a lot more Pau (24pts, 10 rebounds and a dominant presence in overtime). But in the end, the Lakers will be going to Disneyland with a 2-0 lead as Kobe Bryant scored 29 pts and Lamar Odom came up big with 19 pts, 8 rebs and 3 blocks.

It basically came down to a rookie (Courtney Lee ended up with 2pts on 1-3 shooting) going for the win with about 9 seconds left. 

With Turkoglu (22pts)  and Lewis (34pts) red-hot for most of the game, it was a wonder that neither one tried to dominate in the last few seconds but what's done is done and the Magic still came away with what could be a very crucial piece of the championship puzzle: the knowledge that, yes, they can beat the Lakers.

I look forward to Game 3, where I expect the Magic to win, 95-85.

RUBILYN AMIT IS WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPION!

Rubilyn Amit, the 27-year old pride of Mandaue, routs Taiwanese Liu Shi-Mei, 10-4, to win the 2009 Women's World 10-Ball Championships held here at SM City's The Block last Saturday.

She joins Efren "Bata" Reyes, Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano as the newest member of the elite club of Pinoy world pool champions.

Once again, congratulations to Miss Amit, who has shown the entire world that the Pinay is, indeed, world class.

Mabuhay ka Rubilyn!

LAKERS TAKE GAME 1!

Let me crow here a bit.

The Lakers were as good as I thought they would be. But the Magic were worse than I thought they would be.

Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, and added 8 rebounds and 8 assists (who I predicted would explode against Pietrus and Lee). So much for Kobe getting old and slow. 

Pau Gasol had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. So much Gasol being soft and easily dominated by Howard, who definitely wasn't Superman tonight (like I predicted).

My prediction was Lakers over Magic, 100-88. Final score was Lakers over Magic, 100-75. I think I earned my money this week.

WATCH OUT FOR THE BLACK WIDOW!

Shanelle Loraine may be gone but there is no lack for beautiful billiards beauties in ongoing World Women's 10 Ball Championships.

In fact, one of the most beautiful players there is also one of the deadliest. Meet Jeanette Lee aka The Black Widow. She knows how to play them balls.

 

BYE BYE SHANELLE!

She may not have made past the elimination rounds but she has certainly won the... ehem... hearts of Filipino men.

BILLIARDS BEAUTY!

The Women's World 10 Ball Championships are underway right here in SM City and, despite the high level of play, what made the rounds in sporting circles are the beautiful babes that are currently hitting those balls.

One such example if Fil-Am Shanelle Lorraine, who has been wowing people with her looks and buxom body (never mind the fact that she hasn't won a match yet). 

After seeing some of her pics, I can't blame anyone for not seeing anything else but her...assets.

LAKER FANS! HAVE A SEAT!

No one can beat the Lakers when it comes to frivolous fanaticism. Hence, Exhibit A.

A FINALS PREDICTION!

Sorry for the absence again. It's been hectic here at my day job. 

But, first of all, let me tell all of you that I have won my two conference finals bets. Yes, I've won 2 bags of peanuts (literally! Growers Hot and Spicy Flavor) for guessing that the Lakers and the Magic were going to end up facing each other. 

So here's my game 1 prediction:

Lakers over Magic, 100-88. Kobe is going to explode as the Magic try to get used to the Finals hoopla.

Michael Pietrus will be marginally more effective guarding him than Hedo Turkoglu will be and Courtney Lee will be lost in this first game. 

Howard won't be Superman because Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are better equipped to stop him and they'll also make Howard work harder on the defensive end of the floor. 

Rafer Alston won't make people forget Jameer Nelson but he'll certainly be better than Derek Fisher. In the end, the Black Mamba and his cohorts will prevail over the Magic but they will also lose some of their mystique, as the Magic discover that, yes, they do belong here in the Finals.

SEMIFINAL ROUND PREDICTIONS!

It's been a busy week, so I'm gonna make this quick. Sorry for those who want a more in-depth post. I'll get to it as soon as I can.

EAST

Cavs vs. Hawks. Prediction: Cavs 4-1. Cavs are just too strong. Unlike the Heat, the Cavs have Mo Williams, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Delonte West and Anderson Varejao to complement LBJ.

Celtics vs. Magic. Prediction: Magic 4-3. The Magic proved to be mentally frail but so did the Celtics. Dwight Howard is going to be the difference in this series.

WEST

Lakers vs. Rockets. Prediction: Rockets 4-3. This is the new Bulls-Celtics classic series. Im going to go out on a limb here and predict that Yao, Artest, Battier, Scola, Brooks and Landry are going to be too much for Kobe. Especially after Artest got motivated with the Kobe elbow.

Nuggets vs Mavs. Prediction: Nuggets 4-2. Okay, okay. After an entire season of underestimating the Nuggets, I'll finally get on their bandwagon. Billups has been phenomenal and deserves a mini-MVP award.

WHO MADE ME LOOK GOOD, WHO MADE ME LOOK STUPID

MADE ME LOOK GOOD

Cavs vs Pistons (4-0) I picked the Pistons to win at least a game before succumbing to the obviously superior Cavs but the Pistons seemed more focused on an early vacation than on anything else. The last two games, the Pistons bench actually outplayed the starters. So much for the AI experiment. Cavs are looking championship worthy.

Lakers vs Jazz (3-1) Im still tight on track on my 4-2 prediction but I think Kobe might not give the Jazz another chance. Either way, Lakers seem destined to meet Cavs in Finals.

Celtic vs Bulls (2-2) The best series so far, the Celtics against the Bulls have already given us buzzerbeaters, double overtimes and tons of highlight reels. As the series head back to Boston, I see Boston finall asserting their will on the Bulls to move on to the second round (of course, this wouldn't even be a close series if Garnett was playing. But he isn't is he?)

Hawks vs Miami (2-2) The games the Hawks won, it was a team effort. The game the Heat won, it was D-Wade taking over (either early in the game or in crunch time) with a little help from his friends (O'Neal, Cook and Beasley come to mind). Hawks had better regain their mental toughness if they want to pull this out of the fire.

MADE ME LOOK BAD

Sixers vs Magic (2-2). The only sweep in my mind, the Sixers have surprised everybody by winning Games 1 and 3 in dramatic fashion. Magic sorely miss Jameer Nelson and now seem extremely vulnerable if ever they meet the Cavs or Celtics.

Blazers vs Rockets (1-3) I expected so much more from the Blazers but it just doesn't seem to be happening. Blazers are suffering from youth and inexperience and I doubt if they can win 2 in a row against the suddenly efficient Rockets.

Nuggets vs Hornets (2-1) I don't know if the Nuggets hate my guts or the Hornets hate my guts but, unless the Nuggets suddenly become and ABA team and lose the next 3 games in a row, I have seriously misjudged them.

Spurs vs Mavs (1-3) I picked the Spurs to be tougher than this. I thought they'd be seesawing back and forth with the Mavs until it became apparent that the loss of Manu was like losing your hand (your shooting hand, nonetheless). Spurs may be following the path of the Pistons to an early vacation.

QUICK HITS AFTER GAME 2, ROUND 1!

EAST

Cavs vs Pistons (2-0). As expected. The Pistons have gone from perennial championship contenders to rebuilding, all with one trade. The Pistons should have enough pride to win at the Palace but the Cavs moving on to the second round is all but inevitable. 

Celtics vs Bulls (1-1). The real Celtics finally showed up. Even with KG gone (and key reserve Leon Powe joining him) the Celtics finally won one when the Ray Allen finally morphed into the “Baby Faced Assassin” and nailed a killer three over Joakim Noah. 

Magic vs Sixers (1-1). An unexpectedly tight series, Andre Miller nearly caused another gigantic upset in Game 2. Weird thing is the Magic are not playing bad. The Sixers are just playing way above their heads, considering they were on a 6 game losing streak right before the playoffs started. 

Hawks vs Heat (1-1). You knew Wade was going to take over at least one game. And there he was, taking over Game 2 with 33 points. Good thing Daequan Cook showed up with 20pts too. Hawks played ok, which paved the way for a Wade takeover.

WEST

Lakers vs Jazz (2-0). Not sure what else the Jazz can do. Aside from get Mehmet Okur back. And get the 2008 version of Carlos Boozer back. And get the Euro Championship MVP Andrei Kirilenko back.

Nuggets vs Hornets (2-0) Unbelievable. That sums up this series pretty nicely. Unbelievable is Chauncey Billups going ballistic on Chris Paul and Rasual Butler, Chris Andersen, Nene and Kenyon Martin looking like defensive juggernauts and Chris Paul coming up small in Game 2.

Blazers vs Rockets (1-1). Brandon Roy is something else. His 42 points and LaMarcus Aldrige’s 27 resurrected Blazer-mania and gave the Portland faithful something to cheer about. My question is: why did Yao have just 6 shot attempts? It’s not like he’s an unskilled big man, you know.

Spurs vs. Mavs. (1-1). It took a great game from Tony Parker for the Spurs to finally win one. Still don’t like their chances but you can never count TD, Parker and Pop out. Expect Nowitzki to get some back in Game 3.

QUICK HITS AFTER GAME 2, ROUND 1!

EASTCavs vs Pistons (2-0). As expected. The Pistons have gone from perennial championship contenders to rebuilding, all with one trade. The Pistons should have enough pride to win at the Palace but the Cavs moving on to the second round is all but inevitable. 

Celtics vs Bulls (1-1). The real Celtics finally showed up. Even with KG gone (and key reserve Leon Powe joining him) the Celtics finally won one when the Ray Allen finally morphed into the “Baby Faced Assassin” and nailed a killer three over Joakim Noah. 

Magic vs Sixers (1-1). An unexpectedly tight series, Andre Miller nearly caused another gigantic upset in Game 2. Weird thing is the Magic are not playing bad. The Sixers are just playing way above their heads, considering they were on a 6 game losing streak right before the playoffs started. 

Hawks vs Heat (1-1). You knew Wade was going to take over at least one game. And there he was, taking over Game 2 with 33 points. Good thing Daequan Cook showed up with 20pts too. Hawks played ok, which paved the way for a Wade takeover.

WEST

Lakers vs Jazz (2-0). Not sure what else the Jazz can do. Aside from get Mehmet Okur back. And get the 2008 version of Carlos Boozer back. And get the Euro Championship MVP Andrei Kirilenko back.

Nuggets vs Hornets (2-0) Unbelievable. That sums up this series pretty nicely. Unbelievable is Chauncey Billups going ballistic on Chris Paul and Rasual Butler, Chris Andersen, Nene and Kenyon Martin looking like defensive juggernauts and Chris Paul coming up small in Game 2.

Blazers vs Rockets (1-1). Brandon Roy is something else. His 42 points and LaMarcus Aldrige’s 27 resurrected Blazer-mania and gave the Portland faithful something to cheer about. My question is: why did Yao have just 6 shot attempts? It’s not like he’s an unskilled big man, you know.

Spurs vs. Mavs. (1-1). It took a great game from Tony Parker for the Spurs to finally win one. Still don’t like their chances but you can never count TD, Parker and Pop out. Expect Nowitzki to get some back in Game 3.

RETRO LBJ!

This is your Celeveland Cavaliers...circa 1975!

AFTER GAME 1, ROUND 1!

A gigantic upset, couple of very big upsets, a couple of expected upsets and the rest, well, it's what we expected.

A GIGANTIC UPSET

Sixers over Magic 100-98. Hero: Andre Iguodala had 20pts, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and the game winning jumper with 2 secs left. Unbelievable. Zero: Entire Magic team. How do you relax in a playoff game with a just 16 point lead and half the game still to be played?

VERY BIG UPSETS

Nuggets over Hornets 113-84. Hero: Chauncey Billups, who scored 38 points on 10-15 shooting. He shot a tremendous 8-9 from three and a perfect 8-8 from the freethrow line. Zero: David West, 4-16 shooting for 12pts and a mere 6 rebounds.

Bulls over Celtics 105-103. Hero: Super-rookie Derrick Rose, who scored 36 points (including 13 inthe pivotal third quarter) and had 11 assists to boot. Zero: Ray Allen shot 1-12 for 4 points and PaulPierce missed a game winning freethrow to send the game to overtime, where the Bulls gobbled up the Celtics.

NOT-QUITE UPSETS

Rockets over Blazers 108-81. Hero: Yao Ming with 24 pts in a perfect game (going 9-9 from the field and 6-6 from the line). Zero: LaMarcus Aldridge with 7pts on 3-12 shooting.

Mavs over Spurs 105-97. Hero Dirk Nowitzki with 19 points and 8 rebounds plus a couple of tough, MVP-like shots down the stretch. Zero: Spurs bench contributed practically nothing to the Spurs cause.

AS EXPECTED

Lakers over Jazz 113-100. Hero: Kobe was a facilitator early and a scorer late in the game. Prop to Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown for stepping up. Zero: Andrei Kirilenko had 8 points on 3-10 shooting. Was never effective on Kobe. Should have stuck with Matt Harpring.

Cavs over Pistons 102-84. LBJ is looking like an MVP with 38 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Zero: Tayshaun prince went 2-7 for 4 points. Failed to stop Lebron too.

Hawks over Heat 90-64. Hero: Josh Smith with 23 points on 9-14 shooting and 10 rebounds. Zero: Jermaine O'Neal had 5 pts, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. So much for the former Pacers franchise player.

FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF PICKS!

Let's put my basketball analysis skills to the test! Here's how I think the first round of the NBA playoffs will turn out.

EAST

Cavs over Piston (4-1). Cavs have been dominating the league the past month and a half and LBJ is showing us why he is the MVP in a year when at least 3 others had MVP-years. Also, AI has poisoned the team and they are showing how much they need someone like Chauncey Billups.

Celtics over Bulls (4-2) Losing Garnett really hurts but they're still heads and shoulders up on the Bulls. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen will eat Salmons and Gordon alive and the Bulls will miss Nocioni as the Celtics manhandle their way to the second round.

Magic over Sixers (4-0). The most lopsided among our match ups. The Sixers will have no answer for either Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu or Rashard Lewis. Iguodala has been inconsistent of late and the Sizers just do not have the guns, especially coming from a late season slump (losing 6 games in a row)

Hawks over Miami (4-2) Wade is a great, great player but 5 good players will always trump 1 great player so my money is on the surprising Hawks. Joe Johnson, Al Horford and Josh Smith will tow the Hawks into 2nd round glory.

WEST

Lakers over Jazz (4-2) The Jazz are a good team but they haven't meshed as well as they should have, making them vulnerable to the Black Mamba. This is the most interesting match up for me, since the Jazz have Kirilenko and Harpring, 2 players who have defended Kobe extremely well in the past. Deron Williams will need to be Kobe-like for the Jazz to upset the Lakers.

Mavs over Spurs (4-3) Tony Parker and Tim Duncan will have to work extra hard without Manu and their supporting cast is just not good enough anymore. For Dirk, this could be his last realistic chance at a title so he'll be motivated. (And no, Bruce Bowen will not be guarding him anymore, which means Dirk will explode for 40 at least once in this series)

Hornets over Nuggets (4-2) Billups will not be able to contain Chris Paul and David West is too good for  Martin or Nene so you can book this one for the Hornets. But if JR Smith has four games like the one he had against Sacramento, all bets are off.

Rockets over Blazers (4-3) Another interesting match up. Despite the loss of T-Mac (or maybe I should say because of the loss of...), the Rockets maybe just be too experienced for the Blazers. Yao Ming should have a great series and Battier, Artest and Scola will prove to be the difference.

WHEN FANS ATTACK!

A half time game turns violent. No, the basketball game was fine. It's the basketball musical chairs game that went way overboard.

LOSING REALLY REALLY HURTS WHEN...

...score is tied at 92 at a Kings vs Spurs game. Finley shoots a three after the shot clock expires. He says he shot it after. Popovich says Finley shot it after. The entire Kings team says he shot it after.

The refs? Well, they count it. Spurs win by 3.

Watch the debacle.

WALLY WORLD PLAYS DEFENSE?

Wally Szcerbiak is known as a streaky shooter with almost unlimited range. What he isn't known for is for blocking shots.

Maybe that's why he needs a rookie on the offensive end to log this blocked shot. (Sorry Bill Walker)

GOING FOR THE GROIN.

Here's the babyfaced assassin Ray Allen delivering a cold blooded blow to Brazilian jitterbug Anderson Varejao's...er...groin area.

Ouch.