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Sunday, February 28, 2010

Purefoods Nears PBA Finals Sweep vs Alaska

(From PBA Online)

Purefoods rallied back from an early 12-point deficit to hack out another thrilling win at the expense of Alaska, 79-78, as the Giants moved to the threshold of capturing the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup title via a sweep.

KG Canaleta hit the game-tying three-pointer inside the final two minutes and Kerby Raymundo scored off a perfect spin move that put the Giants on top for good, 79-77, before watching Alaska crumble under extreme pressure with a series of turnovers and missed shots.

Pandemonium broke inside the Araneta Coliseum the moment Willie Miller missed a floater inside the foul line at the final buzzer, formalizing Purefoods' third straight win in the series for a commanding 3-0 lead.

The Giants will go for all the marbles on Wednesday when Game 4 is played also at the Big Dome.

No team in the 35-year history of the league has climbed back from such a huge deficit to win a best-of-seven duel.

Counting back their three straight wins in the semifinals, the Giants have won their last six games, including their stirring 86-85 victory in Game 2.

"Not until we get that win no. 4 will there be a celebration within the team," said a very cautious Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

James Yap again topscored for the Giants with 14 points and PJ Simon added 12. But it was Canaleta who brought the team back to life after trailing by as many as 16-4 in the opening quarter.

Canaleta shot 2-of-3 from three-point range to finish with eight points.

"He bailed us out when the chips were down," said Gregorio of the slam dunking forward out of University of the East.

Canaleta came through with the highlight reel play of Game 3, scoring on a baseline throw down off Joe DeVance's outstretched arm seven minutes into the final quarter as the Giants threatened at 63-67.

His fadeaway shot from downtown finally had Purefoods tying the game at 77 with 1:30 to go.

That's when Alaska began to disintegrate.

Reynel Hugnatan threw away the ball intended for Miller, paving the way for Raymundo to come up with a brilliant spin move off DeVance at the other end as the Giants took a two-point lead in the final minute.

Miller then lost control of the ball in the Aces' inbounds play, before splitting his charities in the final 31 second for a 79-78 Purefoods lead.

After Canaleta flubbed his three-point attempt, the Aces had two more chances of turning the game around, but missed on both of them, including that failed heave ofMiller at the buzzer. - GMANews.TV

Scores:

Purefoods 79 - Yap J. 14, Simon 12, Canaleta 8, Pingris 8, Reavis 8, Raymundo 8, Maierhofer 7, Yap R. 5, Allado 5, Salvador 3, Artadi 1.

Alaska 78 - Miller 20, De Vance 16, Thoss 12, Dela Cruz 10, Tenorio 8, Hugnatan 6, Ferriols 4, Borboran 2, Fonacier 0.

Quarterscores: 15-21, 36-44, 61-67, 79-78.

Miller Eyes Place in PBA’s Elite

(From Business Mirror)

ALASKA’S Willie Miller is hoping to join an elite group of players who have won the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) honor three times since the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) started giving the award in 1994.

And he looks to be on the inside track.

The 32-year-old left-handed guard is tied with Aces teammate Joe Devance at No. 3 in the statistical points (SPs) category after the semifinal round of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup with 31.0 SPs average.

Sta. Lucia Realty’s Kelly Williams actually topped the category with 40.6 SPs average but his chances of bagging his second BPC plum look bleak because the Realtors were eliminated in the wild-card stage.

San Miguel Beer’s Arwind Santos ranked second with 35.3 SPs average but, like Williams, the six-foot-four versatile forward might not get the nod of the voting media, who represent 30 percent of the total vote, as his Beermen were also booted out by Purefoods Tender Juicy in the semifinals.

This prunes down the race among Miller, Devance, LA Tenorio (No. 6, 29.8 SPS average) and Giants star James Yap, who ranked No. 8 in the SPs average with 27.6.

NBA Daily Scores

vs(From the Associated Press) - The Boston Celtics haven’t found a way to fix their defensive woes. Center Brook Lopez scored 25 points and guards Devin Harris and Courtney Lee added 23 and 21 points and the New Jersey Nets topped the Celtics 104-96 Saturday. The Nets, who entered the game 5-52 and 2-27 on the road, took a 29-27 lead on Keyon Dooling’s jumper at the end of the first quarter and never trailed again...Kevin Garnett had 26 points and Marquis Daniels had 16 for the Celtics, playing their third straight game without Paul Pierce. The Celtics hope to get Pierce back for Tuesday’s game against Detroit. New Jersey took 41 free throws to the Celtics’ 11. “It shows that we were aggressive,” Lopez said. “A lot of the season we’ve been settling for jump shots at very inopportune times. Tonight we were very assertive in trying to get to the basket and get the best possible shot we could.” Celtics coach Doc Rivers blamed his team for the free throw disparity, saying “it was on us.”...Garnett said he was “disgusted” at the loss and said it came down to defense. “In this league you have to get stops, it’s that simple. A team gets into a rhythm, and it’s hard to turn it off.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - With or without Dwyane Wade, the Miami Heat are no match for the Milwaukee Bucks this season. The Bucks drubbed Wade’s supporting cast for their sixth consecutive victory Saturday, beating the Heat 94-71. Milwaukee is 3-0 this year against Miami, winning by a total of 50 points. The Bucks are assured of taking the season series for the first time in seven years. “Every time we play them, they pretty much hand it to us,” Heat guard Rafer Alston said...“When you are missing your best player and another team is coming at you hard like we were tonight, it can be tough,” Bucks center Andrew Bogut said. “They need him back sooner rather than later.”...Recently acquired John Salmons scored 18 points to lead the Bucks. Reserve Jerry Stackhouse added 16 in 25 minutes, shooting 4 for 7 from 3-point range. “The confidence level is very high, and we’re really playing well as a team,” Stackhouse said. “Everyone is sharing the ball and getting it done at both ends of the court.” Jermaine O’Neal had 14 points for the Heat, and the rest of their starting lineup totaled 24...Michael Beasley shot just 5 for 14 and had 10 points and seven rebounds. “I feel like it’s more my fault than anybody else’s,” Beasley said. “Maybe if I could have grabbed a couple more rebounds and knocked down a couple more shots, we could have gotten on a roll.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Danny Granger and the Indiana Pacers haven’t given up on the season. Granger had 30 points and eight rebounds to help the struggling Pacers beat the Chicago Bulls 100-90 on Saturday night...Dahntay Jones and Troy Murphy each had 17 points, and Roy Hibbert added 12 for the Pacers, who avoided being swept by the Bulls this season in the teams’ four games. “We just want to play for each other,” Hibbert said. “I think we did a great job of that tonight. Maybe we can make a run. You never know what happens in this league.” Derrick Rose had 27 points, and Luol Deng added 13 points and 18 rebounds for the Bulls (31-28), who trailed most of the game and fell behind by 16 in the fourth quarter...“This is one of those bumps in the road,” said Chicago’s Taj Gibson, who finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. “We just have to get back on track.” Pacers coach Jim O’Brien has been impressed with his team’s ability to stay focused, despite its disappointing record. “Good win for our team,” he said. “We did a lot of positive things. We built a lead and kept a lead.”

Z To Sign With Cavs? Durant-Bosh Tandem in OK?

Thorn said he doesn’t expect any Nets being bought out by Monday, the cutoff date for a player to be eligible for another team’s playoff roster. Veteran big man Tony Battie would be a prime candidate. "I don’t have anything going on with any player right now," he said. "I have nothing at all; don’t anticipate anything either." - Bergen Record

Durant said he thinks Bosh would fit from a chemistry standpoint because the Thunder is filled with "likeable guys.” But despite the current difference in their statistical production, Durant said he views Green and Bosh as similar players. "Jeff is on his way to that,” Durant said of Green. "It’s only his third season, and he’s playing phenomenal for us. He’s a guy just like that with versatility to go inside and out. He causes different matchup problems and makes it easier for everybody on the floor. So that’s who we look at to be that kind of guy. "But I’m glad we have the guys we have here. And we’re all young, so I’d like to see our core grow.” - Oklahoman


A source close to the Denver Nuggets told HOOPSWORLD early Saturday afternoon that Zydrunas Ilgauskas will not become a member of the team. The front office made a hard push for his services, but he has opted not to sign with the Nuggets. "We went after Z, but he is going to Cleveland," the source said. - HoopsWorld

In talking to agents, it appears the Blazers are mostly targeting big men. The agents for Kenny Thomas, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Brian Cook and Jake Voskuhl all said the Blazers have called. - Oregonian

Then there is Phoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudemire, who basically begged the Heat or Cavaliers to scoop him up at the trade deadline, but also now is talking about embracing his current employer, still with the ability to sign an extension by season's end. On one hand, he said he was flattered by the trade interest.  "Cleveland and Miami, both situations would have been great for me," he said on Dan Patrick's syndicated radio show, adding, "I can't really make too much of a decision right now because we are doing so well or we may make the playoffs here and we may go a step further." - South Florida Sun-Sentinel

But what about the Nuggets crushing the defending champions 105-79 Nov. 13 in Denver? "We played them in a game in which we got in at 4 o'clock in the morning,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. But what about the Nuggets winning 126-113 Feb. 5 in Los Angeles? "They were 16-of-23 (actually 15-of-22) from the three-point line in that ballgame,'' Jackson said. "That's not going to happen every night. You know that as a coach.'' - FanHouse

Rivers was so pleased by Garnett’s performance early on -- he had eight points in the first quarter alone -- that he drew up plays to find him the ball. It’s something that, in spite of Garnett’s insistent to be unselfish, he would have liked the team to do more often down the stretch.  “Early, especially, I liked that he was aggressive,” Rivers said. “Kevin is so unselfish, as everyone who’s been here knows. One of the things we have talked to him about is, I know what he’s trying to do. Kevin is so one-hundred percent about the team. He’s always thinking ball movement early. “And one of the things we told him, ‘We are moving it to you, and we want you to look at it.’ And I thought he did a great job of that early on. And then I thought he went a long stretch without touching it, and that’s on us. - WEEI

Kendrick Perkins confirmed before Saturday’s game what many observers have felt about the Celtics for a while now. They are bored with the process. “It’s different because I think guys are really anxious to get to the playoffs,” he said. “You have your veteran guys, Sheed, KG, you could tell that this regular season really don’t excite them, seriously. Even with Paul and Ray, you still have to go out here and compete, and it’s not an excuse for losing but you can just tell guys just want to get to the crunch time, get to the playoffs.” - WEEI

Carl Landry sneaks up on people. Though he stands 6-foot-8 and carries 248 pounds on a thick, muscular frame, sometimes he stares in the mirror and blinks twice, making sure that even he sees what he sees. It's me, he tells himself. It's me. "I have developed so fast the last two years that it's kind of amazing," Landry said with a grin. "From my rookie year, to today, with people talking about me being a good player in this league. I never thought I would come this far. Who knows where I'll be in another 21/2 years?" - Sacramento Bee

Bucks center Andrew Bogut came to his teammate's side after Jennings put on an impressive passing display in Milwaukee's 94-71 rout of Miami on Saturday. "Brandon hasn't been shooting a high percentage and he knows that," Bogut said. "But he still helps us immensely. People are getting on him and media and fans are saying he isn't playing as well as he was earlier in the season. "I beg to differ; we're winning now. He's the starting point guard on a winning team right now, so I think he's doing a great job for us. He's been huge and Luke Ridnour has been huge. One through 12, we don't have any superstar players out there, and I think we're playing basketball together." - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Phoenix Coach Alvin Gentry called Kevin Durant "probably the fourth-best player in the league" behind James, Kobe Bryant and Wade, adding, "He might even be ahead of one of those players. I won't tell you which one." Bryant and Wade may both now drop 60 on the Suns, just in case Gentry meant one of them. - Los Angeles Times

Coca-Cola to Bring Back Penny

(From Manila Standard Today)

Comebacking James Penny will be the import of the Coca-Cola Tigers in the coming Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference slated March 21.

The 6’6 Penny, who steered the Red Bull Barakos to the 2005-2006 crown of the same conference, will be back for his third tour of duty in the country. He will join the Tigers in their pocket tournament in Dubai next week.

Coca-Cola coach Bo Perasol told Standard Today that they decided to settle for Penny to help bolster their frontline.

“He will play alongside Asi (Taulava), but his versatility could also put him on the small forward spot,” said Perasol in a telephone interview.

Penny is fresh from a stint in the Mexican League where he played with former and current PBA imports, including two-time slam dunk champion LeRoy Hickerson, who will suit up for the Air21 Express.

The Tigers and the Express will both see action in the His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Almaktoum Cup.

They will go up against the national team of the United Arab Emirates and the Al-Nasr squad. The organizer of the tournament is Naji Aljabri, chief executive officer of the New generation Sports Events Organizers and Marketing, the same organizer of the 21st Dubai International Basketball Championship wherein the Smart Gilas placed third.

Meanwhile, changes are expected to take place within the reigning Fiesta Conference titlist San Miguel Beer and its sister team Barangay Ginebra camps. The two teams which made it to the Final Four, failed to make it to the championship round.

A highly-placed source told Standard Today that several players are now offered on the table. The Gin Kings are expected to retool both their backcourt and frontline while the Beermen are expected to ship out one of their four point guards for a big man.

The Beermen lost Samigue Eman recently to Alaska after the player became an unrestricted free agent and was signed up by the Aces.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

NBA Daily Results

vs(From the Associated Press) - David Lee(notes) provided just enough offense for the New York Knicks to escape an overtime where the defenses ruled. Lee made a layup with 1.6 seconds left in the extra period, and the Knicks beat the Washington Wizards 118-116 on Friday night to snap an eight-game losing streak. New York won for just the second time this month—both against Washington— by surviving a bizarre overtime where the teams combined to miss 13 of their 16 field goal attempts...Lee, who had 25 points and 16 rebounds, hit a jumper with 3:12 remaining to give New York a 114-112 lead. McGee missed the second of two free throws with 13 seconds to play, and the Knicks’ lead was 114-113. Al Harrington(notes), who had 26 of his 37 points after halftime, hit two free throws with 12 seconds left to make it 116-113. Nick Young’s(notes) 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds remaining in overtime—Washington’s only basket in the extra five minutes—made it 116-all...Harrington has played fewer minutes in the four games since the arrival of Tracy McGrady(notes), but he had his biggest game since the trade. McGrady had 23 points, but left with about 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the third quarter and did not return...Washington, now 3-3 since the trades of Caron Butler(notes) and Antawn Jamison(notes), was led by Andray Blatche(notes), who had 26 points and a career-high 18 rebounds and nearly had a dubious triple-double. He committed eight turnovers. “This is all new for me,” Blatche said. “I’ve never been the go-to guy.” Blatche has averaged 25 points since the trade. Randy Foye(notes) had 22 points and a season-high 10 assists. McGee, who didn’t start because he was late for shootaround, had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

vs(From the Associated Press) - Mo Williams(notes) made the clutch 3-pointers again as the Cleveland Cavaliers followed up a big win in Boston with an overtime triumph in Toronto. Williams made back-to-back 3-pointers to begin the extra period and finished with 22 points, LeBron James(notes) scored 36, and the Cavaliers beat the Raptors 126-118 on Friday night. “Road wins continue to establish momentum going down the stretch,” James said. “We’ve played two really good games the last two nights.”...Antawn Jamison(notes) scored 22 points and Delonte West(notes) added 15 for Cleveland, which won its third straight. Anderson Varejao(notes) had 11 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 2:12 left in the fourth quarter. Jarrett Jack(notes) and Andrea Bargnani(notes) each scored 24 points for the Raptors, while Hedo Turkoglu(notes) had 18 before fouling out in overtime. Toronto had the ball with 13 seconds left in regulation but Turkoglu settled for a 3-pointer that missed wide...Reggie Evans(notes) scored a season-high 13 points, Sonny Weems(notes) had 11 and Antoine Wright(notes) added 10 as Toronto lost consecutive home games for the first time since Nov. 29 and Dec. 1. The Cavaliers have won 15 of their past 18 meetings with the Raptors. Jamison topped 20 for the first time in five games with the Cavaliers and said he’s becoming more comfortable on offense.

vs(From the Associated Press) - Jason Kidd(notes) needed to take control. Hawks coach Mike Woodson gave him a perfect opportunity. Kidd bumped into and briefly argued with Woodson, the spark Dallas needed to overcome a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter and beat Atlanta 111-103 in overtime on Friday night. “The coach is not supposed to be on the floor,” Kidd said. “You see that a lot in games. The NBA has so many rules, and there is a coaching box, and some of the coaches do stretch that box. For me, it’s just a reaction. Make something happen. It was a big play for us.” Dirk Nowitzki(notes) scored 37 points, Kidd had 19 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds, and the Mavericks won their sixth straight. Kidd had his first triple-double this season and 104th of his career, third-most in NBA history behind Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. “This one, I will treasure as much as the first one I had,” Kidd said. “At 36, I feel great. A triple-double at 36 is special.” Joe Johnson(notes) scored 27 points for Atlanta, which dropped to 22-7 at home. The Mavericks won their Western Conference-best 19th on the road, one more than their total last season...Hawks sixth man Jamal Crawford(notes) hit a pair of free throws with 8:23 left in regulation to make it 86-71 for the game’s biggest lead. But he and his teammates soon lost their shooting touch, as Crawford combined with Al Horford(notes), Mike Bibby(notes) and Marvin Williams(notes) to finish just 17 for 54 from the field. “They were smart enough to stay in the zone (defense) until late in the game,” Crawford said. “When they (switched), we were up 13 in the fourth quarter. We got some great shots. Shots that, if we came in here tomorrow, we’d knock down most of them.” Nowitzki hit 15-of-26 shots for the Mavs, and teammate Shawn Marion(notes) finished with 14 points after going 7 for 11 from the field. The story, however, was Kidd, who had nine points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal in the final 4:53. “Well, it wasn’t at first,” Kidd said. “I missed a lot of open shots and I thought I was letting my teammates down.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Derrick Rose(notes) thought he capped off a spectacular fourth quarter with a game-winning layup, but instead had to take a secondary role as his teammates finished off the Trail Blazers in overtime. Rose scored 33 points and Luol Deng(notes) added seven of his 23 in the extra period to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 115-111 victory over Portland on Friday night. Rose scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, but was held scoreless in overtime when the Blazers started trapping him in the frontcourt. Rose thought he had it won with a layup over LaMarcus Aldridge(notes) as time expired to end regulation, but the ball rimmed out...Brandon Roy’s(notes) jumper with 3:46 left in overtime gave the Blazers a 107-106 lead, but Kirk Hinrich(notes) answered for the Bulls with a driving layup, Deng made a fadeaway jumper, and Joakim Noah(notes) found Taj Gibson(notes) for a layup to put the Bulls up 112-107 with 2:09 remaining...The Bulls have won six of seven since the All-Star break. “We had stretches of good play and stretches of bad play but we were to take care of business in overtime,” Hinrich said. Aldridge finished with a season-high 32 points and Roy added 23 for Portland. After missing seven games with plantar fasciitis, Noah has played sparingly in four games as he tries to return to full strength. When he was on the bench, the Blazers took advantage. Aldridge had 26 points through the first three quarters on 12-of-17 shooting, but Noah slowed down Aldridge late in the game with his defense...Noah finished with 11 rebounds in 27 minutes and slowed down Aldridge in the fourth quarter.

vs(From the Associated Press) - Russell Westbrook’s(notes) first season in the NBA was a trial by fire in trying to play a mostly new position at the highest level. And it showed. As the Oklahoma City Thunder go through perhaps the league’s most remarkable turnaround this season, none of their players embodies it more than their second-year point guard. Westbrook scored 18 points, matched his own franchise record with 15 assists and narrowly missed his second triple-double against the Minnesota Timberwolves in less than a week, and the Thunder cruised to a 109-92 victory Friday night. “He’s been like an MVP,” said teammate Kevin Durant(notes), who finished with 25 points. “A lot of people talk about me myself, but I think he’s been the best player on our team, the guy that’s the catalyst for our offense and defense. He’s been keeping everybody involved and also making shots himself. He’s putting a lot of pressure on the defense, man, and he’s been playing phenomenal...Oklahoma City never trailed had seven players score in double figures, including Nick Collison(notes) (right knee) and rookie Serge Ibaka(notes) (back), who had missed the Thunder’s previous game with injuries. Ibaka had a career-high 14 points and Collison scored 10...Kevin Love(notes) led the Timberwolves with 19 points and eight rebounds. He has led Minnesota in scoring each of the past four games while coming off the bench. “He struggled and resisted a little bit coming off the bench but for our team, it gives us better opportunities with both of our units,” said Wolves coach Kurt Rambis, who moved Love into a reserve role last month. “Once he got himself into a comfort area in playing off the bench, his numbers just climbed right back up again.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Stephen Jackson(notes) prevented the Charlotte Bobcats’ four-game road trip from being a complete disaster. Jackson scored 32 points and grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds, helping the Bobcats withstand a fourth-quarter rally and defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 93-89 on Friday night...Jackson, 13 of 26 from the field, scored 19 points in the second half. Boris Diaw(notes) added 18 for Charlotte, while Tyrus Thomas(notes) finished with 13, missing only one of his seven shots. Zach Randolph(notes) led the Grizzlies with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Rudy Gay(notes) added 20 points, O.J. Mayo(notes) 14 and Mike Conley(notes) 13, including 11 in the fourth quarter as the Grizzlies erased an eight-point Charlotte lead...“My thing is getting us to the playoffs,” said Gerald Wallace(notes), who had 10 points and eight rebounds. “We’re more focused on getting there. It’s our first berth (in franchise history), and we’ve got a good chance. We let some games slip away that we should have won. We’re back in the fight.”...The Bobcats were short-handed up front as Nazr Mohammed(notes) and Tyson Chandler(notes) both sat out with injuries. Memphis, the league leader in points in the paint, couldn’t capitalize on the Bobcats’ shortcomings, Charlotte eventually outscoring Memphis 44-40 inside for the game. And the Bobcats’ front line also made things difficult defensively, blocking seven shots—four by Theo Ratliff(notes) and three by Thomas. “A lot of guys think twice now before going to the rim,” Charlotte coach Larry Brown said of the Bobcats’ interior defense.

MJ Buys Bobcats, Wiz Keeping Howard Next Season?

The reality is that the Washington Wizards had decided even before Josh Howard tore his left ACL last week that they would not be picking up his $11.8 million option for next season. The Wiz essentially regarded Howard as an expiring contract when they acquired him from Dallas in the deal that cost them Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, knowing that the ability to pass on the team option in Howard's deal would help Washington create significant salary-cap space this summer to greet the expected ownership transfer to Washington Capitals boss Ted Leonsis. - ESPN

The Sixers have yet to officially announce that Allen Iverson has played his last game for them, but the players certainly think so. Elton Brand said Iverson was a fine teammate on and off the court, but he’s not counting on him to return. Iverson recently took a second leave of absence to be with his ailing young daughter. “He made guys want to play hard,” Brand said. “He wasn’t late for a meeting or late for a practice. All the [past] stuff you heard wasn’t him here. But I don’t expect him to come back.” - Yahoo! Sports

Free agent Larry Hughes is determined to show he can still be productive in the league after being buried on the New York Knicks’ bench. Hughes is getting interest from several teams, his agent Jeff Wechsler told Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski. “Larry’s got a chip on his shoulder to show everybody he can still play,” Wechsler said. Hughes was recently waived after being traded to Sacramento. - Yahoo! Sports

Sixers center Francisco Elson is expected to have his contract bought out before Monday’s deadline, so he can be eligible to play in the postseason for another team, a league source said. The Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz are among the teams who could show interest, a source said. The 7-foot center has not reported to the Sixers after recently being acquired from Milwaukee. He is expected to be cleared soon to play after having hernia surgery Feb. 1. - Yahoo! Sports

Veteran forward Kenny Thomas is a candidate for the Trail Blazers' 15th roster spot, according to the player's agent, Mark McNeil. The Blazers have one open roster spot, and must sign a player before Monday in order for that player to be eligible for the playoffs. Thomas, 32, was waived by Sacramento on Feb.18. "We've talked and we plan to speak again between now and Monday,'' McNeil said Friday. - Oregonian

The Jazz haven’t sat down to talk about candidates, but what’s so intriguing is that they could really go with anybody. A big man might be preferable, but the Jazz also could opt for a wing. They won’t add a fourth point guard, however. Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor wants a player with experience, but that’s not necessarily a 10-year veteran. The Jazz would likely somebody who could help them on the court, but most importantly they don’t want to mess with their chemistry. - Salt Lake Tribune

Already owning about $23 million in salary-cap space for this summer’s free-agent market, the New Jersey Nets could have tried to clear another $5 million before the trade deadline to give them enough room to sign two max-level players. But with a few talented young players, along with some draft picks to dangle, the Nets didn’t find a deal to their liking. “We had talks with several teams, but we never came close to completing anything,” Nets president Rod Thorn said. “The free-agency market has changed because you have seven teams with $15 million or more under the salary cap. There are a lot of teams who, at least in theory, could sign a max free agent.” - Yahoo! Sports

One source with knowledge of Memphis' thinking told ESPN.com that Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins was high on Thabeet going into the draft as well. Yet Heisley is widely regarded as the voice that pushed hardest for the selection of Thabeet, which only makes this story wilder. You'd figure box-office reasons would be the primary consideration when an owner wants a certain player drafted. The decision not to select local collegiate star Tyreke Evans at No. 2 gets even more curious when you're reminded that Heisley was hooked more than anyone else in the organization on Thabeet's size (7-foot-3) and wingspan. - ESPN

Lakers center Andrew Bynum was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday for criticizing referees after the Lakers' 101-96 loss Wednesday at Dallas. "It's hard to win when it's five against eight," Bynum told reporters after the game, a thinly veiled reference to the three referees. - Los Angeles Times

'King' James Carries Giants to 2-0 Finals Lead

(From PBA Online)

James Yap rallied Purefoods from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit before Kerby Raymundo nailed the game-winning free throw in the Giants' thrilling 86-85 come-from-behind victory over theAlaska Aces Friday in their KFC-PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

The former league most valuable player (MVP) came through with a new conference high of 32 points behind an 8-of-9 shooting from the foul line and 4-of-6 from the three-point range.

Two of those booming treys came at the height of a big Purefoods onslaught as the Giants fought back from a 78-64 deficit in the final five minutes of a tense match that saw anAlaska fan fell unconscious just as Game 2 is nearing its climax at the rocking Araneta Coliseum.


The last of Yap's game-high output finally put the Giants on top, 85-84, as Joe DeVance fouled the former University of the East stalwart while going baseline in the final 14 seconds.

Raymundo then preserved Purefoods big comeback victory as he sank the front-end of his two free throws caused by another DeVance foul with 1.7 seconds to make it 86-85, before intentionally missing the second one that resulted in a mad scramble for the rebound as time expired.

Just as pandemonium broke inside the Big Dome, coach Tim Cone and team manager Joaqui Trillo stormed into the side of the league's technical committee, angrily confronting officials and the referees for making that crucial, game-deciding call with the outcome of the match on the line.

Coming in the heels of their 81-77 win in the opener, Purefoods now leads the best-of-seven series, 2-0.

Game 3 is set Sunday also at the Big Dome, with the Giants seeking a sixth straight win, counting the three consecutive they pulled off in their semifinals series with theSan Miguel Beermen.

"We can't afford to relax. We must never let up since the series is far from over," said the popular Purefoods shooting guard after the game.

Rafi Reavies, one of the unsung heroes in Game 1, came through big-time with 17 points while Raymundo added 14. His five-point cluster, including a clutch trey, helped the Giants overcome a six-point deficit inside the final two minutes to close to within, 84-83.

The Aces were paced by L.A. Tenorio's 19 points as the brilliant playmaker went 5-of-6 from three-point range. His soft jumper at the two-minute mark gaveAlaska an 82-76 lead.

De Vance finished with 12, including the Aces' final three points. His split charities with 11 seconds to go tied the game for the last time at 85-all. GMANews.TV

Scores:

Purefoods 86 - Yap J. 32, Reavis 17, Raymundo 14, Allado 5, Maierhofer 4, Canaleta 4, Artadi 4, Pingris 3, Yap R. 3, Simon 0, Adducul 0.

Alaska 85 - Tenorio 19, De VAnce 12, Miller 12, Dela Cruz 9, Thoss 8, Ferriols 8, Cablay 8, Hugnatan 6, Borboran 3, Fonacier 0, Cariaso 0.

Quarter scores: 28-18, 48-39, 57-62, 86-85.

Friday, February 26, 2010

NBA Daily Results

vs(From the Associated Press) - John Salmons is fitting in perfectly with the Milwaukee Bucks. Salmons scored 20 points, and Brandon Jennings added 18 points and seven assists to help the Bucks win their fifth straight game, 112-110 over Indiana on Thursday night. Milwaukee hasn’t lost since acquiring Salmons from Chicago on Feb. 18. It’s the Bucks’ longest win streak since also winning five straight in November 2007. “He’s brought a scoring punch,” said Bucks center Andrew Bogut, who added 15 points and 10 rebounds. “Obviously, with Michael Redd out, we need someone to come and get some points for us. He’s a proven scorer in the NBA and he’s done a hell of a job.”...Danny Granger had 21 points, and T.J Ford added 17 for Indiana. The Pacers have dropped three straight and seven of eight to fall to 19-39. “I think everybody in this locker room is still positive,” Ford said. “We understand our record and understand it’s been a tough season. But we’re fighting and that’s all you can really ask for.”...“Our guys never seemed to give up on the game,” Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said. “John Salmons was a stake in our heart. He made big plays down the stretch.” The first half featured nine ties and seven lead changes and neither team led by more than seven points. The Bucks took their biggest lead, 61-54, on Jerry Stackhouse’s free throw late in the second quarter. “We are always happy to get a win,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. “But we did not play our game. Hopefully, we’ll learn something from this.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - The Celtics were better early, then LeBron James and the Cavaliers blew right by them. Story of this game. Story of the season. James had 36 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, Mo Williams scored 14 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, and Cleveland dominated the second half in a 108-88 victory Thursday night...Unable to stop Rajon Rondo or the Celtics in the first quarter, the Cavaliers turned up the defense in the fourth, limiting the Celtics to 3-of-21 shooting and snapping a nine-game losing streak in Boston, counting playoffs. “We haven’t had much success here,” James said. “We’ve lost nine times coming into this building. So it gets the monkey off our backs. But don’t read too much into it.”...Ray Allen scored 21 points, and Rondo had 19 points and 11 assists for the Celtics, who badly missed injured All-Star Paul Pierce (right thumb) when their offense went stagnant in the final 1 1/2 quarters. “They were a lot more aggressive in the second half. They made adjustments to stop Rondo’s penetration,” Celtics forward Kevin Garnett said. “We knew it was a real big test. We can’t play one half and relax.” Cleveland improved to 20-10 on the road, tying Boston for the best in the NBA, and avenged a 95-89 home loss on opening night...Cleveland outscored Boston 60-32 in the second half, allowing just five baskets in the final 17 1/2 minutes. “When they were scoring that much, it was deflating. Took our wind away,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “We went from being a team with stops and attacking to the team being attacked.”

vs(From the Associated Press) -
Denver’s Chauncey Billups chatted amicably with an antagonizing fan in the crowd, then casually strolled over to the home team’s bench and hugged Golden State trainer Tom Abdenour. That’s how easy and relaxed the Nuggets were in their first game without coach George Karl since he revealed he has neck and throat cancer. Billups had 37 points and nine rebounds, Carmelo Anthony added 27 points and Denver beat Golden State 127-112 on Thursday night...Karl, who disclosed he has cancer Feb. 16, stayed in Denver to receive treatment but is expected back Friday night at home against Detroit. He had to like what he saw his team do against the Warriors. The Nuggets set a season high with 16 3-pointers, completed a four-game sweep of Golden State for the first time since 2000-01 and remained unbeaten in 23 games when scoring 110 points or more...J.R. Smith had 25 points and had seven 3-pointers, while Billups added six 3s. Stephen Curry had 30 points and 13 assists for Golden State, which has lost 13 of its last 16 to drop to 16-41. “I have no problems with this game,” Warriors coach Don Nelson said. “We competed for four quarters, gave them everything that we had and it wasn’t enough.”...Golden State has had injury issues of its own all season and it didn’t get any better against the Nuggets. C.J. Watson was held out of the game with flu-like symptoms and a team spokesman indicated Watson might also be suffering from appendicitis. That left Golden State with only three guards—Ellis, Curry and Anthony Morrow—which made it tough to keep up with the speedy Nuggets.

Hughes To Sign With Bobcats? Wizards Waived Ilgauskas

Kings forward/center Jason Thompson could miss up to two weeks with two non-displaced fractures in his lower back. The injury was revealed on x-rays taken after Thursday's practice. The 6-foot-11 Thompson, who sat out the last two practices, suffered the injury when he took a nasty spill in Tuesday's loss against the Detroit Pistons. He recently was reinserted into the starting lineup in place of Spencer Hawes at center. - Sacramento Bee

The Memphis Grizzlies are sending No. 2 overall pick Hasheem Thabeet down for a stint in the D-League. The move has not yet been announced, but two sources close to the situation on Thursday confirmed Thabeet's impending D-League assignment to the Dakota Wizards to ESPN.com. Thabeet will thus become the highest draft pick ever sent to the D-League by an NBA team. Players can only be assigned to D-League duty by their NBA teams during their first two seasons as a pro. - ESPN

"Me being the No. 2 pick doesn't mean I have to go and contribute right away," Thabeet said. "There's a reason they drafted me. I just have to work hard, get better and then one day be able to answer the call." - Memphis Commercial Appeal Blog

In a three-day period that began last Thursday — the day McGrady was acquired — the Knicks recorded 1.5 million page views on their Web site, the most for any three-day span since 2005. * For McGrady’s debut on Saturday, the MSG network reported 172,351 household viewers — the biggest audience for a Knicks game since Feb. 2, 2009, when they played the Cleveland Cavaliers. - New York Times

(Rudy) Fernandez refuted a Spanish newspaper account that he is unhappy in Portland and looking to sign with Real Madrid. "Right now, my heart is in Portland. It doesn't matter if the newspapers talk about me, my contract is in Portland, and I'm happy in Portland." - The Oregonian

Looking for some depth at the position, the Charlotte Bobcats may solve their problem by signing guard Larry Hughes, who can play both backcourt spots, to a contract. - The New Orleans Times Picayune

The nine-month saga that is the sale of the Charlotte Bobcats could be resolved in the next three days, possibly today. Sources close to the situation anticipate a quick resolution, as to whether Bobcats managing partner Michael Jordan or ex-Houston Rockets president George Postolos will close a deal with majority owner Bob Johnson. - Charlotte Observer

The other new Bull, however, continued to make his impact felt. Flip Murray reached double figures for his third straight game, scoring 16 points off the bench. He's now averaging 13 points in his first four games. "I feel comfortable," Murray said. "They told me my role is to provide scoring off the bench and that's pretty much what I've been doing my whole career." - Chicago Tribune

Gregg Popovich had a chat with Richard Jefferson before the Spurs played the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night at the AT&T Center. What Popovich said was music to Jefferson's ears: For the time being, at least, his playing time would come strictly at the small forward position. Jefferson's response was just what Popovich wanted: More aggression, especially going after missed shots. Jefferson grabbed nine rebounds, two shy of his season high. - San Antonio Express-News

Thursday, February 25, 2010

The Tip of the Triangle: A Chat With Poch Juinio

(From Inbound Pass)

HE IS not mentioned in discussions of the greatest centers in Philippine basketball history. However, Edward “Poch” Juinio had a solid, if unspectacular, UAAP career and reached heights other players can only dream of in the professional league. After a long and successful run playing the country’s most popular sport, as Poch calls it a career, let us take a glimpse at his path to grand slam greatness.

Surprisingly, basketball was not an early interest for Poch. He wasn’t that tall early-on, and was far from the big man he became. Studying at La Salle Greenhills (former stomping grounds of UAAP stars Eric Reyes and Joey Guanio, among others) from Prep to High School, Poch only started playing basketball when he was in 2nd year, for the aspirants team under LSGH Coach Cavestany. This was largely because, by that time, he already stood 5’11.

Things started looking up, literally, when Poch entered 3rd year High School – over the summer, he had grown four inches! As a 6’3 junior center for Coach Tatang Mendoza, he started dominating the competition in different leagues like PRADA, MMBL, PAYA, and a host of other “street leagues”, as Poch refers to them. By the time he reached his 4th year, he was 6’4 and shooting over all his competition. He ended his High School career under Coaches Norman dela Cruz and former University of the Philippines back-up center Chris Somera.

The year after, 1991, Poch made his debut for the UP Fighting Maroons. The coach of UP was Rey Madrid, former assistant to legend Joe Lipa, who then was already the head coach for the A&W team in the PBL, where Madrid was an assistant. There was not much fanfare upon the entry of Poch in the Seniors division, but he proved to be quite an addition to the Maroons – a tall, intelligent and agile big man, who played good defense and could hit a mid-range jumper.

Although the Maroons did not perform as well as the UP faithful wanted during the three years Poch was with them (1991-1993), the team was known to be tenacious, with a very high basketball IQ. In fact, many of the former teammates of Poch at UP went on to become coaches at different levels – Ryan Gregorio of Purefoods in the PBA, Bo Perasol of Coca-Cola in the PBA, Lito Vergara, who coached his alma mater from 2003 to 2005 and now coaches Xavier School, with a stint as an assistant at Jose Rizal University of the NCAA, and Patrick Aquino, who also once coached at Xavier School and is the RP women’s youth team mentor. Poch remembers his teammates fondly, and aside from those who became coaches already mentioned, Poch remembers Jasper Javier, Lino Ong, Tata Marata (father of current DLSU swingman Joseph Marata), Alfie Manlulo, Harlan Yu, one-time UAAP Rookie of the Year Paul Du, and his closest “barkadas” on the team, Ian Sanchez and Marvin Panganiban, the son of former Purefoods Team Manager and Department of Agriculture Secretary Ding Panganiban. He considers his UP days as the best of his life, which says a lot, considering his great success after leaving UP.

After his freshman year, Poch got the chance to play for Joe Lipa at A&W in the PBL. He was supposed to play for the RP Youth Team, but unfortunately contracted Hepatitis-A only a week before the team was scheduled to leave for abroad to compete, and had to give up his slot.

Poch had not finished his BS Tourism course at UP when the pro ranks came calling. Alaska Coach Tim Cone himself asked Poch to join the 1994 PBA Draft, where Alaska went on to select him with the fifth pick of the 1st round, just one slot ahead of fellow Alaska-draftee Merwin Castelo of San Sebastian. This marked the beginning of a long and successful career in the PBA, where Poch was a big part of several championship teams, including the 1996 Grand Slam-winning roster of the Milkmen. Throughout his stint with Alaska, Poch played the part of the perfect tip of the triangle offense that Cone ran, being a smart passer and good screen-setter, freeing up shooters like Jojo Lastimosa, Jeffrey Cariaso and former King Tamaraw Johnny Abbarientos. He was a decent rebounder, an above-average shot-blocker and, when needed, could score consistently from the perimeter or inside from drop passes or on put-backs. He was also a good free-throw shooter, a big asset for a center in the PBA.

All in all, Poch was a part of twelve championship teams in the PBA, and was named the Most Improved Player in 1996 and Finals MVP in the 2000 All-Filipino Conference. He played for Alaska from 1994 to 2000, and was traded to Pop Cola (Now Coca-Cola) in 2001. He had a short stint with Talk ‘N Text, before heading back to Alaska, which Poch refers to as his “home team”, staying with them for six more conferences before leaving his pro career behind in 2009.

Air21 Shoots for Lifting of Trade Ban With Texters

(From GMA News)


Air21 (formerly Burger King) has requested the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) board to lift the trade restriction on the Express and the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters since both teams are considered as sister squads.

The Express carried the Burger King name when it competed in the Philippine Cup where they only managed to enter the wildcard phase of the season-opening tournament. Both are owned by the Lina Group of Companies of businessman/sportsman Bert Lina.

Aside from Lina, Burger King is co-owned by several stakeholders that include PBA chairman and Air21 team manager Lito Alvarez, Manny V. Pangilinan and Ricky Vargas of Smart Communications, and Wilson Young of Basic Holdings Corporation.

Pangilinan owns the Tropang Texters with Vargas sitting as the PBA board representative.

The PBA prevents sister teams to directly trade to each other to maintain fair play so they won’t monopolize the talented players within their ranks. That’s why sister teams, like San Miguel and Ginebra, need a conduit or third team to complete the trade.

But this coming conference, with the team now carrying the name of a company solely owned by the Lina Group, Alvarez is bringing up his request to the commissioner that trade restrictions directly to the Tropang Texters be lifted.

"I believe this is just a commissioner matter and I’m confident that my request will be granted," Alvarez said.

NBA Daily Scores

vs(From the Associated Press) - With some of his teammates struggling, Josh Smith made sure it didn’t cost the Atlanta Hawks a game. “I felt like my team needed energy,” he said, “so I was trying to score in a lot of different ways.” Smith had a season-high 27 points, Joe Johnson added 21 and the Hawks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-92 on Wednesday night. Al Horford finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawks, who have won nine of 11 at home to improve to 22-6 at Philips Arena. Atlanta, however, endured Jamal Crawford’s worst shooting performance in 55 games. The valuable sixth man, whose 17.2 scoring average is the Hawks’ second-best, missed all seven of his field-goal attempts, including four 3-pointers, and finished with one point. Starting forward Marvin Williams, who has a 10.1 average, was 0 for 4 from the field, so Atlanta coach Mike Woodson gave Smith more responsibility...Kevin Love had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota, stuck at five road wins—tied with Sacramento for third-fewest in the league. Atlanta, which won Monday night in Utah for the first time since 1993, took its biggest lead at 16 on Maurice Evans’ three-point play late in the third. “We did a good job getting back in the game,” Timberwolves forward Al Jefferson said. “That’s all good. We could be happy with that, but we had a chance to win the game. Unfortunately, we fell short. Turnovers killed us.” Ryan Hollins added 18 points for the Timberwolves, who have dropped seven of eight, and Ryan Gomes had 11. Jefferson and Corey Brewer each had 10.

vs(From the Associated Press) - A burst of energy off the bench helped the Portland Trail Blazers run away from the Toronto Raptors. Andre Miller had 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, Brandon Roy scored 20 points, and the Trail Blazers beat the Raptors 101-87 on Wednesday night...Rudy Fernandez scored 17 points, Jerryd Bayless had 11 and Juwan Howard 10 for the Trail Blazers, who won for the second time in two days on a five-game trip that will also take them to Chicago, Minnesota and Memphis...Portland had lost 10 of 17 before heading out on this trip, and coach Nate McMillan likes the way it has started. “We showed that we’re hungry and that we’re not going to let this season slip away,” McMillan said. “I like the fight that we’ve had in these last two games.” Hedo Turkoglu scored 24 points, Jarrett Jack had 18 and Andrea Bargnani added 15 as the Raptors failed to top 100 points, ending a 20-game streak that began Jan. 6 at Orlando. Toronto went 14-6 in that span. “It was important to run them off the 3-point line and take away their easy baskets,” Roy said. “We just wanted to make them score over top of a hand each possession and we did a good job of that.” Amir Johnson had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Raptors.

vs(From the Associated Press) - O.J. Mayo needed some time to get up to speed. Playing for the second time in two nights, the Memphis Grizzlies guard had two points at halftime and no energy in his legs—his early jump shots barely reached the front of the rim. A dive for a loose ball in the second half turned things around. The play gave Mayo a jolt, and his fourth-quarter scoring energized Memphis in a 99-94 win against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night...Mayo scored 17 points, 10 in the fourth quarter, to help Memphis win its third straight road game. Before Mayo found his legs on offense, the Grizzlies’ big men carried the load. Zach Randolph scored 22 points, and Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol each scored 20...Andray Blatche led the Wizards with 24 points. Al Thornton, making his first start for Washington, had 16 points and a season-high 11 rebounds. It was the Wizards’ first game without forward Josh Howard, who was ruled out for the season because of an ACL tear just four games after joining the team in a trade. Washington’s loss ended a three-game home winning streak in front of a Verizon Center crowd of 11,875—the lowest of the season. “We gave them way too many easy points,” Thornton said. “We didn’t make it tough on them. They got baskets at will.”...The Grizzlies (29-28) avoided falling below the .500 mark and are hoping to get back into the playoff picture. “It starts now,” Gay said. “We can’t sit around and wait. We have to load these wins up because we went through a tough patch.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Luol Deng realizes tougher tests are coming, that the schedule is about to take a difficult turn. If the Chicago Bulls keep this up, that would be just fine with him. Deng scored a season-high 31 points, and the Bulls pulled away for a wild 120-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night after blowing an early 23-point lead. Derrick Rose added 23 points and eight assists while tying a season high with nine rebounds as the Bulls won for the seventh time in nine games. They’ve picked on weaker opponents during this run. That’s about to change, though. They meet Portland on Friday, and after closing out the month at Indiana on Saturday, March opens with this brutal stretch: Atlanta, Memphis, Dallas and Utah all at the United Center, then trips to Orlando, Miami, Memphis and Dallas before hosting Cleveland..The Pacers’ Danny Granger finished with 20 points after missing Monday’s loss at Dallas for personal reasons. Brandon Rush hit 5-of-9 3-pointers and scored a season-high 21, including 12 in the second quarter as Indiana outscored Chicago 36-21 to get back into the game. Then, the Bulls pulled away again and stopped any flashbacks to their epic collapse against Sacramento in December, when they blew a 35-point lead and lost. This time, they got a reverse layup from Brad Miller and jumper from Rose to start the second half. A few minutes later, the Bulls went on a 12-3 run that Deng finished with a 3-pointer, making it 83-67 midway through the third and putting them in control to stay. “You should have seen (Deng) earlier,” Rose said. “He had a lot of Ben Gay and other stuff he was putting on his body. He looked like an old man, but he went out there and played through it.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Andrew Bogut had no idea when the last time the Bucks were .500 this late. He is quite sure that this is the best the Bucks have played this season. Bogut had 26 points and 13 rebounds to continue his string of dominant performances, leading Milwaukee to a 115-95 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night...The former No. 1 overall pick was a rookie the last time the Bucks (28-28) were in contention late in the season. Milwaukee finished 40-42 in 2005-06 and finished eighth. Bogut says the Bucks blew a better seed by losing focus. “We’ve laid eggs before in similar situations,” he said. Now, Milwaukee is tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference and back at .500 for the first time since Dec. 12 thanks to a 10-3 stretch...Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 10 points and 10 rebounds, and John Salmons added 18 points for the Bucks. Salmons has reached double figures in all four games since being traded at the deadline from Chicago and in his last eight overall...New Orleans’ rookies led the way again. Marcus Thornton had 25 points, and Darren Collison added 22, but the Hornets (30-28) slipped three games behind eighth-place Portland in the Western Conference. The Bucks outscored the Hornets 72-38 in the paint to snap New Orleans’ eight-game winning streak in this series.


Real Madrid Wants Fernandez, Mavs Sign Wafer

Real Madrid wants to sign Rudy Fernandez for next season. The Spanish player is not comfortable in Portland and would be amenable to a return. Real Madrid would welcome him with open arms. The player's camp has let it be known that he's willing to return. Florentino Perez (Real Madrid's president) knows about this and is interested. - HoopsHype

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have signed guard Von Wafer to a 10-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Wafer (6-5, 210) joins the Mavericks after spending the 2008-09 season with Houston. He averaged 9.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 19.4 minutes in 63 games (11 starts) with the Rockets. - NBA

(Dwyane) Wade went through his second day of rehabilitation with an extensive pregame workout with trainers Tuesday, two days after he was cleared to remove a walking boot. His return remains uncertain, but the team is cautiously optimistic that Wade will recover during the three days Miami has off before a back-to-back set against Milwaukee on Saturday and Sunday at Orlando. - Miami Herald

The trade deadline has passed. And also soon will the flurry to sign players bought out by the March 1 deadline in order to be playoff eligible. But even after that there will be hope for at least one team that needs more depth in the post. Big man Mikki Moore is on the mend. Moore's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told FanHouse on Tuesday that Moore, who had surgery Dec. 18 to repair a right heel spur, should be fully healthy by mid-March and ready to return to the NBA.- FanHouse

With Jarvis Hayes sidelined and Trenton Hassell starting, Chris Douglas-Roberts was out of Kiki Vandeweghe's doghouse and back in the rotation for the Nets' 102-93 loss to Portland. But when dealing with Douglas-Roberts and his inconsistent minutes -- up-and-down like a yo-yo -- one never knows how long that will last. - New York Post

Between the latest two absences, Iverson played in three games, beginning Feb. 16 against Miami. He averaged just 8.0 points on 25 percent shooting from the floor, playing 26.3 minutes per game. "You could tell that maybe his mind or maybe his heart was still with his family, wanting to see his daughter get healed," guard Willie Green said. "I think the best thing was for him to definitely make sure his family situation is fine first." - Philadelphia Inquirer

Second-year center Hamed Haddadi's sudden appearance last Sunday has earned him a supporting role. Griz coach Lionel Hollins announced Tuesday night that Haddadi would supplant rookie Hasheem Thabeet as the backup to starting center Marc Gasol. - Memphis Commercial Appeal

But (Nate) Robinson also seemed to harbor no hard feelings toward his former team. “They gave me my first opportunity to showcase my talent and be part of the NBA,’’ he said before the game. “They gave me my first chance, so I’m always going to respect the organization and everything they did for me. It’s a great opportunity, we get to learn from some of the NBA’s greats right now. - The Boston Globe

Rockets guard Trevor Ariza will be out for the remainder of the week, missing games against the Magic, Spurs and Jazz, with a severe left hip pointer. He underwent an MRI on Monday and will be re-evaluated next week. Guard Kevin Martin will move into the starting lineup, coach Rick Adelman said. - Houston Chronicle

But the same source–who was the first person to tell me outright that Ellison and Cohan held purchase talks in July–said that West might have more serious involvement with another, unnamed group interested in buying the team and eventually moving it to San Francisco. “West’s name is coming up,” the source said. “I think he’s in play on this.” The source didn’t know if West was possibly just advising groups looking at the Warriors or if West could come aboard as a part- owner, basketball kingpin if a sale goes through. - San Jose Mercury News

The Mavericks are also holding out hope, faint as it is, that they will have a shot to sign former All-Star center Zydrunas Ilgauskas after Ilgauskas completes his forthcoming buyout from the Washington Wizards, which is expected as early as Wednesday.  Although the overwhelming expectation around the league is that Ilgauskas will return to Cleveland following a mandatory 30-day wait, Dallas is still on the list of Ilgauskas suitors -- albeit pessimistic suitors -- along with Atlanta and Denver. - ESPN

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The New Era

(From Business Mirror)

THE first time Alaska and Purefoods met in a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) finals, coach Ryan Gregorio was all of 18 years old, fresh into college at the University of the Philippines and playing for his college team called the College of Mass Communication Wildcats.

That was 1990. And Ryan—with no inkling yet of what he would become in local big-league basketball—was nothing more but an avid intrams player. He was his team’s hero though—a streak shooter of threes that made the unheralded Wildcats the champions of that year’s intramurals, via a sweep.

The Wildcats coach during that magical 1990 run was—guess who—The Point Laureate Ronnie Magsanoc, then the star point guard of the Shell Turbo Chargers and the PBA, now Ryan’s second on the Purefoods bench.

In 1990 Alaska still had to win its first PBA championship. But Tim Cone was already at the helm and the team exuded an aura of excitement. One reason was that the team had on its roster a player named “Mr. Excitement.” It also had a very kinetic, very spirited point guard, and probably the league’s coolest shooting hands at that time, barring Ronnie Magsanoc’s netless beauties. Paul “Bong” Alvarez, Ric Ric Marata and Elmer “Boy” Cabahug were Alaska’s newest additions of the day and boy, did they make the team rock. From a harmless team name which was The Alaska Milkmen, Wilfred Uytengsu’s franchise went by the name of The Alaska Air Force starting in 1988, mainly because of the sky-high trips of its star rookie (Alvarez) during those days.

****

As far as we know, Tim Cone—then as now already a master of the game with an intense, laser-like gaze at court proceedings and a volcanic temper ready to erupt at any sign of a bad call—had not heard at all of Ryan Gregorio. He matched wits and crossed game-plan swords with his contemporaries of those days—Derick Pumaren, Norman Black, Arlene Rodriguez, Baby Dalupan and yes, Sonny Jaworski, just to name a few.

Under Tim Cone Alaska would emerge to be one of the strongest powerhouses in the PBA.  Alaska won nine PBA championships in the 1990s and punctuated the decade with a rare Grand Slam in 1996. They were regarded during that decade somewhat like the way the Chicago Bulls were in the National Basketball Association. In fact, Cone was known to have introduced the triangulation approach and the so-called swarming defense to the PBA arena. Alaska was intense and in a league of its own in the ’90s, which it practically owned.

Purefoods was certainly not left out of the parade in the ’90s. In fact, the decade proved to be Purefoods’s glory days as well. In the Third Conference of 1990, Purefoods actually defeated the Alaska Air Force in dramatic fashion. A best-of-five series, Alaska started out strong with a 2-0 lead and seemed headed to chop up the Hotdogs. Purefoods, then coached by the legendary Baby Dalupan who was on his last stand, denied the Air Force all the way to the finish line, 3-2.

NBA Daily Results

vs(From the Associated Press) - Antawn Jamison rubbed lotion into his forearms and let out a sigh of relief. Finally, he remembered what it felt like to win again. Jamison scored 18 points in his first start for Cleveland, LeBron James added 20 points and 13 assists and the Cavaliers escaped Tuesday with a 105-95 win over the New Orleans Hornets to end a three-game losing streak...New Orleans rookies Marcus Thornton and Darren Collison combined for 59 points, including a franchise-record 23 from Thornton in the second quarter. Thornton finished with a career-high 37 points and set two other team records: most points by a rookie and most points off the bench. He hit his first five shots and 10 of 13 in the second as the Hornets scored 40 points in the quarter...Collison was just as good for New Orleans. Subbing for an injured Chris Paul, he scored 22 points and added 10 assists. Collison has averaged 23.7 points over his last seven games, while he and Thornton zipped around Cavs guards most of the night as Cleveland continues to struggle with its defense...Cleveland was struggling to put the Hornets away when Mo Williams, struggling to find his touch since returning from a shoulder injury, broke an 89-all tie with a 3-pointer with 4:13 to play. West followed with a block of Thornton, then came down to the other end and knocked down another 3 to stretch the Cavaliers’ lead to 95-89. James took it from there, hitting a 3-pointer and finishing a three-point play in the final two minutes to give Cleveland its first win since the All-Star break. James, though, certainly doesn’t seem worried by Cleveland’s recent struggles. Two of the three teams Cleveland lost to—Denver and Orlando—are in first place in their respective divisions. “There’s 82 games in the regular season. You’ll have ups and downs,” James said. “We’ve had way more ups than downs. We have the best record in the Eastern Conference and one of the best records in the league. You can go two or three games where you don’t win a game. That’s not our worries."...“We lost (three) games in a row and thought it was the end of the world,” Jamison said. “I’ve never been part of that before. It’s a good feeling. It’s what championship basketball is all about.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Road wins come so few and far between for the Minnesota Timberwolves these days that they weren’t about to apologize for getting one against a Miami Heat team missing star Dwyane Wade. Kevin Love had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Minnesota took advantage of Wade’s absence for just their fifth road win of the season, 91-88, over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. Flynn added 16 points and three steals for the Timberwolves, who snapped a six-game losing streak. They had won just once in their previous 13 games away from Target Center...Dorell Wright scored a career-high 26 points off the bench and Jermaine O’Neal added 18 for Miami, which came out sputtering against the lowly Timberwolves (14-44), who have the worst record in the Western Conference...The Heat got off to a slow start without Wade, shooting 6 of 18 for a season-low 15 points in the first quarter to go down by nine. They trailed almost the entire game except for a small stretch early in the third quarter, and couldn’t string together a solid run to overtake Minnesota. “We can’t just start off lackadaisical and get down by 17 points in the first half and expect to just climb back when we decide to play,” said Heat forward Michael Beasley, who finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. “Collectively as a team, there was no energy, no passion. We just didn’t come tonight.”...“We did enough good things tonight to get a win,” said Minnesota coach Kurt Rambis. “This is a microcosm of how we’ve been all year. We play well in pockets.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Ray Allen’s blocked shot certainly stuck out, especially in a game that featured very little defense. Rajon Rondo scored 15 points and had 16 assists to lead the Boston Celtics to a 110-106 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night in a matchup of teams that traded with each other last week. Allen, who led the Celtics with 24 points on 9 of 14 shooting, made his biggest play on the defensive end, something that even surprised Boston coach Doc Rivers...With Boston clinging to a 109-106 lead in the closing minute and Wilson Chandler cutting in for what appeared to be an easy layup, Allen leaped from behind and knocked the ball out of bounds as the shot clock expired. “Chandler came and went to the hole,” Allen said. “At least I was going to foul him, but I got up there high enough to make a play on the ball.”...Kevin Garnett scored 16 points, Marquis Daniels 14 and Kendrick Perkins 12 as Boston sent New York to its eighth straight loss. The Celtics were without forward Paul Pierce, who was home with the flu. Rivers said Pierce wouldn’t have played anyway due to a sore right thumb injured last Thursday in a win over the Lakers. David Lee had 28 points and 15 rebounds for the Knicks, Wilson Chandler scored 19 points and Sergio Rodriguez 18. Celtics guard Nate Robinson—acquired last Thursday from New York along with forward Marcus Landry for Eddie House, J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker and a future conditional second-round pick—scored four points on 2 for 7 shooting in his first game with his new team...Tracy McGrady did play after saying following Monday’s loss that he wasn’t sure he would because he banged knees a couple of times during that game. He scored just six points on 3 of 8 shooting in nearly 27 minutes of action. It was only his ninth game this season after returning from knee surgery.

vs(From the Associated Press) - Brandon Roy and the rest of the Portland Trail Blazers had no intention of blowing a big lead for a second straight game despite a gutsy try by woeful New Jersey Nets. Roy scored 10 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and the Trail Blazers avoided a second straight collapse by holding off New Jersey 102-93 on Tuesday night...LaMarcus Aldridge added 27 points and Andre Miller had 20 as the Trail Blazers also overcame a sprained right ankle to recently acquired center Marcus Camby in snapping a two-game losing streak and winning for only the sixth time in 14 games. The victory, coupled with New Orleans’ loss to Cleveland, gave the Trail Blazers a two-game lead in the race for the final playoff berth in the Western Conference...Courtney Lee and Devin Harris led the Nets with 28 points apiece. The total matched Lee’s career high set earlier this season, and was a season high for Harris. “It’s frustrating because of the effort to fight back,” Lee said. “If we started the game like that, it would have been a little different. But once you are down by so much and you are giving it you’re all to come back, it takes a lot out of you.”...Camby, acquired on Feb. 16 from the Los Angeles Clippers for Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw and cash considerations, was hurt when Nets center Brook Lopez (17 points, 10 rebounds) stepped on his ankle as both waited for a rebound with 6:47 left in the first quarter.