By Nick Giongco

A Feb. 22 date is in the works for Jerwin Ancajas to make the ninth defense of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-flyweight crown, the Filipino champion’s official representative said on Thursday.

“We were told to be on standby,” said Ancajas’ chief handler and head trainer Joven Jimenez, adding Sean Gibbons is doing the negotiations.

Gibbons is currently in Las Vegas, headquarters of Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., confirming what Jimenez’s statements.

“Possible that Jerwin fight late-February,” said Gibbons, also the MP Promotions president, from Sin City.

The opponent being looked at is Jonathan Rodriguez of Mexico, who was supposed to battle Ancajas last November in Carson, California.

Rodriguez failed to arrive in the US and Top Rank was forced to scrap the fight and put Ancajas on a Dec. 7 show in Puebla, Mexico, instead where he easily stopped Chilean Miguel Gonzalez.

If Gibbons strikes a deal, the Ancajas-Rodriguez duel will be played out in Las Vegas.

On January 1, even during his 28th birthday, Ancajas showed up for training at the Survival Camp in Magallanes, Cavite.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Kristel Satumbaga

Ateneo edged last year’s finalist National University-Nazareth School 1-0 on Wednesday to gain early solo lead in UAAP juniors football at the Rizal Memorial Football Field.

Enzo Lucindo struck in the 35th minute to give the Eaglets their second straight win following a 1-0 victory over the University of Santo Tomas Junior Golden Booters over the weekend.

The Bullpups absorbed their first defeat in two outings.

Earlier, defending champion Far Eastern University kicked off its bid for a 10th straight title with a 6-0 domination of UST.

Edmar Adonis set the tone for the Baby Tams with goals in the 11th and 15th minutes before Josh Laurens closed the first period with 43rd-minute strike.

Stephen Soria, Karl Absalon and Andrei Sabejon stepped up in the second half to complete the rout.

While retaining the crown is their goal, FEU coach Park Bobae said his mission is to improve the quality of the team’s game.

“I just want them to be humbler and to improve on their performance,” he said.

Park was glad to overcome their first game.

“For me, the most difficult game to play is the first, so I will continue to encourage them and tell them to enjoy playing our system,” he said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

ATLANTA  — James Harden scored 41 points, including 22 in the first quarter, to lead the Houston Rockets over Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks 122-115 on Wednesday night.

Harden had 10 assists and 10 rebounds for his second straight triple-double.

Young had 42 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. He and Harden are the first players to post 40-point triple-doubles in the same game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Hawks pulled within three late in the fourth quarter, the last time at 118-115 on two free throws by Alex Len. Harden sank four free throws in the final 10.4 seconds.

Clint Capela had 22 points and 22 rebounds, and Ben McLemore had 18 points in Houston’s third straight win.

SPURS 129, CELTICS 114

BOSTON — DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points to lead San Antonio past Boston.

The Spurs scored 22 of the first 25 points and held on through a slightly more competitive — and controversial — second half.

Kemba Walker returned after missing three games with the flu and was ejected with back-to-back technical fouls when he argued a non-call in the third quarter. A full bottle or cup was thrown from the stands, landing in front of the San Antonio bench; no one was hit. The game was delayed briefly while the court was cleaned.

The hubbub — Celtics coach Brad Stevens also was given a T — slowed a Boston rally that cut what had been a 22-point deficit to 76-69.

Lonnie Walker IV added 19 points for the Spurs. Gordon Hayward scored 18 points and Jaylen Brown had 16 for Boston. The Celtics have lost two in a row for just the third time this season.

RAPTORS 112, HORNETS 110, OT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Serge Ibaka made two free throws with 5.1 seconds left in overtime and finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds as banged-up Toronto edged Charlotte.

Terence Davis also had 23 points and 11 boards, OG Anunoby added 19 points and Kyle Lowry had 15 points and nine assists while having to play 43 minutes due to injuries. Patrick McCaw added 13 points and 11 assists as the Raptors avoided taking losses on back-to-back nights for the first time since Dec. 26-27, 2017.

Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 27 points, but his 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime fell short. Miles Bridges added 26 points and nine rebounds and P.J. Washington had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

HEAT 122, PACERS 108

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyler Herro had 19 points, Duncan Robinson scored 11 of his 17 points in a decisive third quarter and seven Miami players scored in double figures in a win over Indiana.

Bam Adebayo and Derrick Jones each scored 18 points, Goran Dragic and Kendrick Nunn added 15 each and Jimmy Butler pitched in 14 for Miami.

The Pacers (23-15) were led by Domantas Sabonis, who finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds for his 30th double-double of the season.

MAGIC 123, WIZARDS 89

ORLANDO, Fla. — Nikola Vucevic scored 29 points, Evan Fournier added 19, and Orlando beat Washington.
Admiral Schofield scored 18 points, and Troy Brown, Jr. had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards.

Orlando took control with a 23-5 run to close the second quarter for a 69-52 lead. The advantage ballooned to 29 points in the early stages of the third quarter.

A rash of injuries left the Wizards with only nine players available.

NUGGETS 107, MAVERICKS 106

DALLAS  — Nikola Jokic scored 26 of his 33 points in the second half, including the winning basket with 7.9 seconds left, and Denver pulled out a win over Dallas.

Jokic backed down Dorian Finney-Smith on the right side of the lane and got a favorable bounce on his left-handed layup.

On the Mavericks’ final possession, Finney-Smith’s pass from the baseline to Tim Hardaway Jr. was off the mark.

Luka Doncic led Dallas with 27 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. The Mavericks played their fifth straight game without Kristaps Porzingis (right knee soreness).

The Nuggets were missing two starters. Will Barton, second on the team in rebounding, missed the game for personal reasons. Paul Millsap sat out with a bruised left knee.

PELICANS 123, BULLS 108

NEW ORLEANS  — Brandon Ingram had 29 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, and New Orleans dealt Chicago its fifth straight loss.

JJ Redick hit six 3-pointers on his way to 24 points, while rookie Jaxson Hayes had 14 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks to help the Pelicans win for the seventh time in 10 games.

Zach LaVine scored 32 for the Bulls, who are in the midst of their longest losing streak this season. Thaddeus Young scored 18 in his return to the city where he was born.

JAZZ 128, KNICKS 104

SALT LAKE CITY  — Emmanuel Mudiay scored a season-high 20 points against his former team, and Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 16 rebounds to power Utah past short-handed New York.

Mudiay, who played for the Knicks last season before signing with the Jazz in the summer, made 8 of 12 shots and added four assists.

Bojan Bogdanovic also scored 20 points and Donovan Mitchell had 16 in limited minutes for Utah, which has won seven straight and 12 of 13.

Frank Ntilikina had 16 points in 19 minutes and Bobby Portis added 13 points and 13 rebounds for New York.

BUCKS 107, WARRIORS 98

SAN FRANCISCO — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 12 rebounds while leading four Milwaukee starters in double figures, and the NBA-best Bucks held off Golden State.

Khris Middleton added 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Milwaukee.

Alec Burks scored 19 points and Glenn Robinson III and Damion Lee added 15 points apiece for the cold-shooting Warriors, who lost their sixth straight game and third in a row at home. Willie Cauley-Stein contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Draymond Green was back for Golden State after sitting out Monday with a sprained right ankle and had five points on 1-for-7 shooting, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

TOKYO — Tokyo Olympic athletes beware — particularly larger ones.

The bed frames in the Athletes Village at this year’s Olympics will be made of cardboard. Sturdy cardboard.

“Those beds can stand up to 200 kilograms,” explained Takashi Kitajima, the general manager of the Athletes Village, speaking through an interpreter.

That’s about 440 pounds, and surely no Olympic athlete weighs that much.

“They are stronger than wooden beds,” Kitajima added.

He also took into account the possibility of a wild room celebration after, say, a gold-medal victory.

“Of course, wood and cardboard would each break if you jumped on them,” he said.

The single bed frames will be recycled into paper products after the games. The mattress components — the mattresses are not made of cardboard — will be recycled into plastic products.

The mattress is broken up into three distinct sections, and the firmness of each can be adjusted.

The idea was to use materials that could be remade after the Olympics and Paralympics. But the cardboard frames and supports should give the rooms a spartan look.

Organizers showed off the beds and a few other furnishings on Thursday at their headquarters. The entire Athletes Village complex will be completed in June. The Olympics open on July 24 followed by the Paralympics on Aug. 25.

“The organizing committee was thinking about recyclable items, and the bed was one of the ideas,” Kitajima explained, crediting local Olympic sponsor Airweave Inc. for the execution.

Organizers say this is the first time that the beds and bedding in the Athletes Village have been made of renewable materials.

The Athletes Village being built alongside Tokyo Bay will comprise 18,000 beds for the Olympics and be composed to 21 apartment towers. Even more building construction is being planned in the next several years.

Real estate ads say the units will be sold off afterward, or rented, with sale prices starting from about 54 million yen — or about $500,000 — and soaring to three or four times that much. Some fear the apartments will flood the market, possibly impacting property values.

The units will be sold off by various real estate companies. Ads suggest many of the units will be slightly larger than a typical apartment in Tokyo, which is about 60-70 square meters — or 650-750 square feet.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — Between his driving tomahawk jams and 3-pointers, Brandon Ingram tossed an alley-oop lob to rookie center Jackson Hayes and found Derrick Favors cutting into the lane for a transition dunk.

Ingram had 29 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans defeated Chicago 123-108 on Wednesday night to drop the Bulls to a fifth straight loss.

“Just coming in and trying to do everything that I work on in practice in my routines,” Ingram said. “My teammates have been doing a really, really good job of just being the best version of themselves. They help me out so much and we just mesh together so well.”

The game merely added to the career season Ingram, now in his fourth season out of Duke, has been putting together since being traded by the Lakers as part of a pre-draft deal that sent Anthony Davis to Los Angeles.

In addition to being only a point shy of his ninth 30-point game this season, Ingram was just two rebounds short of his first career triple-double.

“As long as we got the win is all that matters,” Ingram said, forecasting that his next chance to hit double digits in three main statistical categories will “come back again soon.”

JJ Redick hit six 3-pointers on his way to 24 points, while Hayes had 14 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks to help the Pelicans win for the seventh time in 10 games.

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said Hayes had “one of this better games, really, overall from the standpoint of trying to do exactly what we ask him to do.”

The 6-foot-11 Hayes also continued to rev up the crowd with his above the rim athleticism, be it on a transition dunk or his rejection of Coby White’s layup attempt in the final seconds of the third quarter.

“The spectacular plays are really what fans like to see and he’s a guy that’s a great leaper, he blocks some shots, he’ll have a dunk every now and then,” Gentry continued. “But we talk to him about being solid and doing exactly what we’re supposed to do defensively.”

Zach LaVine scored 32 for the Bulls, who are in the midst of their longest losing streak this season. Thaddeus Young scored 18 in his return to the city where he was born.

Chicago led by six early in the third quarter before New Orleans went on a 15-3 run that put the Pelicans in front for good. Ingram scored nine during that surge, starting it with a 3, adding another from deep and then hitting three free throws after he was fouled on a 3-point attempt.

The Bulls have been vulnerable to third-quarter lapses this season, and Chicago forward Kris Dunn seemed to think the issue is more mental and emotional than schematic.

“We’ve got to be men about it. It is basketball. It is a game of runs,” said Dunn, who scored 15 points. “Things happen and you have to be able to withstand it and fight through adversity.”

But there was little fight left in the Bulls by the fourth quarter, when New Orleans widened its lead to as many as 21 points.

“It was disappointing,” Bulls coach Jim Boylen said. “We missed a few assignments and they went on a roll and we couldn’t recover.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 12 rebounds while leading four Milwaukee starters in double figures, and the NBA-best Bucks held off the Golden State Warriors 107-98 on Wednesday night.

Khris Middleton added 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists as Milwaukee — with the NBA’s best record at 33-6 — bounced back with a hard-fought victory against the young Warriors after having its five-game winning streak snapped in a 126-104 loss at San Antonio on Monday.

Alec Burks scored 19 points and Glenn Robinson III and Damion Lee added 15 points apiece for the cold-shooting Warriors, who lost their sixth straight game and third in a row at home.

Willie Cauley-Stein contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Draymond Green was back for Golden State after sitting out Monday with a sprained right ankle and had five points on 1-for-7 shooting, eight rebounds and eight assists.

The Bucks overcame a cold shooting performance of 40.2% to win their third straight game on Golden State’s home floor, playing for the first time at new Chase Center on Wednesday.

Antetokounmpo notched his league-leading 32nd double-double after continuing to deal with a sore back. He shot 1 for 7 on 3-pointers and converted 9 of 13 free throws.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY — Emmanuel Mudiay has never lacked confidence, though the former seventh overall draft pick knew he could get better.

Mudiay scored a season-high 20 points against his former team and Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 16 rebounds to power the Utah Jazz to a 128-104 win over the short-handed New York Knicks on Wednesday night.

“I thought I was a pretty smart player until I came here. Everybody told me what kind of coach Quin (Snyder) was before I came here, so I bought in from day one,” said Mudiay, who believes his basketball IQ has risen a few points.

Despite averaging a career high 14.8 points for the New York Knicks last season, the improvements and nuanced touches he’s added to his game were all on display against the Knicks.

“He didn’t force himself on the game. More than anybody, he played the right way. He made good decisions,” Snyder said.

Mudiay played for the Knicks last season before signing with the Jazz in the summer and “playing the right way” wasn’t a common descriptor of Mudiay’s game. He figured he’d be the backup in Utah but he came to get coached.

Against New York, he made 8 of 12 shots, added four assists and played solid defense.

“I now know when to get my own and when to get everybody involved. I think that’s what a point guard needs to do,” Mudiay said.

Bojan Bogdanovic also scored 20 points and Donovan Mitchell had 16 in limited minutes for Utah, which has won seven straight and 12 of 13.

“For (Mudiay), it’s just a matter of taking his time being patient. He’s always aggressive getting to the rim. But now he’s finding guys too,” Mitchell said.

Frank Ntilikina had 16 points in 19 minutes and Bobby Portis added 13 points and a season-high 13 rebounds for New York.

The Jazz are making the most of a soft stretch of the schedule where most opponents are under .500, but none have been quite as hapless as the current Knicks.

Portis was fined $25,000 by the NBA earlier Wednesday for recklessly making contact above the shoulders of an airborne shooter in the Knicks’ 117-87 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

He started against Utah as leading scorer Julius Randle missed the game for personal reasons and, again, was whistled for a flagrant foul. This time it was ruled a Flagrant Foul 1 as he whacked Bogdanovic across the forehead on his way to the basket.

Marcus Morris was out with a sore neck and Dennis Smith Jr. sat with an oblique strain, decimating the Knick bench.

On a back-to-back and last game of a four-game road trip — all losses — the Knicks looked tired and outmatched.
“We’re in the mountains. You can’t breathe,” RJ Barrett said.

Behind Gobert’s 14 points and nine rebounds in the first half, the Jazz sprinted to a 72-53 at the break and were never challenged the rest of the way.

“We had difficulty getting to spots at times, obviously, and I give them credit. Their defense was good. They dictated a lot of those things,” New York interim coach Mike Miller said.

Since Miller implemented more spacing and a quicker pace, the Knicks are scoring efficiently, even scoring 132 in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on this trip and 143 against the Atlanta Hawks three weeks ago.

However, there are glaring problems on the defensive side as the Jazz shredded the step-slow Knicks with a constant series of screens and ball movement.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Retired NBA star Kobe Bryant, actor Colin Hanks and NFL receiver DeAndre Hopkins will be among those helping Major League Soccer celebrate its 25th season at events this year.

The North American league, which kicks off its 25th campaign on February 29, announced several events Wednesday paying tribute to the milestone campaign, which introduces expansion clubs Inter Miami and Nashville.

“Our 25th season will celebrate our rich history by honoring the countless people behind the growth of our league and reflecting upon many of the memorable moments in our history,” said MLS commissioner Don Garber.

“During this season-long celebration, we’ll also focus on our exciting future as we continue on our path to become one of the top leagues in the world.”

Bryant, who won five NBA titles in 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring in 2016, will attend a youth skills challenge event next week in Los Angeles at Banc of California Stadium, where the MLS All-Stars will face the Mexican League All-Stars on July 29.

Hanks, the son of iconic actor Tom Hanks, and Hopkins, who has helped the Houston Texans reach the NFL playoffs last eight, will help unveil season jerseys next month at New York Fashion Week.

MLS will feature a special 25th-year crest and ball, which will use blue and green colors as the original league ball had in 1996.

MLS supporters will help determine the greatest goal over 25 MLS seasons as well as a list of the top 25 MLS players from a quarter-century of matches.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

New York Knicks forward Bobby Portis was fined $25,000 Wednesday for a nasty foul on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope that saw Portis ejected from the Lakers’ win over the Knicks on Tuesday.

The fine announced by Kiki VanDeWeghe, executive vice president of basketball operations, was for “recklessly making contact above the shoulders of an airborne shooter.”

Caldwell-Pope was driving for a basket in the second quarter, with the Lakers up by nine points, when Portis — possibly attempting to swat the ball away from behind — smacked the Lakers player in the head and knocked him to the ground.

Lakers superstar LeBron James and teammate Rajon Rondo had harsh words for Portis before he left the court after being assessed for a flagrant foul.

Caldwell-Pope returned to the game in the third quarter after passing concussion tests.

“It wasn’t intentional at all,” Portis insisted after the game.

“I went for the ball. My intent was never to hurt anybody or anything like that. Just trying to make a play on the ball. Missed the ball and hit him in the head.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Serena Williams rallied from a set down to beat journeywoman Christina McHale at the WTA Auckland Classic on Thursday, but said it was just the workout she needed.

With her focus on winning a 24th Grand Slam at the Australian Open, Williams said she needs all the court time she can get after a long off-season since losing September’s US Open final.

It took the top seed two hours to put away the 27-year-old McHale and advance to a quarterfinal with Germany’s Laura Siegemund, who ousted teen prodigy Coco Gauff in the second round.

Williams was broken three times before losing the first set 3-6 but recovered to take the next two sets 6-2, 6-3 in the all-American affair.

“I really need to play matches like that to get to my goals,” said the 23-times Grand Slam winner, who is determined to equal the record of 24 held by Australian great Margaret Court.

“Tournament time is super-important, match time is good. After losing that first set I’m just glad to be still in the event.”

McHale used her speed around the court in extended rallies which often produced unforced errors from the 38-year-old Williams in the early stages.

But just as it looked as if Williams was in a slump at 1-4 down after five games, the world number 10 got to grips with the blustery conditions and McHale’s agility and began to take control.

‘I’m still learning’

It was the reverse from Gauff, seen as one of the rising stars of tennis, who started strongly against Siegemund but faded as the match wore on.

The 31-year-old Siegemund, who played her first WTA qualifier in 2003 before Gauff was born, was up 5-4 and serving when the American teen broke twice to take the first set.

But from there, she used her considerable experience to ruffle the 15-year-old, forcing her behind the baseline and then drawing her forward with deft drop shots.

“In the first set I had my chances but let it go. So I just tried to keep my level and she started to miss a little bit more, and I guess I just got better and better,” Siegemund said.

As Gauff showed signs of being rattled, she lost the steeliness she showed when she burst into the limelight last year with a win over Venus Williams on her way to Wimbledon’s fourth round as a qualifier.

Against Siegemund, she finished with seven double faults and 49 unforced errors, which she put down to youth and inexperience.

“I’m still learning and that’s the problem that I have,” Gauff said.

“I didn’t play the right way and if I lost playing the right way it would have been fine, but I don’t think I was playing the right way.”

Source: Manila Bulletin