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POUND-FOR-POUND — Good guy Gibbons gives Filipino boxers the chance to shine
If you’re a talented fighter nursing dreams of becoming a world champion, there is one guy you need to get in touch with. If you’re a promoter who has got a bevy of promising fighters but with no strong connections to the guys who matter in the world of big-time boxing, you have to meet the fellow who makes things happen. That dude is no other than Sean Gibbons, who heads MP Promotions and a sprinkling of other influential outfits in the United States that gives boxers from all over the opportunity they deserve. Having trouble with your boxer’s stagnant world rating? Call Sean Gibbons. Can’t seem to get the big breaks? Call Sean Gibbons. Being given the run-around by a scammer, give Sean Gibbons a call. You see, Gibbons is a do-it-all boxing man who is a big daddy to just about any major Filipino fighter. He has got a deep knowledge of the fight game since he used to fight during his heyday. But before you start conjuring up images of Gibbons battling it out with boxing’s marquee names, pinch yourself first. Gibbons never achieved greatness as a boxer. He was more of a pretender than a contender, having racked up a 14-7-3 win-loss-draw record with seven knockouts before finally calling it a day in 1996. He never even fought in Las Vegas and instead showcased his wares in obscurity, hopping into one small town and city after another. After spending his first five pro bouts in Oklahoma City, Gibbons brought his act elsewhere and in places he never knew existed: Hugo, Purcell, Waubeek. A year before he retired in 1995, Gibbons, now 56, even traveled to Germany and fought and lost by knockout to local boy Ruediger May. Two more bouts on American soil — the first in Des Moines, Iowa, and the second in Miles City, Montana — paved the way for one final stop in Denmark against Peter Madsen. Gibbons would lose that by stoppage again and decided that enough was enough. Pretty soon, Gibbons got himself doing odd jobs in boxing through a relative — uncle Pat O’ Grady — father to former world lightweight champion Sean O’Grady. “I got the boxing bug from him. I would set up the ring, help sell tickets and train fighters… I started from the bottom,” Gibbons, born in Long Beach, California, said, noting that the first fighter he trained was heavyweight Wimpy Halstead. Oftentimes, Gibbons “would jump in as one of the fighters in the card and I was able to travel the world.” He also got aligned with Top Rank and credits Hall of Fame Bruce Trampler and fight coordinator Pete Susens as his mentors and takes great pride in his close association with eight-division legend Manny Pacquiao. Gibbons actually came to the Pacquiao show rather late. But his seven-year stint working for Pacquiao was the most memorable, saying it doesn’t compare with the 35 other years of involvement with boxing. “Seven years I spent with him were better than the other 35 years,” Gibbons, who graduated from Simi Valley High, said. Gibbons revealed that after Australian banger Jeff Horn elbowed and butted and wrestled his way in carving out a controversial points win in Brisbane in July 2018, “Pacquiao had pretty much been left for dead by some people.” It was right at this time when Gibbons entered the scene as Pacquiao’s go-to-guy for meaningful fights while also providing other Filipino boxers the break they need to become successful. Gibbons didn’t disappoint and was instrumental in striking a deal for fights involving Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman that resulted in a “tremendous run.” The victory over Thurman would go down as an epic as it made Pacquiao the oldest to win a world welterweight crown in July 2019 in Las Vegas. Now that Pacquiao has sailed into the sunset, Gibbons is dedicating his time and effort to the betterment of the other talents under MP Promotions, the Pacquiao-owned company that has majority of the country’s top ring talent under contract. And this is where Gibbons wields his expertise and proof of his savvy can be seen on Jerwin Ancajas, Pedro Taduran, Rene Cuarto, Mark Magsayo and current two-belt world super-bantamweight titleholder Marlon Tapales. Also under Gibbons’ care are Jonas Sultan, Vincent Astrolabio, Jade Bornea and Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist and Asian Games silver medalist Eumir Marcial. Though not every one of them managed to win a world title, Gibbons draws utmost satisfaction from the helping hand that he had extended to them. “The most satisfying thing is to change lives of the fighters and take fighters who wouldn’t normally get these opportunities.” Also, Gibbons points to Pacquiao as a reason why he was able to pull it off. “I had the name Manny Pacquiao promotions and Manny Pacquiao was behind me but the biggest, biggest key was Al Haymon and he took my word for guys like Jerwin Ancajas, Mark Magsayo, Jonas Sultan and many, many others.” And there is no stopping Gibbons from doing the same thing especially when his clients’ welfare is on the line. A few months ago, Gibbons earned the ire of a state commission and got slapped with a ban. Still, Gibbons swears it is his way of showing that he always got his clients’ back. So how does he want people to remember him? “I would like to be remembered as someone who gave his all, no regrets. Just you know, when I work with someone, I put all my heart and soul into it. I got suspended for five for screaming at referees but I would like to be remembered for a guy who always had his client, fighters and boxers’ back and that when we went at it, we gave it our all.” If you end up going to war, you’d certainly want somebody like Sean Gibbons right by your side. The post POUND-FOR-POUND — Good guy Gibbons gives Filipino boxers the chance to shine appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Taking a tumble
All top five government leaders slid in their approval ratings, according to the latest survey conducted by Pulse Asia from 10 to 14 September. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. fell 15 points from 80 in June to 65 this September. Vice President Sara Duterte took an 11-point slide from 84 to 73 in the same time frame. From 56 in June, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri’s rating slid to 50 in September — six points down. Approval of House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s also decreased, from 52 to 41, another 11-point slide. In the judiciary, Supreme Court Justice Alexander Gesmundo’s approval rating fell 10 points — now only 34 from 44 in June. It’s no mystery why disappointment ruled sentiments in the last quarter. Gas prices climbed every week; the Chinese incursions had made a grievous comeback in the public consciousness; and the “confidential funds” brouhaha had made its way to meme-dom. The numbers are not too alarming; some say they are within a range that still shows confidence in our leaders. Why this is significant at this point lies in one truth we refuse to see: a country will see no substantial progress unless the people respect their leaders. Think of our situation today — how many presidents do we need to try to “save” us from poverty and inequality? We keep saying the Philippines is rich — and perhaps we are, indeed, in natural resources and a workforce and talent that can rightly compete in any part of the world. And yet, we go through perennial problems like hunger and unemployment, a weak peso, corruption scandals, and a massive national debt hanging over our heads. It seems nothing will ever change with this cycle of leadership we can never get rid of. Over the last few decades, we may have learned enough that political feuds among powerful families only slow down the nation. And we may have realized that power struggles continue to diminish our productivity, impeding our forward movement. Research published in July 2016 focused on political dynasties in the Philippines and said: “Despite overwhelming recognition that political dynasties breed patronage politics and corruption, no substantial steps have been taken to address this issue.” Nothing changed after the so-called People Power Revolution, as the same family names continued dominating Congress. The trend continues till today, election after election, with only the occasional new name rising out of the morass because, perhaps, the voting public could no longer stomach the way power and resources are concentrated on a few. And even so, after some time, some of these promising new leaders end up as trapped in the dirt as the ones they removed from power. Either they end up playing the game, now so deeply entrenched, or they leave. Only “a few good men” ever make it past a certain political lifespan. At the same time, we continue to be bogged down by mysteries like why the Philippine General Hospital is getting a zero budget when, obviously, it is the only affordable good hospital that caters to the majority of Filipinos. We continue to wonder why some agencies are getting hefty funds, some even under wraps, when these could be funneled into so many other things like food sustainability, road improvements, solutions to environmental problems, modernizing the agriculture sector, supporting local inventions, and so on. The people look up to their leaders for direction and vision. People will follow — and feel the need to pull their weight and contribute to the work — when they see their leaders as upright and having their welfare always in view. When people feel taken advantage of or taken for granted, they lose faith. Their attitudes change. The country slows to a stop. The post Taking a tumble appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Heartfelt visit from Chip Engelland and Quinito Henson to Samboy Lim
In a touching show of friendship, former naturalized basketball player Arthur "Chip" Engelland and sports journalist Quinito Henson paid a visit to the beloved PBA "Skywalker", Avelino "Samboy" Lim Jr., on Saturday, 9 September. Their heartfelt visit left an indelible mark on Samboy, his ex-wife Darlene Berberabe, and everyone present. A series of photos were shared on Samboy's Facebook account. During the visit, Chip sat by Samboy's side, holding his hand, and reminiscing about their days on the hardcourt, especially their victory against the powerhouse US team in the 1985 Jones Cup. They were teammates under the legendary Coach Ron Jacobs in the RP-NCC squad. When it was time to part ways, Samboy continued to shed tears, deeply moved by the visit. As a parting remark, Chip said to him, “(W)e all got together and we couldn’t stop talking about you! We are not a team without you, and we love you so much”. Since collapsing during an exhibition game in 2014, Samboy has been battling with health issues. Although he regained consciousness after a week of being comatose, he has been confined to his bed ever since while recovering from the stroke. See more photos here: The post Heartfelt visit from Chip Engelland and Quinito Henson to Samboy Lim appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Golden sports opportunities
Dominican Republic led by Karl Anthony Towns won over Gilas of the Philippines by a score of 87-81. I felt sad for our country. It should have been an easy win for us, for an outright berth to the Paris Olympics in 2024. If coached skillfully, our 2023 Gilas Five, the best basketball team the Philippines has ever assembled in over half a century, could have “slaughtered” the opposition. The team suffered from lapses in coaching, faulty substitutions and, worst of all, failure to execute to our best advantage the alley-oop arc passes to Kai Sotto. Many times in the past, I witnessed Sotto perform this move with amazing success. All the Gilas players led by Jordan Clarkson have the skill to make the arc pass for an alley-oop shot to the basket. But how can we have the alley-oop when Sotto was benched in the crucial quarter of the game? The fourth quarter belonged to us. What was surprising was why, with five minutes remaining, Sotto, our 7-foot-2 superstar, was not sent in to help control the board, to stop Karl Anthony Towns from scoring from long range, and to save our most precious player, Jordan Clarkson, from fouling out. With Kai Sotto out of the court, what I feared would happen did happen. The Dominicans controlled the board, 17 for them, only 3 for us. Towns went to town scoring, and Jordan Clarkson, in a desperate bid to stop him, fouled out. We lost the game and the outright berth to the Olympics in Paris in 2024. The Philippines–Dominican Republic game, the most watched last Friday, 25 August, established a new world record of 38,115 fans in attendance, surpassing the 32,616 that witnessed the US-Russia final at the 1994 World Cup in Toronto, Canada. Our defeat at the hands of Karl Anthony Towns and his team dashed any hopes of repeating or surpassing what happened seventy years ago. The world was sweeter then. That was once upon a time when bronze glittered like gold, when the Philippines in a stunning performance at the 1954 World Basketball Championship — now known as the FIBA World Cup — in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil beat France for third place to achieve the highest finish ever by an Asian team on the world stage. The 6-foot-3 center, Carlos Loyzaga, led the golden age of Philippine basketball back in the 1950s. His best record was that bronze finish in 1954 — to date the country’s, or any Asian country’s for that matter, best in global basketball. Loyzaga fired 19 points to steer the Herminio Silva-mentored Philippine squad to victory over France, 66-60. Still, let us celebrate the victory of the Dominican Republic. Playing basketball in a global setting is a celebration of humanity, regardless of faith, race, culture, belief, gender and ability. Basketball brings us together — to meet across borders and boundaries, to learn to compete as friends, to respect and trust one another even in opposition. After the game, Karl Anthony Towns was warmly congratulated by the Filipino fans, young and old alike, who shook his hand, saying, “Mabuhay ka Karl Anthony” (Long live Karl Anthony). The big tall man responded, “Salamat po. Mabuhay kayo lahat.” (Thank you, long live to all). The Dominican Republic may have captured the game, but the Filipinos captured the heart of its captain. Sport is always the winner! The post Golden sports opportunities appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Boston makes Miami feel heat
LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Boston poured in 16 three-pointers in a dominant 110-97 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday that kept the Celtics alive in the National Basketball Association championship chase. For the second straight game, the Celtics fended off elimination, cutting the deficit in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals to 3-2 with the wire-to-wire triumph. Miami will get another chance to close it out when they host game six on Saturday. The Celtics will be trying to take one more step toward becoming the first NBA team to rally from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven playoff series. “The only thing that can stop us is us,” Celtics forward Jaylen Brown said in an on-court interview. Before a rapturous, raucous crowd at TD Garden in Boston, the Celtics looked every inch the favorites they were before the series started — before the upstart eighth-seeded Heat grabbed the first two games in Boston, then embarrassed the second seeds in game three. Four Celtics starters scored more than 20 points, with Derrick White leading the way with 24 on a night when he made six of eight attempts from three-point range. “Got some good looks and was able to knock them down, and just kind of rolled with it,” said White, who said the Heat’s defensive focus on Brown and fellow star wing Jayson Tatum gave him more room to operate. Marcus Smart added 23 and had five steals while Brown and Tatum scored 21 apiece. More importantly, the energetic Celtics harried the Heat into 16 turnovers that led to 27 Boston points. They had 17 second-chance points compared to Miami’s seven. “Tonight we were the tougher playing team,” Brown said. “We set the tone from start to finish.” Boston was locked in on both ends of the floor from the opening tip-off, roaring to a 23-7 lead in a matter of minutes. After Tatum was whistled for a technical foul with 8:43 in the first quarter, the Celtics responded with three consecutive three-pointers. Tatum scored 12 points in the first quarter and Brown took over with 12 in the second. Meanwhile, Heat talisman Jimmy Butler struggled to get going, scoring eight points in the first half and finishing with 14 — his lowest-scoring game of the playoffs. He sat out most of the fourth quarter. Duncan Robinson led the Heat with 18 points off the bench. Bam Adebayo scored 16 points but coughed up six turnovers. Kyle Lowry starting at point guard after Gabe Vincent was ruled out with a sprained ankle, scored five points with four turnovers. “We’ve just got to play better,” Butler said. “Start the game off better, on the starters, make it more difficult for them. “They are in a rhythm since the beginning of the game,” Butler added. “But we are always going to stay positive, knowing that we can and we will win this series. We’ll just have to close it out at home.” Butler said the Heat allowed their shooting struggles to affect their defensive intensity. “But that’s easily correctable,” he said. “You just have to come out and play harder from the jump.” The Heat, who won the NBA title in 2006, 2012 and 2013, still only need one more win to reach a seventh NBA Finals. Boston, whose 17 NBA titles are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in history, last won it all in 2008 and came up short in last season’s championship series against the Golden State Warriors. The winners of the series will play the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets, who swept the Lakers in four games to reach the NBA Finals for the first time. White said the Celtics expect a formidable challenge in Miami on Saturday. “The crowd is going to be in it. It’s not going to be easy,” he said. “It’s going to take 48 minutes of battling, scratching, clawing, and we’ve got to find a way to win.” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was unconcerned that two big defeats had demoralized his team. “Who cares about mood?” Spoelstra said. “We have a gnarly group. It’s a competitive series. You always expect things to be challenging in the conference finals.” The post Boston makes Miami feel heat appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Celtics pummel Heat to keep NBA title hopes alive
Boston poured in 16 three-pointers in a dominant 110-97 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday that kept the Celtics alive in the NBA championship chase. For the second straight game, the Celtics fended off elimination, cutting the deficit in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals to 3-2 with the wire-to-wire triumph. Miami will get another chance to close it out when they host game six on Saturday. The Celtics will be trying to take one more step toward becoming the first NBA team to rally from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven playoff series. "The only thing that can stop us is us," Celtics forward Jaylen Brown said in an on-court interview. Before a rapturous, raucous crowd at TD Garden in Boston, the Celtics looked every inch the favorites they were before the series started -- before the upstart eighth-seeded Heat grabbed the first two games in Boston, then embarrassed the second seeds in game three. Four Celtics starters scored more than 20 points, with Derrick White leading the way with 24 on a night when he made six of eight attempts from three-point range. "Got some good looks and was able to knock them down, and just kind of rolled with it," said White, who said the Heat's defensive focus on Brown and fellow star wing Jayson Tatum gave him more room to operate. Marcus Smart added 23 and had five steals while Brown and Tatum scored 21 apiece. More importantly, the energetic Celtics harried the Heat into 16 turnovers that led to 27 Boston points. They had 17 second-chance points compared to Miami's seven. "Tonight we were the tougher playing team," Brown said. "We set the tone from start to finish." Boston was locked in on both ends of the floor from the opening tip-off, roaring to a 23-7 lead in a matter of minutes. After Tatum was whistled for a technical foul with 8:43 in the first quarter, the Celtics responded with three consecutive three-pointers. Tatum scored 12 points in the first quarter and Brown took over with 12 in the second. Meanwhile, Heat talisman Jimmy Butler struggled to get going, scoring eight points in the first half and finishing with 14 -- his lowest-scoring game of the playoffs. He sat out most of the fourth quarter. Duncan Robinson led the Heat with 18 points off the bench. Bam Adebayo scored 16 points but coughed up six turnovers. Kyle Lowry starting at point guard after Gabe Vincent was ruled out with a sprained ankle, scored five points with four turnovers. "We've just got to play better," Butler said. "Start the game off better, on the starters, make it more difficult for them. "They are in a rhythm since the beginning of the game," Butler added. "But we are always going to stay positive, knowing that we can and we will win this series. We'll just have to close it out at home." Butler said the Heat allowed their shooting struggles to affect their defensive intensity. "But that's easily correctable," he said. "You just have to come out and play harder from the jump." The Heat, who won the NBA title in 2006, 2012 and 2013, still only need one more win to reach a seventh NBA Finals. Boston, whose 17 NBA titles are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in history, last won it all in 2008 and came up short in last season's championship series against the Golden State Warriors. The winners of the series will play the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets, who swept the Lakers in four games to reach the NBA Finals for the first time. White said the Celtics expect a formidable challenge in Miami on Saturday. "The crowd is going to be in it. It's not going to be easy," he said. "It's going to take 48 minutes of battling, scratching, clawing, and we've got to find a way to win." Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was unconcerned that two big defeats had demoralized his team. "Who cares about mood?" Spoelstra said. "We have a gnarly group. It's a competitive series. You always expect things to be challenging in the conference finals." The post Celtics pummel Heat to keep NBA title hopes alive appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Nuggets, Suns advance to NBA semis
Top-seeded DenNuggets squeezed home 112-109 against the Minnesota Timberwolves to complete a 4-1 series win while the fourth seeds Phoenix Suns wrapped up their series with the Los Angeles Clippers by the same margin with a 136-130 victory in Arizona. The Nuggets, who will face Phoenix in the conference semi-finals, were made to work hard for their win by a Timberwolves team who jumped out to an early 15-point lead in the first quarter before gradually being reeled in. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets scorers with 35 points while reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic bagged his second triple-double of the series with 28 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists. Minnesota's Anthony Edwards missed a three-point attempt on the buzzer that would have forced overtime as the Timberwolves' season came to an end. Edwards finished with 29 points while Karl-Anthony Towns added 26. In Phoenix, Devin Booker erupted for 47 points while Kevin Durant poured in 31 points to spark the Suns to victory over the short-handed Clippers. The Clippers, missing the injured Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, fought bravely to lead by 10 early in the second half. But when Booker took over with 25 of 50 Phoenix points in a lopsided third quarter, the Clippers were left chasing the game. Los Angeles somehow managed to close to within two points with just under two minutes remaining before Durant settled Phoenix with a layup and two free throws to make the game safe. "Those guys don't stop fighting," Booker said of the Clippers afterwards. "That's been the story of the whole series. Even though they were down men, we knew they were going to bring it." The post Nuggets, Suns advance to NBA semis 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......»»
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......»»
Malixi shoots for 3rd LPGT title at Riviera
Rianne Malixi will be doubly motivated as she shoots for a third victory in as many stints on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour this year, armed with a game that must’ve instilled fear on the country’s top pros and fellow amateurs following a dominant triumph in the last LPGT stop at Valley Golf Club......»»
Jazz keep tight hold on West top spot; Sixers clinch No. 1 in East
Led by Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson, Utah arrested a two-game slide with the convincing win over the also-ran Thunder......»»
Mitchell-less Jazz win 11th straight game; Nets blow out Thunder
The virtually wire-to-wire victory came despite the Jazz missing Donovan Mitchell, who was placed under concussion protocol......»»
Clippers stretch win streak to 7 games
Los Angeles---Kawhi Leonard scored a game-high 34 points as the Los Angeles Clippers extended their season-high NBA win streak to seven games with a 108-100 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday......»»
Leonard scores 34 as Clippers stretch NBA win streak to seven games
Los Angeles, United States—Kawhi Leonard scored a game-high 34 points as the Los Angeles Clippers extended their season-high NBA win streak to seven games with a 108-100 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, January 24, 2021. Leonard shot 14 of 24 from the floor and finished with nine rebounds and eight assists while […] The post Leonard scores 34 as Clippers stretch NBA win streak to seven games appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
‘King’ James celebrates birthday with milestone in Lakers win
LOS ANGELES, United States — Los Angeles superstar LeBron James celebrated his 36th birthday Wednesday with another NBA milestone, scoring double-digit points for the 1,000th straight game in the Lakers’ 121-107 victory over the Spurs in San Antonio. James finished with 26 points to extend his already record streak of double-digit games in the regular season. He […] The post ‘King’ James celebrates birthday with milestone in Lakers win appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Warriors crush Batang Pier to arrest 3-game PBA slide
NLEX Road Warriors snapped a three-game slide in the 2020 Philippines Basketball Association Philippine Cup by posting a decisive 102-88 victory over the NorthPort Batang Pier, yesterday, Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at the Angeles University Foundation Sports Arena & Cultural Center Powered by Smart 5G......»»
Trump restarts public speeches, falsely claims Covid has a cure
US President Donald Trump will give a public speech at the White House on Saturday for the first time since testing positive for Covid-19, and will also hold a Florida rally next week in an attempt to relaunch his stumbling reelection campaign with only 25 days to go. Knocked off the campaign trail by his hospitalization for three nights last week, the president is in the midst of a frenetic bid to catch up with surging Democratic challenger Joe Biden. On Friday, during an extended media blitz, he falsely claimed that Covid-19 now has a cure. He also revealed that he’d been told he was near death at the worst of his bout with the virus, which has killed more than 210,000 Americans and severely dented his chances of winning a second term on November 3. Saturday’s speech, which a senior administration official said would be on Trump’s favored theme of “law and order,” will give him a chance to dispel lingering doubts about his health. The crowd will be on the South Lawn of the White House, while the president will stand up on the balcony, the official said, confirming US media reports. And on Monday, Trump will take another big step by holding a rally in Sanford, in the crucial electoral state of Florida, his campaign said. The events come despite continued questions over how sick Trump was last week and how complete his recovery is now, with White House officials refusing to answer basic queries including the date on which the president first contracted the virus and whether he has tested negative since. – ‘Better than a vaccine’ – On Friday, Trump gave a marathon interview to right-wing talk radio host Rush Limbaugh in which he said the experimental Regeneron antibody cocktail that he took as part of therapeutic treatment was “a cure.” It’s “a total game changer” and “better than a vaccine,” he said. In fact, there is no cure and still no approved vaccine for the coronavirus. Trump repeatedly asserted that he feels fine and he has been backed up by statements from the presidential physician, Sean Conley. But in his Limbaugh interview, Trump suggested for the first time that he had been close to death, had it not been for the therapeutic drugs. “I’m talking to you today because of it. I could have been a bad victim,” he said, referring to friends of his who had died from Covid-19. Trump said that doctors told him afterward, “you were going into a very bad phase.” “You know what that means,” said the president. According to Conley, Trump is now fit for a “safe return to public engagement” from Saturday. – Battle for attention – Trump has tried to fill the gap left by his enforced absence from the campaign trail by making back-to-back appearances on friendly media outlets. He twice spoke at length on Fox on Thursday and was due back on Fox’s Tucker Carlson Tonight show late Friday, appearing from the White House where he was to undergo what the network described as an on-air “medical evaluation,” conducted remotely by Fox contributor Doctor Marc Siegel. Biden, however, is already picking up the pace of travel, with a stop in Nevada on Friday after going to Arizona on Thursday. Polls show Biden leads heavily in key demographics including women and the elderly, prompting analysts to talk increasingly of a possible landslide victory. Trump’s biggest liability — overwhelming public dissatisfaction over his handling of the coronavirus crisis — has returned as the headline issue of the campaign thanks to the president’s own infection. Adding to the pressure, congressional Democrats who control the House of Representatives unveiled plans for a commission to investigate a president’s physical and mental fitness for the job — a move clearly meant to jab at Trump. The speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said it was time to examine Trump’s “disassociation from reality.”.....»»
NBA and its fans are the real winners
Three takeaways from the Boston Celtics’ 117-106 victory over the Miami Heat Saturday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals: 1. Celtics say no to 3-0 OK, so the Celtics beat the Heat. But the real winners were the NBA and most of its fans, when you stop to consider the alternative. Imagine this […] The post NBA and its fans are the real winners appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mann leads Clippers over Thunder as stars rest for playoffs
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Terance Mann hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:30 left in overtime and had 25 points and 14 rebounds for the Los Angeles Clippers, who beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-103 Friday night (Saturday morning in the Philippines) in a final seeding game for both teams devoid of stars. The Clippers rested Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Lou Williams for the playoffs starting next week. They wrapped up the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs with a 124-111 victory over Denver on Wednesday night. “I’m just going to go with rest tonight,” coach Doc Rivers said before the game. Amir Coffey added 21 points for the Clippers while Patrick Patterson had 17 points and 14 rebounds. The Thunder played without Chris Paul (sprained left hand) and Luguentz Dort (sprained right knee). Oklahoma City came into the game locked into a first-round matchup with the Houston Rockets. Hamidou Diallo had 27 points and 11 rebounds and Dennis Schroder 17 points for the Thunder. Mann made a free throw with 1:23 left in regulation to tie it at 87 but missed the second. The Thunder missed three field goals and Joakim Noah had a layup blocked by Devon Hall with 4.8 seconds left. TIP-INS Thunder: Will be either the No. 4 or 5 seed. Clippers: George put the playoffs in perspective when he said, “Seeding doesn’t really mean anything in this bubble. There’s no home-court advantage.” UP NEXT Thunder: Will face Houston in the playoffs next week. Clippers: Will face Dallas in the playoffs next week......»»