Alaska crowned PBA Commissioner's Cup champs

The Alaska Milk Aces would not wait long to herald their return to paramount position with their new bunch of players and new coach – and how!

Alaska took the best the back-to-the-wall Barangay Ginebra could offer Sunday night, fighting the Kings toe-to-toe through 40 minutes before unleashing an incredible closing run to pull off a 104-80 victory that completed their clean sweep of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals before a record crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Best Import winner Rob Dozier and his team shut down Ginebra in the last eight minutes of play and ran away with the win sealing their mighty domination of the tournament for Alaska’s first championship in its post-Tim Cone era and 14th overall since joining the league in 1986.

“It feels like a first-timer again and I feel like 24 again,” said team owner Wilfred Steven Uytengsu as he personally accepted the first trophy delivered by the new Alaska group led by coach Luigi Trillo.
“This team has a lot of potential,” said Uytengsu of the bunch bannered by Sonny Thoss, Cyrus Baguio, Jayvee Casio and super rookie Calvin Abueva.

Thoss played a key role as the anchor of their defense on Ginebra import Vernon Macklin, had his numbers, and went on to win the Papa John’s Pizza Finals MVP award.

“You have to credit Ginebra. We know Macklin is hurt and Mark Caguioa is hurt. But they returned backing the talk,” said Trillo.

“We played more to their rhythm. They did some zone at ginulo kami sa depensa to rush things. Credit to our guys too, they were confident, stayed patient then fatigue set in for Ginebra,” Trillo added.

As the Kings faded away at the finish, the Aces roared with a 24-1 closing salvo and got away with the three-game sweep witnessed by a record crowd of 23,436, topping the 23,108-strong attendance in Game Three of the Ginebra-Talk 'N Text semifinals.

The amazing Aces walloped the Kings by an average of 16.3 points in the finale. And Alaska swept Ginebra in five games in all in the whole tourney.

“I’m just overwhelmed. At the start of the tournament, if you said we would sweep Ginebra in the finals and we would beat them by an average of that big, I won’t believe that,” said Trillo.

“We built a good foundation and we enjoyed a bit of luck. We took care of business and went on a roll early. We figured out Air21 and San Mig Coffee (in the quarters and in the semis) then we faced a Ginebra team coming out tired,” Trillo also said.

Ginebra coach Alfrancis Chua said the Aces deserved the championship.

“Swerte rin sila dahil pagod na pagod na ang mga bata (They’re also lucky because the boys are really tired),” said Chua.

Named Best Import before the game, Dozier lived up to the award, coming through with a near triple-double job with 27 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists against Macklin who struggled for just 12 markers and 14 boards.

L.A. Tenorio, Chris Ellis, Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand carried the cudgels for the Kings as they tried to survive another do-or-die game, setting the pace in the first three quarters of play.

With a determined stand, the Kings led by seven points in one instance and were still ahead, 72-71, at the end of the third.

The Kings, however, ran out of gas and had no more to offer in the last eight minutes of the game.

From 79-84, the Kings scored only a single free throw courtesy of Jayjay Helterbrand in the last 3:03 of play. They went scoreless the rest of the way.

B-Meg stops the Rain, sends series to Game 6

MANILA, Philippines - B-Meg braved the “Rain” and stalled the Elasto Painters from wrapping up their first PBA championship.
James Yap did everything he could last night to keep the Llamados’ hopes alive, getting away with incredible jumpers – and a phantom punch – as the Llamados hacked out a 91-81 victory to force a Game Six in the Governors Cup best-of-seven finals.

Before a roaring crowd of over 12,000 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Yap practically carried the Llamados on his shoulders with a scintillating performance he later dedicated to the memory of former President Cory Aquino on her third death anniversary.

The two-time MVP winner unloaded a personal conference-high of 30 points as the Commissioner’s Cup champs pulled through in a do-or-die game for the fifth straight time in the season and stayed in the hunt for back-to-back championships.

“It’s for Mom Cory,” said Yap of their victory.

Yap went 13-of-23 from the field and hit two triples and finished with two rebounds, two assists and one steal as the Llamados foiled the Elasto Painters’ first attempt at wrapping up the series.

Yap and his teammates try to force a winner-take-all match in Game Six tomorrow.

“Actually, we’re now just trying to enjoy the series. It’s tough when you’re thinking so much. We just focused on tonight’s game,” Yap also said after the bruising encounter marred by couples of flagrant infraction, including his own on a punch he thrown at Jireh Ibanes late in the first period.

But he escaped ejection and was just slapped a flagrant infraction penalty one then went on to deal the Elasto Painters much problem to derail their drive.

Despite the setback, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao remained confident of their date with history.

“Na-delay lang. Pero amin pa rin iyan (Just a minor delay but it’s ours for the taking),” said Guiao.

But he pointed to his wards’ failure to crash the boards that enabled the Llamados to dictate the tempo of the game.

“We’re back to our perennial problem – rebounding. We gave them 24 offensive rebounds and that means 24 extra possessions for them and that’s hard to survive,” said Guiao.

“We know they’re bigger and longer. We have to work harder to get in good rebounding position,” he added.

With Yap on fire and Marcus Blakely and Yancy de Ocampo doing their own thing, the Llamados, for a change, took control most of the way, building huge leads in the final half.

Blakely and De Ocampo got away with double-double numbers, combining for 38 points and 27 rebounds as they helped make up for the absence of Marc Pingris.

Pingris sat out the game due to a stiff neck. B-Meg coach Tim Cone said the energetic forward is 50-50 for Game Six.

Yap rattled in 18 points in the first half, including a triple in the closing seconds giving the Llamados a 44-41 lead at the half.

Yap went 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 6-of-11 from the two-point zone as he broke down RoS’ defenses, enabling B-Meg to lead by seven, 41-34, in the opening half.

But despite their better shooting and better board work, the Llamados couldn’t pull away early.

Yap, Blakely and PJ Simon joined forces as they launched an attack, opening two 14-point leads for B-Meg in the fourth quarter.

The scores:

B-Meg 91 – Yap 30, Blakely 24, De Ocampo 14, Barroca 9, Simon 7, Urbiztondo 2, Villanueva 2, Reavis 2, Gaco 1.

Rain or Shine 81 – Cornley 25, Chan 14, Arana 11, Cruz 8, Ibanes 6, Buenafe 5, Belga 4, Quinahan 4, Tang 2, Rodriguez 2, Norwood 0.

Quarterscores: 19-18, 44-41, 70-61, 91-81

Hot Rain or Shine mows down B-Meg in Game 3

Manila Philippines - WITH its outside guns on target for most of last night, Rain or Shine stormed to a 2-1 lead in the PBA Governors’ Cup title series with B-Meg after a 93-84 conquest of the Llamados at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

After gettinga the job done following a mesmerizing shooting display in the second half, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao remained on target with his bold prediction to win with or without the injured guard Paul Lee and again took shots at Tim Cone and his foes.

“We played as hard as we could tonight,” Guiao said after getting 26 points and 15 rebounds from Jamelle Cornley and 18 second-half points from Jeff Chan. “Without Paul (Lee), we thought that the biggest complement we could do was play for him.

“He helped us get here,” he continued before dropping another bombshell. “They (his players) play with a lot of toughness that comes from inside, and not just from a t-shirt.”

Guiao was obviously referring to the jerseys worn by members of the B-Meg squad that had the phrase “Only tough guys need apply” printed at the back.

And the firebrand coach wasn’t finished.

“We did not ask for any help from the referees like (B-Meg coach Tim) Cone did after Game 1 and just played as hard as we could,” Guiao stressed. “This is also for the few people who believe in us.”

The Elasto Painters, who are chasing the very first title in their PBA existence, broke away in the third quarter by using the outside shot as a lethal weapon.

Chan, who was scoreless in the first two periods, and Ryan Araña hit 2-of-2 each from beyond trifectaville and Ronjay Buenafe added another as the team missed just one attempt from that distance to highlight a 30-point quarter.

The Painters also hit 8-of-16 perimeter attempts in the period as compared to the Llamados’ 1-of-12 clip from the same area.

Sensing that the game was getting out of hand, Cone recalled his aces to the bench in an effort to preserve them for the next battle.

“My job is not to make the crowd happy (by keeping James Yap and the other stars on the bench in the third),” Cone said. “I love the fans but I can’t worry about them. Maybe we can make them happy on Sunday (in Game 4).”

The scores:

RAIN OR SHINE 93—Cornely 26, Chan 18, Ibañes 12, Buenafe 11, Norwood 10, Tang 6, Araña 6, Belga 4, Cruz 0, Quiñahan 0.

B-MEG 84—Villanueva 18, Blakely 13, De Ocampo 13, Pingris 9, Yap 7, Barroca 6, Reavis 6, Gaco 4, Urbiztondo 4, Simon 4, Acuña 0.

Quarters: 19-23; 40-38; 70-58; 93-84

Rain or Shine, B-Meg drama up in PBA finals Game 2

MANILA, Philippines—With a non-traditional team one of the protagonists, the championship pairing for the PBA Governors’ Cup undoubtedly lacked the box-office appeal present in previous title series.

Leave it to an upset victory by Rain or Shine in the series-opener for color to develop and fireworks to explode all over, including some that might just be lit at the Smart Araneta Coliseum floor.

“He should stop making excuses and take it (Game 1 loss) like a man,” Rain or Shine’s Yeng Guiao fired at B-Meg’s Tim Con Tuesday after wrapping up preparations for the second game of the best-of-seven series at the Big Dome.

“I think it is very awkward on his part to ask the help of the referees, and for him to issue veiled threats saying that things could go out of hand (in Game 2),” Guiao continued while reiterating that his Elasto Painters will not back down in the 6:45 p.m. game.

“I just think it’s a sad commentary, especially since the league itself saw that there was nothing wrong in the way the referees handled (Game 1) officiating,” he said.

The Painters gun for a huge 2-0 lead today, with Guiao practically baring his game plan as he said that they would approach the match not at all different from the way they played in a 91-80 upset of the Llamados on Sunday.

“I think we did everything fine,” he said. “We were just a little uneasy at the start because this is the first time for my players to be in the Finals. We will not change anything and we will just focus on the game.”

Cone, the multititled, Grand Slam-winning coach, totally lost his cool in the fourth quarter on Sunday when he threw a chair into the floor and was promptly ejected. He later on said that things could be ugly if “the referees don’t help us out.”

And because of that outburst, Cone drew a total fine of P23,400, with P20,000 for the chair-throwing incident and the rest for incurring his fourth technical foul of the conference.

The Big Dome management has also billed Cone P15,000 in damages.

The Office of the Commissioner on Monday also belied his claims that Rain or Shine played beyond physical.

“His protestations were not valid,” said Guiao of Cone, whom he is facing in a title series for the first time in their long careers. “And I think the league understands that and it knows not to be influenced by his comments.”

Meanwhile, the Best Player of the Conference award will be handed out before tip-off, with Mark Caguioa of Barangay Ginebra, James Yap of B-Meg and Gary David of Powerade the prime bets.

‘Unsatisfied’ Caguioa wins Best Player of Conference award

MANILA, Philippines – Turns out, the speculated nip-and-tuck battle for the Best Player of the Conference award wasn’t even close.

Barangay Ginebra star Mark Caguioa took home his second straight BPC plum while Gary David, who was deemed as the other top contender, went dead last.

Caguioa racked up a total of 1,121 points to clinch his third BPC award overall.

But for the charismatic 32-year-old guard, it’s still the championship, which has eluded him and his beloved franchise for four years, that matters most.

“I’m happy but I’m not satisfied,” said Caguioa. “We didn’t go to the Finals but you know, I just don’t want to be the only person that won the award. I want us to be in the Finals so everyone can have something to be happy about.”

“It’s not just me, I don’t really feel that great at all,” he added.

The Gin Kings came to within a defensive stop or a shot away from being in the Governors’ Cup Finals as the B-Meg Llamados edged them out, 74-72, in their knockout duel.

“I tried my best but we still fell short and it still hurts,” Caguioa admitted. “Like I said, (it could have been better if) we were losing by 10, 15 points because we know we’re losing but this one, we’re tied up they got the rebound and put it back and we lost by two points.”

Rain or Shine’s blue-chip rookie Paul Lee was a surprise second with 694 points followed by B-Meg’s Marc Pingris with 586 points teammate and two-time MVP James Yap with 537 points and David with 528.

Meanwhile, Lee’s teammate Jamelle Cornley won the Best Import award beating B-Meg counterpart Marcus Blakely.

Ginebra import Cedric Bozeman came in third followed by Meralco’s Mario West, Talk ‘N Text’s Paul Harris and Petron replacement Marcus Faison.

Cornley had a total of 1033 points while Blakely had 886.

PBA: Llamados coach Cone fined for chair-throwing incident

PBA commissioner Chito Salud has fined B-MEG Llamados head coach Tim Cone a total of P23,400 for his chair-throwing incident during Sunday's Governors' Cup Finals game one against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

In a release on the league's official Twitter account, @pbaconnect, the commissioner said that the league has fined Cone P3,400 for accumulating his fourth technical foul, and an additional P20,000 for "serious disrespect for the game that could be misinterpreted as inciting further chaos and outbursts from the fans."

Cone had been frustrated by a perceived lack of calls, and his anger boiled over in the fourth quarter when a foul wasn't called on a drive by Llamados star James Yap. The multi-titled coach then threw a plastic monobloc chair on to his team's end of the court while play had gone over to Rain or Shine's side.

Rain or Shine went on to win 91-80, with Cone being ejected quickly after the chair throw.

The Llamados were also held back by fouls on their import Marqus Blakely, who was whistled for the fifth time with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter.

In related news, the Smart Araneta Coliseum, venue for the game, charged the PBA P15,000 for scratches the chair made on the floor.

According to the tweet of @pbaconnect, "the flooring bears scratch marks/damage of more or less 4ft near the center court where the white monobloc [chair] was thrown."

Rain or Shine pours down on B-MEG, takes first Finals game

No championship experience, no problem.

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, in their first appearance as a franchise in the Finals, played tough, physical ball, taking the B-MEG Llamados out of their element, on the way to a 91-80 win, Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, in the first game of the 2012 PBA Governors' Cup Finals.

"I'm really proud of the way the boys handled the pressure of the Finals," said Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao.  "The way we played our defense in the second half, when we were able to settle down and soaked up the atmosphere, they were ok from then on.

"Malaking bagay ito sa kumpyansa namin going to the next game."

Rookie Paul Lee (right) played like a veteran, tallying 14 points. Nuki Sabio

But while the Elasto Painters were handling the pressure with poise, the opposite seemed to be true for the Llamados, who won the Commissioner's Cup just a few months ago.

Llamados import Marqus Blakely was whistled for his fifth foul with 3:45 remaining in the third period, removing him from the equation in the endgame, while an angry B-MEG head coach Tim Cone displayed his frustration on the lack of a foul call on a James Yap move by throwing a plastic monobloc chair onto the court, resulting in his ejection at the 7:23 mark of the fourth period.

In the first, PJ Simon opened up the scoring by following up his own miss with a foul, 3-0. The Llamados were able to build an early five point lead, 9-4, after consecutive hits by James Yap and Simon, but the Rain or Shine import Jamelle Cornley would respond with back-to-back hits, while a Beau Belga conversion tied up the game at 10-all.

The Elasto Painters got to taste the lead for the first time after a Paul Lee three, 13-12. Three straight points by Yap seemed to have sealed the first quarter for B-MEG, but the rookie Lee hit another triple to end the first with RoS ahead, 18-16.

Neither team got to build a double digit advantage in the second period, but  five straight points by Ronjay Buenafe and Jireh Ibanez gave Rain or Shine a five-point lead at the beginning of the quarter, 23-18.

It didn't last long however, as a couple of Mark Barroca three-pointers gave B-MEG the lead yet again,  26-24. At the 4:16 mark, Yancy De Ocampo figured into a shoving match with Jamelle Cornley, with Cornley shoving De Ocampo several full steps before referees got involved and separated the two.

The pair were issued technical fouls, before a Marc Pingris and one on Gabe Norwood gave the Llamados a 33-29 advantage. B-MEG couldn't draw away though, as Cornley and Norwood countered with their own conversions, before a Jonas Villanueva buzzer-beating three handed the Llamados the lead at the half, 39-35.

Import Jamelle Cornley led the way for Rain or Shine after an early skirmish with Yancy De Ocampo. Nuki Sabio

The Elasto Painters went on a 9-2 run to open the third period, which meant a five-point lead for them, 51-46. A Buenafe floater made it eight, 54-46, before a 4-0 run punctuated by a Marqus Blakely slam forced coach Guiaoo to call a timeout, 54-50.

Rain or Shine would recover though, as a pair of threes from Buenafe and Ibanez gave them an eight point lead anew, 64-56. A James Yap lay-up and a Jerwin Gaco split brought the lead down to five, 64-59, before Cornley hit a teardrop with 0.3 seconds remaining to give RoS a bit more breathing room to end the period, 59-55.

In the fourth, Beau Belga had back-to-back hits made it an eight-point game, 70-62. Gaco would counter with a tough left-handed layup at the other end, but Gabe Norwood would take it strong to the hole for a slam to re-establish their eight-point margin, 72-64.

Jeff Chan hit a baseline jumper right after, followed by an open three from Norwood that made it a might 15-point buffer for the Finals newcomers, 80-65, with 5:19 remaining. It grew as much as 18 a play later after yet another Norwood triple, 83-65.

B-MEG tried to string together one final run, with six straight points from Simon and Pingris bringing the lead down to 10, 85-75, but an outlet pass to Cornley for a slam with 1:27 sealed the deal for the Elasto Painters, who have yet to lose to B-MEG in this conference.

Import Jamelle Cornley was the best player of the game with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists with an 11-of-14 shooting clip.

"I want to give credit to our import who just stayed there. He was able to get us out of trouble when we needed him the most," added Guiao.

Game two of the series will be held on Wednesday, also at the Big Dome.

Llamados dump Kings, storm to final

MANILA, Philippines - Peter June Simon was at the right place at the right time in the most crucial moment of the game, delivering the basket that lifted B-Meg past Barangay Ginebra, 74-72, and into a second straight PBA finals before a screaming souls of over 14,000 last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Simon soared over the much taller Rico Maierhofer to follow up a missed jumper by Marcus Blakely with 2.5 seconds left as the Llamados eked out the heart-stopping victory and gained the right to battle the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Commissioner’s Cup finale.

B-Meg and Rain or Shine begin their best-of-seven title playoff at 6 p.m. tomorrow also at the Big Dome. The Llamados, the Commissioner’s Cup champs, will chase a first back-to-back championships while the Elasto Painters pursue a first-ever crown.

“I feel we really just got lucky with PJ (Simon) being there. We’re lucky and we take it,” said an ecstatic B-Meg coach Tim Cone, who now has a chance to tie coach Baby Dalupan’s winning record of 15 championships.

“We survived Ginebra, and now we try to go hard against Rain or Shine,” Cone also said. “They pose a lot of matchup problems to us. They’re physical. They’re tough guys and tough opponents.”

Against the Kings in a highly physical and highly emotional battle, the Llamados pulled through on Simon’s putback sandwiched by two missed three-pointers by Kerby Raymundo.

The Ginebra crowd went delirious as the Kings gained possession with 43.8 ticks left and the count tied at 72-all. 

Alas, the Kings didn’t execute a good play with Cedric Bozeman dribbling away the clock before passing off to Raymundo who, without hesitation, threw a shot from way, way out, instead of going hard to the basket.

Blakely grabbed the crucial defensive rebound with the game clock reading 00:21.5.

The Llamados sued for time and went to their import at the resumption of play.

Like the Kings in the previous play, Blakely played the clock before launching an attack. He stopped, popped and missed but Simon was there for the putback, sending the team to their 23rd finals overall.

The Kings actually had a chance to force overtime but they again went to Raymundo who missed another three-point attempt at the buzzer.

It was a sorry loss for the Kings who rallied from 10-point deficits in the first half and dragged the Llamados to a battle in the last two quarters.

KG Canaleta beat the shotclock buzzer as the Kings forged a 72-all deadlock with 1:58 left.

Sluggish and tentative were the Kings in the first half that they trailed by 10 twice at 19-29 and 31-41.

They gained some relief at the half as Jayjay Helterbrand scored on a short baseline jumper, then Bozeman banged away a three-pointer from the left quartercourt inside the last 29 seconds.

In his listlessness early on, Helterbrand, in one instance, passed the ball to the B-Meg coach who’s standing in front of their bench.

James Yap fired seven points in his return to the floor towards the end of the second half, sparking a run that gave B-Meg the 41-31 spread.

The two-time MVP awardee capped his second-quarter with two free throws following a hard collision with former teammate Kerby Raymundo. The two were whistled a double technical foul.

PJ Simon put-back sends B-MEG to the Governors' Cup Finals

Philippines - The B-MEG Llamados drew a clutch second-chance make from Peter June Simon to lift them to the Finals of the 2012 PBA Governors Cup with a 74-72 win over the Barangay Ginebra Kings, Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum

"This felt like a game 7 against Ginebra. It's gratifying when you worked that hard. To win it makes the win a lot sweeter," said B-MEG head coach Tim Cone.

The Kings held a slim lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter before back-to-back baskets from B-MEG gave the Llamados the lead, 9-8.

A Marqus Blakely triple made it 21-13 for B-MEG, before Cedric Bozeman hit four free throws to cut the deficit to four, 23-19, to end the period.

In the second, the Llamados hit six straight to post its largest lead, 29-19, but the Kings responded with a 10-3 run of their own to cut the lead to three, 32-29.

James Yap then snapped out of his slump, hitting a fadeaway and a three, 37-31. With 42 seconds left in the first half, Kerby Raymundo hacked a driving Yap on the face, resulting in a shooting foul for two free throws. Down 10, Ginebra would end the quarter strong, as a JJ Helterbrand baseline jumper followed by a Cedric Bozeman buzzer-beating three brought the lead back to five at the end of the half, 41-36.

Yap was still on fire though at the onset of the third, hitting a triple to put the lead back up to eight, 52-44, before Ginebra strung together eight straight to bring the lead down to one, 52-51 with 4:23 remaining.

A technical foul on Ginebra head coach Siot Tangquincen for violently reacting to a non-call gave B-MEG an extra point, but a Bozeman three with 2:18 remaining finally gave Ginebra the lead, 54-43. The Kings then drew a technical foul from Rafi Reavis, giving them another bonus look from the free throw line.

Shortly after, Mark Caguioa continued to sizzle, hitting another jumper that made it 57-53. But it was B-MEG which would end the quarter stronger, as a Yap jumper off a Pingris screen and a Simon leaner off a crossover on Enrico Villanueva with four seconds remaining gave B-MEG back the lead going into the fourth, 58-57.

The final period was one of several lead changes, with neither team getting ahead by more than one in the first seven minutes, before a Marqus Blakely baseline slam from Jonas Villanueva made it 72-69.

The Llamados played tough defense on the other end, leaving Ginebra two seconds to put up a shot with 2:01 remaining. After a timeout, the Kings would lean on Niño Canaleta to hit a baseline three to tie it up at 72-all.

With 43 seconds left in the game, Ginebra drained much of the clock, opting for a Kerby Raymundo three. Raymundo missed, giving B-MEG 22 seconds to set up for the win. Llamados head coach Tim Cone then called for a time out with 16.9 remaining.

The result was a Blakely drive to the baseline for a jumper that missed, but PJ Simon collared the offensive rebound for a put-back to put B-MEG on top, 74-72, with 2.5 seconds remaining.

In their last attempt, Ginebra found difficulty with the inbounds, leaving Raymundo to take two pump fakes and a well-defended three which resulted in an air ball.

"We're winning by the skin of our teeth," added Coach Cone. "[The] PBA's hard. [It was] pure luck PJ is in the right place at the right time.

"When I saw that jump shot go up, I knew we were going to overtime. Thankfully, the three-pointer by Kerby didn't go in."

Marcus Blakely played all but one minute of the game and led B-MEG with 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and five blocks. James Yap poured in 16 markers and PJ Simon added 11 more, as the two guards each also tallied five boards.

Cedric Bozeman, Blakely's counterpart on the Ginebra squad topped the scoring list with 27 points. Mark Caguioa chimed in 14 on 7-of-26 shooting, while Nino Canaleta was a big factor late, hitting two corner triples on route to nine points.

B-MEG held a big advantage from the charity stripe, making 26-of-35, as compared to just 17-of-24 for Ginebra.

The Llamados will now prepare for Game One of the Finals, scheduled on Sunday, where they'll face the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, who sent them to this playoff against Ginebra with a 92-82 drubbing last Wednesday.

"Admittedly, they're a tough matchup for us. [Jamelle] Cornley is a tough matchup for us. We're gonna need big games from our guards; we gotta be creative and figure out mismatches. I think over seven games we're gonna figure them out," Cone said of his team's Finals foes.

NBA legends give PH a treat in exhibition game vs PBA greats

MANILA, Philippines—Jason Williams threw the ball off the backboard to set up a trailing Scottie Pippen for the two-handed dunk.

That Williams to Pippen alley-oop never happened in an actual NBA game but Manila got to witness it Wednesday night in the PLDT All-star Basketball Challenge at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Pippen, a six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, along with former NBA stars Williams, Dennis Rodman, Mitch Richmond, Cliff Robinson and Horace Grant wowed the sizeable crowd of different generations as their team beat a squad of PBA greats, 112-93.

“We just want to thank you guys for coming out and supporting us,” addressed the six-foot-seven Pippen to the cheering fans during a timeout in the waning seconds of the game.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist tallied 20 points including dunks and three-pointers that somehow gave the Filipinos a glimpse of how he was during his heyday.

The crowd-favorite Rodman gamely interacted with the fans. He grabbed teammate Chris Campbell and put him at courtside after Campbell botched a wide-open dunk to the delight of the crowd.

Mitch Richmond, the sharpshooting swingman, also joined the fans at courtside after misfiring on an open trey.

But perhaps it was Williams who was the star of stars with his crowd-pleasing style of play.

Williams, who won a title with the Miami Heat in 2006, hasn’t lost a step as he drew oohs and aahs with his ball handling and fancy passing.

The six-foot-one playmaker showcased his basketball trickery- one of which was bouncing the ball between former Ginebra guard Bal David’s legs–as David tried to steal the leather.

Williams led the US team with 26 points, majority of which came from beyond-the-arc.

Kenneth Duremdes kept the PBA legends within striking distance at least until the first part of the fourth quarter before the NBA legends decided to finally put the game out of reach.

Duremdes actually came away with game-high honors in points with 29.

A fan even said of the 38-year-old Duremdes: “He is still in good shape. Pang-PBA pa.”

Before the start of the fourth quarter, former Alaska star Jojo Lastimosa had his shoe signed by Williams.

The rest of his teammates, Bong Hawkins, playing-coach Jerry Codinera, Marlou Aquino, Noli Locsin, Nelson Asaytono and EJ Feihl also had either their jerseys or game-worn kicks signed by their NBA idols during the television timeout called with only 16 seconds left.

When it's Rain, it shines

MANILA, Philippines - Playing as if its destiny is “painted” in the stars, Rain or Shine finally ended the long lean years.

The Elasto Painters nailed its first-ever championship berth since going big league in 2006, shedding their label as hard-luck crew with a 92-82 victory over the B-Meg Llamados in their duel for the coveted slot in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Flashing the form that enabled the team to dominate the elims, the Painters finally showed poise and maturity, pouring it on in the middle quarters to hold off the fighting Llamados.

“We’re like kids, very happy with this achievement,” said coach Yeng Guiao after finally giving the Asian Coatings Inc. franchise a crack at a PBA crown.

“We feel relieved. We’d been waiting for this for the past six years. We tried to get it in the last all-Filipino (conference) but we’re beaten in Game Seven of the semis. I believed, however, that that motivated the players to give it all today,” said co-team owner Raymond Yu.

Yu also said later he’s confident the players would go all-out since it’s the birthday of co-team owner Terry Que.

“I’m so happy. It feels great to finally have this breakthrough in the PBA,” said Que, who turned 62.

Jeff Chan fired three triples and wound up with a game-high 25 points while Jamelle Cornley logged 16 points and the same number of rebounds, leading the Elasto Painters to this breakthrough victory.

Ronjay Buenafe also put in double-digit output with Jervy Cruz, Paul Lee, Gabe Norwood and JR Quinahan playing key roles as the Elasto Painters checked a two-game slide and topped the carryover semifinals with a 10-4 win-loss record.

The Llamados came out flat, trailed by as many as 23 at one instance and went on to settle for a 9-5 card.

Barangay Ginebra caught up with B-Meg at second place in beating out Talk n Text, 73-71, in a fierce battle in the nightcap.

The Kings and the Llamados clash in a sudden death for the second finals seat at 6:45 p.m. tomorrow.

 The Texters lost their last game under coach Chot Reyes, winding up fourth in the season-ending tourney.

 Coach Norman Black is to take over from Reyes at Talk n Text starting next season as the latter concentrates in preparing Smart Gilas Pilipinas for the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship.

“We got them on their bad night. It was a big break for us,” said Guiao.

“Even then, I felt we weren’t safe even with our 23-point lead. This (B-Meg) team can explode. Yancy de Ocampo and Marc Pingris have been playing well in the last few games and their import (Marcus Blakely) is just fantastic,” Guiao added.

The Llamados, however, struggled till the end, and the Elasto Painters went on to surpass their previous best finish of fourth place (2009 Fiesta Conference and 2011-12 Philippine Cup).

This will be the first finals for all the Rain or Shine players, including Jireh Ibanes, the lone remaining player from the original (Welcoat) team.

Gaining his 10th finals appearance, Guiao will be chasing a sixth PBA championship. He won titles with Sunkist and Red Bull.

“There’s nothing more satisfying than to make the finals with a dedicated team,” said Guiao.

“It’s very satisfying for the reason that all the finals and all the championships I’ve been with are with teams like this. We’re not giants but we fight,” Guiao also said.

Guiao steered Rain or Shine to the finals in his fifth conference with the team. The finals had been elusive for the team under coaches Leo Austria and Caloy Garcia.

The Elasto Painters fought with determination, pummeling the Llamados in the first three quarters then hung tough in the face of B-Meg’s chase in the final canto.

Chan fired away 10 points in the second quarter as the Elasto Painters made a key run and opened their first huge lead at 48-31.

Talk 'N Text stays alive, tops Rain or Shine

Jimmy Alapag hit a lay-up with 41.6 seconds left to lift the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters clear of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, keeping them alive in the PBA Governors' Cup with a 98-90 win, Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Had the Tropang Texters lost, they would have been eliminated from contention for a spot in the Conference Finals, a fact that was not lost on Talk 'N Text's head coach.

"All we did tonight was to buy us a little bit more time. Our situation hasn't changed; we are fighting for our lives," said TNT mentor Chot Reyes after the victory. "We're just finding ways to win without our key guys."

Rookie sensation Paul Lee was unable to lift his squad to a win, despite 13 points from him. KC Cruz

The Elasto Painters started with a 7-2 run before Talk n' Text head coach Chot Reyes called timeout, a break that sparked the Texters to a 23-5 run to go up 25-12. Rain or Shine managed to recover at the end of the first though, finishing strong with seven straight points to cut the deficit to nine at the end of the quarter, 30-21.

In the second period, Talk n' Text started hitting their jumpers, going up by 16 after a Paul Harris conversion, 41-25. But once again, the Elasto Painters made a run before the quarter ended to close the gap to a more manageable 57-44.

A triple by by Aaron Aban had TNT up by as much as 18 points as they began the third quarter by scoring five unanswered 62-44, but that's when the Elasto Painters woke up from their slumber.

A Paul Lee lay-up early in the cut the Texters' lead to 10, 64-54, and ignited a 17-3 blast by Rain or Shine. Beau Belga's second triple in the quarter sliced the lead to a solitary point, 65-64, with five and a half minutes remaining, before Jimmy Alapag, Paul Harris, and Ranidel de Ocampo hit timely treys to keep the Elasto Painters at bay at the end of the third, 80-79.

Rain or Shine started the final period with a JR Quiñahan split from the line that knotted things at 80-all, before the Texters took the ball inside responding to the tune of a 10-2 run that made it 90-83, with 5:32 remaining.

In the last two minutes, Talk n' Text found itself enjoying a slim four-point advantage, 94-90, before Alapag hit a tough lay-up with 41.6 to go for a 96-90 lead. On the ensuing play, Rain or Shine found import Jamelle Cornley off the inbounds, only for the import to dribble the ball off his foot for a crucial turnover with 40.1 seconds remaining.

Ryan Reyes (left) and Ronjay Buenafe hit the floor for the loose ball. Nuki Sabio

With 30.2 seconds left, Alapag matched Cornley with his own turnover, only for Gabe Norwood to miss a three-pointer at the other end with 21.6 remaining. After a basket by Ali Peek settled the score at 98-90, Rain or Shine figured in to another mishap, as Jeff Chan stepped on Harris' foot after a three-point attempt.

Paul Harris led all scorers with 34 points, complementing his 16 rebounds and five dimes. Ranidel De Ocampo added 17 markers, while Jimmy Alapag fired in 10 and dished out six more assists.

"Harris doesn't wanna go home. [He] doesn't want it to end. I can be really hard on him [but] he just continues playing; that's why he's here," added Reyes, of his prized import.

Rain or Shine got 27 points from Cornley, plus 10 rebounds. Four other Elasto Painters also finished with double-digit scoring nights, led by Jeff Chan and his 15 points, but it wasn't enough for the Elasto Painters to secure the "W."

The loss put Rain or Shine in a tie with the B-MEG Llamados, whom they'll round out the semis against on Wednesday, with both teams possessing 9-4 slates. Talk 'N Text on the other hand, moved up to 8-5, in a tie with their Wednesday opponents too, the Barangay Ginebra Kings.

Meralco Bolts survive last minute Yap onslaught

The Meralco Bolts squandered a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter but held on to win and hand B-MEG its first loss in the semifinals, 104-101  Friday night.

Meralco leaned on a surprise showing from point guard Chris Ross who tallied 13 points in the first period as the Bolts outscored the Llamados, 31-17.

In the second, the Bolts continued to display their athleticism, running the  break with import Mario West even providing a couple of alleyoop plays along the way to end the half, 54-43. The good shooting continued for Meralco, as they increased their lead to 14 at the end of the third, 77-63.

In the fourth, a Macapagal three and a Mercado lay up pushed Meralco's lead to 16, 85-69. It was then when James Yap started to get hot, hitting four straight to cut the deficit to 12, 85-73.

A Marqus Blakely conversion at the 5:18 mark had the Meralco lead trimmed down to 10, before consecutive threes by Josh Urbiztondo and Yancy de Ocampo made it 89-83.

The Bolts were up seven with 55 seconds remaining, 96-89, before the Llamados went on a 9-3 run to cut the lead to one, 99-98, with seven seconds remaining.

In the ensuing play, B-MEG ended up guessing wrong as they anticipated a Meralco timeout. Instead, Asi Taulava went for a go-ahead pass to a streaking Chris Ross who scored a bucket plus an extra point from a foul from Josh Urbiztondo, 102-98.

The Llamados had 6.7 seconds to set up, as James Yap banked in a three with 3.9 seconds remaining, 102-101. B-MEG tried to stop the clock by fouling Taulava with 2.6 remaining. The Meralco big man hit one out of two, 103-101. A technical foul was then called on B-MEG for calling a time out they did not have.

Cardona sank the crucial technical freethrow to bump the lead up to three, 104-101. With 1.7 seconds left, the Llamados found it difficult to get the ball inbounds, as Chris Ross tapped the ball from Josh Urbiztondo until the final buzzer sounded.

"We've been outplayed in the first thee games. We've been in situations wherein we don't know how to play in this kind of environment. Finally, we won a big one against B-MEG. Character is tested when nothing is on the line. This team plays hard, this team plays to win, this team can go against the big dogs in the league," said Meralco head coach Ryan Gregorio.

PBA: After meeting with Comm. Salud, Allado fined P500k, banned for one conference

Barako Bull Energy big man Don Allado was fined P500,000 and banned for one conference from all PBA-related activities, after the player met with PBA Commissioner Chito Salud on Thursday to explain his tweets accusing the league of game-fixing.

The sanctions are said to be final and unappealable.

After a season-ending loss to the Powerade Tigers last Tuesday, Allado tweeted out that "#PBA games are fixed. They control who is in & who is out. It's a disgrace to be in this league. I am bitter about losing. Not to Powerade, but to #PBA. In my opinion, this league has little credibility left."

Allado later deleted the tweets and apologized for them. Then upon meeting the commissioner, apologized once more.

"Inulit [niya] sa akin ang paghingi ng paumanhin sa buong PBA, sa players, governors. Yun daw ay resulta lang ng pagkatalo ng team niya. Burst of emotion sa Powerade," said Salud in an interview on dzBB radio after the meeting.

Salud also reminded Allado of the power of Twitter and Facebook, chiding him, "Ang tweet, Facebook, maraming sumusunod diyan, delikado kung magsasalita ka ng kung anu-anong bagay."

He also said that when he asked Allado to substantiate his claims of game-fixing, Allado could not reply. The 13-year veteran said he had never gotten an offer to drop a game, nor did he know of other players who got such offers.

"I took the occasion na ipaalala sa kanya ang responsibilidad ng PBA player sa fans. Ang maturity, sportsmanship, kailangan at all times they observe that on and off the court," Salud added.

The commissioner admitted that a referee in the Powerade-Barako Bull game did indeed make an egregious non-call, failing to whistle a three-second violation on the Tigers' import Omar Sneed, but said that upon review, the league, and even Barako Bull head coach Junel Baculi and team management agreed they were "outplayed by Powerade even during that time that a non-call was made."

"Clearly it [Allado's tweets] was an outburst of emotion in the heat of competition," Salud concluded.

And despite his apology, Salud still felt that the 33-year-old still needed to be punished.

"I laud his apology, it takes a man to admit his fault. I laud his passion for the game but I cannot condone this kind of behavior. There will be punishment," he said.

Salud also added that Allado's team "made it clear they are not tolerating the accusations of Allado and there will be internal sanctions meted out also."

The former King Archer out of De La Salle University is a 13-year pro, and got his start as a direct hire by the Alaska Aces back in 1999. A three-time PBA All-Star and two-time PBA champion, the 6'6" big man is with his fifth team, and has career averages of 7.89 points, 5.86 rebounds and 1.29 assists.

Gilas dominates Indonesia for second straight win

The Smart-Gilas national basketball team marked its second victory in the third South East Asian Basketball Association Cup on Thursday with a 80-52 win over Indonesia at the 700-Year Stadium in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The Philippines doomed their opponents as early as the first quarter, forging a 13-point lead that the Indonesians never recovered from.

Alaska Ace Mac Baracael posted a game-high 15 points, followed by 14 points from former Red Lion Garvo Lanete. The big man combo of fellow San Beda alum Dave Marcelo and naturalized center Marcus Douthit combined for 24 points and 13 rebounds. Chris Tiu rounded out a balanced effort from the Nationals with 13 markers of his own.

Gilas again outscored their opponents in the paint, 38-22, and ran them into the ground on the break, tallying 14 points in the open court while limiting Indonesia to two.

Early in the game, the Philippines kept Indonesia out of the paint, forcing Christian Sitepu to score on two long jumpers as Douthit and Baracael took turns on scoring duty for a 10-4 lead. Arki Wisnu hit Indonesia’s first basket in the paint, but Lanete drained a left wing trey on the next possession, followed by an and-one play from Tiu, as the Philippines raced to an early 21-8 advantage.

Gilas opened the second quarter with another trey, this time from Tiu, who scored seven in an 11-2 run, despite the team missing several attempts at the rim, to bring the tally to 32-10. However, Indonesia came back as Faisal Ahmad made two of his team’s three makes from deep in the last four minutes of the period and trimmed the deficit to 41-25, heading into the halftime break.

Douthit scored seven of the team’s last nine in the first half, shrugging off foul trouble to post 11 points after two quarters.

Lanete erupted after the break, carrying Gilas through a 9-3 burst that forced Indonesia to call timeout with under seven minutes in the quarter. It was but a speed bump for the Philippines as Douthit promptly slammed another one home when play resumed.

This time it was Baracael who waxed hot for the Nationals, notching five of Gilas’ last nine in the third. Ahmad and company managed to score again in the back half of the frame, but never seriously threatened the lead which ballooned to 59-37 heading into the game’s final ten minutes.

Indonesia would score five quick points early in the final period, but the Philippines quickly re-established their dominance in the game. A pair of charities by Woody Co then gave the Nationals a 30-point lead with three minutes left to play.

The Philippines will play Malaysia on Friday before wrapping up the tournament with their matchup against Thailand on Saturday.

Will he? Jaworski hints at Ginebra comeback

THE DIVORCE was as sudden as it was sad. Robert Jaworski and Barangay Ginebra, two local basketball icons whose paths seemed to be hopelessly intertwined, parted ways under less-than-ideal circumstances.

But time has blurred the memory of that separation and, more than a decade later, Jaworski is open to rejoining the team that fans continue to associate with him despite the number of stars that have donned its colors.

“I can have healthy initiatives in that direction,” Jaworski said, flashing a knowing smile. “I’m ready to take the challenge.”

Jaworski, dubbed the PBA’s “Living Legend,” graced a luncheon hosted in his honor by sports channel AKTV as a prelude to his jersey retirement ceremony on July 8.

Whatever animosity was reported during the days when Jaworski left Ginebra over disagreements on how decisions were being implemented seemed a thing of the past. The team appeared like a co-host of the luncheon. After all, the retirement ceremony means that nobody from the Gin Kings can wear the jersey No. 7 anymore.

But Jaworski remained vague over his plans. In politics, he did not directly answer whether he would make another run for the Senate.

“You don’t have to be in public office to help people,” he said. But just when it seemed like he was closing that chapter of his life, he said his experience in the Senate has made him “ready to be a senator.”

And Jaworski refused to say he was officially retiring from the PBA, joking that he was getting in shape “for 2016.”

“There’s a little fat now in my abs, but nothing that I can’t lose. I just might surprise you.”

His vagueness gave rise to talk he could make a return to Ginebra as a coach. But if he is to make a return, Jaworski’s only requirement is that he should be able to perform at his best.

“If I can’t do even just a little of what I want to do, never mind,” he said. “Kung salingpusa lang ako, eh di sa pusa nalang ako makikipaglaro.”

Jaworski and Ginebra are still a perfect match. In fact, the Big J still sees a little of the old Ginebra in this batch of Gin Kings. “They’re good. They just need to be more consistent,” he said.

Mighty Rain or Shine now at 8-1 after downing Talk ’N Text

MANILA, Philippines—Rain or Shine concluded the elimination round in a blazing fashion as it halted Talk ’N Text’s win streak with a 92-90 squeaker Sunday in the 2012 PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Elastopainters, improving to a franchise-best 8-1 which they will carry over to the semifinals, remained atop the heap and handed the Texters’ their first loss since the 0-2 start.

Import Jamine Cornley relied on impeccable timing as he came up with a game-saving block on Ranidel de Ocampo as the buzzer expired—and also contributed 19 points and four rebounds.

Cornley also knocked down a floater over the outstretched arms of his defenders, which gave Rain or Shine a four-point cushion—enough to weather whatever Talk ’N Text threw at them.

“We showed some mental and physical toughness. We just want to prove that this team is for real,” said the Elastopainters’ mercurial head coach Yeng Guiao.

The Texters, unable to pull away when they had the lead, came back from an eight-point deficit early in the payoff period and even snatched the edge with 2:24 left on a triple by Jason Castro.

But Talk ’N Text  just engaged on a shootout down the stretch—with big shots courtesy of an in-the-zone Castro—but failed to make the necessary defensive stops.

A good-drawn play—dumping the ball to De Ocampo down low for the final shot  with two seconds left—could have sent the game into overtime, but Cornley’s block was just better.

Castro finished with 25 points, while import Paul Harris added 11 points.

Talk ’N Text will carry its 5-4 record to the semis, which will be another single round robin among six squads.

THE SCORES:

RAIN OR SHINE 92 – Cornely 19, Lee 18, Chan 14, Cruz 11, Norwood 9, Belga 7, Quinahan 6, Tang 2, Arana 2, Buenafe 2, Ibanes 2.
TALK N’ TEXT 90 – Castro 25, Harris 11, Reyes 11, Williams 10, Fonacier 10, Alapag 8, Aban 5, De Ocampo 4, Peek 4, Aguilar 2.

Quarters: 27-28, 46-51, 67-68, 92-90

Jaworski's famous jersey to be retired by the Barangay

The 'living legend' Robert 'Sonny' Jaworski Sr. shows off his famous Ginebra jersey during the 'Jersey Retirement' press conference in Pasig City on Friday.

Ginebra trips Barako Bull, barges into the semis

MANILA, Philippines — Mark Caguioa scored seven of the last nine points as Ginebra tripped a skidding Barako Bull, 102-91, and barged into the semifinals of the 2012 PBA Governors Cup Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Caguioa knocked down a triple, nailed a jumper then made two free throws in the final minute-and-a-half, which stymied the Energy for good, leading to the Gin Kings’ back-to-back victories.

Caguioa finished with 22 points, five rebounds and three assists, providing the spark in the offense for Ginebra, which upped its record to 5-4, alongside import Cedric Bozeman.

Bozeman flirted with a triple double as he finished with 28 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.

A 14-4 roll by the Ginebra, kickstarted by a crucial triple by Bozeman in the three-minute mark, turned the tide in favor of the Gin Kings after momentarily losing the lead.

The victory was crucial for Ginebra in such a short elimination round as it assured an outright entry to the semifinals.

After a hot start in the conference, Barako Bull just lost its bearing and careened to its third straight loss for a 3-5 card, virtually dooming its chances to advance.

The Energy, though, was close to stealing the thunder in the final period as they grabbed the lead with a basket from Doug Kramer, 79-78.

After that run, which started with a determined comeback at the end of the third as Barako Bull inched within a point, Barako Bull lost steam in the offense.

Leroy Hickerson churned out 21 points and seven rebounds on a losing effort for Barako Bull.

NBA: Lin to visit Asia this summer

Taipei - American basketball star Jeremy Lin is to visit Taiwan in August, his agent said Monday, his first trip to the island since a hot streak earned him a global following known as "Linsanity."

The New York Knicks point guard, whose parents are from Taiwan and whose grandmother is from China, will host a summer basketball camp in northern New Taipei City from August 27-30 attended by a group of talented teenagers.

"Lin will come with several coaches so that young basketball players in Taiwan will have the chance of taking an NBA-level training course," a statement issued by his agent said.

Lin's date of arrival and other details of his Asian tour have yet to be finalized. He has participated in similar camps in previous years.

Lin is the first US-born National Basketball Association (NBA) player of Taiwanese descent. His unlikely rise from the bench to help the Knicks to a series of triumphs in February this year captured attention worldwide.