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New graft game in town
So amazing is its proposed P225-billion budget, it practically replaces the hoary “there’s money in the garbage” maxim of our jolly mayors. With that kind of budget for flood control projects, I wouldn’t put it past our jolly mayors to end up bleary-eyed while singing “There’s money in floods” now that there’ll be so much money to go around. While many of us have trouble wrapping our heads around what P225,000,000,000 means and what it could do for our meager lives, this government nonchalantly and confidently throws away hard-earned taxpayer money. Yet, even our jaded, weary senators are stunned by such profligate nonchalance. “It’s too big for tubig (water),” dishes out, for instance, a befuddled Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who says the proposed amount is larger than what is recommended for building new classrooms, hospitals, irrigation systems, and railway projects. “Flood control even beat our railway budget by over P100 billion. The railway budget is only P153 billion and irrigation is at P31 billion,” the amazed senator says. Strangely enough, the proposed spending for flood control is bigger than next year’s entire agriculture budget of P181 billion. Escudero says he just can’t see any rhyme or reason for how the executive branch can justify needing to spend more for “draining water and dredging rivers than for planting food.” We too are equally dazed and knocked senseless by such a strange doing. So much so that Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman’s pitiable attempt at top-spinning the issue doesn’t placate our nervousness about this government’s growing profligacy. Pangandaman’s excuse is that all projects of government are “equally important” and that the big budget for flood control is “timely” given the recent flooding in parts of the country. Given the fact that climate change isn’t going away anytime soon, does this now mean that this year’s huge allocation will be the first of hugely funded flood control projects? It’s a queasy question that somehow makes us agree with former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s take on the hot issue last week. Lacson tweeted: “ANSWER: kickbacks are bigger and free-flowing; almost impossible to audit because the next floods will remove the traces of their failure to dredge. P215B will flood the pockets of the proponents until they drown with inundations.” Undoubtedly, Lacson means to say that grafters have a new milking cow, folks. Telling too is the fact that even our presumably sane budget boss, probably sensing that flood control projects are deep rabbit holes, is somehow washing her hands this early. Pangadaman says her Budget department “cannot identify the flood control projects” since only the Department of Public Works and Highways has the “internal formula for providing caps for every major project and program under the DPWH budget.” But given the DPWH’s fabled public mockeries — more than anyone can count — with its substandard public works projects, suspending our disbelief over the DPWH’s abilities and giving the agency our full trust and confidence is going to be one hard slog. Still, even if we by some miracles are willing to amend our vicious cynicism about DPWH’s engineering abilities — meaning that their construction of dams, river walls, embankments, drainage canals, and more are all sturdy and will last for decades — the agency is still a mess when it comes to telling us what they’re actually doing against floods and that they are actually forward-looking. Is the DPWH, for instance, actually taking charge of creating flood hazard maps all over the country, while actively working with the affected residents to inform them about flood risks? We haven’t heard much either if they’re taking seriously Japan’s long-term efforts to improve the DPWH’s flood control technologies and the training of its engineers in carrying out hydraulic tests or creating technical standards and manuals for the planning, designing, supervision, and maintenance of flood control projects. Our legislators, who are often suspected of taking cuts from public works projects, can’t recuse themselves either. Why, for instance, aren’t they seriously taking full stock of the decades-old Flood Control Act and updating it for the times? The post New graft game in town appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
All roads lead to Philippine Arena
There appears to be some confusion as to what exactly is the single-game attendance record in FIBA World Cup history. Known to be the standard is the mark of 32,616 set when Team USA beat Russia, 137-91, in the Final of the 1994 Toronto edition. Eight US players hit in double figures with Dominique Wilkins firing 20 points to lead the charge......»»
Microsoft, Google beat earnings expectations amid AI frenzy
Tech titans Google and Microsoft announced better-than-expected earnings on Tuesday as the frenzy over artificial intelligence stokes investor excitement and breathes new life into the sector. The release of ChatGPT last year landed as technology giants were embarking on major layoffs and cost-cutting plans, with share prices hammered after flying high during the coronavirus pandemic. For the second consecutive quarter, Microsoft has more than reversed the trend, seeing profits and sales soaring to the highest levels ever for the 48-year-old company co-founded by Bill Gates. An earnings statement reported that net profit for Microsoft was $20.1 billion in the April to June period, up 20 percent year-on-year and above expectations. The company posted $56.2 billion in sales, which also beat expectations, though the growth slowed from the previous quarter. And even though its share price slipped in after-hours trading, the Windows-maker remains the world's second most valuable company after Apple, with a market capitalization of $2.6 trillion. Once again, business in the latest quarter was driven by the cloud, which relies heavily on artificial intelligence and accounts for more than half of the company's sales. Cloud sales grew by 21 percent year-on-year. Microsoft shares lifted off last week when the company said it would charge $30 extra per user to turbocharge its Microsoft 365 product -- which includes Word, Excel and Teams -- with AI powers. "Every customer I speak with is asking not only how, but how fast they can apply next generation AI to address the biggest opportunities and challenges they face and to do so safely and responsibly," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Google parent Alphabet on Tuesday also reported profits that beat market forecasts as digital advertising revenue revived and its cloud business grew. The search engine giant reported net income of $18.7 billion on revenue of $74.6 billion in the recently ended quarter. "There's exciting momentum across our products and the company, which drove strong results this quarter," Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai said in an earnings release. Alphabet shares jumped more than six percent to $129.57 in after-market trades following the results. Microsoft saw its share price slip more than three percent to $337.99 as earnings showed it will take a bit of time and investment to fulfill its AI visions. "I think people got overly excited by AI, but now the reality is that it is not going to be instant," said independent analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group. "We are talking a few years before the full benefit starts to materialize." Brin is back While the latest talk has surrounded AI, what matters most for Google earnings currently is digital advertising -- where it gets the bulk of its revenue. The company said that advertising revenue hit $58.1 billion, which outshined analysts' expectations of $57.45 billion. Google is also a player in the cloud computing industry, where revenue came in at $8 billion, compared with $6.3 billion the unit took in during the same period a year earlier. "Our continued leadership in AI and our excellence in engineering and innovation are driving the next evolution of Search, and improving all our services," Pichai said. Google has played a close second to the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI in rolling out its AI products following the release of ChatGPT. The company has largely been seen as playing catch up with Microsoft, with questions over whether the mighty Google search engine will withstand developments in AI. Microsoft was quick to beef up its Bing search engine with AI powers, but Google's search has yet to see a real threat to its dominance -- which remains about 90 percent of the market worldwide. Google, though not as dramatically as Microsoft, has seen its share price rise steeply in 2023 as investors expect AI to generate new revenue and open new markets. According to The Wall Street Journal, Google co-founder Sergey Brin is back at the company headquarters in California helping teams develop even more AI products. He and co-founder Larry Page stepped down from active roles at Google in 2019 when Pichai was chosen to replace them as chief executive. The post Microsoft, Google beat earnings expectations amid AI frenzy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Microsoft profits soar, key cloud business slows
Microsoft's quarterly profits soared, the company said Tuesday, as its big push into artificial intelligence seemed to be bearing fruit but growth in its key cloud computing business slowed. An earnings statement reported that net profit for Microsoft was $20.1 billion in the April to June period, up 20 percent year-on-year and above expectations. The company posted $56.2 billion in sales for the quarter, which also beat expectations. Even though its share price slipped in after-hours trading, the 48-year-old tech titan remains the world's second most valuable company after Apple, with a market capitalization of $2.6 trillion. Microsoft shares had lifted off last week when the company said it would charge $30 extra per user to turbocharge its Microsoft 365 product -- which includes Word, Excel, and Teams -- with AI powers. This was an extra boost to a stellar year for Microsoft, whose big gamble on AI has so far been rewarded with a share price hike of about 45 percent this year. The heart of the company's activity is the Azure cloud service, which competes with Amazon's AWS and Google Cloud to offer businesses their computing needs. Demand for cloud computing slowed after a historic surge during the pandemic, and Microsoft and its rivals hope that the extra computing demands needed for AI will revive sales. The tech giant said Azure and other cloud services saw revenue growth of 26 percent year-over-year, down slightly from the previous quarter. Microsoft began 2023 with an announcement that it had entered into a close relationship with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. The Redmond, Washington-based company swiftly integrated ChatGPT's powers into its Bing search engine, breathing new life into a product that has been unable to compete with Google. Microsoft has also pressed on with its big move to expand beyond its popular Xbox video game console by buying Activision Blizzard for $75 billion. The deal has faced major regulatory scrutiny over competition concerns, but after an effort by US authorities to block the deal failed in court, the move looks likely to succeed. The post Microsoft profits soar, key cloud business slows appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Timberwolves hold off Nuggets to stay alive, Warriors edge Kings
Anthony Edwards scored 34 points, including a three-point dagger with 11.5 seconds left, as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 114-108 in overtime Sunday to stay alive in the NBA playoffs. Western Conference top seeds Denver, led by 43 points from reigning two-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, closed regulation on a 12-0 run to force overtime. But they were out-scored 18-12 in the extra session at the Target Center in Minneapolis as the Timberwolves pulled within 3-1 in the series. Minnesota still face a daunting task -- no NBA team has come back from 3-0 down to win a best-of-seven series. "See you in Denver, we're going back," said Edwards, whose 16 third-quarter points keyed a Timberwolves charge that carried them to a 12-point lead midway through the fourth. Mike Conley added 19 points for Minnesota. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 17 points with 11 rebounds and Rudy Gobert added 14 points and 15 rebounds as the Timberwolves withstood another big night from Jokic. The Serbian star matched his playoff scoring high and added 11 rebounds and six assists. The teams swapped the lead four times in overtime, but Nuggets coach Michael Malone said too many defensive lapses in the extra session doomed his team. "You hold them to 16 points in the fourth quarter, then (they have) 18 in five minutes," Malone said. "That's the hardest thing to stomach about this game is that when the game was on the line, we were unwilling and unable to get the necessary stops." 'Sloppy' Curry It was the second Western Conference thriller of the day, after the Golden State Warriors held off a ferocious fourth-quarter fightback from the Sacramento Kings to secure a 126-125 victory that leveled their series at two games apiece. Harrison Barnes almost snatched victory for Sacramento at the buzzer, but his long-range effort bounced off the rim to leave the NBA champions celebrating. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 32 points -- and breathed a sigh of relief after two uncharacteristic blunders in a frenetic finale at the Chase Center. Curry missed a wide-open three-pointer with his team-leading 126-121 with less than a minute remaining. He then erroneously called a timeout when the Warriors had none left, earning a technical foul and allowing Sacramento's Malik Monk to make it a four-point game with a free throw. De'Aaron Fox's three-pointer pulled Sacramento within 126-125 and Curry missed another floater to give the Kings a final chance. "It was kind of sloppy not knowing how many timeouts we had left, and a couple of dagger shots didn't go in -- but we did what we needed to do defensively in those last 10 seconds," a relieved Curry said. Klay Thompson added 26 points and Jordan Poole had 22. Draymond Green, back from suspension, scored 12 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists off the bench to help the Warriors withstand a 38-point performance from Fox. Knicks, Celtics close in In the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics moved within a victory of advancing, the Knicks beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-93 and the Celtics downing Atlanta 129-121 to each take 3-1 series leads. Jalen Brunson drained five three-pointers on the way to 29 points for the Knicks, who again electrified Madison Square Garden. With just one win from three more games the Knicks can advance past the first round for the first time since 2013. Darius Garland led Cleveland with 23 points but Donovan Mitchell scored just 11 -- only two in the second half. The Cavs will try to extend the series when they host game five on Wednesday. The Celtics can wrap up their series at home on Tuesday after bouncing back from a disappointing game-three defeat with a convincing victory in Atlanta. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 31 points apiece for the Celtics, each delivering a dunk in the final minute as the Celtics thwarted the Hawks' final rally bid. Hawks star Trae Young finished with a game-high 35 points and handed out 14 assists. But Boston stepped up their defensive intensity and had an answer for every Atlanta run, never trailing after the first quarter. Brown got off to a slow start, making just one of his first seven shots. Then he got rid of the protective mask he's worn since suffering a facial fracture in February and made 11 of 15. "Maybe it was all in my head," Brown said. "I took it off and started to turn things around a little bit." The post Timberwolves hold off Nuggets to stay alive, Warriors edge Kings appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UST makes Final Four grade
University of Santo Tomas completed the Final Four cast after showing Far Eastern University the exit door, 26-24, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena. Veteran Eya Laure capped her efficient outing by hammering down the finishing blow to banish the last hurdle blocking the way of the Tigresses’ third straight semifinals appearance. UST improved its win-loss record to 9-3 for a share of the second spot with semis-bound defending champion National University. Standings leader and twice-to-beat De La Salle University and Adamson University occupy the other Final Four seats. Laure, whose back-to-back aces midway through the fourth set cleared the way for UST to take control of the match, finished with 28 points and had eight digs. The outside hitter and skipper punched in 23 kills off 47 attempts and had three aces and two kill blocks for the Tigresses, who will shoot to boost their chances of clinching the last semis incentive with another win over the Lady Bulldogs on Wednesday. While Laure took care of offense, Detdet Pepito took charge of the floor defense drawing praise from head coach Kungfu Reyes. “We’re just happy our B7 (Pepito) was activated especially during the latter part of the game. Detdet was a bit tentative in the first and second sets. At least, she bounced back on the following sets,” Reyes said of his defense specialist who had 21 digs and 19 excellent receptions. UST had a close call in the opening set and allowed FEU to steal one in the second frame before recovering its bearing to seal the win. Laure landed consecutive service winners to seal the Tigresses decisive 5-0 rally to take a 19-17 lead in the fourth set. The Lady Tamaraws kept the game close but an error followed by Laure’s crosscourt hit put the Tigresses at match point. Laure put FEU out of its misery after saving two match points in the battle that lasted two hours and 15 minutes. Imee Hernandez added 19 points while Milena Alessandrini, Jonna Perdido and Regina Jurado scored seven each for UST, which came back from a 16-21 deficit to steal the extended opening set. The Lady Tamaraws kissed their semis hopes goodbye after dropping to a 6-7 slate. Still, it was a good run for FEU, which will close its campaign against Adamson on 30 April, after finishing with a 1-13 card last year. Laure put FEU out of its misery after saving two match points in the battle that lasted two hours and 15 minutes. Chenie Tagaod scored 12 points while Gerzel Petallo had 11 for the Lady Tamaraws. Meanwhile, De La Salle University mercilessly mauled also-ran Ateneo de Manila University, 25-22, 25-19, 25-18, to secure the top seeding in the Final Four. Rookie Shevana Laput picked the perfect time to drop her career-high 16 points as the Lady Spikers hiked their record to 12-1 and extended their head-to-head winning streak over their archrivals to 12 dating back to Season 79 spanning six years. Angel Canino added 13 markers while Thea Gagate had 12 for La Salle, which will close its elims campaign on 29 April against winless University of the East. In men’s play, FEU halted a four-game slide with a morale-boosting upset win over UST, 25-21, 22-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-10, to strengthen its bid for a Final Four seat. Rey Sabanal and Dryx Saavedra scored timely hits in the fifth set as the Tamaraws escaped with their seventh win in 13 games. The duo pushed FEU’s separation to 13-9 in the deciding frame before UST’s rookie sensation Josh Ybanez committed the last of his team’s costly 45 errors from the pipe to send the Tamaraws at match point, 14-10. Then Mark Calado wasted no time, attacking from the back row straight to the center of the Golden Spikers’ court for the skid-breaking victory. Calado had 21 points and seven digs for the Tamaraws while Saavedra pitched in 16 points. Ybañez uncorked 28 points on 27-of-52 attacks with 17 excellent receptions and six digs as the Tigers saw their eight-game winning streak snapped for a 10-2 card. The post UST makes Final Four grade appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UST makes Final Four grade
University of Santo Tomas completed the Final Four cast after showing Far Eastern University the exit door, 26-24, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena. Veteran Eya Laure capped her efficient outing by hammering down the finishing blow to banish the last hurdle blocking the way of the Tigresses’ third straight semifinals appearance. UST improved its win-loss record to 9-3 for a share of the second spot with semis-bound defending champion National University. Standings leader and twice-to-beat De La Salle University and Adamson University occupy the other Final Four seats. Laure, whose back-to-back aces midway through the fourth set cleared the way for UST to take control of the match, finished with 28 points and had eight digs. The outside hitter and skipper punched in 23 kills off 47 attempts and had three aces and two kill blocks for the Tigresses, who will shoot to boost their chances of clinching the last semis incentive with another win over the Lady Bulldogs on Wednesday. While Laure took care of offense, Detdet Pepito took charge of the floor defense drawing praise from head coach Kungfu Reyes. “We’re just happy our B7 (Pepito) was activated especially during the latter part of the game. Detdet was a bit tentative in the first and second sets. At least, she bounced back on the following sets,” Reyes said of his defense specialist who had 21 digs and 19 excellent receptions. UST had a close call in the opening set and allowed FEU to steal one in the second frame before recovering its bearing to seal the win. Laure landed consecutive service winners to seal the Tigresses decisive 5-0 rally to take a 19-17 lead in the fourth set. The Lady Tamaraws kept the game close but an error followed by Laure’s crosscourt hit put the Tigresses at match point. Laure put FEU out of its misery after saving two match points in the battle that lasted two hours and 15 minutes. Imee Hernandez added 19 points while Milena Alessandrini, Jonna Perdido and Regina Jurado scored seven each for UST, which came back from a 16-21 deficit to steal the extended opening set. The Lady Tamaraws kissed their semis hopes goodbye after dropping to a 6-7 slate. Still, it was a good run for FEU, which will close its campaign against Adamson on 30 April, after finishing with a 1-13 card last year. Chenie Tagaod scored 12 points while Gerzel Petallo had 11 for the Lady Tamaraws. In men’s play, FEU halted a four-game slide with a morale-boosting upset win over UST, 25-21, 22-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-10, to strengthen its bid for a Final Four seat. Rey Sabanal and Dryx Saavedra scored timely hits in the fifth set as the Tamaraws escaped with their seventh win in 13 games. The duo pushed FEU’s separation to 13-9 in the deciding frame before UST's rookie sensation Josh Ybanez committed the last of his team's costly 45 errors from the pipe to send the Tamaraws at match point, 14-10. Then Mark Calado wasted no time, attacking from the back row straight to the center of the Golden Spikers' court for the skid-breaking victory. Calado had 21 points and seven digs for the Tamaraws while Saavedra pitched in 16 points. Ybañez uncorked 28 points on 27-of-52 attacks with 17 excellent receptions and six digs as the Tigers saw their eight-game winning streak snapped for a 10-2 card. The post UST makes Final Four grade appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Messi scores stunner as PSG beat title rivals Lens
A brilliant Lionel Messi goal helped Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-1 home win over Lens on Saturday to surely end any doubt about the outcome of this season's Ligue 1 title race, after an early sending-off left the visitors with a mountain to climb. Lens, who began the day six points behind league leaders PSG in second place, looked the better team until Ghana midfielder Salis Abdul Samed was dismissed for a dangerous challenge on Achraf Hakimi in the 19th minute. That changed everything, and by halftime the hosts were out of sight thanks to three goals in the space of 10 minutes from Kylian Mbappe, Vitinha and then Messi, with Przemyslaw Frankowski pulling one back for Lens from a penalty. Mbappe opened the scoring and Vitinha's long-ranger doubled PSG's lead in the 37th minute. Both goals were good but Messi's that made it 3-0 was stunning, the Argentine finding a pocket out of space outside the area, feeding a pass to Mbappe and then receiving the France striker's backheel return before slotting beyond goalkeeper Brice Samba and into the far corner. The result leaves the reigning champions nine points ahead with seven games left, meaning it is surely just a matter of time until PSG secures a French record 11th league title. "We must not think that it's done and dusted," said coach Christophe Galtier. "We will need to remain serious and determined to maintain our lead and not give any hope to the teams chasing us." The win comes at the end of a week overshadowed by allegations of racism against Galtier, who had already been under pressure since PSG's elimination from the Champions League last month. Galtier said on Friday that he was "deeply shocked" by accusations that he made racist and Islamophobic remarks about Nice players when he was in charge there last season. The allegations surfaced in an email apparently sent by former Nice sporting director Julien Fournier and which have been reported by various French media. AFP has not been able to verify the message. The affair looks set to hang over the coach and the club in the coming weeks. "I was very determined and focused on the match, like my players," Galtier said of trying to stay concentrated on the game. "It was obviously an important match, if not decisive, and so it was important to get the result and enjoy it." Lens were hoping to take advantage of the leaders' problems and extend a four-match winning run that had got the northern club's supporters dreaming of a first league title since 1998. They triumphed 3-1 when the teams last met in Lens on January 1 and they started the better of the two sides at the Parc des Princes. Yet their enterprising opening did not bring a goal and they were severely handicapped when Abdul Samed saw red for catching Hakimi with his studs above the ankle. They were then torn apart with Mbappe firing in off the post on the turn from Vitinha's pass for his 20th league goal this season. Vitinha then smashed in his first goal in a PSG shirt before Messi took center stage. The Argentine's 20th club goal of the campaign was also arguably his finest in two years in a PSG shirt, just as he comes towards what may be the end of his time in France. Lens regrouped in the second half and pulled a goal back when Frankowski converted from the spot after a Fabian Ruiz handball. Lois Openda remained a menace up front for Lens but they were left with too much to do to and will now focus on trying to hold onto a place in the top three and Champions League qualification. "I would have liked us to close the gap tonight but even had we done that it would have been very difficult," admitted Lens manager Franck Haise. "Of course, the title is for Paris. There is not much doubt about that." Marseille can move above Lens into second, and trim PSG's lead to eight points, with a win against Troyes on Sunday. The post Messi scores stunner as PSG beat title rivals Lens appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Butler, Strus lead Heat past Bulls and into playoffs
Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat caught fire down the stretch to beat the Chicago Bulls 102-91 and reach the NBA playoffs on Friday, as the Minnesota Timberwolves dominated the Oklahoma City Thunder to book their postseason berth. Miami, smarting from a loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, clinched the Eastern Conference's eighth and final seed to set up a meeting with the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks starting on Sunday. Minnesota meanwhile will face Western Conference top seeds Denver in the first round of the playoffs after a comprehensive 120-95 blowout of Oklahoma City. While Minnesota romped into the postseason, Miami's clash with Chicago went down to the wire before Butler, helped by the three-pointers of Max Strus, secured victory for Erik Spoelstra's team. Butler put up 31 points, a tally matched by Strus who shot 7-12 on three-pointers, including a crucial 26-foot jumper with 1:14 left that put Miami 96-91 up. For Strus, who grew up as a Bulls fan in the suburbs of Chicago and was released by them before joining Miami, it was a sweet night. "It's huge. It doesn't really matter who we're playing - we had to win this one, no matter what. It was win or go home and we're not done yet. "So we want to keep playing and it's good to get that one. But it does feel a little bit better against them, I'm not gonna lie," he said. Strus secured the win with three free throws after he was fouled by Alex Caruso as he tried to make a throw from the corner. The Heat had been 14 points up in the first quarter but a 12-2 run from the Bulls in the third leveled the game up at 56-56. A Zach LaVine dunk then put Chicago up for the first time since the opening basket of the game and three three-pointers early in the fourth from Coby White ensured the Bulls were 90-87 with three minutes to go. But then Butler and Strus took control. Butler was fouled while making a lay-up and then Bam Adebayo, who grabbed 17 rebounds, sank two free throws after he was fouled by Nikola Vucevic to make it 93-90. Butler set up Strus for a three-pointer before he then made sure of the victory from the free-throw line. The Heat had found themselves in the elimination game after losing their opening play-in game to the Atlanta Hawks and faced the prospect of being the first divisional winner not to make the playoffs. "I don't think any of us felt any type of pressure. We went out, we competed, we played the right way, corrected some things, and did what we were supposed to do," said Butler. DeMar DeRozan topscored for the Bulls with 26 points and nine assists. There is little time for Miami to savor the victory however as their playoff series against the Bucks begins in Milwaukee on Sunday. "Man, it's going to be tough," said Butler, "But I think we got a shot. A really good shot at that. As long as we stick together. I'm telling you, we're a really good team and we're going to go out there and play," he said. In Minneapolis, the Timberwolves put their team's recent turbulence behind them to demolish Oklahoma City. Minnesota finished the regular season in disarray, with team-mates Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson involved in a sideline punch-up in their final regular season game last Sunday. Gobert was subsequently suspended for Tuesday's play-in defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers, but returned on Friday to contribute 21 points in a convincing victory. Minnesota led by as many as 29 points at one stage in the fourth quarter and were up by double digits for most of the second half. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves scoring with 28 points while all five starters finished in double figures. The post Butler, Strus lead Heat past Bulls and into playoffs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
After trading stars, Nets lean on returning Dinwiddie to beat Bulls
The Nets pull through their first game minus Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving as Spencer Dinwiddie stars in his return to Brooklyn.....»»
Chery on top
Sisters Jaja Santiago and Dindin Santiago-Manabat took charge as Chery Tiggo rose from the dead to beat Creamline, 23-25, 20-25, 25-21, 25-23, 15-8, and crown itself the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference champion at the PCV Socio-Civic & Cultural Center here yesterday......»»
Nets hold off Portland sans Irving, Durant; Sixers beat Curry-less Warriors
James Harden took charge for Brooklyn, dishing out 17 assists to facilitate the Nets' offense. He also top-scored in the back-and-forth affair against the Blazers with 25 points......»»
Bulls overcome Doncic& rsquo;s historic NBA triple double
Los Angeles---Lauri Markkanen scored a team high 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Chicago Bulls overcame a historic triple double from Luka Doncic to beat the Dallas Mavericks 117-101 on Sunday......»»
UAAP 77 Finals MVP Aroga on Coach E: He s my Phil Jackson
In 2014, Eric Altamirano guided National University to its first championship in 60 years. It may be just one title in his six-season stint there, but for a blue and gold side which has long been suffering, it was an all-important one. And so, coach Eric will remain a beloved figure in Sampaloc for all his life. Apparently, he also remains a beloved figure in Dallas in the US - at least in the house where Alfred Aroga now resides in. Reminiscing about the Bulldogs' historic championship in The Prospects Pod, that year's Finals MVP was asked about what Altamirano means to him. "Coach E, as I've always said, he's my Phil Jackson," he answered. Jackson was the coach for the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls' six championships, the Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers' three-peat, and, finally, the Kobe-led LA Lakers' back-to-back. In terms of rings, Coach Phil has Coach E beat, without a doubt. In terms of life lessons, though, "The Zen Master" is apparently not that far from the always amiable Filipino mentor. "I will call his house 'The Promised Land' because there are a lot of players that went in that house and look where they are today," Aroda said. "In his house, he didn't care where you came from, if you're black, green, yellow, blue. He didn't care about it. As long as you're in his house, there are rules to follow and those rules help you be a better person." Transferring from Cameroon to Manila, the 6-foot-7 big man stayed in the Altamirano household for all of his time in blue and gold. There, he learned all about discipline - something he had formerly failed to grasp. "There's a curfew, first of all. Then there are things you can't do - you can't drink, you don't smoke, you don't womanize, you go to Church, you got to be respectful," he shared. He then continued, "His family really embraced me and I needed that because I remember when I first went to the Philippines, I was like a wild animal, I was so aggressive, I didn't know how to respond to adversities so he had to coach me on that." For all of that, Aroga is nothing but thankful. "Coach E is always there for me. Coach, I would never repay you for everything you did for me so the only thing I can do is be successful and be grateful that I had you," he said. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
NBA: Warriors win against Magic despite Green ejection
The Golden State Warriors, fueled by 23 points from Andrew Wiggins and two late baskets by Stephen Curry, beat the Magic 101-93 in Orlando, despite the ejection of Draymond Green just 3 minutes 36 seconds into the contest. Curry was left shaking his head when Green was tossed, receiving two quick technical fouls for heatedly.....»»
Akbayan to Sara: You don’t have to be president to speak vs China
MANILA, Philippines — Party-list group Akbayan said on Thursday that Vice President Sara Duterte does not have to be a president of the country for her to call out China’s intrusive actions over the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Empathy and a moral backbone is just what it takes to stand up with fisherfolk and frontline.....»»
Creamline still team to beat
Creamline’s dramatic, come-from-behind 26-28, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 16-14 win over Cignal Tuesday night at the PhilSports Arena showed that it’s still the superpower in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.....»»
Marian Rivera takes on projects that her children can watch
With her upcoming primetime show, “My Guardian Alien,” Marian Rivera has added sci-fi to the growing array of genres — from drama, fantasy, romance, and action to historical and comedy — that the Kapuso actress has successfully ventured into thus far......»»
EDITORIAL - Finally, plastic license cards
It says a lot about the quality of governance and ease of doing business in this country that it takes forever just to obtain a plastic driver’s license card......»»
Companies State it Takes More Than 6 Months to Fill Cybersecurity Positions
The latest Kaspersky survey found that 48% of companies require over half a year to find a qualified cybersecurity professional. A lack of proven experience was cited as one of the biggest challenges, along with the high cost of hiring and global competition in talent acquisition. With global labor markets continuing to clamor for InfoSec […].....»»