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2020 NBA Champion doesn t deserve dreaded 'asterisk'
Take your asterisk and file it somewhere else. For former NBA champion Glen Rice, the winner of the 2020 NBA title will be a deserving one. It certainly shouldn't be subject to to any asterisks even as the NBA season was postponed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If anything, the season delay and the fact that NBA teams had to be subjected inside the bubble for the duration of the playoffs plus an additional eight seeding games makes this year's champion all the more celebrated. "When you have what's going on around everyone, trying to maintain a safe lifestyle in the bubble, at the same time staying aware of what's going on outside the bubble and the nuances that can go as far as COVID creeping in there, if you can get champion out everything that's going on that's really easy to distract you from basketball, I think that's a huge plus for these guys," Rice said in an interview set up by NBA Philippines. "That just goes to show you how determined and focused they were," he added. The 2020 NBA Champion will be one of the few crowned during a season where teams played less than then 82 regular season games. The 2012 Miami Heat and 1999 San Antonio Spurs won their respective titles during lockout-shortened seasons. Still, those teams don't deserve asterisks shouldn't they? Do the 2019 Raptors deserve an asterisk because Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson were injured in the last two games of the Finals? Do the mid-1990s Houston Rockets deserve an asterisk because Michael Jordan chose to play baseball? Each NBA champion will be unique in their own way, Rice says there should be no reason why the 2020 NBA winner should be looked at any differently just because of the current world circumstances. "I think you will see a lot of people saying something different, perhaps having that asterisk. But I think more importantly, people need to realize is that this is different and I'm talking about in a positive way," he said. "This is something that we've never seen in sports. To crown a champion in this environment right now, I think that says a lot about the players and coaches who go out there and do what they gotta do," Rice added. The 2020 NBA playoffs tip off Monday (Tuesday in Manila) with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers leading the East and West, respectively. The Bucks open round 1 against the Orlando Magic while the Lakers battle the Portland Trail Blazers. Defending champion Toronto Raptors take on the Brooklyn Nets while the Boston Celtics meet the Philadelphia 76ers. The Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat complete the East bracket. In the Western Conference, the no. 2 Los Angeles Clippers open things up against the Dallas Mavericks. The Denver Nuggets take on division rival Utah Jazz while the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder duke it out in a best-of-7. — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
Antetokounmpo, Bucks hold off Celtics in restart opener
By The Associated Press LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo converted a tiebreaking three-point play with 1:28 left on an overturned call that kept him in the game and helped the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Boston Celtics 119-112 on Friday night. Antetokounmpo had 36 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in the Bucks’ first game in the restart. Milwaukee improved the NBA’s best record to 54-12 and moved within a victory of clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the second straight year. Boston overcame a poor start to tie it at 107. Antetokounmpo was then called for a charging foul, appearing to negate his basket and giving him a sixth foul. The call was changed to a blocking foul on Boston’s Marcus Smart after review, and Antetokounmpo made the free throw to make it 110-107. Khris Middleton then knocked down a 3-pointer for a six-point advantage. Middleton added 18 points for the Bucks, who played without Eric Bledsoe and Pat Connaughton while they work on their conditioning after testing positive for the coronavirus. Marvin Williams sat out with a strained left groin. Smart scored 23 points for the Celtics and Jaylen Brown had 22, but star forward Jayson Tatum had a nightmarish restart. He had five points on 2-for-18 shooting — though he actually only made one basket. Kemba Walker scored 16 points but played just 19 minutes as the Celtics look to keep the All-Star guard healthy after he’s been battling a sore knee. TRAIL BLAZERS 140, GRIZZLIES 135, OT CJ McCollum scored 33 points, teaming with Damian Lillard for 11 of Portland’s 16 in overtime, and the Trail Blazers pulled out a desperately needed victory to resume their season by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 140-135 on Friday. Lillard finished with 29 points and nine assists to help the Trail Blazers boost their hopes for a seventh consecutive playoff appearance. Carmelo Anthony added 21 points as Portland moved within 2 1/2 games of the Grizzlies for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. McCollum started fast, scoring 19 points in the first half, and finished strong with two crucial 3-pointers in overtime. The first one to open the extra period gave Portland the lead for good, and he added six assists. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 33 points and rookie Ja Morant added 22 points and 11 assists for Memphis. Memphis rallied from a 13-point, third-quarter deficit to take an 11-point lead, then gave it away almost as quickly. When the Grizzlies recovered to take a 112-103 lead with 6:01 left in regulation, it appeared the Grizzlies might pad their lead in the standings. Instead, Anthony’s 3 with 37.5 seconds left tied it at 124 and Morant fell on a last-second fast break, sending the game to overtime. MAGIC 128, NETS 118 Evan Fournier scored 24 points, Nikola Vucevic had 22 and Orlando picked up where it left off before the NBA season was suspended, beating Brooklyn. Playing as the designated road team not far from their arena, the Magic looked right at home at Disney — whose name they wear as their jersey patch. They extended their winning streak to four and moved back ahead of the Nets into seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn also won its last three before the stoppage, but the decimated team that returned is a shell of the one that beat the Lakers in Los Angeles in its final game. The Nets are missing Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan and Taurean Prince after they tested positive for the coronavirus. They are already playing without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who had season-ending surgery. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 24 points for the Nets. SPURS 129, KINGS 120 DeMar DeRozan scored 17 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to help San Antonio beat Sacramento. Before the game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and assistant Becky Hammon stood for the national anthem while the remainder of the coaches and players for both teams knelt. DeRozan shot 10 of 13 and had 10 assists, and the Spurs shot 53.3% from the field. Derrick White matched a career high with 26 points in San Antonio’s first game of the restart. The Spurs needed to find offense because LaMarcus Aldridge, the team’s No. 2 scorer, had shoulder surgery in April and will not play in the restart. De’Aaron Fox scored a career-high 39 points for the Kings. SUNS 125, WIZARDS 112 Devin Booker scored 27 points, Deandre Ayton added 24 points and 12 rebounds and Phoenix beat Washington. Booker made all nine of his free throws and the Suns hit 30 of 32 from the line. They shot 52% from the field, with Ayton hitting two of three 3-pointers and going 11 of 14 overall. Rui Hachimura scored 21 points and Jerome Robinson added 20 for the Wizards on coach Scott Brooks’ 55th birthday......»»
NBA Restart Team Overview: Brooklyn Nets
RECORD: 30-34, seventh place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of eighth-place Orlando and six games ahead of ninth-place Washington. OVERVIEW: The Nets are in current playoff position even though Kevin Durant has missed the season and Kyrie Irving has played only 20 games. NBA G League veteran Spencer Dinwiddie has helped replace Irving, averaging career highs of 20.6 points and 6.8 assists. Caris LeVert’s early-season two-month absence was another hurdle for Brooklyn. LeVert found his groove, though, averaging 24.1 points in his last 16 games, including a 51-point effort against Boston on March 3. NUMBER TO KNOW: Brooklyn is eighth in the NBA in defensive rating, which would be its highest ranking in a season since 2005-06. ABSENCES: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Michael Beasley, Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, Wilson Chandler, Taurean Prince ADDITIONS: Jamal Crawford, Lance Thomas, Donta Hall SEEDING GAMES: Orlando Magic (8/1) Washington Wizards (8/3) Milwaukee Bucks (8/5) Boston Celtics (8/6) Sacramento Kings (8/8) LA Clippers (8/10) Orlando Magic (8/12) Portland Trail Blazers (8/14).....»»
Damian Lillard emerges from shutdown ready for playoff push
By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Grieving the death of a cousin and missing his mother, Damian Lillard struggled emotionally after the NBA shut down because of the coronavirus. But he also found inspiration in his activism for Black Lives Matter and his flourishing music career. The Trail Blazers were just out of the playoff picture, sitting ninth in the Western Conference standings on March 11 when the league was shuttered. The team will be among 22 that will depart next week for Orlando as part of the re-start. Portland will have eight games to secure a playoff berth, starting on July 31 with Memphis. “We don’t have time to ease our way in, we don't have time to try and figure stuff out, we’ve got to come in assertive and aggressive and just go after it,” he said. “And if we fail, we fail, but we gotta at least come out there with that mentality of we don’t have time to kind of ease into it.” Lillard welcomes the chance to resume playing after a difficult few months. He admittedly had no idea how serious the virus was when the league closed down. He went to Phoenix with his family, intent on finding a gym to stay in shape during the layoff. But the NBA said players couldn't go to third-party facilities or trainers because of health concerns. While grateful that he had his fiance and son with him, Lillard essentially sheltered in place once he got back to Portland. He didn't see his mom for more than a month. And then his cousin and personal chef, Brandon Johnson, suddenly passed away. “It was tough, man. I think that was when I got to the point where I was like, if I was waking up and it wasn’t a sunny day, it was messing with my mood. It was just tough,” Lillard said. “I got through it, just from having a lot of my family around. That really helped. So I can see why somebody who is with one person or by themselves would have a really hard time. Definitely a tough few months.” Always diligent about his fitness, Lillard found a way to train. Then George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, touching off nationwide protests over police brutality. Lillard marched in Portland. He also released a powerful rap "Blacklist,'' under his music persona, Dame D.O.L.L.A. “I grew up with Oscar Grant, who was killed at a BART station while handcuffed facedown. I’ve been racially profiled by cops, before I was in the NBA. So I have thoughts and feelings about this stuff. That’s what Blacklist was about,” he said. Lillard was averaging 28.9 points and 7.8 assists this season. In January he scored 61 points in a game against the Warriors and he had seven games with 40 or more points. He'll be among those sequestered at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex for games, but the resumption of the season comes as cases of COVID-19 are spiking in Florida. Some players have opted out, including Portland's Trevor Ariza and Caleb Swanigan. But Portland will see the return of big men Jusuf Nurkic, now recovered from a broken leg last season, and Zach Collins, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury. One thing that's not a concern for the Blazers is fitness. “They’ve been very diligent about taking care of themselves, both in the weight room and on the court, and treatment. So I’ve been very impressed with all of their conditioning," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “They’re not an NBA game shape yet, but I think with a month to go, with the practices that we’re going to have, and the way they’ve taken care of themselves so far, I don’t think it’s a stretch that they’ll be more than ready.” Lillard is confident in his own ability to stay healthy, but he doesn't quite trust everyone else. The NBA announced this week that nine additional players had tested positive for the virus, bringing the total of league players who have contracted it to 25. “I feel like it’s still a possibility for something to spread within that bubble, just with there been so many people and so many different things that we’ve got to follow to be safe, even though we’re not exposed to the public,” he said. “So for me, it’s gonna be, `What time is practice? What time can I get in the weight room, What time can I get some shots up? What’s the plan for game day?' I’m going to be in the room. I’m going to have my PS3, my PS4. I’m going to have my studio equipment, my mike, my laptop. I’m going to have all my books. I mean, that’s it. I’m going to be in the room, chillin'.”.....»»
Kai’s last chance
Up to now, Kai Sotto’s stint in the FIBA Basketball World Cup remains unclear. Sure, he has been in the country for over two weeks and has been attending some Gilas Pilipinas events, but the fact that he has yet to actually train with his teammates is making Chot Reyes anxious. Sotto is tipped to play a crucial role in the Gilas squad. His 7-foot-3 frame, athleticism and feathery shooting touch from the perimeter will be needed when the Filipinos battle the best players in the world in the prestigious basketball spectacle from 25 August to 10 September. But it will be impossible for Reyes to involve Sotto in his game plan if he has yet to actually see him banging bodies with his fellow big men like World Cup veterans June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar, as well as rising star AJ Edu. It is no secret that Sotto’s dream is to make it to the National Basketball Association. He was still a gangly kid when he started joining the Junior NBA program before moving to Ateneo de Manila University and eventually donning the national colors in various age-group events — the biggest and most prestigious was the 2019 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Greece. A lot of offers came his way, including a chance to play for prestigious European clubs like Alba Berlin, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Baskonia, but Sotto, then 17, decided to bring his talent to the United States — not to enter play at the collegiate level — but to make a daring leap straight into the NBA. After training at The Skill Factory, he joined Team Ignite, a developmental team in the NBA G League that aims to prepare athletes for the NBA. At Team Ignite, Sotto showed some promise as he played for former Los Angeles Lakers coach Brian Shaw together with future NBA players Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Daishen Nix, and Isiah Todd. But when Team Ignite was about to start its season and enter the G League bubble in Orlando, Sotto shockingly flew home and joined Gilas in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. Ignite eventually dropped Sotto, prompting him to look for other ways to realize his dream of becoming the first full-blooded Filipino to make it to the NBA. He found one in Australia. He played for the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League and had some measure of success. In fact, he was able to gauge his prowess when the 36ers played against Chris Paul, Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns in an NBA preseason match. After a couple of seasons in Australia, he moved to Japan to play for the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the B League. He had some impressive games, but it wasn’t enough to earn the attention of NBA coaches, scouts, and talent evaluators. Still, he joined the NBA Summer League. Playing against veteran free agents, journeymen, and incoming rookies looking to earn spots on the opening-day rosters of NBA teams, Sotto rode the Orlando Magic bench in their first three games before making his debut against the Portland Trail Blazers, recording six points, four rebounds and three blocks in their 71-88 loss. Sotto tried to play in his fifth game, but he was slowed down by a back injury. His return to Manila was surrounded by controversy as he failed to join the Gilas squad that was set to go to China for the final leg of its preparations for the World Cup. He opted to stay home to “rest and recover” from his back injury. Until when? It’s something that only Sotto and his American handlers know. But Sotto should realize that the doors of the NBA are slowly closing on him. He already made a bad decision by snubbing the invitations of top European clubs as well as prestigious American collegiate programs like Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Auburn that could have helped him develop his game and gain confidence while playing against kids his age. Instead of staying patient and working on his game away from the prying eyes of NBA scouts, he rushed the process by signing up with Team Ignite before committing another massive blunder of flying back to Manila just before the G League season tipped off. Now he has only one chance — the FIBA Basketball World Cup. A lot of Filipinos ranging from Johnny Abarrientos to Aguilar, Kiefer Ravena and Ray Parks all tried — and failed — to make it to the NBA. On the contrary, Sotto is being presented with a rare opportunity to display his talent and carry the torch in a world-class event. Sadly, despite repeatedly saying that he is ready, his body language suggests that he is reluctant to step up to serve as the hero of this basketball-crazy nation. The clock is ticking for Sotto. The doors of the NBA are slowly closing right before his very eyes. He has to lace his sneakers, grab that Gilas jersey, and play his heart out for the country in the FIBA Basketball World Cup before he becomes another “what if” in the history of Philippine basketball. The post Kai’s last chance appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Creamline s Tots Carlos wins record-tying 3rd PVL MVP award
Carlos, who helped steer the Cool Smashers to the finals in the PVL All-Filipino Conference, took the most coveted individual citation for the third time in the last four conferences......»»
Trail Blazers stun Sixers again; Heat win
Los Angeles---Damian Lillard drained a pair of crucial late free throws and Robert Covington made a clutch defensive play with three seconds left as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers 118-114 on Thursday......»»
James and Lakers advance with 131-122 win over Trail Blazers
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — While the ultimate objective is to win a title, LeBron James said the Los Angeles Lakers achieved a key goal against the Portland Trail Blazers — and it wasn't simply to win the first-round playoff series. It was improvement. “We got better throughout the course of the series,” James said. “We knew we were coming into a series versus a hot Portland team that was playing the best basketball inside the bubble along with Phoenix. So we wanted to just come in and try to work our game, get better and better as the games went on, as the series went on. And I believe we did that.” James had 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals, beating the short-handed Blazers 131-122 in Game 5 on Saturday night (Sunday morning in the Philippines). Anthony Davis had a playoff-best 43 points for the top-seeded Lakers in their first playoff appearance since 2013. The Lakers hadn't won a playoff series since 2012. James has never lost a first-round playoff series, going 14-0. The Lakers will play the winner of the series between Houston and Oklahoma City. The Rockets took a 3-2 lead with a 114-80 victory earlier Saturday. CJ McCollum had 36 points for the surprisingly scrappy Trail Blazers, who played without injured All-Star guard Damian Lillard. Carmelo Anthony added 27 points. Down 14 in the third quarter, Portland got to 100-97 on McCollum's layup and tied it on Anfernee Simon's 3-pointer to cap an 8-point run with 9:46 left. James answered with a 3. Gary Trent Jr.'s 3-pointer tied it at 109 with just under seven minutes to go. Again the Lakers held off Portland with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's 3. After Trent's 3-pointer closed it to 114-112 with 4:53 left, Davis had a personal 11-0 run to put Los Angeles up 123-112 and all but seal it. The game was originally set for Wednesday night, but players collectively decided not to play in the three playoff games scheduled for that day to protest racial injustice following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Games on Friday were also postponed. James said he hopes the past few days made a difference. “Obviously, the bubble season will never be forgotten. In sports this is the first time we’ve been able to do something like this, but this moment is so much bigger than us playing basketball,” James said. “Hopefully, years on down the line, when America is in a better place, you can look back to this moment and be like, that was one of the catapults that kind of got it going.” Lillard injured his right knee in Game 4 that prompted him to leave the bubble in Florida and return to Portland to see team doctors. Lillard was named MVP of the seeding games heading into the playoffs, averaging 37.6 points and 9.6 assists in eight games. Trent Jr. took his Lillard's spot in the opening lineup. But because of injuries the eighth-seeded Blazers had just nine players available for the game. “All you can do is hope to hang around and make it a fourth quarter game and win in the end, and we didnt quite win it in the end," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. Portland's lone win in the first-round series came in Game 1. TIP INS Trail Blazers: In addition to Lillard, Portland was without Zach Collins because of left ankle inflammation, Nassir Little with dehydration and Wenyen Gabriel with right quad tendonitis. Lakers: Rajon Rondo practiced on Friday but remained inactive for Game 5 as he recovers from a fractured right thumb and back spasms. ... Dion Waiters was game-time decision with a migraine but was available. MOURNING UNCLE CLIFFY: There was a moment of silence before the game for former Trail Blazer Cliff Robinson. He died Saturday at 53. Robinson played 18 seasons in the NBA, his first eight in Portland, and later made the city his home. Portland players also wore headbands during the game in his honor. “His personality and energy were unmatched, and his contributions on the court were unmistakable, helping the Trail Blazers into the playoffs each of his eight seasons with the team,” the Blazers said in a statement. The moment of silence also recognized former Arizona coach Lute Olson and actor Chadwick Boseman. CIVIC DUTY: The Lakers announced before the game than that Staples Center will serve as a voting center for the upcoming general election. Voters can cast ballots at the arena from Oct. 30 through Nov. 3. The arena will also serve as a drop-off site for ballots......»»
NBA Playoffs LIVE UPDATES - West Round 1: (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers Game 4
After a stunning loss to the eighth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers have regained control of their Western Conference first round series, winning the last two games to take a 2-1 lead. LeBron James and Anthony Davis look to lead the Lakers to an important Game 4 win and secure a 3-1 lead. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum however, will look to swing momentum back their way and tie things up at 2-2. Tip off is on Tuesday, August 25th at 9:00 am. Join us for LIVE UPDATES! .....»»
James, Davis power Lakers past Blazers
Miami, United States—LeBron James finished with 38 points as the Los Angeles Lakers outplayed the Portland Trail Blazers at both ends of the floor Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) for a 116-108 win in game three of their Western Conference playoff series......»»
James, Davis power Lakers past Trail Blazers for 2-1 lead
By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — LeBron James had 38 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, Anthony Davis scored 12 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 116-108 on Saturday night (Sunday morning in the Philippines) for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference first-round series. The Lakers shut down the high-scoring Blazers for the second straight game after the No. 1 seed was knocked off in Game 1. This was Portland's highest-scoring performance in the series and it wasn't close to good enough. Damian Lillard scored 34 points despite a dislocated left index finger and CJ McCollum added 28 for the Trail Blazers. They will try to even the series in Game 4 on Monday. Portland was down only three with about 9 1/2 minutes left. But Davis then re-entered and started scoring from everywhere, turning lob passes into dunks or stepping outside for jumpers. The Lakers' defense handled the rest, limiting the Blazers to just three field goals over more than seven minutes as they pushed the lead to 109-98 with a little more than 2 minutes to go. Carmelo Anthony added 20 points in his first good game of the series. He was 4 for 17 in the first two games and he started Game 3 with seven straight misses before making his eighth — by tipping in his own miss. The Blazers made a lineup change, inserting Hassan Whiteside to play alongside Jusuf Nurkic in a big starting five. The unit got Portland off to a good start and the Blazers nursed the early lead all the way through the second quarter without ever really stopping James, who was 5 for 6 for 15 points in eight minutes in the period. But McCollum capped his 13-point period with a 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer, making it 57-53. James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope combined for 12 straight points to send the Lakers from six down to a 70-64 lead. The Blazers came right back behind Anthony, who made three straight jumpers before a dunk on the break tied it at 72. The Lakers surged back ahead with a 10-0 burst that made it 89-78 and they led by seven entering the fourth. TIP-INS Lakers: Caldwell-Pope had 13 points. ... Davis missed four of his five free throw attempts in the opening minutes and finished 7 for 14. Trail Blazers: Nurkic scored 10 points. ... The Blazers were outrebounded 55-38. MISSING COLLINS Portland coach Terry Stotts said Zach Collins (left ankle stress reaction) was still in the bubble but didn't know for how long. The forward separated his left shoulder in October but returned to play in the seeding and play-in games before having to be shut down because of the ankle. “As much as we miss him, I just feel bad for him because he had put so much work into being ready for this,” Stotts said. “And because of the hiatus it gave him the opportunity to play this season, which we weren’t sure he was going to be able to have if there was no hiatus. So it looked like things were lining up well for him so it’s really disappointing for him.”.....»»
Anthony Davis helps Lakers rout Trail Blazers to tie series
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida — Anthony Davis had 31 points and 11 rebounds and the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from an opening loss to beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 111-88, on Thursday night (Friday morning, August 21, 2020, in the Philippines) in Game 2 of the first-round Western Conference playoff series. LeBron James […] The post Anthony Davis helps Lakers rout Trail Blazers to tie series appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Wong names Morado, Salak among her top 5 setters
Deanna Wong is considered as one of top talents who make the future of Philippine volleyball look bright. A UAAP title in Season 81 and a Best Setter award in Season 80 are some of the accomplishments she collected as setter of the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles. As talented and skilled as she is, Wong looks up to the legends that made and still making their marks in the local volleyball scene. Here is Wong’s list of Top 5 Pinay setters. JIA MORADO “Well number one siyempre Ate Jia [Morado], my mentor talaga so wala nang bakit number one siya,” said Wong during her appearance on So She Did! Heady with great court vision and solid connection with her hitters best describe Morado. The UAAP Season 77 Best Setter established her legendary status during her stay with the Lady Eagles, who she piloted to back-to-back UAAP titles. Morado, who is a member of the national team, also helped Creamline win three titles in the Premier Volleyball League while collecting five straight Best Setter awards in the two-conference league. TINA SALAK Longevity. This makes Salak a legend among the setters in the country. The 44-year old playmaker started to make waves when she led Far Eastern University to a couple of championships in the mid-90s. Salak was also the main setter of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games bronze medal team – the last squad to earn a podium finish in the biennial meet. The Army personnel played in the PVL and in the Philippine Superliga up until 2018 before going full time as coach of De La Salle-Zobel girls team. KIM FAJARDO De La Salle University won three titles during her stint with the Lady Spikers. Fajardo is well-known for her well-rounded approach in playmaking. She easily adapts with the style of her hitters, good at reading the defense and a vocal leader inside the court. The Batangas native bagged three Best Setter awards and a Best Server recognition during her stay with the green and white. Her fierce competition with Morado made the Ateneo-DLSU rivalry extra colorful. Fajardo is also enjoying a successful career with F2 Logistics in the PSL and is a member of the national team. JEM FERRER A member of the Ateneo Fab Five, Ferrer can be considered as one of the Lady Eagles who paved the way for Ateneo’s success in the UAAP. Ferrer was named Best Setter three times and helped the Lady Eagles advance to their first-ever Finals appearance in Season 74. Ferrer remains as one of the PVL’s top playmakers. RHEA DIMACULANGAN University of Sto. Tomas has yet to find a setter that would equal the caliber of Dimaculangan. With her orchestrating the Tigresses’ plays, UST went on to win the Season 72 crown while bagging the Best Server and Finals Most Valuable Player honors. Dimaculangan is a member of the national team. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles.....»»
NBA Playoffs LIVE UPDATES - West Round 1: (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers Game 1
The playoff picture is set. It's time for the most exciting part of the NBA season! Back in the postseason for the first time since 2013, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, return to the playoffs in style by clinching the top seed in the Western Conference. Looking to continue their Cinderella-run by taking down the best in the West are the eighth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, who clawed their way into the final playoff spot in the Western Conference thanks to the stellar play of Bubble MVP Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. In their three meetings in the 2019-2020 season, the Lakers won twice, both by big margins. Tip off is on Wednesday, August 19th at 9:00 AM! Join us for LIVE UPDATES! .....»»
NBA LIVE UPDATES - Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies Play-in Game
The battle for the eighth seed in the talent-rich Western Conference is down to two teams! On one end, you have Bubble MVP frontrunner Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and the surging Portland Trail Blazers, who clinched a play-in game berth with a close win over the Brooklyn Nets to end the seeding games. On the other end, Rookie of The Year frontrunner Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies try to return to the eighth-seed, a spot that they held entering the NBA restart. The Blazers will have a twice-to-beat advantage. Portland and Memphis met in the early part of the restart, with the Blazers pulling out a 140-135 win in OT. The first of two possible play-in games tips off on Sunday, August 16th at 2:30 am! Join us for LIVE UPDATES! .....»»
Red-hot Lillard scores 61 as Blazers nips Mavs
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida — Damian Lillard tied his career high with 61 points, willing Portland to a 134-131 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning, August 12, 2020, Philippine time) that moved the Trail Blazers into eighth place in the Western Conference. The Blazers will clinch a spot in the play-in […] The post Red-hot Lillard scores 61 as Blazers nips Mavs appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Westbrook scores 31 as Rockets get 120-116 win over Bucks
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Russell Westbrook scored 31 points and the Houston Rockets used strong defense down the stretch for a 120-116 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night. It was the 36th straight game with at least 20 points for Westbrook, who led Houston’s offense on a night James Harden scored 24. Houston tied an NBA record for most 3-point attempts in a regulation game with 61, making 21 of them, and forced 22 turnovers. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 36 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists for Milwaukee. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to have 15 games with at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a season in the last 50 years. Khris Middleton scored 27 points and Brook Lopez added 23 as the Bucks missed a chance to clinch the best record in the Eastern Conference. SPURS 108, GRIZZLIES 106 DeMar DeRozan made two free throws with a second to play, giving San Antonio a victory over Memphis that moved the Spurs into ninth place in the Western Conference. The Spurs built an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, then needed a bunch of big plays down the stretch from DeRozan after the Grizzlies rallied. The final one came when he brought the ball down court after Jaren Jackson Jr. tied it for Memphis with a corner 3-pointer with 10.6 seconds to play. DeRozan pump-faked Dillon Brooks into the air and drew the foul, then knocked down the foul shots. Jackson missed a long 3 on the final possession. The Spurs are trying to qualify for the postseason for what would be an NBA-record 23rd consecutive season. They arrived at Walt Disney World in 12th place in the West, but after victories over Sacramento and Memphis are just two games behind the eighth-place Grizzlies. Dejounte Murray had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs. Derrick White added 16 points and DeRozan had 14. Morant finished with 25 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Jackson scored 21 points. CELTICS 128, TRAIL BLAZERS 124 Jayson Tatum scored 34 points, Jaylen Brown added 30 and Bostons built a big early lead before holding off Portland. Tatum, who added a career-high eight assists, rebounded from a terrible performance in a loss to Milwaukee on Friday when he scored just five points on 2-of-18 shooting. Damian Lillard had 30 points and 16 assists for Portland. Jusuf Nurkic added 30 points in his second official game back after breaking his leg in March 2019. SUNS 117, MAVERICKS 115 Devin Booker scored 30 points and Phoenix erased a double-digit deficit while the All-Star guard was on the bench with foul trouble, rallying to beat Dallas. The Suns have won both games in the restart after coming in with the worst record in the Western Conference. They’re still long shots for the playoffs, while the Mavericks clinched their first postseason berth since 2016 by virtue of Memphis’ loss to San Antonio earlier in the day. Luka Doncic had 40 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Mavericks. whose hopes of moving up from the seventh seed are fading with an 0-2 start in the eight-game seeding round. MAGIC 132, KINGS 116 Nikola Vucevic had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Aaron Gordon scored 19 of his 22 points in the first half and Orlando continued its strong restart with a victory over Sacramento. Terrence Ross added 25 points to help the Magic win a season-best fifth straight game going back to before the pandemic-forced shutdown in March.Orlando won the last three before the hiatus and beat Brooklyn, the team it is battling for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, to open the restart. De’Aaron Fox scored 13 points after a career-high 39 in the restart opener for the Kings, who have lost both games in the bubble as they try to get in position for a shot at the final playoff spot in the West. Harry Giles III led Sacramento with a career-high 23 points. NETS 118, WIZARDS 110 Caris LeVert scored 14 of his 34 points in the final seven minutes to help Brooklyn beat Washington. Joe Harris scored a season-high 27 points and Jarret Allen added 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Nets. They rebounded from a loss to Orlando in their first seeding game to move seven games ahead of ninth-place Washington in the Eastern Conference standings. Thomas Bryant had a career-high 30 points and 13 rebounds, and Troy Brown Jr. added 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Wizards......»»
Trail Blazers rally to force OT, beat Grizzlies 140-135
By The Associated Press LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 33 points, teaming with Damian Lillard for 11 of Portland’s 16 in overtime, and the Trail Blazers pulled out a desperately needed victory to resume their season by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 140-135 on Friday. Lillard finished with 29 points and nine assists to help the Trail Blazers boost their hopes for a seventh consecutive playoff appearance. Carmelo Anthony added 21 points as Portland moved within 2 1/2 games of the Grizzlies for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. McCollum started fast, scoring 19 points in the first half, and finished strong with two crucial 3-pointers in overtime. The first one to open the extra period gave Portland the lead for good, and he added six assists. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 33 points and rookie Ja Morant added 22 points and 11 assists for Memphis. Memphis rallied from a 13-point, third-quarter deficit to take an 11-point lead, then gave it away almost as quickly. When the Grizzlies recovered to take a 112-103 lead with 6:01 left in regulation, it appeared the Grizzlies might pad their lead in the standings. Instead, Anthony’s 3 with 37.5 seconds left tied it at 124 and Morant fell on a last-second fast break, sending the game to overtime. MAGIC 128, NETS 118 Evan Fournier scored 24 points, Nikola Vucevic had 22 and Orlando picked up where it left off before the NBA season was suspended, beating Brooklyn. Playing as the designated road team not far from their arena, the Magic looked right at home at Disney — whose name they wear as their jersey patch. They extended their winning streak to four and moved back ahead of the Nets into seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn also won its last three before the stoppage, but the decimated team that returned is a shell of the one that beat the Lakers in Los Angeles in its final game. The Nets are missing Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan and Taurean Prince after they tested positive for the coronavirus. They are already playing without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who had season-ending surgery. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 24 points for the Nets. SUNS 125, WIZARDS 112 Devin Booker scored 27 points, Deandre Ayton added 24 points and 12 rebounds and Phoenix beat Washington. Booker made all nine of his free throws and the Suns hit 30 of 32 from the line. They shot 52% from the field, with Ayton hitting two of three 3-pointers and going 11 of 14 overall. Rui Hachimura scored 21 points and Jerome Robinson added 20 for the Wizards on coach Scott Brooks’ 55th birthday......»»
PBA: 'Perfect team' allowed Asi Taulava to dominate 2003 season
Asi Taulava is going strong heading into his 21st PBA season. The Ageless one is trying to become the first local player to play in the league for four separate decades. Taulava is one of the best players the PBA has ever seen and his banner year came in 2003 when Asi went full "The Rock" mode to dominate the league. In the 2003 season, Asi was the PBA's Most Valuable Player and was in the All-PBA 1st team and All-Defensive Team. In that year's All-Filipino, Taulava was the Best Player of the Conference and Finals MVP after leading the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals to their first championship. Even during one of the best single-season performances in the PBA, it was a "perfect team" that helped Asi stamp his class in 2003. "I had a perfect team," Taulava said on 2OT with PBA broadcasters Magoo Marjon and Carlo Pamintuan. "My first 3-4 years, remember at the time Mobiline just bought the franchise from Pepsi. The franchise was moving through cultures. The MVP group came in and now we started getting pieces," he added. As Talk 'N Text built its team, the Phone Pals ended up surrounding Asi with veterans like Vic Pablo, Bong Ravena, Mark Telan, Patrick Fran, and Donbel Belano. Talk 'N Text also added rookies Harvey Carey and Jimmy Alapag via Draft. "The big piece was bringing in Vic Pablo from Shell. Then Bong Ravena, Patrick Fran... then we added Jimmy Alapag and Harvey Carey. Bringing those guys in plugged those holes that we had," Taulava said. "We couldn't believe Jimmy fell to 10th in that Draft," Taulava added as Alapag became the final pick of the first round in the 2003 Draft. Carey was the fourth selection. Coached by Joel Banal, the Phone Pals beat Tim Cone's Alaska Aces after five grueling games in the semifinals. In the Finals, Talk 'N Text overcame a 0-2 deficit to tame Chot Reyes' Coca-Cola Tigers in six for the title. "Coke was really good at the time, they had Rudy [Hatfield], Johnny [Abarrientos], Rafi [Reavis], they had all these guys that knew how to win and at the time, they were in the semis majority of the time. That team was built to win," Taulava said. "We just happened to catch them [off guard]. I think they thought the series was over when we went down 0-2, they never thought we would fight back. Everything just happened. Lucky for us everything fell into place, because it could have easily been a 4-0 sweep," Asi added. — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
NBA Restart Team Overview: Memphis Grizzlies
RECORD: 32-33, sitting at eighth-place in the Western Conference, seven games behind the seventh-seeded Dallas Mavericks and three-and-a-half games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Sacramento Kings, who are all virtually tied for ninth place. OVERVIEW: Following the departure of former franchise stars in Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, the expectations were not high for the Grizzlies. Powered by one of the league's youngest rosters led by a pair of 20-year olds in Rookie of The Year frontrunner Ja Morant and sophomore Jaren Jackson Jr. however, the Grizzlies are firmly in the running for a spot in the playoffs. Morant leads all qualifying rookies in scoring with 17.6 points per game and assists with 6.9 dimes per game His six-foot-eleven running mate Jackson meanwhile, is a threat on both ends of the floor. Veteran big man Jonas Valanciunas has also been solid for the Grizzlies with 14.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. NUMBER TO KNOW: The Grizzlies are averaging 27.0 assists per game, second-most in the league. KEY ADDITIONS/LOSSES: N/A SEEDING GAMES: vs. Portland Trail Blazers (8/1) vs. San Antonio Spurs (8/3) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (8/4) vs. Utah Jazz (8/6) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (8/8) vs. Toronto Raptors (8/10) vs. Boston Celtics (8/12) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (8/14) .....»»