By the Associated Press

NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving hadn’t played in two months and all he did in his return was make 10 of 11 shots in the best shooting night of his career.

He knows it won’t always be that easy.

“I mean, I’m not going to shoot 10 for 11,” he said with a laugh. “I hope I can shoot 10 for 11 every night.”

The Brooklyn Nets will take whatever they can get after seeing how much a healthy Irving means to them.

The point guard scored 21 points in 20 minutes in his return from an injured right shoulder, leading the Nets to a 108-86 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.

Irving made a career-best 90.9% of his shots after missing 26 games with an impingement. The shoulder looked fine and his handle looked as good as ever while he dribbled his way around a hopeless Atlanta defense.

Energized by his return that still seemed a ways away just a week ago, the Nets led by 39 points and won their second straight after dropping seven in a row.

“We had a certain confidence about us tonight that I think we were missing during that streak,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. “So great, great timing having him back.”

Cam Reddish scored 20 points for the Hawks, who played without star guard Trae Young because of a left hamstring injury and lost their fourth straight.

The Nets made it such an easy night that their fans didn’t need to worry about the scoreboard as they roared for Vince Carter’s two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. The 42-year-old former Nets star finished with eight points in his final road appearance against the franchise.

“Obviously to come back here, and some of the other stops I’ve played for, and just kind of to receive a standing O for one last time is just great,” Carter said.

Irving began feeling pain in his shoulder early in the season, and he took himself out of the lineup after a game in Denver on Nov. 14. The Nets held up well without him for a while thanks mostly to Spencer Dinwiddie’s strong play, but had faltered recently, especially in crunch time.

Irving got a cortisone shot on Dec. 24 and returned to full practice this week, just in time to return on his sister’s birthday.

“It’s not really a surprise for me,” Irving said of his performance. “I put in the work and when I do that I feel like the results will come.”

He started alongside Dinwiddie to share the playmaking responsibilities and did most of his scoring near the basket, making the only 3-pointer he attempted. The Nets were already leading 70-46 at halftime before he went 5 for 5 for 10 points in a dazzling six-minute stretch of the third quarter.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Kristel Satumbaga

 

The country’s No. 1 juniors player Alex Eala has barged into the Top 10 of the International Tennis Federation world junior rankings at the start of the year to secure a berth in the 2020 Australian Open main draw round.

Eala, 14, is now ranked No. 9 in the world after a successful season in 2019 that saw her win the JA Cape Town Tennis Championships in South Africa in September.

“Couldn’t have made it without you. Thank you Rafa Nadal Academy, Globe Telecom and Babolat!” Eala said on her Facebook account.

Eala has been a scholar of the prestigious tennis academy for the past years. She leapfrogged from No. 248 at the end of the 2018 season to as high as No. 13 in October.

She ended the season last December with a doubles victory in the prestigious Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships in Florida with Belarusian partner Evialina Laskevich.

Eala’s ranking also assured her of a spot in the 64-player main draw round of the Australian Open scheduled on Jan. 25.

Her last Grand Slam appearance was at the US Open last September, where she made it to the second round.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

TORONTO  — DeMar DeRozan got another warm welcome in Toronto, and then helped San Antonio top the struggling Raptors.

DeRozan scored 25 points, Rudy Gay had 15 and the Spurs rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat Toronto 105-104 on Sunday.

“Being down what we was down and still being able to fight back and pull it out was big, especially on the road,” DeRozan said.

San Antonio used a big fourth quarter to win for the third time in four games. Derrick White scored 13 points for the Spurs, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 11. DeRozan also collected eight rebounds and four assists while topping 20 points for the 11th straight game.

“He’s been huge,” White said of DeRozan. “Creating for us, scoring, doing just about everything. He made big plays down the stretch.”

San Antonio trailed 82-69 to begin the fourth and fell behind 87-73 on a 3 by Matt Thomas with 10:14 left. The Spurs responded with a 17-0 run, taking an 88-87 lead on Aldridge’s layup with 6:34 to play, then capping their spurt with a pair of free throws from DeRozan.

The Spurs led 100-91 with 2:37 left, but Kyle Lowry, Norman Powell and Serge Ibaka each made 3-pointers as Toronto tied it 100-100 on Ibaka’s shot from distance with 1:17 left.

Siakam broke the tie by making the second of two free throws with 41 seconds left, but Marco Belinelli replied with a 3 for the Spurs, making it 103-101 with 28 seconds remaining.

After a Toronto timeout, Siakam missed a shot that would have tied the game. San Antonio’s Lonnie Walker IV grabbed the rebound, Lowry fouled DeRozan, and the former Raptors star pushed the lead to four points by making a pair from the line.

Lowry replied with a deep 3, cutting the deficit to one, and Aldridge missed a pair of free throws with four seconds left. But Siakam’s long 3-pointer bounced off the backboard at the buzzer.

DeRozan missed his first three free throws but made 11 straight the rest of the way. He didn’t score until 1:25 remained in the first half and attempted just three shots in the first two quarters, but made six of nine attempts in the second half.

Playing in Toronto as a visitor for only the second time, DeRozan received loud applause when he was introduced before the game. Fans rose for a standing ovation when DeRozan was honored with a tribute video during a first-quarter timeout, part of Toronto’s ongoing 25th anniversary celebrations.

“It’s amazing to be able to get that much recognition,” DeRozan said. “It never gets old.”

When the Spurs visited Toronto last February, DeRozan turned the ball over in the final seconds, leading to a go-ahead dunk by Kawhi Leonard.

This time, there were no miscues in the final moments.

“I’m pretty sure it means a lot to him to come back here and get a win,” said Spurs center Jakob Poeltl, DeRozan’s teammate in Toronto and San Antonio. “Last year we were really close, we ended up losing a close game. This year it was a close game again and we ended up winning it.”

Ibaka had 21 points and a season-high 15 rebounds for the Raptors, and Lowry finished with 16 points and a season-high 15 assists.

Toronto is 4-6 since a five-game winning streak ended with a loss at Indiana on Dec. 23. The Raptors blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter against Portland last Tuesday, and needed overtime to win at Charlotte the following night.

“Normally our fourth-quarter defense is great, but it wasn’t tonight,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.

San Antonio’s comeback spoiled the returns of Siakam and Powell, each of whom had missed 11 games since a Dec. 18 win at Detroit. Powell scored 20 points and Siakam had 15, including 12 in the first.

“Obviously happy to be back,” Siakam said. “Definitely a little tired but I’ll take that after being out for a month.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

NEW YORK — Julius Randle was not ready to play in a basketball game following the death of his grandmother earlier this week.

He was feeling her presence on the Madison Square Garden floor on Sunday.

Randle scored 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, RJ Barrett chipped in 23 and the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Miami Heat 124-121.

“My grandmother left an incredible legacy and mark on my life and my family, so it has been tough. It’ll still be tough, but tonight was special and I really felt her out there the whole time,” said Randle, who missed New York’s previous two games.

“It’s tough when somebody loses someone who is important to them. A couple of things have happened to us, and as a group. It affects everybody. You know, I cried when teammates lost their family members, it’s tough and I feel the same compassion now, losing my grandmother.”

Kevin Knox had 17 points off the bench and Reggie Bullock added 16 for the Knicks, who snapped a five-game losing streak.

Jimmy Butler had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who blew a lead down the stretch for the second time during their weekend stay in New York.

James Johnson scored 19 points for Miami, which has lost consecutive games for the first time this season.

Randle had an impressive two-minute stretch late in the fourth quarter with eight points. He stole the ball from Johnson and made a 3-pointer to give New York a 116-114 lead with 2:16 to go.

Randle later answered Johnson’s 3 with a pair of free throws and then a layup to extend the lead to 122-119 with 34 seconds left.

Interim coach Mike Miller credited the organization for giving Randle as much time as possible to be with his family.

“The biggest thing is the players know that as a group collectively we respect their privacy and the things they need to do individually to take care of their families,” Miller said. “I think organizationally everybody does a great job stepping up. We are here for you, and we will do anything they need.”

The Heat led by 12 points at halftime of Friday night’s game in Brooklyn before the slumping Nets beat them.

“This is not our first rodeo. We do not need to panic,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. ‘We do not need to reinvent the wheel. We know how to do it. We’ve done it, and personnel has done it.”

Miami went up by 14 on Derrick Jones Jr.’s 3-pointer with 3:33 left in the third quarter and appeared to be on its way to an easy win over a New York team whose last three losses were by a total of 66 points.

The Knicks then scored 40 fourth-quarter points, though Butler had a chance to tie the game twice in regulation.

Trailing by two points with 21 seconds second left, Butler was fouled by Bullock on a 3-point shot attempt but only made two of three free throws to cut the lead to 122-121.

Barrett was then fouled and made one for a two-point lead. On the ensuing possession, Butler missed a layup but Miami was credited with the possession after the ball went out of bounds. Butler then turned the ball over on a bad pass intended for Bam Adebayo.

Barrett was fouled again and made one to make it 124-121. Miami then gained possession after a replay review after the referees confirmed a loose ball following Barrett’s missed free throw went out of bounds off a Knicks player.

Miami called timeout and a desperation 3 by Adebayo was waved off because it came after the buzzer.

Butler was 6 of 7 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free throw line to finish the first half with 17 points as Miami led 60-55.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Even on their biggest roll in two years, the Utah Jazz believe they can get a lot better.

Bojan Bogdonovic scored 31 points, Rudy Gobert added 21 points and 14 rebounds and the Jazz beat the Washington Wizards 127-116 on Sunday for their ninth straight victory.

Utah overcame a 15-point deficit in the third quarter to win for the 14th time in 15 games and climb up to second place in the Western Conference.

“It’s pretty good, but we feel like we can be a lot better,” Gobert said. “The goal is not just to be second in the West, but be the best team in the West at the end of the playoffs.”

Jordan Clarkson added 17 of his 23 points in the second half for the Jazz, one of six players in double figures as team scoring leader Donovan Mitchell sat out because of an illness.

“Obviously, Donovan is one of our key guys, so there’s always going to be a lot of adjustment, a little different from any player,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “I thought our guys did a really good job of absorbing that collectively.”

Bradley Beal scored 25 points for Washington after missing five games with right leg soreness.

Davis Bertans added 18 points and Jordan McRae had 16. Washington lost at home for the first time in four games after letting the third-quarter lead evaporate.

“I think our aggression on both ends of the floor kind of slipped,” Beal said. “Turning the ball over, shot selection. Sometimes we had a lot of one-pass shots, no-pass shots. We were kind of slow pushing the pace.”

Utah had a 21-3 run to take an 83-80 lead late in the third quarter. Clarkson gave Utah its first advantage since midway through the first quarter with a driving layup that made it 81-80, and followed that with a floater.

The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the third, but Gobert’s layup gave Utah the lead for good with 10 seconds left in the quarter.

The Jazz opened the fourth on a 14-5 run to build their lead to 11. Washington would close it to within three once, but Gobert’s three dunks inside the final four minutes helped seal the win.

“He does a good job of just being seven feet, and using his arms and his length to his advantage,” Beal said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Kristel Satumbaga

The Philippine Sports Commission has advised all national athletes to suspend their training outdoors on Monday in light with the Taal Volcano eruption over the weekend.

The government sports agency made the announcement on all its social media platforms as safety and health precautions.

“All national team members are advised that training outdoors is prohibited at the moment in light of the ashfall due to Mt. Taal’s eruption. Keep safe,” the advisory read.

Mt Taal, located around 80 kilometers south of Manila, erupted on Sunday afternoon and sent ashfall as far as 14 kilometers.

Most members of the national team train at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Vito Cruz, Taft and the Philsports Complex in Pasig City.

Metro Manila also suspended classes on all levels as well as work on government offices.

Source: Manila Bulletin

In its 120 years of being the country’s longest-running newspaper, the Manila Bulletin continuously ventures into various avenues of information to augment its print platform.

Recognizing the need to bring more awareness to the public about health and fitness, it introduced Crosstrain.PH, a quarterly magazine that promotes overall well-being through functional fitness or crossfit.

By definition, functional fitness pertains to a type of training which can be applied in common situations of everyday life. Unlike other categories of exercises, functional fitness mimics daily common movements and activities to efficient and high-intensity workouts.

It’s made not just for reasons like strengthening core stability or helping a person gain muscle or lose weight, but also to make daily activities easier. For some, functional fitness is also the missing bridge to connect them to their long overdue fitness journey.

As one of the firsts, if not the first and only publication in the country that caters to everything related to functional fitness, on the pages of Crosstrain.PH are real-life accounts and credible bits of information about health, nutrition, fitness, well-being and everything in between.

With stories of triumph told by athletes and fitness enthusiasts, on a bigger scale, Crosstrain.PH sends a message that motivation can be anything and can be found anywhere – all one needs to do is to have the desire and the discipline.

And who’s more fitting to be the epitome of motivation and discipline than multi-medalist Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz? Gracing the cover of Crosstrain.PH’s maiden issue launched in October 2018, Diaz talked about the challenges and the struggles she had to face before reaching the world stage in sports.

Joining Diaz in the roster of Crosstrain.PH’s features are CrossFit practitioners Gino and Dino Mercado, who both consider getting into functional fitness as their pledge to help others gain confidence and feel better about themselves.

“To learn CrossFit, you need a coach. That’s where we became coaches, our passion teaching a beginner, the best thing we want to do. We saw the coaching side of CrossFit in making people become better,” shared Dino as published on the second issue of Crosstrain.PH.

Functional fitness is also slowly gaining attention in the local scene, thanks to Crossfit coaches and up and coming Philippine-based Crossfit athletes Isabelle Wolfe ad Rocky Dorjsembe who have proven their mettle by clinching various competitions.

In an interview with Crosstrain.PH, Wolfe described Crossfit as something that changed her more than just in the physical aspect. “It also changed me emotionally. I’m a lot more confident in myself,” she said.
For Dorjsembe, Crossfit made him stronger. “I take Crossfit as a lifestyle – it’s a way to eat, way to train, and also a way to behave. You’ll become a better and healthier person.

Diaz, the Mercado twins, Wolfe, and Dorjsembe are all part of a larger Crossfit community in the Philippines.
Watch out as Crosstrain.PH continues to shed light on the essence of functional fitness on its upcoming fourth issue.

Be in the know about the local Crossfit scene through https://ift.tt/2QMovCh and https://ift.tt/2NiIgiO, and subscribe to fresh copies of Crosstrain.PH’s quarterly issues at Manila Bulletin offices and leading Crossfit boxes across Metro Manila.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

Games Monday

(The Arena, San Juan)

8:30 a.m. – Arellano vs EAC (Junior’s)
10 a.m. – Arellano vs EAC (Men’s)
12 noon – Arellano vs EAC (Women’s)
2 p.m. – St. Benilde vs Mapua (Women’s)
3:30 p.m. – St. Benilde vs Mapua (Men’s)
5 p.m. – St. Benilde vs Mapua (Junior’s)

Defending three-time champion Arellano University and College of Saint Benilde eye the early lead when they face separate opponents in NCAA Season 95 volleyball Monday at The Arena in San Juan.

The Lady Chiefs meet the Emilio Aguinaldo College Lady Generals at 12 noon while the Lady Blazers battle the Mapua Lady Cardinals at 2 p.m.

The Lady Chiefs and the Lady Blazers opened the season with impressive wins last Friday.

Arellano launched its four-peat bid with a 27-25, 25-20, 25-20 victory over Lyceum of the Philippines University while St. Benilde made an early statement with a 25-17, 14-25, 25-17, 25-20 victory over University of Perpetual Help Systen Dalta.

Arellano coach Obet Javier is preaching consistency and precision.

“Hindi ka puwedeng mag-relax. Lalong lalo na hindi ka dapat magkamali,” said Javier.

Although their off-season performances were not that impressive, Javier believes that Arellano is still capable of extending their reign.

“Nakita ko yung kapasidad ng mga bagong player at nakita ko yung mga kakulangan nila,” said Javier, who got 18 points from graduating player Regine Arocha.

For St. Benilde, it showed it can sustain its good showing in the off-season.

The Lady Blazers are looking good with a mix of veteran players and rookies that can compete for the championship and are hoping to do well versus the Lady Cardinals.

EAC and Mapua, two teams which finished at the bottom last season, are aiming for a better performance this year.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

Meralco coach Norman Black thinks that it will be tough for Raymond Almazan to return and play the rest of the finals after he suffered a knee injury in Game 3 against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA Governors’ Cup Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Almazan hurt his left knee while going for a layup with 6:09 left in the opening quarter, grimacing in pain before he was helped by teammates to the locker room.

“We found out at halftime that probably we’ll lose Raymond for the rest of the game, and probably for the rest of the series,” said Black after the game.

“He can’t move his leg, and as a former player myself, it’s never a good sign,” he added.

The 62-year-old Black, prior to being a champion coach in the pro league, started as an import in the 80s and has suited up for the Detroit Pistons during the 1980-81 NBA season.

He said it’s hard to come back from any knee injury even if it’s a minor one, especially if one needs a quick recovery to be able to continue playing in the finals.

Nevertheless, the Meralco mentor said he is hoping for the best for Almazan, who is set to have a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test after the game.

“I hope that he’ll be OK. But it’s not something that you’ll just bounce back from,” he said.

Without the 6-foot-9 Almazan, Ginebra unleashed a big third quarter run, and then held on to beat Meralco 92-84 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven title showdown.

Game 4 is scheduled Wednesday at the Big Dome.

A healthy Almazan allows the Bolts to match up against the Ginebra frontline of 6-foot-10 Japeth Aguilar and 7-footer Greg Slaughter. Without him, but Black said they have to dig deep now in their roster.

“Because of what happened, we just have to try and make as many adjustments as we can and be ready for the next game,” said Black.

The Bolts acquired Almazan in a trade with Rain or Shine last conference.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Game on Jan. 23
(Southorn Stadium, Hong Kong)
8 p.m. — Hong Kong vs Alab Pilipinas

San Miguel Alab Pilipinas was handed an 85-64 beating by the host Singapore Slingers on Sunday in the ASEAN Basketball League at the OCBC Arena.

Alab couldn’t replicate its comeback win last month at home as it shot 34-percent from the field while turning the ball over 15 times, allowing the Slingers to secure a lopsided win in front of their home fans.

The loss dropped Alab to 5-3, failing to maintain at least a hold of the lead in the 10-team field.

Import Xavier Alexander inflicted trouble on Alab as he led Singapore with 31 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists and eight steals.

Only 7-foot-5 reinforcement Sam Deguara scored in double figures for Alab with 14 points as the rest struggled to shoot the ball.

Khalif Wyatt, who fired 20 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter of Alab’s 90-83 victory over Singapore last Dec. 15 in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, was held to just seven on 2-of-6 shooting.

Fellow import Nick King, the team’s leading scorer at 21.0 points per game, had nine points on 4-of-13 shooting.

Jeremiah Gray also made nine points but was 4-of-12 from the floor after playing a major part in Alab’s home victory over the Taipei Fubon Braves last Tuesday.

Scores:

SINGAPORE 85 — Alexander 31, Elliott 19, McClain 18, Kwek 7, Goh 5, Raj 3, Oh 2, J. Lim 0, K. Lim 0, Tay 0, J. Ng 0, S. Ng 0.

ALAB PILIPINAS 64 — Deguara 14, King 9, Gray 9, Brickman 8, Wyatt 7, Vigil 5, Heading 3, Ganuelas-Rosser 3, Caracut 2, Domingo 2, Rangel 2.

Quarters: 22-17; 42-33; 66-44; 85-64.

Source: Manila Bulletin