Basketball Game On!

And yes, it is finally on!

The NBA and the players' representatives have come to a tentative agreement on their new CBA, paving the way for an abridged NBA season that is slated to start on Christmas Day.

This news is greeted by cheers and, admittedly, a few jeers. Some players still expressed their discontent with the proposal but for a majority of players, it is met with enthusiasm and relief.

Several tours have already been cancelled in preparation for the opening of training camp, including those of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Paul.


More on this story here.

SEA Games Update: End of Day 5!

Good news!

The Philippines has added to their gold medal haul! Our medal haul currently stands at...

13 golds (with additional golds from tae kwon do, billiards, wrestling and fencing)
18 silvers
and 24 bronzes!

SEA Games Update: Day 5!

The Philippines will be starting out the day with a total medal haul of 8 golds, 14 silvers and 20 bronzes.

Several disciplines, including athletics, sculling, karate do and Tae kwon do are hoping to hit their predicted gold medal output today.

Kapit, mga kababayan!

SEA Games Golden Heroes: Dennis Orcullo

There's a reason Dennis "Robocop" Orcullo is ranked #1 in the world...and the reason was plain to see as he demolished Indonesia's Ricky Yang 7-2 in the billiards competition here in Palembang.

Orcullo adds this SEA Games gold medal to his achievements this year, which includes the WPA World 8-Ball Championship.

SEA Games Golden Heroes: Rene Herrera

Steeplechaser Rene Herrera reinforced his claim as the SEA Games top steeplechaser by winning his fourth gold medal in the 300m men's steeplechase event.

Herrera has won this event since the 2005 SEA Games and was barely challenged by his opponents, posting a time of 8minutes and 52 seconds.

SEA Games Medal Update!

As of 4:30pm, November 14, 2011, the Philippines has...

7 golds (athletics, tae kwon do, wallclimbing, billiards, bridge)
11 silvers (athletics, tae kwon do, diving, swimming, karate, cycling)
and 14 bronzes (athletics, tae kwon do, bridge, diving, karate, cycling)

Latest victories:
Sinag Philippines wallops Cambodia, 127-68. Standouts were Kiefer Ravena, RR Garcia, Garvo Lanete, Chris Ellis and Ray Parks.
Discovery Perlas Philippines defeats defending SEAG women's basketball champions Malaysia, 64-56.

SEA Games Golden Heroes: Marestella Torres

She was the acknowledged Philippine queen of the long jump. She has struck SEA Games gold since the 2005 Manila Games. But for the 30year old Negros oriental native, this SEA Games would give her a taste of even brighter glory.

Marestella Torres started off the Philippine campaign on the right foot by jumping to a gold medal, a personal best, a Philippine best and a SEA Games best.

SEA GAMES MEDAL UPDATE!

As of 11am, November 14, 2011, the Philippines has...

4 golds (women's long jump, men's steeplechase, women's poomsae, woman's tae kwon do and women's wall climbing)

9 silvers (athletics, swimming, tae kwon do, cycling, diving)

and 13 bronzes (athletics, tae kwon do, karate do, cycling, diving)

Thrilla In Manila

Thanks Joe Frazier!

Smokin' Joe Frazier Dies.

If Muhammad Ali is known as "The Greatest", shouldn't the man who took him to the brink also be known as such?

I certainly think so. And that is why I will now refer to Smokin Joe Fraizer as "The Greatest 2".

Frazier succumbed to liver cancer yesterday, leaving the world another boxing champion short.

U23 Azkals Lose TO Timor 2-1!

The Azkals' atrocious defense let them down yet again.

Timor-Leste, a team that seems to be following the Azkals module for international football success, had a relatively easy time dispatching of the Azkals in a game that solidified their darkhorse status in the SEA Games.

With several Timorese-Portuguese with experience in the Australian league in their lineup, Timor Leste found themselves unexpectedly leading Vietnam, a title favorite.

Roland Muller was the lone bright spot on defense, as the Fil-German logged several top notch saves once again. But even the uber-talented Muller can not  stop all the shots as the Azkals back four was outmaneuvered several times leading to 2 on 1 situations with Muller trying to stop 2 Timorese attackers.

If this is how the U23 Azkal play defense, then expect more heartbreaking losses in the upcoming games.

More on this story here.

Ali Peek Shot!

Ali Peek, the amiable Talk N Text power forward whose hulking presence belies a polite and gentle personality was shot at the back of the head last night.

The 36-year old Peek was coming from a plyometrics session at the RFM gym and was about to get into his car when a lone gunman sneaked up behind him and shot the player. The gunman fled, even as Peek stumbled across the parking lot and sought aid from 2 passersby.

The passersby brought Peek to The Medical City where the player is now in stable condition.

Police are still waiting to talk to Peek so they can ascertain possible motives and suspects.

Manny Pangilinan has offered a P500,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of the gunman.


More on this story here.

Azkals Lose To Vietnam 3-0!

For 60 minutes, the Azkals led 1-0. Unfortunately, football is a 90minute game.

The Vietnamese scored 2 easy goals and took advantage of an own goal from Matthew Hartmann to rout the Philippines in the last 30minutes of the match.

Despite the decent score, the Vietnamese actually dominated the Philippines at all facets of the game. The Azkals could barely get out of their own half of the field, and the Vietnamese goalkeeper was barely tested in the second half.

Pacquiao To Knock Out Marquez, Says Mosley.

If you ask Manny Pacquiao's latest victim, Marquez is going to be in a lot of trouble this November 12.

Shane Mosley made this prediction, saying Marquez may have had a chance at the lighter divisions but that Pacquiao at the welterweight limit is nigh unstoppable.

Mosley has gone as far as saying that if Pacquiao catches Marquez with even just a touch, Marquez will go down.

More on this story here.

Junior Azkals Try To Jumpstart PHL's SEAG Campaign

The opening ceremonies for the 2011 SEA Games are still 8 days away...but the Philippine campaign starts this afternoon as the U-23 Azkals take on an extremely formidable Vietnam side.

The U-23 Azkals hope to build on the recent success of the senior Azkals but team officials hope that expectations for the team remain manageable.

After all, only Jason de Jong was in the regular rotation of the senior Azkals, with the Hartmanns, Carlos de Murga, Jeff Christaens, OJ Porteria and keeper Ronald Mueller playing only in the last few tuneup games.

They will be joined by local standouts Neckson Leonora, David Basa, Gerardo Valmayor and Joshua Beloya.

Stand by for the coverage later at 5:30pm.

More on this story here.

Amit, Ranola Win Fisrt Games In 10-Ball Championships!

Rubilen Amit and Iris Ranola led the Pinay charge in the 2011 Yalin World Women's 10-Ball Championships, being held at the Robinson's Galleria, with both women winning their first matches against fancied opponents.

Amit, who is one of the favorites in Gruop 1, took on Russia's Nataliya Soresthan, winning easily via 6-2 decision.

Ranola, on the other hand, is definitely not among the favorites in Grouop 2, still managed to exact sweet revenge on China's Fu Xiao Fang, 6-3. Ranalo was probably extra motivated because the last time these two met, the Asian Games bronze medalist and 2009 9-Ball world champion Fu managed to blank out Ranola.

Another Filipina, Mary Rakin, from Cavite via Daly City, also won her first game over Russian Anastasia Necheava, 6-2

More on this story here.

BIg Mouth Mayweather Sr. Strikes Again!

Like father, like son.

And Floyd Mayweather Sr., estranged as he may be to his son, thinks Junior will knock out Manny Pacquiao if the mega-fight ever happens.

And, in his loudmouthed opinion, the only thing keeping the fight from happening isn't his son's obvious cowardice that Junior inherited from Senior but Manny's Pacquiao's history with PED's.

Oh wait. Manny Pacquiao doesn't have one. Let's just put it down to the legendary Mayweather stupidity.

More on this story here.

Azkals 4, Nepal 0!

Matthew Hartmann added another goal in the 89th minute as the Philippines totally dominated the game against Nepal, a team ranked 31 spots above the Azkals.

Congrats, guys!

Azkals 3, Nepal 0!

First it was Phil Younghusband with a strong kick from a brilliant assist courtesy of Paul Mulders!

Then it was a brilliant long shot from brother James to make it 2-0.

Then it was Phil Younghusband again with his second goal of the match!

What a show from the Younghusbands, Mulders, Cagara, Caligdong, Burkey, Borromeo, Araneta et al!

Paul Lee: Star In The Making?

Once again, it was the Paul Lee show.

Paul Lee scored 19 points and was on the floor during the most crucial stretch of the game to help Rain Or Shine lodge a 96-93 win over the Powerade Tigers.

Jeff Chan also exploded for 19 points while Gabe Norwood logged 11 points.

The Elasto Painters' defense also played a key role, limiting Tiger gunner Gary David to just 14points, after David scored 31 points in the Tigers' last game. Doug Kramer led the Tigers with 16 points while Marcio Lassiter scored 12points.

More on this story here.

Japeth Aguilar: Monster on the loose?

27 points, 8 rebounds 2 steals and 1 block.

That could easily be the stat line of a PBA import. Except that it's the stat line of one Japeth Aguilar, a seldom used Gilas player in the last FIBA-Asia Championships and former #1 PBA draft pick who demanded a trade so he could play for the national team.

Aguilar highlighted his dominant performance with a tomahawk dunk over former Gilas teammate Jason Ballesteros, serving notice to the PBA that he was certainly back with a vengeance.

More importantly, he led Talk N Text to a 98-80 win over sister team Meralco, despite the absence of three key players, Jimmy Alapag, Ranidel de Ocampo and Kelly Williams.


More on this story here.

Ilgauskas Retires!

It was finally time to leave the game.

11 years ago, Zydrunas Ilgauskas was nearly forced into retirement by incessant foot injuries. But the big man persevered and soon, he found himself an All-Star and playing in the NBA Finals.

But 12 seasons later, he finds himself at another crossroads of his life, contemplating life without the NBA.

Citing health reasons, Ilgauskas formally retired from the NBA and will now concentrate on being with his family.


More on this story here.

Chieffy Caligdong's 2nd Goal Against Macau!

Azkals Win Over Macau, 2-0!

Chieffy Caligdong does it again!

With the Azkals looking for an offensive spark, the diminutive guy from Barotac Nuevo stepped up, ignored an injury and score a brace of goals to catapult the Philippines into second place in the long Teng Cup.

Here is Caligdong's first goal.

MVP Parks Has Something To Prove.

Bobby Ray Parks is the first UAAP MVP to come from NU. He's also the first to come from a non-Final Four team.

And that seems to be enough for people to question whether he deserves to be the UAAP MVP.

The young Parks hears all the questions and criticisms but says he prefers to let his actions speak for him. Parks aims to improve his game over the year-long break and prove to one and all that his MVP title is well-deserved.

Paul Lee Leads RoS To Victory!

Not bad for a rookie.

Paul Lee made his presence felt in his PBA debut by scoring 21 points and dishing out 8 assists as he propelled the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters into a victory over the Baranggay Ginebra Gin Kings.

Lee came off the bench in the first half and immediately changed the complexion of the game, scoring 10 quick points and getting 2 assists. His quickness and strength took the Gin Kings by surprise, as neither Mark Caguioa nor Mike Cortez could stop the young spitfire.

Lee would have been the Number 1 pick of the recent PBA Draft had Gilas stalwart JV Casio not come out. But, as luck would have it, Casio did declare for the draft, which made Lee available to the Elasto painters at Pick Number 2.

Which we may have to amend to Pick 1A.

More on this story here.

Saludar, Barriga Move On To Second Round!

Asian Games gold medalist Rey Saludar and Mark Anthony Barriga got the PLDT-ABAP campaign off to a rousing start by posting contrasting victories in the opening round of the World Boxing Championships, here in Baku Azerbaijan.

Saludar managed to survive a late rally from Canada's Kenny Lally to win 21-20 while Barriga posted an easier 12-5 victory over Romanian Stefan Caslarov.

Climbing up the ring next for the Filipino team are Charlie Suarez, Delfin Boholst, Joan Tipon and Rolando Tacuyan.

Our boxers must post 3 victories to get to the quarterfinal round, which is also the Olympic standard and would give automatic Olympic tickets to winning boxers.

More on this story here.

PBA To Form 16-Man Pool For National Team!

A 16 man pool for elite international competitions.

That is the PBA's new plan of action as support to the SBP. But this proposal comes with a set of rules and regulations including one that may be a dealbreaker: PBA players will only play in tournaments set from August to September.

In the past 3 years, the Gilas National Team was composed of amateur standouts who played for flag and country before applying for the PBA. They were joined by 4 PBA veterans, handpicked by coach Rajko Toroman to reinforce the team's weakest spots.

If the Gilas program will follow the same system that Toroman instituted, a 16-man pool seems excessive. But if we were to revert to our old style of putting together a "team" at the last minute, then all the good that Gilas has done in the past 3 years will go to naught.

My suggestion: Gilas has to act independently of the PBA. They've got to stay the course, find new players with skills and size, hone them and train them in the international brand of basketball and try to win with them. If they sorely lack players that the PBA can provide, then a loan may be arranged. But Gilas must not be reliant on the PBA.


More on this story here.

Toroman To Be Kicked Out?

Seriously?

Coach Rajko Toroman brought respectability back to international Philippine basketball. In the last yera and a half, the Smart Gilas team has made it to the top four in each of the international tournaments they played in.

At the FIBA-Asia Championships, they came within 1 minute of a bronze medal and a slot in next year's Olympic qualifiers.

Philippine basketball also rose to #45 in the world, from #53, the third biggest rise in ranking behind Macedonia and Great Britain.

And yet he now leaves the country without a contract extension.

Toroman has been phenomenal, transforming a uni-dimensional shooter Chris Tiu into a brainy defender and willing rebounder, molding a tentative Marnel Baracael into a stretch forward with three point range, Japeth Aguilar into tough defending big man with a mid range shot and JV Casio into arguably one of Asia's top point guards.

Chot Reyes's name has been mentioned as a possible replacement. And, with all due respect to Chot, I say their is currently no local coach who can out-train and out-coach Rajko Toroman. He's like the Bear Bryant of international basketball. He can take his and beat yours then take yours and beat his. Letting him go is not just a step backwards. It's like jumping off a 40-story building and hoping you learn how to fly before you reach the pavement.


More on this story here.

Blu Girls Make It To Semis!

And now, another Philippine Teams makes it to the semis!

The Blu Girls thrashed Singapore 10-3 before dispatching off elimination round conqueror South Korea in a pulsating 6-5 contest to move to within one win of a bronze medal in the 10th Asian Women's Softball Championships.

The Blu Girls must now face host Chinese Taipei for the bronze medal, a chance to play China for a finals slot as well as one of three tickets to the World Championships.

More on this story here.

I Do Not Hate Pacquiao - Marquez

Mexican boxing legend Juan Manuel Marquez says that while he considers pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao a rival, he, contrary to beliefs, does not hate the Pacman.

Marquez has been very insistent in his claims that he won both fights with Manny Pacquiao and has gone out of his way to taunt and insult Manny into giving him a third fight. The strategy worked when a November 12 fight was arranged between them.

Both Marquez and Pacquiao are aiming for a knockout to prove once and for all who the better fighter is.

More on this story here.

Ariza Predicts Early KO for Pacquiao!

KO before 6.

That's the prediction of Pacquiao's strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, as he watches the Filipino champion train for Juan Manuel Marquez.

Juan Manuel Marquez is the only boxer to legitimately claim that he is a match for the pound-for-pound king. Their first fight ended in a draw while the second one ended in a controversial split. Marquez has been angling for another rematch, to the point of taunting Pacquiao in one of his fights.

Now, he gets his chance to prove his worth.

More on this story here.

Philippines To Host 2013 FIBA Asia?

MVP is at it again.

After bringing world-class basketball to the Philippines in the form of the Smart All-Stars, he is now hard at work in bringing the best of Asian basketball to Manila.

MVP, in a conversation with FIBA officials during the just concluded Fiba Asia Championships, bared plans to bid for the FIBA Asia Championships in 2013, a qualifying tournament for the FIBA World Championships in 2014 that will be hosted by Spain.

MVP also revealed some thoughts he had on roster formation, saying that Gilas will take a look at bigger guards, to offset our height liabilities. This might mean tapping more Fil-Ams to join the team as tall homegrown guards are hard to find.

More on this story here.

Gilas Loses Heartbreaker To Korea 70-68!

Sorry, I just can't write about this.

More on this story here.

Gilas Loses To Jordan 75-61!

It was the worst time to lose our shooting touch. And we paid for it dearly as Jordan eliminated Smart Gilas from the Fiba Asia Championships with a 75-61 victory.

Rasheim Wright, Osama Dagles and Zaid Abbasa combined int he fourth quarter to turn a 1 point Jordanian lead to 12 in a matter of 2 minutes.

The Gilas Nationals were led by Marcus Douthit's 21 points and JV Casio's 15 points.

Box score here.

Gilas Wins Over Chinese Taipei 95-78!

On to the semis!

It's been 24 years since Filipino basketball fanatics were able to say those words. The last we uttered them, the team was made up of amateur luminaries like Benjie Paras, Alvin Patrimonio, Nelson Asaytono and Jojo Lastimosa.

Now, led by big man Marcus Douthit and a crew of hardworking defenders and sweet shooting wingmen, the Philippines has once again reclaimed its spot among the top basketball teams of Asia.

Player of the game honors are shared by Marcus Douthit and Ranidel de Ocampo, who utterly destroyed the Taiwanese inside and outside.

Box scores here.

Gilas Leads Chinese Taipei 45-42!

Chinese Taipei led by as much as 9 points in the first quarter but the Gilas nationals patiently whittled it down and took the lead with a minute left in the second quarter.

Lazy defending and rebounding were to blame for Gilas going down early, as Douthit, Williams and de Ocampo were repeatedly out-jumped and out-hustled by their  counterparts.

But Taulava, de Ocampo, Alapag and Casio conspired in a late run with 4 mins left in the second quarter to put Gilas up by 3.

FIBA ASIA SHOCKER: Jordan Knocks Out Iran!

No one is unbeatable. And Jordan just proved that by beating erstwhile undefeated Iran in the crossover quarterfinals 88-84, effectively dethroning the Iranians and ensuring Iran's worst ever finish in this decade. 

Osama Daglesh proved to be the biggest thorn in the Iranian's side, leading 3 others Jordanians in doubles figures with 23 points. Hamed Haddadi scored 27 points for Iran with three other Iranians logging double figure scoring too. 

Box scores here.

Gilas Confident Against Chinese Taipei!

The Philippines move one step closer to their Olympic dreams tomorrow as they take on the dangerous Chinese Taipei.

Coach Rajko Toroman likened Chinese Taipei with Japan, a team Gilas beat with superb defending and rebounding. For Gilas to prevail tomorrow, the Nationals must showcase much of the same tenacity and resilience against the Taiwanese.

For Gilas watchers, the match up against Chinese Taipei is a favorable one, as the Filipinos have won their last 4 games against them.

More on this story here.

Gilas vs Japan Highlights!

Great game from Gilas!

Gilas Wns Over Japan, 83-76!

And just like that, the Philippines has an inside track on a semifinals berth.

Taking on the undefeated Japanese team seemed to be a daunting task. After all, Gilas went up against the Japanese Team B in the Jones Cup and barely won.

Mayweather Suckerpunches Ortiz To Victory!

My God, Mayweather!

Philippines Vs Jordan Highlights!

Best line of the night: "The Philippines have theoretically beaten..."

Gilas Wins Over Jordan 72-64!

First, they could play. Then they couldn't. Then they could again.

The rollercoaster ride the Gilas team was on took its toll on the team, allowing Jordan to open up a staggering 18point lead in the second quarter, behind an offensive explosion from Rasheim Wright.

But the entry of Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz allowed the Nationals to gain their bearings as Lassiter scored 14 points on 4-10 threepointers and 1-4 FG.

The Nationals fought quarter by quarter, slowly erasing the Jordanian lead until they finally forged ahead. Marcus "Big Daddy" Douhtit came away with a stellar game, scoring 19points and grabbing 15 rebounds, while Jimmy Alapag added 11 points.

The Philippines moved just one slot down of Iran and China in the team standings.


More on this story here.

Lassiter, Lutz, Eligible To Play!

Finally!

Great news greets the Philippine aquad as Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz were both given the go-ahead by FIBA secretary General Patrick Bauman.

This is great news as Gilas regains two tough defending small forwards who can hit the three and slash inside.

More on this story here.

Huey, Mamiit Lose Doubles Match!

Treat Huey and Cecil Mamiit gave it all they could but they could not come away with the win as they fell to Chinese Taipei 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, 8-6.

Yi Chu Huan and Lee Hsin Han were also the same doubles team who beat Mamiit and Huey at the Guangzhou Asian Games.

The Philippines must win both reverse singles matches tomorrow to avoid being relegated to Group II.

More on this story here.

Near Fight Between China And Gilas Sparked By Arrogant American Coach.

Bob Donewald, you are despicable.

China's arrogant American coach showed just how classless he is by uttering distasteful remarks against his Philippine counterpart Rajko Toroman.

Filipino assistant coaches Ryan Gregorio and Chot Reyes were inflamed when they heard Donewald utter "We're just too big, they're just too small. And he's an a$&hole.", refering to Toroman.  

Here's hoping we get another crack at China. Maybe then, Douthit, Aguilar, Williams and the rest of the Nationals can give a shot across the bows.

More on this story here.

Aguilar Goes Amuck On Bahrain, Gilas Wins 113-71!

In the previous two games, Japeth Aguilar played a total of 8 minutes, all of them during garbage time. A lot of Gilas watchers were wondering why the former starting PF was suddenly out of the rotation, whether he had attitude problems, an injury or was just being outplayed by Ranidel de Ocampo and Kelly Williams.

China 75, Gilas 60!

What seemed to be a rout turned into a spirited game due to the Gilas nationals' never-say-die spirit.

Gilas had a great 4th quarter, forcing the Chinese into fouls, grabbing their fair share of rebounds and hitting some shots they are supposed to hit.

That being said, the Philippines still need some work as turnovers and offensive cohesiveness are the major problem areas for them. what is really puzzling now is Coach Rajko's use of Japeth Aguilar. This was a game where Japeth had an impact in his 3mins and I can only wonder how much of an impact he would have had if he played 20 minutes.

I mean hats off to Ranidel and Kelly but Japeth was made for this game. Well, we'll see what Coach Rajko decides to do tomorrow.

China 43, Gilas 21!

The story of the game? Turnovers.

My eyes literally popped out as JV Casio, Mark Barroca, Jimmy Alapag and Marcus Douthit were all afflicted by butterfingers, losing the ballover and over again.

Of course, the fact that Casio, Barroca, Tiu, Baracael, de Ocampo, Williams and Alapag are all severely undersized compared to their Chinese counterparts. Amongst them, only Barroca and Tiu seem to have any kind of success, Barroca doing it with speed, Tiu with his brain.

Douthit is feeling the pressure, twice missing lay ups trying to avoid Chinese defenders who put up token defense.

And I really hate to second guess Coach Rajko for for God's sake, play Japeth Aguilar. He may not be the smartest player out there but he can physically match up to the Chinese. He'll grab rebounds, block shots, play defense and maybe get an alleyoop or two.

Anyway, let's hope Gilas makes it a more respectable score in the second half!

Gilas 13, China 22 At The End Of The First Quarter!

It was 12-13 with 3 minutes left but 3 straight turnovers by the Gilas guards plus a converted and-1 placed China up 20-12.

China adds one more fastbreak basket before Chris Tiu hits an FT.

Gilas Turns Ball Over 3 Straight Times!

China leads 20-12!

Gilas Holds Fast 9-11!

Credit Jimmy Alapag and Marcus Douthit for keeping Gilas right in the thick of it. 

Mamiit Loses But Huey Wins!

It's tied at 1-1, folks!

Cecil Mamiit lost a 4 hour tennis-thon to Ti Chen 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-7 (6), 3-6 but Treat Huey saved the day for the Philippines with a 6-4, 6-4, 63 victory over Jimmy Wang!

The Pinoy duo go for the all important tiebreaker tomorrow!

Younghusbands To Play In Long Teng Cup!

Despite their personal tragedy, football sibling James and Phil Younghusband plan to don the Philippine colors in the upcoming Long Teng Cup.

The Younghusbands lost their mother, Susan, who suffered from a heart attack last Saturday and passed away on the same day.

More on this story here.

Dindo Pumaren Resigns As DLSU Coach!

The Archers' less-than-stellar season has claimed another victim.

Dindo Pumaren has resigned as the Archers' coach after failing to lead the team to a Final Four berth.

The Archers posted a mere 5 wins this season, including several heartbreaking losses to teams they were expected to beat. Add to that the immense promise of DLSU rookies like Arnold Van Opstal and Norbert Torres and one can see why the Archers doomed season failed on so many fronts.

More on this story here.

Gilas Wins Over UAE 92-52!

The Gilas Nationals vented their rage and fury over the disqualification of Fil-Ams Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter on a hapless UAE side, winning 92-52.

The Filipinos were actually off to a bad start, looking sluggish and out of sync as UAE led 9-2. But the timely substitution of Kelly Williams for Ranidel de Ocampo and Asi Taulava for Marcus Douthit seemed to fuel the Filipino rage as the dup immediately made their presence felt on both sides of the court.

Gilas Leads 16-10!

With no Lutz and Lassiter in the lineup, the Gilas Nationals started the game in disarray, allowing lay ups and open shots, and turned the ball over 3 straight times.

Ranidel de Ocampo started for tGilas and he marked his debut by missing two open lay ups. Douthit was baited by a UAE player into an unsportsmanlike foul and both soon found themselves on the bench.

But Mark Barroca decided to take matters into his own hands, grabbing two offensive rebounds and two putbacks that resulted into three point plays. Asi Taulava proved his worth once again, scoring inside with a power drive then collaring defensive rebounds and turning them into fastbreak opportunities.

Lassiter, Lutz Declared Ineligible!

Unbelievable. The Lebanese have won.

Gilas starters Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz have been declared ineligible to play in the FIBA Asia Championships, dealing an immense blow to the Philippines' campaign.

Lutz andLassiter are tough-nosed defenders who are also deadeye shooters and slashers. Their departure leaves Mac Baracael as the only true small forward on the team. This means Ranidal de Ocampo, Kelly Williams or Japeth aguilar must slide over to the SF position.


More from coach chot reyes's twitter!

More on this story here!

Jordan Beats Syria, Iran Beats Chinese Taipei!

The Fiba Asia Championships started with a couple of expected victories from favorites Jordan and Iran.

Jordan overcame a stubborn Syria 71-58, led by Rasheim Wright's 20 points.

Iran, on the other hand, were led by Samad Nikkha Bahrami's 28 point in their hard fought 49-37 victory over Chinese Taipei.


More results here.

Taiwanese Davis Cup Arrive Without Top Players!

And the tennis gods smiled on the Philippines today.

Cecil Mamiit, Treat Huey and the rest of the Philippine Davis Cup team were surprised, then delighted at the prospect of playing a much weaker Chinese Taipei team who arrived last Monday without its top stars.

Lu Yen Sun and Yang Tsung Hua, Taipei's top ranked players, decided to play in the Challenger Tournament in China, instead of playing in the Davis Cup matches here.

Yang led the Taiwanese to a 4-1 victory over the Philippines last year. This year, the momentous task falls to replacements Ti Chen and Jimmy Wang as well as Lee Hsin Han and Yi Chu Huan.

Mamiit and Huey are joined by two rookies, Ruben Gonzales and Jeson Patrombon.


More on this story here.

Lebanese Files protest Against Gilas!

And the basketball politics begin.

Even before Gilas sets foot on court, their lineup has been put under protest by FIBA Asia deputy secretary Hagop Kharijan of Lebanon.

The protest comes as a big surprise as the players placed under protest, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz, have been playing for the Philippine national team for the past two years, having competed in several international tournaments including the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup, the Stankovic Cup, the SEABA and the Asian Games.  

Basketball observers opined that the protest is part of tactics to sabotage the Gilas Nationals, as Lebanon is one of the teams that Gilas could meet in the latter rounds.

My opinion: Kharijan doesn't think Lebanon can beat us on the court so he's trying to beat us off it?

More on this story here.

Nike Take It To The Next Level Commercial!

I love this commercial. It has everything: action, drama, romance, famous stars...

Fantastic Nike Commercial 2011!

Wow. Free yourself, man.

Douthit, Slaughter, Parks, Ravena To Banner SEAG Team!

Marcus Douthit, Greg Slaughter, Kiefer Ravena and Bobby Ray Parks. That's a pretty decent starting lineup for the Philippines, no matter who play at shooting guard.

These four, including collegiate standouts RR Garcia, Aldrech Ramos, Ronald Pascual, Garvo Lanete, Elvin Pascual, Emman Monfort and Nico Salva will form the backbone of the basketball team the SBP will send to the SEA games this December.

Other possible members for the team are Gilas skipper Chris Tiu, Fil-Ams Clifford Hodge and Chris Ellis as well as collegiate stars, Jerick Fortuna, Calvin Abueva and Kevin Alas.

More on this story here.

Gilas Roster To Be finalized Today!

One day before the start of the FIBA Asia Championships and the final lineup for Gilas depends on one body part.

JV Casio's knee.

The high scoring point guard is still dealing with a swollen left knee, prompting the coaching staff to take a closer look at possible scenarios that include Casio not playing.

Coach Rajko Toroman will pose the question today to Casio, who must decide if he's fit enough to play or not.

If Casio decides to sit this tournament out, especially with his status as a PBA top draftee, it will spell disaster for the Philippines. Despite the fact that Mark Barroca has shown he can run the team effectively and Jimmy Alapag is certainly a top-caliber poit guard, Casio's unmatched shooting skills and defensive prowess as well as his ballhandling and passing skills are hard to match.

The Philippines' roster currently stands at 14, with 12 players being named to the active list by today.

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Davis Cup Team Prepares In Cebu!

This time, it's win or get relegated.

For Cecil Mamiit, Treat Huey, Ruben Gonzales, Jeson Patrombon and Johnny Arcilla, it's a matter of Pinoy pride.

Because the winner of this weekend's tie in Cebu between the Philippines and Chinese Taipei gets to stay in Group 1 while the loser drops down to Group 2. And that is something that the Pinoy netters do not want to do, after working so hard to lift the Philippines back to Group 1 after falling to Group 3 a couple of years ago.


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To my fellow Pinoys in Cebu, it's time to band up and support the boys! Let's go!

Argentina Wins 2011 FIBA Americas!

Olympic berth? Check.
Win FIBA Americas crown on home ground? Doubke check.
Payback for a heartbreaking loss a week before? Triple check.

Argentina closed a highly successful FIBA Americas campaign by emerging as champions in the 2-week long tournament. They beat 2nd round tormentor Brazil 80-75 on their home court, sparking wide spread celebrations all over the country.

The Argentines were led by Luis Scola's 32 points while Brazil was led by Marcus Vinicuis' 17points.

Both teams clinched berths in the 2012 London Olympics.

In the consolation round, the Dominican Republic pulled off an upset of sorts by beating Puerto Rico 103-89. The Dominican Republic were led by Al Horford's 23 points.

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Gilas Not Yet 100% Ready For Wuhan!

The best has yet to come.

That is the message of Gilas Coach Rajko Toroman as the Gilas Nationals first defeated Qatar 69-52, then followed it up with another win over Jordan 80-71.

But, despite the victories, Toroman believes that the Gilas team has yet to play to their full potential. He cites the lack of practice time with PBA reinforcements Kelly Williams, Ranidel de Ocampo and Jimmy Alapag as cause for concern.

Pressed to give a timetable of his wards' improvement, Toroman said that he hopes the Nationals will be 100% ready by the second round of the Wuhan tournament.


More on this story here.