News

By Nelson Beltran

PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios yesterday expressed reservation on the feasibility of the PBA joining the newly formed Asean Basketball League regional pro league which had its media launch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Monday.

The PBA was offered to form a team for the league in a meeting between Barrios and Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) president Erick Thohir on the sidelines of the Talk n Text-San Miguel Beer game in Singapore last Dec. 6.

“I can’t see how the PBA getting involved there as a league. I can’t see...

But Realtors, Beermen primed to equalize

Neither Alaska's Tim Cone nor Talk N Text's Chot Reyes expected this series to be a picnic.

Now, the Aces and the Tropang Texters have an opportunity to take the Sta. Lucia Realtors and the San Miguel Beermen out of their path sooner than later.

All they have to do is work their way to another W Wednesday night as the 2008-09 KFC PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series shifts from the Araneta Coliseum to the Cuneta Astrodome for the next three games. Alaska and TNT lead the series, 2-1.

On the strength...

PBA commissioner defends refs from criticisms

By WAYLON GALVEZ

PBA Commissioner Sonny Barrios yesterday admitted that officiating in the ongoing semifinal round of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup may be below the high standard it has set, but said occasional lapses by the referees are normal and did not decide the outcome of the matches.

"Let me put it this way. From 1 to 10, we were expecting our referees to perform 8.5 or better. So far, they’ve been performing at 7.7, still passable but still need to be improved," Barrios said.

Talk N Text’s diminutive guard Jimmy Alapag loves to take matters into his own hands, especially when the game is on the balance at crunchtime.

That indomitable spirit was evident in the Tropang Texters’ 110-106 victory over the San Miguel Beermen last Sunday, giving the former a 2-1 lead in their Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinals series at the Araneta Coliseum.

His 22-point explosion also made Alapag the unanimous choice as the KFC/Accel-PBA Press Corps’ Player of the Week for the period Jan. 12 to 18. He was also accorded the same honor for the Nov....

Tropang Texters spoil Hontiveros’ 39-pt explosion

Jimmy Alapag had three clutch hits at endgame, enough to scuttle Dondon Hontiveros' 39-point explosion as Talk n Text regained the upper hand over San Miguel Beer in their KFC PBA Philippine Cup Final Four showdown at the Araneta Coliseum Sunday.

Alapag stole the show in the homestretch as the Tropang Texters survived Hontiveros' career-best showing, salvaging a 110-106 win and gaining the 2-1 lead over the Beermen in the best-of-seven series.

"In the huddle, we're talking about our need...

Defending champs cut Alaska series lead to 2-1 as Aces held to lowest output in conference

Sta. Lucia showed up with the kind of defense that won for itself last year’s Philippine Cup title, holding Alaska to a conference-low in scoring for a 76-65 win in Game 3 of the KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum Sunday night.
Bitoy Omolon scored 25 points and cornered 11 rebounds as the Realtors avoided falling into a deep hole no team in league history has ever recovered from, cutting Alaska’s lead in their best-of-7 series to 2-1.

The...

Aces go for 3-0; SMB, TNT break deadlock

By WAYLON GALVEZ

Alaska may be up two games to none in its semifinal showdown with defending champion Sta. Lucia Realty, but coach Tim Cone has seen many battles to fall into a false sense of security.

"If you relax for a moment against them they’ll get you," Cone said, referring to the Realtors’ capability of staging a comeback in their best-of-seven Final Four series.

The Aces won the first two games, 92-79, and 94-87.

No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit and the Realtors...

By Ed PiCson

Every team in the PBA aims to top the elimination phase and get an early ticket to the semi-finals. The way the PBA format goes, the two top teams after the initial phase go direct to the semis while the rest try to get there via an elaborate route that is fraught with danger.

In the wild card phase reserved for those in the bottom rung, one loss means good-bye. If one survives that, he goes to a quarter-final round where the team has to win a best-of-three against another.

Whereupon the two teams that emerge from the quarters go up against the waiting...

Miller, Devance at the helm of Alaska win with 17 points apiece

In a virtual repeat of Game One, Alaska Milk played catch-up basketball most of the first half, seized control in the third period then put on the heat in the final canto.

The Aces repeated with a 94-87 win over the reigning champion Sta. Lucia Realtors to take a two-game-to-nil lead in their KFC PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal duel at the Araneta Coliseum Friday night.

"In the first half, we kind of left our defense at home. We were focused on just beating their press. But we got our...

Seigle, Hontiveros sparkle as Beermen rebound, win Game 2

SAN Miguel Beer coach Siot Tanquingcen would not say it out loud, but a little rest can indeed spell a world of difference.

The Beermen played with a lot more intensity to more than make up for some sidelined teammates and get back at Talk ‘N Text, 112-103, Friday in their KFC PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series at the Araneta Coliseum.



Fully recovered from a previous gruelling series, Dondon...