By Kristel Satumbaga

The UAAP resumes its competition with the start of the high school boys football hostilities on Sunday to usher the second semester events.

First-round matches in football fired off at the Rizal Memorial Football Field pitting National University-Nazareth against De La Salle-Zobel, and Ateneo versus University of Santo Tomas.

Matches will be played on Wednesdays and Sundays for the month of January at the Rizal Memorial Football Field except on Jan. 12, where it is scheduled at the Far Eastern University-Diliman Field.

The second-round eliminations in juniors basketball is also being eyed on Jan. 12, with the schedule being finalized.

High school beach volleyball players also make its debut on Feb. 1 at the Sands By The Bay at the Mall of Asia grounds with eight male and seven female pairs disputing for the crown. Matches will be played Saturdays and Sundays.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

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

San Miguel Alab Pilipinas saw its four-game winning streak come to an end after falling 98-93 to the Macau Wolf Warriors in the ASEAN Basketball League Sunday night at The Arena in San Juan.

The Wolf Warriors scored eight unanswered points after trailing 91-90 with 2:45 remaining in the fourth to avenge its 114-110 overtime loss to Alab last Nov. 27 in Foshan, China.

Alab dropped to solo second at 4-2 after a disappointing start to the new year.

It was also the first of a scheduled two-game homestand for Alab, which next faces Taiwanese side Fubon Braves on Tuesday at the same venue.

Veteran import Steve Thomas split his two free throws before Julian Boyd made a three-pointer from the top of the key to make it 94-91 for the Wolf Warriors, 2:01 left in the fourth.

Jason Brickman and Khalif Wyatt missed their attempts on the ensuing possession before Douglas Herring sank a jumper off Jeremiah Gray to extend Macau’s lead to 96-91 with 1:15 to go.

A broken play by Alab resulted in a turnover, allowing Zhi Keng Tang to add insult with a breakaway layup for 98-91, thus dealing coach Jimmy Alapag’s team its first home loss of the season.

Nick King scored 33 points but fellow import Khalif Wyatt, who played the hero’s role during the Alab streak, went cold as he made just 3-of-12 shots despite 15 points, sinking just one out of eight attempts from three-point range.

Wyatt’s struggles highlighted Alab’s woes from rainbow territory, going 7-of-27 overall. Alab entered the contest with a league-leading 38-percent clip.

Seven-foot-five Sam Deguara dealt with foul trouble before finishing with seven points and seven rebounds, his lowest output since replacing Adrian Forbes last month.

The scores:

WOLF WARRIORS 98 — Herring 21, Boyd 21, Cai 15, Ewing 13, Hu 11, Thomas 10, Tang 7, Shentu 0.

ALAB PILIPINAS 93 — King 33, Wyatt 15, Domingo 11, Gray 10, Ganuelas-Rosser 9, Brickman 7, Deguara 4, Vigil 4, Heading 0.

Quarters: 25-19; 47-47; 80-76; 98-93.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Norman Black is more concerned about leading Meralco to its first-ever PBA championship than embrace the prospect of adding another milestone to his well-accomplished career in the Philippines.

“Records are great,” Black said. “But this is about trying to win for Meralco.”

A victory over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals will make Black the first coach in league history to lead four teams to a title, as per the league’s chief statistician Fidel Mangonon.

Black is currently one of seven coaches to steer three teams to the PBA championship, the other being his Finals foe Tim Cone, Jong Uichico, Chot Reyes and fellow Grand Slam winners Baby Dalupan and Tommy Manotoc.

Moving past those great tacticians will further enhance Black’s coaching career that began in the mid-1980s when San Miguel Corporation boss Danding Cojuangco asked him to handle Magnolia in the PBA.

But as much as he appreciates being informed of the possible achievement, Black insists that he’s more interested on doing the task at hand.

“That would be great,” said Black. “(But) I don’t really think about all those things. This is for me is just winning a championship for Meralco. They’ve had a lot of confidence in me for the last five years.”

Meralco has never won a title since making its PBA debut in the 2010-11 season, falling short on its two attempts against Ginebra in the 2016 and 2017 editions of the third conference.

But Black expressed confidence that he now has a squad well-equipped to finally lift the elusive trophy.

“I think this is probably the best chance I’m gonna have to win a championship because I really think I have the team that can win it this time,” said Black, whose squad is led by import Allen Durham, Baser Amer and Chris Newsome coupled with some key additions during the course of the season.

“This is by far the strongest team I’ve coached since joining Meralco and I thank the management for supplying me with Raymond Almazan and Allein Maliksi and Nards Pinto to improve the talent level of our team to give us a chance to be in this situation.”

Black is prominently known for coaching San Miguel to nine championships, including the historic Grand Slam in 1989 with a squad bannered by Ramon Fernandez, Samboy Lim and Hector Calma.

He was also key in giving Sta. Lucia its first PBA crown in 2001 when import Damien Owens, Dennis Espino, Marlou Aquino, Paolo Mendoza and Black’s stepson Chris Tan beat SMB in six games.

His other title came in the 2013 Philippine Cup when TNT swept Rain or Shine with Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Kelly Williams, Ryan Reyes and Harvey Carey.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Heat went cold in the fourth quarter Friday night, matching the lowest point total for a quarter by an NBA team in more than two years.

Terrence Ross scored 25 points, Nikola Vucevic added 20 points and 11 rebounds and the Orlando Magic held Miami to six points over the final 12 minutes on their way to a 105-85 victory.

“They shut down the paint, they shut down our layups, shut down a lot of the things we’re used to getting and shut down our normal threes,” Miami coach Eric Spoelstra said. “There was a possession when they must have run us off five straight 3s on their close-outs and did a tremendous job with making multiple efforts, and we weren’t really doing that on the other end. They deserved to get that win.”

Miami shot 3 for 19 from the field and missed all 10 3-point shots while committing six turnovers in the period.The last team team to score only six points in a quarter was Portland against Toronto in October 2017.

Jimmy Butler had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat. Bam Adebayo, with 14 points and 10 rebounds, was the only other Miami player in double figures.

Aaron Gordon had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Magic, and Evan Fournier scored 15 points despite spending most of the game in foul trouble.

“It was the defensive spirit that was really good,” Fournier said. “That was the key tonight. Six points in the fourth quarter, that is how we’ve got to play every night.”

One day after holding Toronto to 6-of-42 shooting from 3-point range in a victory at Miami, the Heat shot 7 for 37 from long range and 37.5% overall.

After Vucevic and Gordon combined for three 3-pointers in quick succession to give the Magic to a 67-49 lead early in the third quarter, the Heat responded with a 14-3 run.

Meyers Leonard then hit a pair of 3-pointers to cut Orlando’s lead to four.

But Miami wet scoreless for more than 3 1/2 minutes at the outset of the fourth quarter. Another 3-pointer by Gordon and a short jump hook by Vucevic pushed the margin to 18 points with 4:29 left.

“A lot of teams are going to circle us on their calendar,” Meyers said, “but of course Orlando — this is an in-state rivalry or whatever you want to call it. You have to expect that . . . so it’s simply understanding at this point that we definitely have a bit of a target on our back, and we have to raise our level of intensity and understand that every night it’s going to be a battle.”

The loss, only the second in eight games for the Heat, dropped them to 25-10 on the season.

“I thought our defense was good, I thought our purpose was good. Obviously that’s a good win against a really good team,” Magic coach Steve Clifford said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

PHOENIX — Deandre Ayton snatched the loose ball, glanced down the court and saw Aron Baynes streaking toward the rim with no one around him. The 6-foot-11 center never hesitated, launching a pass to his 6-10 teammate and hitting him in stride for the easy bucket.

“I saw him running,” Ayton said with a grin. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s a done deal.’”

It was a crucial moment in a fourth-quarter rally for the Phoenix Suns, who recovered from a slow start to push past the New York Knicks 120-112 on Friday night. It was also proof that Ayton and Baynes — two big men who started together for the first time all season — can share the court and thrive.

“I think it’s something we can grow, I do,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “It’s putting your best players out there and your best athletes on the floor.”

Baynes scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Ayton added 15 points, 13 boards and five assists. Devin Booker led all scorers with 38 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 29.

Booker scored at least 30 points for a fifth straight game, the longest streak of his career and tying a franchise high. Oubre shot 11 of 16 from the field, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and had 20 points in the second half.

“We just brought the fight to them,” Oubre said.

Ayton was playing in just his fifth game all season. The 2018 top overall draft pick missed 25 games because of a suspension and then missed a few more because of a sprained ankle shortly after his return.

Now he’s played three straight for the first time this season and the Suns have won two of the three.

“It’s adjustments,” Suns guard Ricky Rubio said. “Baynes has been playing really well and we need (Ayton). So we try to find a way where both can play at the same time and share the court. It’s going to be a good weapon for us.”

Marcus Morris scored 25 points and Bobby Portis added 20 off the bench for the Knicks, who were trying to win four straight for the first time in more than two years. Julius Randle had 13 points and 13 rebounds.

The Knicks led for a big chunk of the game, including 87-83 after three quarters, but the Suns rallied to take a 94-93 lead on Rubio’s 3-pointer with about 8 minutes left. The teams traded the lead for the next few minutes, but the Suns pushed ahead for good on a short jumper by Baynes with 5:22 left.

The Knicks couldn’t keep pace, shooting 2 of 11 from 3-point range in the final quarter.

“We got good shots, honestly,” Randle said. “We scored enough points to win the game. We just couldn’t get stops. We had a slow start in the third quarter and they were confident the rest of the way.”

Coming off victories over Brooklyn, Washington and Portland, the Knicks got off to another good start and led 61-51 at halftime. Portis scored 11 points in the half and Randle had 10.

Phoenix had another lethargic first half, two nights after falling behind by 33 points against the Lakers. Booker scored 17 points before the break but the Suns missed all nine of their 3-point attempts.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

BOSTON — Daniel Theis had already seen Trae Young make five 3-pointers — a few from more than 30 feet away — so he could pretty much figure out what the Atlanta Hawks guard was thinking in the final seconds of a two-point game.

“As soon as I switched on him, I knew he wanted to take the 3 to win the game,” the Celtics center said. “He probably would’ve beat me for a layup, but I think he just wanted the game-winner. That’s why I said I just tried to take away the shot, and at the end I was right there to block it.”

Young had 28 points and 10 assists, but Theis blocked his step-back 3-point attempt with 3 seconds left and Boston recovered from an 18-point, first-quarter deficit against the NBA’s worst team to win 109-106 on Friday night.

“That’s a big-time basketball play,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “It sounds easy when we all sit here and talk about it, but in the throes of the game and knowing that Trae is capable of getting to the rim on anybody, that’s a huge, huge play.”

Jaylen Brown had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Boston. Marcus Smart started in place of the flu-ridden Kemba Walker and scored 15 points, adding nine assists and hitting a 3-pointer that gave Boston a four-point lead with 43 seconds left.

And then he gloated about it to the Atlanta bench.

“I just told them to keep leaving me open,” said Smart, who also grabbed the rebound after Young’s last-second miss, got tripped up trying to step over Young’s prone body and then got into a shoving match over it with Hawks center Alex Len.

Smart and Alex Len were given matching technical fouls, then Smart made one of two free throws with 0.3 seconds left to ice the game.

Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce said he wasn’t surprised to see Smart taking the key shot.

“Marcus Smart is a playmaker and that’s not out of the realm of what he does,” said Pierce, who was an assistant coach on the U.S. team that included Smart at last summer’s World Cup. “That’s actually what they’re looking for.

He’s looking for the moment, they’re looking for him and they expect him to make those type of plays.”

Gordon Hayward scored 18, and Enes Kanter had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, which has won seven of eight.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Washington Wizards were already short-handed, then lost Isaiah Thomas not even 90 seconds into the game when he was ejected for making contact with a referee.

That left them too depleted to keep up with the Portland Trail Blazers and their potent backcourt.

Damian Lillard scored 35 points, CJ McCollum added 24 and the Trail Blazers beat the Wizards 122-103 on Friday night to snap a five-game losing streak.

Hassan Whiteside added 23 points, 21 rebounds and five blocks for Portland.

“A lot of winnable games we kind of squandered, so this was one we needed to get,” McColllum said after he and Lillard bounced back from combined 11-of-36 shooting in a loss to the Knicks. “Now we’ve got to move forward.”

Thomas was tied up along the sideline by Portland’s Carmelo Anthony. As he broke away from Anthony he made contact with referee Marat Kogut, who stumbled. Thomas was throw out with 10:32 left in the opening quarter.

“He made physical contact with the referee,” referee Mark Ayotte said in a pool report. “It was definitely just a push during the dead ball contact with the referee.”

Wizards coach Scott Brooks thought the contact was accidental.

“I mean I had a different view of it obviously,” he said. “They were in a scrum and they were fighting for the ball, a jump ball. I had a view that it looked like he lost his balance but (Kogut) had a better view and then they looked at it. They looked at it so you would hope they made the right call.”

Thomas wasn’t in the locker room after the game.

“I didn’t really pay much attention to the contact and I was standing right there,” Lillard said. “I thought he just fell into him. And that was it. They reviewed it and they kind of stood their ground on it. So I guess what they thought happened, happened.”

Thomas received a two-game suspension after walking into the stands to confront two fans following a timeout in Philadelphia on Dec. 21.

Jordan McRae scored a season-high 35 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, for Washington. Garrison Mathews added 18 points and Ish Smith scored 16 for the Wizards, who have lost four of five.

Playing without Bradley Beal, Washingon’s top three scorers were reserves.

Beal is day-to-day. He returned Wednesday against Orlando after missing two games with lower leg soreness and collided with the Magic’s Jonathan Isaac early on. Brooks said the collision aggravated Beal’s injury.

McCollum started an 11-1 run in the third quarter with a jumper and then added a 3-pointer to make it 73-64.

Whiteside scored four straight points on a tip-in and layup and, after a Washington free throw, Lillard hit two foul shots to put Portland up 79-65.

McRae’s 3-pointer pulled Washington within 103-96 with 5:54 left, but Lillard answered with five quick points to make it 108-96.

“We’re a young team,” McRae said. “We’re trying to figure out ways to win those games in the last five minutes of the game. You’ve got to get stops, you’ve got to be efficient on the offensive end.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

LOS ANGELES— Anthony Davis isn’t having any sympathy when it comes to facing his former team.

The Lakers forward had 46 points and 13 rebounds as Los Angeles rolled to a 123-113 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

It was Davis’ fifth 40-point game this season and second straight against the team he played seven seasons for after he was the top overall pick in 2012.

“I felt like we force-fed him much less in this game. I thought he got most of it in flow. Diverse attack, free throws, the 3-point line, transition, rolls to the basket, post,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “He just scored in every way that you can, so it was definitely a different feel than last game.”

Davis said this felt more like a normal game compared to this season’s first meeting, when he scored 41 points in a Nov. 27 win at New Orleans.

“The first game in New Orleans was definitely a lot more emotional, not only going against my former team but playing in that arena again,” said Davis, who is tied for fifth in the league in scoring at 27.8 points per game.

“Tonight, I think my teammates just gave me great opportunities and put me in great positions to score the basketball. I don’t think I did anything, especially I didn’t prepare any differently. Just came out and played basketball.”

Danny Green added 25 points and LeBron James had 17 points and 15 assists for the Lakers, who have won four straight following a season-high, four-game losing streak.

“”I don’t think he had one play where it looked stressed,” James said of Davis. “He was efficient from the outset, hitting his jumpers in the low post. Made all, what, 13 of his free throws. Just another great performance.”

The Lakers led by as many as 24 during the third quarter as Davis scored 19 in the period. They were up 105-83 at the end of the third quarter but the Pelicans rallied in the fourth quarter to get within 116-109 with 2:25 remaining on Brandon Ingram’s dunk. A 3-pointer by Green and Davis’ jumper following a turnover ended any hopes of New Orleans drawing closer.

“We’re familiar with him. He’s a tough matchup,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said of Davis. “I thought we did a good job of taking it to the basket. We scored 68 points in the paint and had only seven free throws.”

Former Lakers Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram led New Orleans in their return to Staples Center. Ball scored a team-high 23 points and Ingram added 22 as the Pelicans had their four-game winning streak snapped.

It is the first time in Ball’s three seasons he has had back-to-back, 20-point games.

“My body feels good and my confidence is where it is supposed to be,” Ball said.

J.J. Redick’s 3-pointer drew the Pelicans within 74-67 less than 2 minutes into the second half before Los Angeles went on a 26-9 run to take its largest lead of the game. Davis had 17 points during the spurt, including three 3-pointers.

Green had 17 points in the first quarter, including five 3-pointers as the Lakers led by 18 late in the quarter.

Los Angeles was up 64-51 when New Orleans ran off nine straight points to get within 64-60 with 1:50 remaining in the first half. The Lakers would outscore the Pelicans 10-2 down the stretch, including seven by Davis, to lead 74-62 at halftime.

“They’re a really good team. Anthony is a matchup problem for a lot of teams,” Ingram said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

HOUSTON — Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni is convinced James Harden operates on a different level than most players, especially after his latest dazzling performance.

Harden had 44 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Rockets to a 118-108 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

“He just understands the game, sees it and knows where he wants them,” D’Antoni said. “They stay out, he throws a lob. They come in, he throws that. He’s got that little runner, his 3s are all over the place. I mean, he’s really good. He’s one of the best ever.”

On a “Flashback Friday” night in which the Rockets wore their retro ketchup-and-mustard uniforms from their back-to-back NBA title days in the mid-90s, Harden sported a retro look of his own, with a white headband and cornrows.

With Philadelphia threatening late, Harden knocked down a deep step-back 3-pointer over Josh Richardson with 1:17 left in the game that put Houston up 10. On the next possession, he found Clint Capela with an alley-oop for a thunderous dunk.

Harden’s triple-double was his first of the season and 43rd of his career, tying Fat Level for eighth-most in NBA history.

Capela was a point shy of his career high in scoring, finishing with a season-best 30 points and 14 rebounds.

“You never feel comfortable,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said. “He dribbles two feet over half-court and you still don’t feel like you’re close enough. Then, you try to get close and he’s strong enough and good enough to go by you, and then, Capela gets behind your head for the lobs. The package is lethal. They’re hard to beat.”

The 76ers have lost four straight, their longest skid since dropping five in a row in Dec. 2017.

Ben Simmons led Philadelphia with 29 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and four blocks, which matched a career-high.

It was his 25th career triple-double and third this season. Tobias Harris scored 24 points.

“We can never let the highs get too high or the lows get too low,” Simmons said. “We’ve got to get better.”

After missing Philadelphia’s 115-97 loss with a sore left knee on Tuesday, Joel Embiid added 20 points and 12 rebounds.

“If it’s not taking a toll on anybody, I care about winning, and it’s taking a toll on me,” Embiid said. “All I care about is winning. … We’ve got to find a way. We’ve got to keep fighting.”

Brown insisted that he is confident that his team will move on from the rough patch.

“You just keep moving,” Brown said. “You’ve got to identify obvious things that you need to work on. We had a rough time shooting tonight. Keep the boys in the boat and good days will add up.”

The Rockets improved to 13-4 at home this season and have won their last four games at the Toyota Center.

The 76ers led 27-20 after the first quarter, dominating the paint and keeping Houston’s shooters in check. With less than five seconds remaining in the quarter, Harden was fouled by Trey Burke in the process of making a deep 3-pointer, but the shot was called off, infuriating Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, who argued with officials during the break.

Early in the second quarter, Russell Westbrook received a technical foul for arguing a foul call against him after tangling with Embiid for a rebound.

Houston’s shooting improved after the first quarter, and the Rockets led 60-53 at halftime.

Westbrook had a rough stretch in the third quarter during which he missed an open, two-handed dunk in transition and immediately followed the play with a missed layup. Westbrook finished the game shooting 9 of 22 from the field with 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Houston led 96-84 entering the fourth quarter.

The Rockets have a lengthy four-day break before visiting Atlanta on Wednesday night, the start of a stretch in which they will play five games in seven days.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

HOUSTON — James Harden had 44 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the Houston Rockets’ 118-108 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

On a “Flashback Friday” in which the Rockets wore retro ketchup-and-mustard uniforms from their back-to-back NBA title days in the mid-90s, Harden sported a white headband and cornrows.

Harden hit a deep step-back 3-pointer over Josh Richardson with 1:17 left in the game that put Houston up 10. On the next possession, he found Clint Capela with an alley-oop for a thunderous dunk.

Capela was a point shy of his career high in scoring with 30 points and 14 rebounds.

Ben Simmons led Philadelphia with 29 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and four blocks, which matched a career high. Tobias Harris scored 24 points, and Joel Embiid added 20 points and 12 rebounds. The 76ers have lost four straight, their longest skid since dropping five in a row in Dec. 2017.

LAKERS 123, PELICANS 113

LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis scored 46 points against his former team, Danny Green added 25 and Los Angeles rolled over New Orleans.

It was Davis’ second straight 40-point game against the team he played seven seasons for after he was the top overall pick in 2012. He also had 13 rebounds for his 16th double-double of the season.

LeBron James had 17 points and 15 assists for the Lakers, who have won four straight after having a season-high, four-game losing streak.

Former Lakers Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram led New Orleans in their return to Staples Center. Ball scored a team-high 23 points and Ingram added 22 as the Pelicans had their four-game winning streak snapped.

MAGIC 105, HEAT 85

ORLANDO, Fla. — Terrence Ross scored 25 points, Nikola Vucevic had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Orlando shut down Miami in the fourth quarter.

Miami scored only six points in the fourth quarter, going 3 for 19 from the field. Jimmy Butler had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat.

Aaron Gordon had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Magic, and Evan Fournier scored 15 points.
One day after holding the Toronto Raptors to 6-of-42 shooting from 3-point range in a victory in Miami, the Heat shot 7 for 37 from long range and 37.5% overall.

CELTICS 109, HAWKS 106

BOSTON — Jaylen Brown had 24 points and 10 rebounds and Boston Celtics overcome an 18-point, first-quarter deficit against Atlanta.

Marcus Smart started in place of the flu-ridden Kemba Walker and scored 15 points, adding nine assists and hitting a 3-pointer that gave Boston a four-point lead with 43 seconds left. Gordon Hayward scored 18 points, and Enes Kanter had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Trae Young scored 28 points with 10 assists for the Hawks. They beat Orlando on Monday to snap a 10-game losing streak.

TRAIL BLAZERS 122, WIZARDS 103

WASHINGTON — Damian Lillard scored 35 points and CJ McCollum added 24 in Portland’s victory over Washington.

Hassan Whiteside added 23 points, 21 rebounds and five blocks to help Portland snap a five-game losing streak.

Jordan McRae scored a season-high 35 points, for Washington. Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas was ejected less than 1 1/2 minutes into the game for making contact with an official. Thomas was tied up along the sideline by Portland’s Carmelo Anthony. As Thomas broke away from Anthony, he made contact with referee Marat Kogut, who stumbled into the crowd.

SUNS 120, KNICKS 112

PHOENIX  — Devin Booker scored 38 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 29 and Phoenix rallied in the fourth quarter to beat New York.

Phoenix won for the third time in four games. Aron Baynes added 20 points and 12 rebounds, ande Deandre Ayton had 15 points and 13 boards.

Booker scored at least 30 points for the fifth straight game, the longest streak of his career and tying a franchise high. Oubre shot 11 of 16 from the field, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range.

Former Suns forward Marcus Morris scored 25 points for New York.

Source: Manila Bulletin