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TNT, Vietnamese top Asia Tour 3×3
TNT Triple Giga and Vietnam’s VN Red & Gold crowned themselves men’s and women’s champions of the inaugural Asia Tour 3x3 by posting similar pulsating wins at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall. Two days after TNT’s breakthrough win in the PBA Governors’ Cup on Friday night, TNT Triple Giga became the first champion of the two-day event after import Raoul Odou hit a buzzer-beating putback to complete the team’s stirring 19-18 victory over Vietnam’s The Performance Lab Vietnam. Odou’s slam capped TNT’s gritty stand after playing without injured star Samboy de Leon in the finals six minutes of play. TNT’s win denied Vietnam of a sweep of the tournament after VN Red & Gold pulled off a thrilling 21-16 come-from-behind win over Sniper Thailand on Saturday, thanks to Kaylynne Truong, Truong struck hardest for the Vietnamese national team after scoring the final six points in a performance that showed their readiness for the coming SEA Games in Cambodia next month. Truong went on to finish with 12 points. Without de Leon, Ping Exciminiano took charge offensively, finishing with 10 points on the way to winning the Most Valuable Player plum apart from leading TNT to winning the $10,000 top prize. VN Red & Gold, on the other hand, bagged $5,000 top prize in the event which has SM as venue partner, Smart as broadcast partner, and Wilson as official game ball, with Heritage Hotel, Fiber Kinetics, Gatorade, Healthy & Pure Brand Water, Center for Culinary Arts, and Spurway Enterprises as sponsors. In advancing to the final, TNT downed sister team Cavitex, 21-18, in the semifinals of the event that saw David Carlos winning the Dunk Contest worth $500. Sniper Thailand's Khwanjira Thongdaeng ruled the women’s Two-Point Shootout to take home the $200 cash prize. The post TNT, Vietnamese top Asia Tour 3×3 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Thirdy enters slam dunk contest
High-flying Filipino import Thirdy Ravena is set to soar and roar in the Slam Dunk Contest of the 2020-2021 B. League All-Star Game early next year......»»
Heat oust depleted Bucks to reach NBA East finals; Lakers down Rockets, up 2-1
Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat drives to the basket against the Milwaukee Bucks during Game Five of the Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA Playoffs on September 8, 2020 at The Field House in Orlando, Florida. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP) MIAMI (AFP) — The Miami Heat punched their ticket to the NBA Eastern Conference finals Tuesday, beating top-seeded Milwaukee 103-94 as injured Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo watched from the bench. Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic finished with 17 points apiece as six Heat players scored in double figures and Miami completed a 4-1 series victory in a bruising encounter against the league’s top defensive team. Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 23 points. Antetokounmpo — tipped to scoop a second straight NBA Most Valuable Player award this season — aggravated his sprained right ankle in the first half of the Bucks’ game-four overtime victory over the Heat. The Bucks declared him inactive less than an hour before tipoff on Tuesday. The loss of Antetokounmpo, who averaged career highs of 29.5 points and 13.6 rebounds per game this season, was a huge blow for the Bucks, as they tried to do what no NBA team has done before: come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a seven-game playoff series. It’s the second straight campaign that the Bucks built the best regular-season record only to come up short in the playoffs. In 2019 they fell to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in six games in the Eastern Conference finals. The fifth-seeded Heat will face either the Boston Celtics or Toronto Raptors for a place in the NBA Finals. The Celtics lead their series against the defending NBA champion Raptors three games to two. Butler, who added 10 rebounds and six assists and was a perfect eight-for-eight from the foul line, said the Heat’s impressive 8-1 record so far in the playoffs means nothing now. “All of that is behind us now,” he said. “We’ll wait and see who we get out of Toronto and Boston and then we’ll lock in on that. “But it’s zero-zero now, we’ve got eight more to get.” The Heat trailed 28-19 after a chaotic first quarter in which they committed six turnovers leading to nine Bucks points. They trailed by as many as 13 in the first period, but settled down in the second, out-scoring the Bucks 33-18 to take a 52-46 lead into halftime. But Milwaukee, with Middleton leading the way, refused to go away. After going scoreless for more than six minutes in the third period the Bucks put together an 8-0 run to pull within five points. Trailing 73-65 going into the final period, the Bucks trimmed the deficit to four multiple times, but the Heat’s depth finally proved too much. “Obviously they missed their MVP,” Butler said. “But we knew we were going to have to get one out of the mud and I think this was the one.” Antetokounmpo said he felt “lost” as he was unable to contribute. “Mentally it was a battle, but at the end of the day you’ve got to trust your teammates and that’s what I decided to do,” he said after the Bucks medical staff persuaded him not to risk further injury by playing. LeBron leads Lakers LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers, left, drives the ball against Ben McLemore #16 of the Houston Rockets during the second quarter in Game Three of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 08, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (AFP) In Western Conference action, LeBron James scored 36 points and Anthony Davis added 26 as the Los Angeles Lakers powered to the finish in a 112-102 victory over the Houston Rockets. The Lakers grabbed a 2-1 series lead and James notched an NBA record 162nd career playoff win. “It says that I’ve played with a lot of great teams,” said James, who won two NBA titles with the Miami Heat and one with the Cleveland Cavaliers. “It says that I’ve played with a lot of great teammates and some great coaches.” James Harden scored 33 points with nine rebounds and nine assists and Russell Westbrook added 30 points for Houston in a back and forth battle that saw 16 lead changes. The Lakers’ reserves scored 42 points, with Houston’s only points off the bench the 16 of Jeff Green. Rajon Rondo, who scored 21 off the bench for Los Angeles, hit back-to-back three-pointers and came up with a steal and layup as the Lakers surged ahead with a 17-5 scoring run to start the fourth quarter. After putting up 64 points in the first half Houston scored just 38 in the second and the Lakers posted their second straight win of the series. There was a frightening moment in the fourth quarter, as Robert Covington and Davis collided as Davis rose for a rebound. Davis’s elbow appeared to hit Covington in head and he left the court holding a bloodied towel to his face, while Davis was hurting from Covington’s elbow in his side......»»
FIBA: Mighty Jimmy and the shot that introduced Gilas to the World
This story was originally published on Feb. 24, 2019 It’s Saturday night at Mall of Asia and the arena is absolutely rocking. Eternal basketball rivals in the Philippines and South Korea are delivering another classic. Gilas Pilipinas is down to the final minute of regulation against its longtime tormentor in the second of two semifinal games. The national team is up by two, 81-79. The Philippines is hosting the 2013 FIBA-Asia Championships where three tickets to the 2014 World Cup are at stake and the winner of this particular game gets one of those tickets. Given the rich history of both teams and what it would mean to the winner, this pivotal game has gone down the wire as everyone pretty much expected. Also knowing the history of both teams in international play, Gilas’ precarious two-point lead was not safe at all. A ghost was lurking in the background and a dreaded curse felt almost inevitable. Down to the final minute of the crucial grudge match between the Philippines and South Korea, guard Jimmy Alapag has the ball and a two-point lead. What he will do will help define not only his career but the legacy of the Gilas name as a national team. WAKE-UP CALL Even before the Philippines-Korea game, Gilas Pilipinas already had to go through one emotional game early in its homestand for the Asian Championships. In a preliminary round showdown against Chinese Taipei, the Filipinos collapsed in the fourth quarter, allowing the Taiwanese to steal a morale-boosting 84-79 win. In 2013, the relationship between the two countries hit a rough patch over the death of one Taiwanese fisherman. In an updated May 17 report by CNN’s Jethro Mullen, “Taiwan has reacted angrily after one of its fishermen was killed by a Philippine coast guard vessel.” Taiwan had frozen applications from OFWs seeking jobs in its territory and the government of then President Ma Ying-jeou demanded an apology, among other things, from the Philippines. While the national basketball teams of both countries never really had any prior animosity with each other, tension was naturally present as both teams squared off in Group A action. Gilas Pilipinas and Chinese-Taipei both entered the showdown with identical 2-0 records and the winner would take control of solo Group A lead heading into round 2. Taking a good lead into the fourth quarter, the Philippines was outscored by 18 in the last 10 minutes and the national team took its worst home loss in quite some time. “At the time, it was a huge game for us. We understood what was happening in Taipei during that particular time. We really wanted to win for what our kababayans were going through at that time,” guard Jimmy Alapag said on that first home loss in the 2013 Asian Championships. “We didn’t get the job done, and it was tough especially to lose a game like that, it was a very emotional and it was a game that we knew we needed,” he added. The crushing loss meant that the Philippines had little room for error in round 2. While Gilas didn’t have any world beaters lined up in the second round, anything less than a perfect run would have meant an early clash with Asia’s established powerhouse teams in the knockout stages. On the other side of the bracket, defending champion China, Iran, and South Korea were battling for position and were expected to finish in the top-3. That means if Gilas Pilipinas failed to finish no. 1 in its group, the national team would have faced one of those teams in the quarterfinals. Gilas picked up a crucial win over Qatar in the 6th of August and the day after, the Philippines got some help from those same Qataris as they beat Taipei in a close decision. At the end of round 2, all teams finished with identical win-loss records but Gilas Pilipinas would take over first place after all tiebreaks were considered, barely edging out Taipei. The Philippines ended up avoiding defending champion China, Iran, and South Korea and instead got Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals. No. 2 Taipei drew China and the third-running Qataris were matched up with the South Koreans. “I think that was the moment we grew up and grew closer. I think that was the lowest of the lows, just because of the atmosphere and what was going on between both countries. It kind of felt that we let our end of the bargain down, you know what I mean? We’re on our home soil and we didn’t take care of business. I think that was one of those moments where we had to really check ourselves and find a way to make it right,” forward Gabe Norwood said of the Taipei loss. “But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. In tournaments like FIBA-Asia it’s important that you have short-term memory whether it was a win or a loss. We needed to let go of that game and continue to stay the course, keep our focus in the tournament,” Alapag added. On August 7, four days after Gilas lost to Taipei, the rift between the Philippines and Taiwan would reach a resolution and the latter country lifted its freeze hiring and other sanctions on the former. The Philippines also did issue on official apology over the death of the Taiwanese fisherman a couple of months prior and the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila recommended the pressing of homicide charges to erring members of the Philippine Coast Guard. DARK HISTORY If the word “rival” is to be defined as a, “person or group that tries to defeat or be more successful than another person or group” then sure, the Philippines and South Korea are rivals. Both countries are rivals in the Asian basketball scene and they have been going at it for a very long time. But if the word rival can also mean “equal” or “peer,” is the Philippines really a worthy basketball rival to South Korea? The Philippines’ history with South Korea in terms of basketball is dark. Very dark. Consider the most high-profile matches between the two countries and you’ll see that the Philippine national team is just not at the level of South Korea. Or at the very least, Koreans always seem to reach 120 percent of their potential when they play Filipinos and we barely bring out 80 percent of our abilities when matched up against our East Asian neighbors. The 1998 PBA Centennial team, arguably the greatest Philippine team ever assembled, was demolished by South Korea in the Asian Games. A national team set up for gold only settled for bronze. Speaking of a bronze medal game, the original Gilas Pilipinas team lost a podium finish to South Korea in the 2011 FIBA-Asia Championships. That team squandered a double-digit lead and collapsed late. Of course, who can forget the semifinals of the 2002 Asian Games in Busan when Olsen Racela had the chance to put the Philippines up four but missed two free throws. South Korea would win with a booming triple at the buzzer off a broken play and would later take down China to capture the gold medal. South Korea is the Philippines’ basketball nemesis for all intents and purposes. A worthy adversary that always seem to emerge victorious at our expense. Still, all that previous disappointment didn’t seem to bother Gilas Pilipinas six years ago. The team was not scared and instead, they were excited even. One factor to greatly consider was that fact that the game was in Manila. It makes all the difference to play at home. “We understood the bad history that we had with Korea. We haven’t been very successful with them in quite some time but we knew from Day 1 that if ever we got an opportunity to play them at home, then we have a great chance,” Alapag said. “Man, pre-game, it was just the focus. Everybody was up for the challenge, I don’t think anybody was really nervous, I think it was just the anxiety... we wanted to get out there and do it already,” Norwood added. Playing at home had its perks for sure, but it also had its drawbacks. For all the painful losses the Philippines suffered at the hands of South Korea, it would have been devastating if Gilas actually took a beating in Manila. Stakes were extra high in this particular chapter of this long, ongoing saga. “There was always pressure, it was something that we acknowledged early. Playing at home, it’s great having that support but at the same time, there is some added pressure because you wanna make sure that you make our home crowd proud of the team that they watch and ultimately, win games,” Alapag said, making sure to note that the national team knew of the disadvantages of playing at home even before the Korea game. “It was there but it was something that we acknowledged and we wanted to make sure that we took advantage of the opportunity playing at home,” he added. ALL FILIPINO, ALL HEART Once it was go time, the Philippines-South Korea game went about pretty normal, as you would expect any game from these two national teams. But even before halftime, an injury to Gilas center Marcus Douthit changed the complexion of the semifinals showdown. All of a sudden, the Philippines was without its anchor, without its best player. Sure, there were players on the Gilas bench that can come in and replace Douthit’s size but there was simply no one on the Gilas bench that can come in and replace his talent, production, and just overall presence. June Mar Fajardo was in that Gilas bench but it 2013, the would-be five-time PBA Most Valuable Player was just not at that level yet. It would have been easy for Gilas Pilipinas to fold like cheap furniture and succumb to the overwhelming pressure of trying to overcome South Korea to reach a stage very few Filipinos have reached before. Gilas didn’t fold and instead, the Douthit injury rallied the team even further. “Alam mo sa totoo lang, puso na lang yun eh. Nung nawala si Marcus talaga, sabi ni coach kailangan doble kayod tayo. Dahil sobrang dehado tayo kumbaga, wala na tayong import, wala tayong malaki,” forward Marc Pingris said. With Douthit gone, Ping ate up all of his minutes and worked by committee with guys like Ranidel De Ocampo and Japeth Aguilar to fill in the gaps. “As a player naman, kami nagusap-usap kami na kahit anong mangyari, lalaban kami. Yung time na yun, talagang patay kung patay,” Ping added. Despite losing its best player to an untimely injury, Gilas Pilipinas’ confidence in winning never wavered. With their collective backs against the wall, the Philippine national team played even better. Unlike the later iterations of Gilas Pilipinas, the 2013 team, aptly called Gilas 2.0, had the luxury of having actual preparation before the FIBA-Asia Championships. The amount of work that came before the tournament and the Korea game, the bond built over countless hours of training, all of that helped the national team avoid a monumental meltdown in front of a rabid Manila crowd. “We were such a close-knit team in terms of our chemistry, in terms of the talent that we had, so we felt confident even when Marcus went down early in the game. If you looked at our huddle, you had 11 more very confident guys, not just in themselves but more importantly, in each other,” Alapag said. “That just boiled down to the chemistry that we had. I don’t think any of us panicked, we were all confident in each other. We’ve all been into that situation with our PBA teams, having the ball in our hands and making a play. Knowing that we had five weapons on the floor that could make the winning play, I think it made us very confident and we were able to sustain our composure,” the former Gilas captain added. THE GHOST AND ITS CURSE Shin Dong Pa, Hur Jae, Lee Sang-min, Oh Se-Keun, TJ Moon, and Cho Sung-min are just some players from the South Korean national team that inflicted incredible damage to the Philippines over the course of decades. The dreaded Ghost of South Korea takes form in these players and its curse is to give Filipinos the most heart-crushing loss possible. In 2013, the Ghost was Kim Min-goo and his curse was to beat Gilas Pilipinas in Manila. Despite losing Marcus Douthit and trailing by three points at the break, the Philippines started to turn the tables in the second half. Gilas Pilipinas unleashed Jayson Castro and the Blur led a blazing offense in the third quarter, finding a way to take a 10-point lead over South Korea, the Philippines’ largest of the night. But as the dust settled and Gilas holding a 65-56 lead entering the final period, an ominous figure would make his presence felt. The Korean Ghost has arrived and his name was Kim Min-goo. His curse? Beat Gilas Pilipinas in Manila. Kim was 22 and a senior in college when he made the South Korean national basketball team as a backup shooter in 2013. In nine games in Manila, Kim would play well enough to make the tournament’s All-Star team, averaging 12.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. He led Asian Championships with 25 three-point field goals, 10 came in the last two games and five came against Gilas Pilipinas. Kim drilled back-to-back triples to open the fourth quarter against the Philippines. Later, his fifth triple — a four-point play at that — pushed the Koreans to within a point, 72-73. South Korea would take over soon after as Lee Seung-jun dunked the basketball on a fastbreak. The Ghost has arrived and his curse is in effect. “Ako pumasok sa isip ko yun nung lumamang Korea, na putek ito na naman,” Pingris said. “Pero ang sabi ko, sayang yung opportunity, kaya naman eh. So sabi ni Jimmy samin, no matter what happens wag kami gi-give up. Pinaghirapan natin to at may goal tayo, this year aalis tayo,” he added, noting the team’s goal to get into Spain and compete with the world’s best national teams. Faced with the possibility of dealing with a devastating defeat, Gilas had enough mental fortitude to keep things going. Trust your system, trust your preparation, trust your crowd, trust your teammates, and more importantly, trust yourselves. “You’re never out of the game if you’re playing at home,” Norwood said as they stared a deficit late against their destined rivals. “I think that was our mindset, keep it close and just find a way,” he added. Jimmy Alapag found a way. BORN READY Down 73-75, Jimmy Alapag was under heavy duress when he let go of a three-pointer from the left wing just in front of his bench. It was good to go. The Philippines was back on top by one as Alapag somehow managed to get his team to snap out of an initial shock following Korea’s strong fourth-quarter rally. The stage is now set for a wild finish and Jimmy will star in the final act of what has been an incredible show by Gilas and South Korea. “In situations like that, as an athlete and as a pro, that’s the situations that you dream about,” Alapag said. “Those are shots that you practice when you were a kid. When the shot clock is winding down, to have an opportunity to knock down a shot. It’s a shot that I practiced thousands of times,” he added. After the Philippines and South Korea traded baskets for the lead, Alapag made perhaps the most underrated play in this crazy and emotional encounter between two basketball rivals. Tasked with inbounding the ball just near underneath his own basket, Alapag found his Talk ‘N Text teammate Ranidel De Ocampo for an open look at three. Swish. Gilas leads, 81-77, with 91 seconds to go. “Ranidel was my favorite target for a very, very long time in my career,” Alapag said on the play that most people probably don’t even remember. “Once I saw that he got open, I wanted to make sure that I gave him as great a pass as possible and Ranidel has been known for a long time to take care of the rest,” he added. THE EXORCIST “Yeah, I was right under the basket,” Gabe Norwood says with a laugh when asked if he remembers the shot that changed the course of Gilas Pilipinas as a national team. Late in the fourth quarter of what was essentially a heavyweight bout, the Philippines just landed two strong haymakers but South Korea would refuse to go down without a fight, beating the count of 10 each time. Down to the final minute of a crucial grudge match with a World Cup berth on the line, Jimmy Alapag had his hands on the basketball as Gilas would go to its halfcourt set. Jimmy will never let go of said basketball. Up two, Jimmy did what Olsen wished he could 11 years prior. Up two against South Korea in a pivotal semifinal game, Alapag received a screen from Marc Pingris, which was enough to momentarily shake off Kim Tae-sul. With some room, Alapag drifted to his left and let a three-point shot fly. Boom. Gilas leads, 84-79, with 54 seconds to go. The shot would later be remembered as the one that ended the Korean Curse, the one that finally exorcised the Ghost. “The first thought that came to my mind was don’t miss,” Jimmy said of the clutch jumper. “That last one, Ping sets a good screen and I got a clean look. It’s a shot that myself, and Jayson [Castro], and Larry [Fonacier], and Gary [David], and Jeff [Chan], all of us, we practice that shot time and time again after practice. So you know, it was a shot that I was confident in but in that moment, all you’re thinking about was don’t miss,” he added. It’s one thing to be confident in yourself and to be confidednt in your preparation. It’s a different thing to actually perform under such pressure. As soon as Alapag managed to shoot his shot, Gabe Norwood did what any other good teammate would do and got in position to get the offensive rebound. You know, just in case. Gabe got the ball alright, but he got it after it swished through the rim. “When he put the shot up, I tried to crash for the rebound but I basically knew that it was going in,” he said. “I had probably the best view, I was right under the basket. I think caught it after it went through too,” Norwood added. Alapag checked out moments later as the Philippines went to its defensive lineup in order to stop another Korean comeback. South Korea turned to its most effective shooter in Kim and as he rose up to try and answer Alapag’s triple, Norwood met him at the apex for the game’s most dramatic stop. Gabe blocked Kim and Gilas would finish things off with a final Marc Pingris basket on the other end. A historic 86-79 win was complete. “I still get chills thinking about it, to look up and see grown men just breaking down. My wife was trying to hold my kids and she was holding back tears. It was just an awesome moment, the bond that we had on that team, the stuff that we did to get prepare, I think we poured it all out in that game,” Norwood said on the monumental victory. “I think it probably didn’t hit me until the final buzzer sounded. Not just for me but for the entire team, when that final buzzer sounded, it was such a special group of guys and the fact that we could share that moment with not just with each other but the entire country, it’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Alapag added, savoring the moment of a Philippine win over Korea 28 years in the making. THE INTRODUCTION Gilas Pilipinas would lose to Iran the next day in the Finals of the 2013 FIBA-Asia Championships. The Philippines put up a fight but Hamed Haddadi would prove to be too powerful to stop. It would take another two years for Gilas to beat Iran but that didn’t really matter in the moment. The Philippines is headed to the World Championships for the first time in three decades. The Philippines has beaten South Korea and one singular shot has allowed the Gilas name to be known around the world. Jimmy wouldn’t say that though. At least not directly in that way. “For me, that shot was the biggest for my career. But really, it was our entire team. We’ve gone through so much and that was just one particular play that really culminated the entire game and all the contributions from other guys from Gabe’s defense, to Ping’s rebounding, to Japeth’s rim protecting, to Jayson and LA doing a lot of the legwork,” Alapag said. “Everybody had their part in contribution to the game. After the shot, after the buzzer sounded, it was just a very special moment for us as a team and for Philippine basketball to show that all of the sacrifices, all of the hard work, now it’s given an opportunity to re-introduce ourselves to the world,” he added. Jimmy wouldn’t say it, but his teammates would. That shot of his that beat South Korea in the 2013 FIBA-Asia Championships introduced the Gilas name to the world. It announced that the Philippines has finally arrived. Gilas’ breakthrough overtime win a year later in Spain against Senegal — a game Jimmy pretty much decided late as well — made it known that Filipinos are here to stay on the World stage. “I would say so, it got us to where we wanted to be in the World Cup. I think we shocked some people there as well. But just the work that went in, I think it showed the country that we can get back to where we want to be as long as you work together,” Norwood said. “Yung puso ni Jimmy, grabe naman. Makikita mo maliit pero gusto lang niya talaga manalo. Ang liit pero parang lion pag nagalit eh, nandoon yung tiwala namin sa kanya. Ano pa ba masasabi mo, Jimmy is Jimmy Alapag,” Pingris would add. [NOTES: At the time of original publishing, Gilas Pilipinas was fighting to make a return trip to the FIBA World Cup, this time in China in 2019. To secure its slot, the the Philippine national team needed to beat Kazakhstan in Astana plus a loss from Japan, Jordan, and/or Lebanon. One of the teams that can help Gilas is South Korea... ironically. Jimmy Alapag retired from national team play in 2014 and retired playing for good in 2016. He has since made himself a champion basketball coach in the ABL. Marc Pingris suffered an ACL injury in 2018 and is in the process of returning for his PBA team in the current 2019 season. Gabe Norwood is still in Gilas. He’s still an effective two-way weapon. He can still dunk and will stop your best player too.] [Updated Notes: The Philippines beat Kazakhstan to make the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China. Gilas got help from... South Korea. The Koreans beat Lebanon on the road, allowing Gilas to advance to the World Championships outright with a victory over Kazakhstan.] — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
LOOK: Dwight Howard lands in the Philippines ahead of Dubai tournament
Former NBA champion and eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard arrives in the Philippines to start preparing for the upcoming Dubai International Basketball Championship.....»»
Dwight Howard signs with Strong Group Philippines for 2024 Dubai tournament
In a stunning development, former NBA champion and 8-time All-Star Dwight Howard heads to the Philippines to play for Strong Group in the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championship.....»»
Absent Trump expected to steal show at Republican debate
Eight Republican presidential candidates face off for the first primary debate of the 2024 cycle on Wednesday -- with frontrunner Donald Trump bidding to steal the spotlight despite spurning the showdown. The former president announced at the weekend that he would not be in Milwaukee for the two-hour event, depriving a chasing pack of rivals -- whom he leads by a historic margin -- of the opportunity to take shots at him. "President Trump has already won this evening's debate because everything is going to be about him," said Chris LaCivita, a senior aide on the 77-year-old billionaire's campaign. "Only President Trump has the policy ideas, the fortitude, and the polling to go head-to-head with Crooked Joe Biden in the general election." With the largest polling lead in more than 40 years of Republican presidential nominating contests, Trump has made clear he sees no benefit to standing on a debate stage and opening himself up to hits from the rest of the field. He announced Wednesday that he is planning counterprogramming that will consist of a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, to be posted online just as the debate gets underway. "'SPARKS WILL FLY.' ENJOY!" he teased on his social network, Truth Social. Despite his no-show, Trump is expected to loom over the debate stage in Wisconsin's largest city, with his multiple prosecutions set to be the subject of questions from the Fox News hosts moderating the event. I can take it The former reality TV star is even planning to deprive his rivals of post-debate headlines as he surrenders to authorities in Atlanta Thursday afternoon over his fourth indictment of the year, for an alleged criminal conspiracy to steal the 2020 election. His former attorney Rudy Giuliani, who is charged with racketeering in the case alongside Trump and 17 other co-defendants, headed to Georgia's capital hours before the debate to turn himself in. "I'm a big boy. I can take it. I have fought battles much worse than this," Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, told reporters outside his New York residence. For Trump's closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the name of the game will be to reverse his flagging poll numbers and demonstrate that he is a viable alternative to the frontrunner. Candidates will likely be asked about competition with China and America's foreign policy in Ukraine and Russia -- an issue that caused DeSantis to stumble early in the campaign. With a seismic shift needed to dethrone Trump, many commentators were viewing the debate as primarily a showcase for candidates angling to be Trump's running mate. Lower profile candidates like businessman Vivek Ramaswamy will see the debate as a chance to introduce themselves to the wider public -- and perhaps make their case for jobs in a future Trump administration. "Tonight's Republican undercard event really shouldn’t even be called a debate, but rather an audition to be a part of President Trump's team in his second term," LaCivita said. Not a coronation However, analysts have argued that with more than four months until the first nomination votes in Iowa and New Hampshire, it is way too early to call the race. "If the same person finishes first or second in Iowa and New Hampshire, this becomes a two-person race no matter how many other people (are) in it... Nobody's caught the wave yet but somebody's going to and when they do, Trump's going to have a race on his hands," former US senator Judd Gregg told political outlet The Hill. Trump dodged a debate in Iowa in 2016, ensuring that his closest rival Ted Cruz took all the heat, although the Texas senator went on to win the Iowa vote days later. The DeSantis team is expecting a similar dynamic on Wednesday, although US media reported that political newcomer Ramaswamy is also likely to be attacked over inconsistencies in his policy statements. Trump won't have it all his way, though, with distant underdogs Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson both hoping for a breakout moment skewering the former president and his former vice president Mike Pence unlikely to pull his punches. Christie is also expected to go after DeSantis over his awkwardness on the campaign trail and a memo posted online by the leading political organization supporting his campaign, urging him to defend Trump. "I think it's fair when these other candidates say it's not a coronation, it's an election," debate co-moderator Bret Baier said in an interview this week with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. The post Absent Trump expected to steal show at Republican debate appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trump indicted for racketeering over 2020 election interference
Donald Trump was indicted Tuesday on charges of racketeering and a string of election crimes after a sprawling, two-year probe into his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden in the US state of Georgia. The case -- relying on laws typically used to bring down mobsters -- is the fourth targeting the 77-year-old Republican this year and could lead to a watershed moment, the first televised trial of a former president in US history. Prosecutors in Atlanta charged the Republican leader with 13 felony counts -- compounding the legal threats he is facing in multiple jurisdictions as a firestorm of investigations imperils his bid for a second White House term. Eighteen co-defendants were indicted in the probe, including Trump's former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who pressured local legislators over the result after the election, and Trump's White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows. "Trump and the other defendants charged in this indictment refused to accept that Trump lost, and they knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump," the indictment read. "That conspiracy contained a common plan and purpose to commit two or more acts of racketeering activity in Fulton County, Georgia, elsewhere in the state of Georgia, and in other states." With Trump already due to go on trial in New York, south Florida and Washington, the latest charges herald the unprecedented scenario of the 2024 presidential election being litigated as much from the courtroom as the ballot box. The Trump campaign released a statement as the charges were being processed calling Fulton County's chief prosecutor Fani Willis, who is a Democrat, a "rabid partisan" who was "persecuting" the former president with "bogus indictments." The twice-impeached Trump was charged with violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as six conspiracy counts over alleged efforts to commit forgery, impersonate a public official and submit false statements and documents. He is also accused of lying in statements and filing fake documents, as well as soliciting public officials to break their oaths. - Most serious threat - Georgia, which Biden won by fewer than 12,000 votes, presents perhaps the most serious threat to Trump's liberty as he leads the field comfortably for his party's nomination to bid for reelection. Even if he is returned to the Oval Office, he would have none of the powers that presidents arguably enjoy in the federal system to pardon themselves or have prosecutors drop cases. The harsh penalties associated with RICO cases can be an incentive for co-defendants to seek cooperation deals, and the statutes are usually used to target organized crime. Under federal law, anyone who can be connected to a criminal "enterprise" through which offenses were committed can be convicted under RICO. The broader Georgia law doesn't even require the existence of the enterprise. Atlanta-area authorities launched the probe after Trump called Georgia officials weeks before he was due to leave the White House, pressuring them to "find" the 11,780 votes that would reverse Biden's victory in the Peach State. Meadows, who is accused of trying to get a public official to violate his oath, was on the call. Willis empaneled a special grand jury that heard from around 75 witnesses before recommending a raft of felony counts in a secret report in February. She alleges that Trump's team worked with local Republicans on a scheme to replace legitimate slates of "electors" -- the officials who certify a state's results and send them to the US Congress -- with fake pro-Trump stand-ins. - Criminal intent? - Giuliani, who faces 13 felony counts, was being investigated over accusations of harassment of two Fulton County poll workers while other Trump allies were charged over the accessing of sensitive data from an election office in a rural county south of Atlanta, one day after the 2021 Capitol riot. Trump is already facing dozens of felony charges after being federally indicted over the alleged plot to subvert the election, and further prosecutions over his alleged mishandling of classified documents and keeping allegedly fraudulent business records. Authorities in Atlanta installed security barricades outside the downtown courthouse in anticipation of a potential influx of Trump supporters and counter-protesters in the latest case. Lawmakers investigating Trump's efforts to cling to power heard evidence in a series of congressional hearings last summer that would challenge his potential defense that he genuinely believed he had been cheated of the election. ft/sst © Agence France-Presse The post Trump indicted for racketeering over 2020 election interference appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ex-VP Pence jumps into 2024 White House race
Washington, United States Republican former vice president Mike Pence launched his bid for the 2024 presidential nomination on Monday, offering a traditionalist alternative to the battle royale being waged by populists Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. The evangelical Christian filed his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission ahead of an official declaration Wednesday in the early voting state of Iowa -- joining an already crowded field. Pence, 63, honed his reputation as an unstintingly loyal deputy who stuck with Trump throughout a scandal-plagued four years and brought the religious right into the tent. But he became a pariah in Trumpworld after rejecting the Republican leader's demands that he overturn the 2020 election in his role as president of the Senate. Berated constantly by Trump after Joe Biden's victory -- and even heckled at a conservative conference with chants of "traitor!" -- Pence continued to praise the tycoon in public. That eventually changed after Trump's torrent of false claims of election fraud led to a mob chanting for Pence to be hanged at the US Capitol. Pence has spent much of the last two years touring early-nominating states such as Iowa and New Hampshire to reinforce his political vision as a "Christian, conservative, Republican -- in that order." His entry doesn't much change the dynamics of the race, which is divided into three lanes -- runaway leader Donald Trump, Trump's closest rival and sitting Florida governor DeSantis, and everyone else. Pence is framing himself as a traditional Republican, concerned with fiscal responsibility and family values, who can deliver Trump's economic policies without the drama. But he has also pointed to some clear blue water between the pair, as he allies himself strongly with Ukraine and refuses to rule out cuts to welfare payments. While his politics are popular among Republicans, critics question whether Pence has a constituency in a party that is more focused now on populism and cultural politics than traditional conservatism. And voters sympathetic to his decision to stand up for the Constitution have other candidate choices, such as the proselytizing Christian Tim Scott who do not bring with them the baggage of the Trump years. "We all give (Pence) credit for certifying the election," Republican strategist Sarah Longwell told Politico. "But he also stood next to Donald Trump and normalized and validated him for four years while Trump ran roughshod over the presidency." DeSantis has consistently been polling almost 20 points above Pence and is hoping to outflank Trump from the right. But the Florida governor's poor showing in head-to-head polls has opened the floodgates, with Chris Christie due to announce on Tuesday, joining former governors Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson and Doug Burgum in the race. Like Haley and DeSantis, Pence has appeared determined to avoid conflict with Trump in hopes of wooing his former supporters should the cascade of criminal investigations targeting the former president take him out of the race. The lower-ranked candidates have also pointed out that there is a long way to go in the race, and that Trump was trailing in the low single digits at this point in the 2016 cycle. Democrats watching from the sidelines pointed to Pence's socially conservative agenda as an abortion hardliner who has opposed same-sex marriage as evidence that he would drag the contest to the right. "In Mike Pence's own words, he was a member of the extreme Tea Party 'before it was cool,' and he hasn't slowed down since," said Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison. Zee Cohen-Sanchez, a left-leaning election strategist who has worked with progressives like Bernie Sanders, said Pence's break with Trump over the insurrection was a double-edged sword. "Despite allegations and charges against Trump, his base remains strong and given Pence essentially turned against Trump, these voters will not support him," she told AFP. "The majority of other Republicans support DeSantis, who has a track record conservatives are excited about and they see him as a powerful alternative to Trump." ft/jh © Agence France-Presse The post Ex-VP Pence jumps into 2024 White House race appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pence to vie for Republican nomination
Donald Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, is challenging the ex-president for the Republican nomination. Pence, 63, is announcing his presidential bid on 7 June with a speech in Iowa, the midwestern state that traditionally kicks off the primary season, NBC News and other outlets said. After years of unwavering loyalty, the former vice president has been at loggerheads with Trump since refusing to go along with his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and remain in power. In remarks at the annual Gridiron Dinner in Washington in March, Pence, a staunch conservative from Indiana, said that history would hold Trump “accountable” for his role in the Capitol riot. “President Trump was wrong,” Pence said. “I had no right to overturn the election. And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day.” In April, Pence testified in the federal investigation examining Trump’s role in the assault on the Capitol, one of a number of legal cases facing the former president. Meanwhile, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, 60, is also expected to join the race next week. Christie was a former close associate of Trump but has been sharply critical of the former president over the January 2021 assault on the US Capitol and his refusal to concede the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden. Pence and Christie’s presidential bids crowd the field seeking the Republican presidential nomination. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, 44, jumped into the contest last week. The post Pence to vie for Republican nomination appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hassan and Kiptum triumph in astounding London Marathon
Sifan Hassan staged a remarkable rally to win the women's London Marathon on Sunday in the Olympic track champion's first race over the distance as Kenya's Kiptum won the men's race in the second-fastest time in history. It looked as if Hassan's debut marathon would end in disappointment when the 5,000 and 10,000 meters Olympic gold medallist from the Covid-delayed 2020 Tokyo Games was dropped from the leading group and left holding her side after the hour mark. It would have been impressive enough had the Ethiopian-born Dutch runner, a Muslim who had been fasting due to Ramadan, just completed the course on the rainswept streets of the British capital, with Hassan then grabbing her hip and stopping to stretch off the injury. Hassan, however, recovered to rejoin the leaders with three miles to go. Despite making a mess of collecting a drink from a water station and almost being hit by a race motorcycle, the 30-year-old recovered and even offered rival Yalemzerf Yehualaw, last year's winner, a swig from her bottle. Can't believe it Hassan, 30, then burst clear in a sprint finish to win in a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 33 seconds. Ethiopia's Alemu Megertu was second in 2:18:37, with Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir, the Olympic champion, third in 2:18:38. This was the first time Jepchirchir had been defeated in a major marathon race. "It was just amazing. I never thought I would finish a marathon and here I am winning it!" Hassan told the BBC. Hassan, 28 seconds behind the leaders at 25km (15.5 miles), added: "I can't believe it. I was going to stop at 25km. "I had a problem with my hip, which made me stop. But it started to feel a little bit better. "And then I missed one of the drinks stations! I didn't practice that part of the race because I have been fasting and so that was quite difficult. But I needed it...I wasn't thinking about winning or how fast I was going to be and I think that was a good thing for me today." The 23-year-old Kiptum broke the course record in an astonishing time of 2:01:25. Having broken clear of the field, Kiptum -- who became the third fastest male marathon runner of all time on his debut in Valencia in December -- faded towards the finish and missed out on Eliud Kipchoge's world record by 18 seconds. Geoffrey Kamworor made it a Kenyan one-two, finishing second in 2:04:23, with Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola third in 2:04:59. British distance great Mo Farah, in his last marathon before retirement, finished ninth in 2:10:28. Farah, a four-time Olympic track champion, was not even the first Briton home. Emile Cairess was sixth in 2:08:07, with Phil Sesseman overtaking Farah in the final few hundred meters. "I gave it my all but my body just wasn't responding, and that's when you know when it's time to call it a day," said the 40-year-old Farah after confirming he will end his career at September's Great North Run in northeast England. Marcel Hug won a fifth men's wheelchair race in London, just six days after taking the Boston Marathon title, with the Swiss star shattering his own course record in a time of 1:23:43. Australia's Madison de Rozario, the 2018 champion, won the women's wheelchair race when she edged out four-time champion Manuela Schar in a sprint finish. The post Hassan and Kiptum triumph in astounding London Marathon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
World record holder Kosgei suffers London Marathon disappointment
Kenya's world record holder Brigid Kosgei hopes her injury problems were not as bad as feared after she retired from the London Marathon less than four minutes into Sunday's race. The 29-year-old, who won the London Marathon in 2019 and 2020, cut a forlorn figure as she pulled up lame. The two-time Chicago Marathon champion, the world record holder for women running in a mixed-sex marathon, had been suffering from hamstring and knee problems but said on Friday she felt they were "not so bad". Even a fully fit Kosgei would have faced a daunting challenge to win a third London Marathon. Yalemzerf Yehualaw, a 23-year-old Ethiopian, is aiming to follow Kosgei in winning back-to-back London Marathon titles. The field also includes reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir. Dutch runner Sifan Hassan was enduring a tough baptism of fire over the distance -- the 5,000 and 10,000 meters Olympic champion had been in the leading group but was dropped and holding her side after the hour mark. The post World record holder Kosgei suffers London Marathon disappointment appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl lady spikers face Cambodians
The Philippines could take advantage of a favorable schedule in Group B to build momentum in its mission to end an 18-year podium drought in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games women’s volleyball competition in Cambodia next month. Pitted against the host team to start the hostilities on 9 May, the seasoned Filipinas are the overwhelming favorites facing the Cambodians who are making a debut in the division since the country joined the biennial meet in 1961. Driven by the success of its men’s team which won bronze in last year’s pandemic-delayed Hanoi SEA Games, Cambodia decided to field a fledgling women’s squad hoping to get a good result on home soil. “We are ambitious, so we want to be well prepared and take the opportunity to enter women’s teams (indoor and beach volleyball) for the first time at the SEA Games. We believe the technical skills of our players will be close to the top teams – and certainly better than some nations in the region,” a confident Volleyball Federation of Cambodia secretary-general Aing Serey Piseth said in an interview with the Phnom Penh Post. But the battle-tested Pinay Spikers are sure to exploit all their advantages in skills, experience, and firepower to give the still wet-behind-the-ears Cambodians a rude welcome to jumpstart their campaign to win a medal for the first time since claiming bronze in the 2005 Manila edition. Game time is set at 7:30 p.m. (Cambodia time) at the Morodok Techo Elephant Hall. The Nationals, who finished fourth in the previous contest, hope to use a win against the home team as springboard when they face last edition’s silver medalist Vietnam on 10 May. The Philippine team, skippered by Alyssa Valdez, will wrap up the group stage against underdog Singapore on 11 May. Bracketed in Group A are defending champion Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar. The top two teams in the group stage will face off in the crossover semifinals. The Nationals are currently in Japan for a two-week training camp which will wrap up on 28 April. Joining Valdez in the 14-woman roster handled by Brazilian head coach Jorge Souza de Brito are her Creamline teammates Tots Carlos, setter Jia Morado-de Guzman, Ced Domingo, Jema Galanza, Michele Gumabo and libero Klya Atienza. Also in the squad are Chery Tiggo’s Mylene Paat, Gel Cayuna and Chai Troncoso of Cignal, Dell Palomata of PLDT, and Choco Mucho’s Cherry Nunag and Kat Tolentino and Akari’s defense specialist Bang Pineda, a last-minute replacement for injured PLDT libero Kath Arado. Meanwhile, the men’s national team opens its campaign on 3 May against defending champion Indonesia in Group A. Inserted in the group of death following a re-draw, the Filipinos will then take on Cambodia on 4 May before squaring off against Singapore on 6 May. The post Phl lady spikers face Cambodians appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Grizzlies’ Jackson named NBA Defensive Player of the Year
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., the NBA's leading shot blocker for a second consecutive season, was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday. The 23-year-old American, in his fifth NBA season all spent with the Grizzlies, won the award for the first time with 56 of 100 first-place votes and 391 total points from a global media panel. Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks was second with 309 points and 31 first-place votes while Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers was third with 101 points. Jackson became the second-youngest player to win the NBA top defender award after Dwight Howard in 2009. Jackson, whose father spent 13 seasons in the NBA and helped the San Antonio Spurs win an NBA crown in 1999, led the NBA with 3.0 blocked shots a game. "You really put yourself second and everything that has to do with the team is first," Jackson said. "(My dad) always did that in his career... he always wanted to play winning basketball. He was thankful enough to win a championship and that's what I'm trying to do now, get one of my own." Jackson also averaged 18.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals a contest for a Memphis club that ranked third defensively in the NBA and finished second in the Western Conference at 51-31. "Team defense really helps us go a long way," Jackson said. Jackson held opponents to an NBA-low 46.9% as the closest defender at the rim but is working to be more of a scoring threat as well. "I'm trying to put it all together, be the best you can be, be a good all-around player," Jackson said. "The greatest two-way players, they had to do a lot. Had to have the endurance to be on both ends. It was really my pops. He had me working on all kinds of crazy stuff in the gym." Lopez averaged 2.5 blocked shots a game, sharing second in the NBA, as well as 15.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists a game. Mobley 16.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 blocked shots a game. The post Grizzlies’ Jackson named NBA Defensive Player of the Year appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Alido, Zaragosa lead chase
After splitting the Visayan leg titles last month, Ira Alido and Rupert Zaragosa track the same route in pursuit of a second crown as action on the Philippine Golf Tour swings to Cavinti, Laguna on Tuesday for the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship at the Caliraya Springs Golf Club in Cavinti, Laguna. They both agree accent would be on iron and wedge game. “For sure, emphasis will be on the approach shots since putting would be a bit tricky on Caliraya greens. If I can manage to hit it closer than I did in the previous events, I would be up there for sure and would have a really good chance of winning,” said Alido, who battled back from five shots down to edge multi-titled Tony Lascuña by one in the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic at Marapara. Zaragosa, who dominated the field in scoring a breakthrough in the Iloilo Golf Challenge, is also putting premium on ball control. “Para sa akin, importante yung course management at driving para maka-pwesto sa second shot kasi unpredictable yung greens ng Caliraya,” he said. The P2.5 million event, put up by ICTSI, has drawn 64 players, including defending champion Zanieboy Gialon. Gialon broke away with a third round 68 to lead by five then cruised to a four-stroke victory over former Philippine Open champion Clyde Mondilla to snap a five-year title spell in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. ‘It’s really important for my game because I know that I can really compete in this sport.’ Other notable players in the field are Guido van der Valk, Tony Lascuña, Michael Bibat, Jhonnel Ababa, Joenard Rates, Frankie Miñoza, Albin Engino and Mars Pucay. “It’s really important for my game because I know that I can really compete in this sport,” said Alido, referring to his improbable victory at Marapara. “It’s also a statement that my first win (at Riviera in 2020) wasn’t purely luck and I know that I have what it takes to be successful in my career.” As part of their buildup, Alido and Zaragosa worked on their irons and short game during the break. “It’s more about focusing on my weakness in my game right now which is my iron shots, knowing that is the key for me to stay up there on the leaderboard,” Alido said. “I’m obviously aiming for a win knowing I can play well at Caliraya.” Zaragosa, however, has opted to tone down expectations. “Wala naman akong expectations. Basta ang goal ko lang ay sundin yung game plan,” Zaragosa said. “Nagbabad ako sa short game at nag-practice ng mga clubs na magagamit ko sa Caliraya.” The post Alido, Zaragosa lead chase appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Embiid, Harden spark 76ers over Nets in NBA playoff opener
Joel Embiid scored 26 points and James Harden added 23 to lead the Philadelphia 76ers over the Brooklyn Nets 121-101 in an NBA first-round playoff series opener on Saturday. The host Sixers, who led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage, sank a club playoff record 21 3-pointers in 43 attempts to seize a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference best-of-seven opening series, which continues Monday in Philadelphia. "(That) was a good win for us," Harden said. "We'll be watching film. Game two is going to be the toughest game of the series for us. We'll be ready to go." Also winning an East series opener were the Boston Celtics, who ripped Atlanta 112-99. Embiid, the NBA season-scoring leader with 33.1 points a game, was often double-teamed defensively by the Nets but effectively brought teammates into scoring positions. The Cameroonian 7-footer (2.13m) went 7-of-15 from the floor but was 11-of-11 from the freethrow line and contributed five rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots and a steal. NBA season assists leader Harden, who hit 7-of-13 from 3-point range, made 13 assists. He became the first player in 76ers history with 20 points, 10 assists and five 3-pointers in one contest. He also helped eight Sixers in all to make 3-pointers. "Just finding ways to impact the game possession by possession," said Harden, a former Nets backcourt star. "It's the playoffs. Things don't go the way you want as much as you want them to. You've got to keep pushing, keeping fighting, and I'm happy we got a win." In the times the Nets stifled Embiid, Harden picked them apart with inside moves, skilled shotmaking and precision passing. "I've been doing it for a very, very long time at the highest level so it's pretty easy," Harden said. "As long as I get into the paint and create good shots, I'm doing my job. Most of the time my teammates are making the shots." Philadelphia made a club one-half playoff record of 13 3-pointers on the way to a 67-58 halftime edge. While excited at the triumph, Harden tried to keep a perspective on the first step in a two-month playoff chase for the championship. "Stay even keel," he said. "There are going to be some good moments, some low moments. You win a game. You lose a game. Stay even keel and look at the bigger picture." Brooklyn's Mikal Bridges scored a game-high 30 points, but only seven in the second half. At Boston, Jaylen Brown scored 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Celtics over Atlanta. He played with a wrapping on cut fingers and a protective mask he has had for two months due to a facial fracture. "Got to come out and be ready to go," he said. "My team depends on me. My city depends on me. I don't make no excuses. I come out and play ball." Jayson Tatum added 25 points and 11 rebounds while Derrick White contributed 24 points for Boston, which used a 20-3 second-quarter run to seize a 74-44 half-time lead. Atlanta, led by Dejounte Murray's 24 points, rallied in the second half but could not mount a sustained threat. "Starts on defense," Brown said. "Coming out and being locked in defensively. That's a good young team. We've got to give them respect and come out and play them tight and stay aggressive." Brown wants to avoid second-half fades after building big leads. "That's the journey for us, to stay and keep that mentality locked in throughout the playoffs, 48 minutes throughout the game," he said. "Tonight we waned a little bit but we will pick it up as the playoffs go on." Saturday's other Eastern Conference first-round series opener finds New York at Cleveland while the Western Conference opener sends defending champion Golden State to Sacramento, where the host Kings make their first playoff appearance since 2006. The post Embiid, Harden spark 76ers over Nets in NBA playoff opener appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Magnolia fills frontcourt void, trades for Converge s Tratter, Murrell
The Hotshots acquired the FiberXers’ big man Abu Tratter and slam dunk champion David Murrell in an apparent effort to beef up a frontcourt that badly missed ailing center Ian Sangalang most of the Governors’ Cup......»»
Surprise in Slam Dunk tilt?
Only four brave souls will duke it out in the PBA Slam Dunk Contest, a highlight of today’s program opening the All-Star Weekend in Passi, Iloilo......»»
Arnold Palmer Classic to be shown live in Philippines
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler leads a field that includes Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy will be in a three-way battle with the former for the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking......»»
Lillard wins NBA three-point title; Unheralded McClung is dunk king
SALT LAKE CITY (AFP) — Portland’s Damian Lillard won the Three-Point Contest and unheralded Mac McClung captured the Slam Dunk Contest crown on Saturday, Feb. 18, at NBA All-Star Game weekend festivities. Mac McClung of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks the ball during the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest as part of ........»»