By Jonas Terrado

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Justin Brownlee and Meralco’s Allen Durham brought their teams back to the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals despite a conference that saw the arrival of high-caliber imports experiences.

 

The two somewhat took a step back during the course of the conference as the likes of ex-NBA cagers KJ McDaniels of TNT KaTropa and Manny Harris of NLEX and former G-League and European veterans Dez Wells of San Miguel Beer and Michael Qualls of NorthPort dazzled the crowd with athleticism and their ability to score at will.

In the end, however, familiarity and an ability to keep up with the new imports enabled Brownlee and Durham to set up a third Finals meeting between their ballclubs in the last four editions of the season-ending conference.

“I think it’s a testament to our hard work and how dedicated we are to our team,” said Brownlee, whose latest Finals duel with Durham began last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“I think that’s mostly contributed to us being here, and having that chemistry with the guys for all of these years,” Durham said, seeking a first title after he and Meralco fell short against Brownlee and Ginebra in 2016 and 2017.

Both players were able to give their teams spots in the top four after the eliminations with Durham showing why he was named Best Import twice and Brownlee maintaining Ginebra’s good flow on both ends of the court.

They also made the Finals after beating the newbies during the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Durham and the Bolts made short work of the Alaska Aces and the underrated-yet-productive Franko House in the quarterfinals before outlasting TNT KaTropa and McDaniels in the semis that lasted five grueling games.

Brownlee, meanwhile, made it past the quarterfinals by ending the Grand Slam dreams of San Miguel, which saw former NBA player John Holland turn into a dud after the high-scoring Wells left following an ankle injury and a skirmish with local teammates in practice.

The Kings and Brownlee bounced back from a Game 1 semis defeat to beat out Qualls and the underdog NorthPort Batang Pier in the semis.

“All of the imports were great this conference and me and Justin were left standing,” said Durham. “Definitely, team chemistry and being familiar with the guys that you’ve been to battle with, that got us here.”

The numbers also spoke of how Brownlee and Durham performed this conference.

Brownlee averaged 29.0 points, 13.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.4 blocks through the semifinals while Durham posted 30.9 points, 15.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists.

“You gotta give credit to the teams as well,” Brownlee said, pointing out the importance of their respective teams’ belief of them being good fits since debuting for their teams in 2016.

“Meralco is a good, all-around team with a great coach. And Ginebra, we’ll we got coach Tim (Cone) and we got a lot of players playing well for Ginebra. So it’s just a mixture, I guess, of what we can bring to the team and what the team already has,” Brownlee added.The two somewhat took a step back during the course of the conference as likes of ex-NBA cagers KJ McDaniels of TNT KaTropa and Manny Harris of NLEX and former G-League and European veterans Dez Wells of San Miguel Beer and Michael Qualls of NorthPort dazzled the crowd with the athleticism and ability to score at will.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Game Tuesday
(The Arena, San Juan)
4 p.m. — Alab Pilipinas vs Fubon

San Miguel Alab Pilipinas is hoping to be more prepared after a bad start to 2020 as it takes on former NBA player OJ Mayo and Taiwan’s Fubon Braves in the ASEAN Basketball League at The Arena in San Juan.

Game time is set at 4 p.m. with Alab team of coach Jimmy Alapag looking to bounce back from a shock 98-93 loss to the Macau Wolf Warriors two nights ago at the same venue.

The defeat snapped Alab’s streak of four consecutive victories, prompting Alapag to take the blame for the anemic performance of his players.

“I really look at it as being the coach not having our guys ready to play, that’s really what it came down to,” Alapag said after the Philippine club dropped to third place at 4-2, trailing Thailand’s Mono Vampire (5-1) and Malaysian side Kuala Lumpur Dragons (3-1).

Alab trailed 13-4 at the start, spending the rest of the game trying to wrest control from the Wolf Warriors.

The hosts led 91-90 with under three minutes to go when the Wolf Warriors scored eight unanswered points also marred by Alab’s cold shooting and erratic offensive execution down the stretch.

“We got off to a really, really bad start,” Alapag lamented. “I wasn’t happy with us being just real flat and really low energy and that comes from me. I got to make sure that our energy’s up and play sharper as a team going into Tuesday, especially with a quality team like Fubon coming in.”

The Taipei-based Braves hold a 6-3 record led by Mayo, a familiar figure among Filipino hoop fans after spending most of his NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Mayo is averaging 22.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists this season.

Also notable players for Fubon are 7-foot-5 center Sim Bhullar, former Saigon Heat and CLS Knights reinforcement Maxie Esho and Taiwan national team players Wen-Cheng Tsai, Tseng Wen-Ting and Chih-Shan Hung.

In order to defeat the Braves, Alab will have to see 7-foot-5 center Sam Deguara avoid foul trouble, Khalif Wyatt regain his shooting, Nick King to provide more than just points and for Jason Brickman to have a good balance act of playmaking and scoring.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jan Carlo Anolin

‘Gi-neb-ra! ‘Gi-neb-ra! ‘Gi-neb-ra!’

The classic roaring chant starts to rock every court where the Kings stand, whether the odds are against them or not. From red and white banners, shirts and letters spelled out ‘G-I-N-E-B-R-A’ and lifting huge face props, win or lose, the fans have their backs.

The ‘Never day die’ or ‘NSD’ mentality goes a long way with no less than the ‘Living Legend’ Robert Jaworski starting it all and passed it down from one generation of fans to the next until the present.

Now that the Kings are back in the Finals and will take on the Meralco Bolts for the third time in the PBA Governors’ Cup, Ginebra owes it to their fans to fuel the ‘Never say die’ spirit.

“Hindi nagbabayad o hindi nag-iipon ang mga fans na manood ng game natin para lang maglaro tayo nang ganito,” veteran guard Mark Caguioa once castigated his teammates after a lackluster game, as recalled by LA Tenorio.

‘Never say die,’ in general, means giving an all-out performance in the court and getting back up no matter what. For Ginebra, the saying goes beyond basketball because it is also a way of reaching out to the fans.

“For us, ‘Never say die’ is playing our hearts out every game not only for ourselves but most importantly for the fans,” Tenorio said. “‘Yun ang importante sa akin.”

Caguioa, Tenorio said, has always been the sparkplug for the Kings.

“Mga players, minsan siempre nagre-relax. Dumarating sa point na nagre-relax so every time Mark reminds us, ‘yun ‘yung purpose namin kaya kami naglalaro so I think ayun talaga ‘yung meaning ng ‘Never say die’ for me and for the team.”

The tandem of Caguioa and backcourt parter Jayjay Helterbrand, dubbed as ‘The Fast and The Furious’, marked a new era for Ginebra in the early 2000s.

The rest of the Kings agree with Tenorio.

“Una, sabi nga ni kuya LA, ibibigay namin ‘yung best namin kasi ‘yung mga fans, para sa kanila talaga halos every game namin kasi ‘yung suporta nila sa amin talagang ‘Never say die’ din,” Ginebra guard Scottie Thompson said.

Even Meralco players are familiar with the ‘NSD’ spirit after losing twice to Ginebra in the Governors’ Cup Finals.

Meralco guard-forward Chris Newsome said both teams have always showed that mentality ever since, especially for the Bolts which seek to conquer the season-ending conference this time. “That’s kind of stuck with everybody in the Meralco Bolts.”

“Here we are again for the third time so I think that’s a true testament of this organization. We’re gonna pick ourselves and we’re gonna keep moving forward.

“Regardless of the result, when it comes in this series, whether we win or lose, we’re gonna get back to it. We’re gonna pick ourselves up and keep working better to get to the next round.”

Focusing the matter in Game 1, Newsome said: “We’re gonna try our best. We’ve done a really good in preparing — the coaching staff and all the players have really been locked in to get to this point.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jan Carlo Anolin

Answers to questions “Is there a rivalry?” or “Who is the underdog?” between Ginebra and Meralco are left hanging on the edge. But they don’t stop there.

One of the queries still unheard is the advantage of one squad against the other with both mentors — Ginebra’s Tim Cone and Meralco’s Norman Black — offering a different approach. The two are considered as the league’s best and things are about to boil over when Game 1 of the PBA Governors’ Cup kicks off Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

For Cone, it’s all about the ‘sixth man’ playing a different role in the game. Like a two-edged sword, Cone stressed that having a huge crowd, untiring and full-spirited, behind it could be both a pressure and a factor that can help or break the team .

“I think if there’s an edge that we have, it’s always the Ginebra crowd and the Ginebra fans,” Cone said. “They push us to to greater heights all the time and that’s the beauty with Ginebra. You have that constant pressure [from] the fans to keep playing at your highest level.”

Black, on the contrary, addressed the question with this response: sticking to the fundamentals and playing good basketball.

“Instead of looking for advantages, I think we should just concentrate on what we do well — which is to defend well [and] rebound the ball well,” Black said. “If we don’t do those things, we’re not gonna beat them. Those are the things that got us to this point.”

Although Black is giving premium to defense, he is neither abandoning the other equally important aspect of the game.

“On the other side, we have to find a way to score ‘coz they’re also a very good defensive team,” Black said. “It’s not like that they can’t defend because they can. We have to figure out where we can attack, who we can attack.”

Bolts import Allen Durham will have a new backup in the paint in veteran center Raymond Almazan, who is not new with the Finals atmosphere after winning the title during the 2016 Commissioners’ Cup when he was part of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

Rookie forward Bong Quinto, entering unfamiliar territory in the Finals, also showed promising performance in the semifinals and as he helped the team on both ends.

“Ngayon, kailangan mas mag-focus ako kasi ‘yung intensity doon hindi ko pa alam. Maging ready lang [ako] every game then ‘yung game plan naman ni coach Norman ‘yun naman talaga sasadalan [namin],” Quinto said.

Despite winning against Black and the Bolts twice in the Govenors’ Cup Finals, Cone felt like the ‘counterpuncher’ this time around, insisting that they need to fire up their offense and keep Meralco off the board.

“That’s where the battle comes in,” Cone said.

Aside from the intact core, eyes will be on Stanley Pringle in his first Finals appearance as part of the Kings after playing a major role during the semifinals.

“Meralco’s been very definite in the way they play and the way they’ve been successful in terms of their defense and in terms of their rebounding. We’re trying to find ways to counter that,” Cone said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Mike DiGregorio is on the move again after TNT KaTropa agreed to send the shooting guard to Alaska in exchange for fellow 2015 draftee Simon Enciso.

The PBA Commissioner’s Office on Monday approved the deal that will also see the KaTropa and Aces exchange second round picks for the 2023 draft.

The deal ended DiGregorio’s short stint with TNT that started last October when he was traded by Blackwater for Brian Heruela.

DiGregorio was hardly used during his time with TNT, averaging just 3.4 points in nine games during the recent Governors’ Cup.

He posted 10.8 points for the Elite before being transferred to the KaTropa.

Enciso will play for his third PBA team after spending the last three seasons with the Aces. He averaged 8.9 points during the recent Governors’ Cup campaign.

The trade is seen as a chance for DiGregorio to play a key role under Jeffrey Cariaso, who ended his first conference as Alaska coach with a quarterfinal appearance.

TNT, meanwhile, is banking on Enciso to strengthen its depth at the backcourt position after losing to Meralco in the recent Governors’ Cup semifinals.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

The last time coaches Tim Cone and Norman Black met in the Finals, they needed a Game 7 to resolve the impasse, with Cone’s Barangay Ginebra San Miguel edging Black’s Meralco for the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup title.

Now that they are at it once more, not a few expect another masterful duel that could stretch to another winner-take-all seventh game.

“It’s always been a chess match between coach Tim and coach Norman,” said Ginebra guard LA Tenorio. “It was evident in the last two finals.”

Tenorio was referring to the Game 7 encounter they won during the 2017 Governors’ Cup Finals.

Game 1 of the third Ginebra-Meralco championship in four years is set Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Raymond Almazan, acquired in a trade with Rain or Shine last conference, mentioned the ability of the two coaches to look for mistakes done by the opposing squad and use it to their team’s advantage.

“They’re more on details, every single mistake mapupuna nila,” said the 6-foot-9 Almazan, one of the three key new additions of the Bolts this season. “Kaya maganda ‘tong series na ito.”

This will be the fifth time that Cone, owner of the PBA record for most championships with 21, and Black – looking for his 12th championship and first in seven years – will be facing off in a Finals.

The first time they met was during the 1995 Governors’ Cup when Cone was still with Alaska, which beat Black’s San Miguel Beer 4-3 in the best-of-seven finals.

The second was during the 2014 Commissioner’s Cup Finals with Cone again winning, this time with San Mig Super Coffee 3-1 in a shortened five-game duel over Black’s TNT KaTropa.

Despite the advantage in their head-to-head, Cone said he has the highest regard for Black.

“I have great respect for him obviously. I joined the league during his Grand Slam season, so that was my introduction to Norman Black,” said Cone, referring to the 1989 Grand Slam team of San Miguel Beer.

“He’s always been the guy I’ve measured myself against. He’s a great adjustment coach, it’s hard to coach against him,” added Cone, who has captured two Grand Slams with Alaska in 1996 and San Mig Super Coffee in 2014.

Black expects the same against Cone. “I haven’t been able to beat Tim,” he said.

“It probably will be a game of adjustments as the series goes on. The fact is Tim is very good at changing things. Sometimes he goes big, sometimes he goes small, he may use a zone, he may use pressure against you. You just have to be prepared for just about anything.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

University of the Philippines and De La Salle are among the 12 teams that have declared their intent to participate in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup which begins Feb. 13.

The Fighting Maroons will make their return to the developmental tournament after a four-year absence while the Green Archers are competing for the first time under the banner Eco Oil.

Also expressing desire to play in the first conference are Centro Escolar University, Marinerong Pilipino, Ironcon-University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University, Diliman College and AMA Online Education.

Other first-timers are Mapua University, La Salle-Dasmarinas, Paranaque City and Debantan Sports.

Teams have until Jan. 15 to submit their payments to the league, with the draft scheduled five days later at the PBA Office in Libis.

UP, which last competed in the 2016 Aspirants’ Cup, is expected to field stars Kobe Paras, Ricci Rivero and Bright Akhuetie as part of its early build-up for the UAAP.

CEU settled for runner-up finish to Ateneo in last year’s first conference while Marinerong Pilipino lost to Sumisip-St. Clare in the Foundation Cup Finals.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Game Tuesday

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

7 p.m. — Ginebra vs Meralco

Support for their hardworking imports and rebounding are key elements Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Meralco believe will determine the outcome of their third PBA Governors’ Cup Finals meetings which starts tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

 

All subplots that came out during the holiday break will be set aside as the Kings and Bolts look to draw first blood in the series opener following the 7 p.m. introduction of the protagonists.

It is given that imports Justin Brownlee of Ginebra and Allen Durham of Meralco will provide the numbers the two sides needed in order to lift the trophy, making the roles of the locals extremently important.

“We know that AD (Durham) will get his numbers, but I think we really have to control their locals,” said Ginebra guard LA Tenorio. “I think lahat naman sila X-factor and you cannot say that this guy is an X-factor for the series because every game it’s gonna be a different player who will be the X-factor.

“I mean, we just have to be ready sa lahat ng mga players. The players coming off the bench can be a surprise as well so we just have to be ready,” added Tenorio.

Meralco’s Chris Newsome seconded Tenorio’s assessment.

“This is the Finals and you got two great teams here. But neither of these teams are in the top five in the Best Player of the Conference race, which means that says a lot of the teams in general that there is no one guy that really stands out at any point,” said Newsome.

“We just gotta prepare for all things, do your best and try to make it hard on them. In this championship, you know Brownlee’s gonna get his buckets, but it’s about the supporting cast. Whoever comes to play, that’s gonna be good for them but it’s gonna be on us to try to limit that as much as we can.”

Meralco coach Norman Black said there’s no need to be worried about which team has the edge, stressing instead the importance of capitalizing on his team’s strength.

“Instead of looking for advantages, I think we should just concentrate on what we do well,” said Black. “We defend well, we rebound the ball well. If we don’t do those things, we’re not gonna beat them. Those are the things that got us to this point. We’re in the championship so for us to beat them, we gonna have to do that.

“On the other side of it, we got to find a way to score because they’re also a great defensive team. So it’s just like they can’t defend because they can so we just to figure out how we attack, who we can attack and how to put points in the board.”

Responding, Cone used a boxing term to describe how Ginebra will approach things.

“I feel kinda like the counterpuncher right now,” said Cone. “I mean, because Meralco has been good with the way they play and with the way they have been successful in terms of their defense, in terms of their rebounding and we’re trying to find ways to counter that.

“We recognize that that’s a real strong part of their game and we’re gonna try and figure out ways to get our offense going and find out ways to keep them off the boards. And that’s where the battle comes in, that’s really where the battle gonna be fought and won. It’s really defending and rebounding.”

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Dave Ildefonso has  left National University after just two UAAP seasons with the school, a source confirmed Monday.

The same source said Ildefonso, son of PBA great Danny Ildefonso, informed school officials of his decision after talks of his impending departure surfaced during the holiday break.

Ildefonso is rumored to be heading to Ateneo where he spent his high school days.

Talks of leaving NU came after the school hired Goldwyn Monteverde to replace Jamike Jarin as head coach.

Source: Manila Bulletin