By Waylon Galvez

Standings W L

*CSB 7 0

Arellano 6 1

Perpetual 6 2

San Beda 5 2

Letran 3 3

LPU 3 4

JRU 3 5

SSC-R 1 6

Mapua 1 6

EAC 1 7

*Semifinalist

Games Tuesday (The Arena, San Juan)

10 a.m. – SSC-R vs Lyceum (Men’s)

12 noon – SSC-R vs Lyceum (Women’s)

2 p.m. – San Beda vs Mapua (Women’s)

3:30 p.m. – San Beda vs Mapua (Men’s)

University of Perpetual Help System DALTA rebounded from an opening set loss to beat Emilio Aguinaldo College 20-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-17 Monday, earning at least a playoff berth in NCAA Season 95 volleyball at The Arena in San Juan City.

Jhona Rosal led the Lady Altas with 17 points, with two service aces, while Dana Persa came off the bench to add 11 points, 12 digs and six receptions.

With its sixth win in eight games, Perpetual Help solidified its grip of the No. 3 spot behind College of St. Benilde (7-0) and defending three-time champion Arellano University (6-1).

Perpetual can formalize its entry to the semifinals if it beats Letran on Thursday.

The format in the next round remains uncertain with the CSB Lady Blazers on track for a sweep. Their remaining two games – against Mapua on Friday and Arellano on Monday – will determine the playoff scenario.

A sweep by the Lady Blazers will give them an outright finals berth with the stepladder playoffs to determine their opponent. A CSB loss to Arellano will give way to the traditional Final Four format, with a crossover semis deciding the finalists. The top two teams in the semis will hold twice-to-beat advantages.

Perpetual Help coach Macky Cariño said that regardless of the format, they are ready to play in the playoffs.

“Kami naman ready lang kami, kung stepladder ba siya or crossover semifinals. Hindi na din namin din kasi hawak or kontrolado e. Basta ang focus namin kung paano kami magpe-perform ng maganda pag dumating na sa knockout stage ng tournament,” Macky Cariño.

“Kaya nga kahit na lousy ang performance namin, medyo erratic, nanalo pa rin kami. Pandagdag ng morale, yun ang nawala against San Beda.”

EAC, which earned its first win last week with a 21-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-18, 15-8 win over San Sebastian, failed to sustain its first set loss and dropped the next three against a seasoned Perpetual Help squad.

The Lady Generals fell to 1-7.

Meanwhile, Louie Ramirez scored 17 points, including two service aces, as defending two-time men’s titlist Perpetual Help improved to 8-0 to move within a win of claiming an outright Finals berth with a 25-23, 29-27, 28-26 conquest of EAC.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Bojan Bogdanovic shook off a frustrating shooting night by nailing a clutch three-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Utah Jazz to a 114-113 win over the Houston Rockets Sunday.

Bogdanovic is averaging 21 points per game this season but the Croatian star finished with eight points against the Rockets. He sank just two field goals.

But he made it count when it mattered the most. The Jazz executed the final play to perfection as Bogdanovic shot over James Harden for the winning basket.

“They made a heck of a shot,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We had two guys on him. I was afraid we were going to foul him (because) it was so close. Hats off to that shot.”

With just over four minutes left, Bogdanovic hit a three-pointer and then Donovan Mitchell nailed a jumper to give the Jazz a 107-100 lead.

But the Rockets weren’t finished. Harden answered with a nifty pass to Robert Covington who sank a three to put Houston ahead 110-109 with 28 seconds left.

Mitchell responded with two free throws as the Jazz got back in front. Houston’s PJ Tucker then sank a corner three-pointer with 1.6 seconds left that pushed the Rockets back in front before Bogdanovic had the final say.

Jordan Clarkson paced the Jazz with 30 points off the bench while Mitchell added 24 and six assists. Rudy Gobert had 12 points and 15 rebounds.

Russell Westbrook led the Rockets with 39 points and Harden finished with a triple-double of 28 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who shot just 10 of 33 from three-point range over the last three quarters.

Elsewhere, Kemba Walker scored 27 points and hit a pair of key three-pointers late as the Boston Celtics stretched their winning streak to seven games with a 112-111 win over Oklahoma City.

Walker hit two threes from almost the exact same spot in the final three minutes to seal the win for Boston in front of a crowd of 18,200 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

With the Celtics ahead by four and the clock running down he nailed a three-pointer to put the gap at seven.

Thunder guard Chris Paul — who ended the game on 22 points — knocked down a jump shot at the other end but Walker answered with another three from the same distance a few seconds later as the Celtics regained control.

Paul then made a three-pointer at the buzzer to cap the scoring and make it a one-point game.

“Good, tough teams,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “A lot of smart basketball and then we almost gave it away at the end. But, you know, up to that point I think we played really hard and really well.”

Jayson Tatum scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half for Boston, who have now won 10 of their last 11 contests.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari scored 24 points each to lead the Thunder, who suffered just their second loss in 11 games.  Dennis Schroder had 22 points, but the rest of the Thunder players combined for just 19 points.

The three Celtics who missed Friday’s win over Atlanta with various injuries — Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward and Daniel Theis — all returned for Sunday’s game.

Hayward, Tatum, and Theis each had double-doubles. Brown contributed 17 points.

Thunder rookie forward Darius Bazley left the game in the first quarter after spraining his knee and did not return.

Also, Lou Williams scored 25 points and Paul George had 22 as the Los Angeles Clippers rebounded from a demoralizing defeat one night earlier for a one-sided 133-92 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Clippers won without Kawhi Leonard, who took the game off so he didn’t have to play two nights in a row.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

The president of CBS News on Sunday denounced as “reprehensible” a comment by famed rapper Snoop Dogg that appeared to threaten a news anchor over an interview about late basketball star Kobe Bryant.

Bryant died, along with his daughter and seven other people, in a helicopter crash on January 26 in California. Since then, references to a 2003 sexual abuse allegation against him have drawn a furious reaction from fans.

Snoop Dogg’s harangue on social media followed an interview that Gayle King, anchor of “CBS This Morning,” had about Bryant with Lisa Leslie, a former star player in women’s professional basketball.

In it, King seemed to press Leslie about the 2003 case, while Leslie repeatedly portrayed her friend as someone who “was never like that” and who would “never do something to violate a woman.”

A seething Snoop Dogg then posted an obscenity-laced video online, calling King a “funky dog-head b****.”

He added, ominously, “Respect the family and back off, b****, before we come and get you.”

CBS President Susan Zirinsky called the remarks “reprehensible,” adding in a statement to The Hill news website, “We fully support Gayle King and her integrity as a journalist.”

Multiple death threats

In the wake of the exchange, King has received multiple death threats, according to her good friend, media mega-star Oprah Winfrey.

“She is not doing well,” Winfrey said Friday on NBC, adding, “She has now death threats, and now has to travel with security, and she’s feeling very much attacked.”

Also coming to King’s defense was former national security adviser Susan Rice, who bluntly warned Snoop Dogg in a tweet to “back the f*** off,” adding, “You come for @GayleKing, you come against an army. You will lose, and it won’t be pretty.”

King herself posted two videos saying the interview had been edited in a way that misrepresented its actual tone.

“I know that if I had only seen the clip that you saw, I would be extremely angry with me too,” she said in one video. “I am mortified. I’m embarrassed and I am very angry.”

The video, she went on, was “totally taken out of context.”

A fuller interview

King said that in the full interview she had spent much more time talking about Bryant’s career, his mentorship of younger people and his sense of humor.

A statement from CBS appeared to concede problems in the editing process.

“Gayle conducted a thoughtful, wide-ranging interview,” it said. “We are addressing the internal process that led to this, and changes have already been made.”

Earlier, the Washington Post briefly suspended reporter Felicia Sonmez after she posted a link, the day of Bryant’s death, that called attention to the 2003 allegations.

She said she received thousands of angry emails, including death threats.

Senior editors at the Post told her she had shown poor judgment, though other journalists at the Post rallied around her.

Bryant was arrested in 2003 after a woman in Colorado said he had sexually assaulted her in his hotel room there.

He insisted he had believed the encounter was consensual, but later reached an undisclosed settlement with the accuser.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

He will not finish high school until 2021, but Congolese teen Jonathan Kuminga is already considered by some to be the young player who most interests the NBA.

At 17, Kuminga waits for his moment in a small establishment in Hillside, New Jersey, 30km southwest of New York. He might be a millionaire in a matter of years, but for now, the 6-foot-6 (2.03m) playmaker spends most of his time in a modest red brick building, studying and training.

Chris Chavannes, who coaches Kuminga at noted prep program Patrick School, pointed out some of the obstacles facing the highly touted prospect in the number 1 jersey during a workout.

“He comes from a place where there was not as much talent and where it was not as intense, so he must integrate our demands, physical and mental,” Chavannes said.

“But he loves basketball, so the transition will not be so difficult for him.”

Kuminga has the frame, according to Al Harrington, who is among the few players to make the leap directly from high school to the NBA.

“Physically, he already has the body to play in university or in the NBA,” Harrington said.

“It’s very rare to see such a combination, a guy of his size able to dribble quickly and post himself” Chavannes added.

At ease with the ball and patient as plays develop, the young Congolese student can become fearsome in transition, although he is still working to perfect his shooting touch.

Since arriving in the United States from the Democratic Republic of Congo at age 13, Kuminga has had a chaotic journey, attending four high schools in as many years.

Several members of his family live nearby, but Kuminga has not seen his parents since departing his homeland.

“I am still a kid, so I miss them,” said Kuminga, whose older brother, Joel Ntambwe, played US college basketball at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

The cost of a trip back to Africa and a visa issue prevent a reunion with his parents or joining his homeland’s national team, whose jersey he has never worn.

Nevertheless, with the 2021 AfroBasket tournament on the horizon he is on the radar of Congolese federation manager Joe Nkoi.

“We are following him closely,” Nkoi said. “We give ourselves time.”

Possible top pick

Since last year, “Jon” has been considered a possible top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, becoming eligible for the selection process one year after his high school class graduates.

“With his talent, he could be number one in the NBA draft,” said his cousin, Utah Jazz star Emmanuel Mudiay, who is also from DR Congo.

While the NBA has discussed changing the rules to allow direct moves from the high school ranks to the NBA — something unseen in 15 years — any change is unlikely to come in time to prevent Kuminga from having to spend a year in college basketball.

“He has his feet on the ground so much that it makes everything very easy for him. He does not get distracted,” Chavannes said.

And helping him stay on track, Patrick alumni like Harrington and Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving sometimes drop by workouts and pass along advice.

“We foreigners who come from far away come with a goal,” Mudiay said. “His is to go to the NBA.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

The United States beat Canada 3-0 on Sunday in the final of the CONCACAF women’s Olympic qualifying tournament, the last formality for the teams who booked their 2020 Tokyo berths with semifinal victories.

The World Cup champion United States had punched their ticket to Tokyo with a 4-0 victory over Mexico, while Canada secured their spot with a 1-0 win over Costa Rica.

With North American bragging rights on the line, Lynn Williams, Lindsey Horan and Megan Rapinoe scored for the United States, who are unbeaten in 28 games.

They didn’t concede a goal in five tournament matches, outscoring opponents 25-0.

“I think this is our expectation, we go into every tournament with the pressure to win,” said Christen Press. “The most important thing is to qualify. We’re super-excited, we’re proud of ourselves for that and then to top it off with this game is excellent for us.”

Press fired a shot off the crossbar in the 32nd minute and Canadian striker Christine Sinclair’s shot six minutes later was stopped by US keeper Alyssa Naeher.

Williams broke the stalemate in the 60th minute, seizing upon an error by Canada’s Jayde Riviere and firing into the upper corner.

Horan made it 2-0 in 71st and Rapinoe, subbed in the 62nd minute, capped the scoring in the 87th with an easy finish against a clearly flagging Canadian side.

The United States have played in every Olympics since women’s football was added to the program in 1996.

They’ve won four gold medals, but are out for redemption after being knocked out of the quarterfinals by Sweden in Rio in 2016.

Canada, meanwhile, will be gunning for a third straight podium finish in Tokyo, after earning bronze in London in 2012 and Rio.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Ceres-Negros is determined to take advantage of having to play its first three matches on home soil as it aims for an improved showing in the AFC Cup.

The Philippines Football League and Copa Paulino Alcantara champions begin their Group G campaign Tuesday against Cambodia’s Svey Rieng, followed by a Feb. 25 date with Vietnam’s Than Quang Ninh and a meeting with Indonesia’s Bali United on March 11.

All home games will be played at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, the same venue used when Ceres defeated Myanmar’s Shan United 3-2 in last month’s AFC Champions League Qualifiers.

“We’re counting on the support of Filipino football fans in our matches at Rizal Memorial Stadium,” said Ceres star midfielder Stephan Schrock.

Of the three home matches, the clash with Than Quang Ninh was supposed to be held in Vietnam but the Asian Football Confederation had to move the game to Manila after the country banned holding sporting events in reaction to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Coach Risto Vidakovic is banking on the team’s strength in order to boost Ceres’ chances of making the ASEAN zonal semifinals.

The three group winners from the Southeast Asian region and the best second placers advance to the zonal semis.

“There are no secrets when we play because the information is always available so we have to focus on our strengths,” said Vidakovic. “It’s a really tough group again for us, so the players really have to raise their level. Playing at home hopefully gives us a good start.”

Ceres enters the tourney with a familiar figure in Manny Ott, who returns to the club after a short spell with Thai first division side Ratchaburi.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

Games Sunday

(The Arena, San Juan)

10 a.m. – Perpetual Help vs EAC (Men’s)
12 noon – Perpetual Help vs EAC (Women’s)
2 p.m. – JRU vs Letran (Women’s)
3:30 p.m. – JRU vs Letran (Men’s)

University of Perpetual Help System Dalta faces Emilio Aguinaldo College, while Letran takes on Jose Rizal University in two key matches in NCAA Season 95 volleyball Sunday at The Arena in San Juan.

A win in the 12 noon duel against the Lady Generals will move the Lady Altas within a win of making it to the Final Four.

Still outside the top four, the Lady Knights hope to beat the Lady Bombers at 2 p.m. and make one final push to make it to the semis.

Perpetual is coming off a shock 20-25, 19-25, 16-25 loss to San Beda last Friday.

The Lady Altas are currently tied with the Lady Red Spikers in third place at 5-2.

College of Saint Benilde has already claimed the first semifinals berth with a 7-0 card, while defending champion Arellano University is already assured of a playoff at 6-1.

With a 3-3 mark, Letran seeks to catch San Beda and Perpetual in the race for the last semis berth.

The Lady Knights dropped a 14-25, 28-26, 19-25, 16-25 decision the Lady Chiefs last Tuesday.

The Lady Bombers, already eliminated with a 3-5 card, are aiming to end their campaign on a high note.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Gilas Pilipinas got an additional frontcourt support in preparation for the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers after Justin Chua took part in Sunday’s practice at the Meralco Gym in Ortigas.

The Phoenix Pulse big man participated in the session which focused mostly on drills after accepting Gilas’ offer to make up for the pullout of PBA stars Christian Standhardinger, Japeth Aguilar and Mac Belo for various reasons.

Interim coach Mark Dickel is hoping that Chua can be able to ease the burden now carried by Poy Erram and Isaac Go, the other big men part of the original 24-man pool.

“It’s really important that we have to cover for Poy and George (Go),” so thankfully he (Chua) heeded the call and came when we asked him so,” Dickel said. “It’s great to have him here.”

However, there’s still no word if Chua will be allowed by FIBA to be eligible to suit up in the Feb. 20 home match against Thailand and the Feb. 23 road encounter with Indonesia.

Chua was not included in the pool submitted by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas last month.

Team manager Gabby Cui has yet to respond to queries regarding the situation as of posting time, but Dickel and Gilas program director Tab Baldwin is approaching it as if Chua can suit up for the upcoming window.

“My understanding is that he is here, he can be a part of the pool and play in the games,” said Dickel.

Chua didn’t hesitate when Cui called him up Saturday afternoon to bring him up Gilas’ interest. The 6-foot-6 lefty initially thought that he was traded since Cui also serves as team manager of TNT KaTropa.

“Akala ko natrade nanaman ako,” said Chua, who has played for six teams since his PBA debut in 2013. “So pagsagot ko, he invited me to come over and practice and be part of the pool. I was really excited kasi tagal ko na pangarap maglaro talaga for Gilas.”

The former Ateneo standout averaged 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.69 blocks in 39 games with Phoenix last season.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

San Miguel Alab Pilipinas atoned for its disappointing midweek loss on the road by defeating the lowly Saigon Heat 82-75 Sunday in the ASEAN Basketball League at the City of Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Laguna.

Import Nick King scored 18 of his 26 points in the first half as Alab led by a high of 23 before staving off the Heat’s late comeback bid to bounce back from Wednesday’s 91-63 defeat to the Kuala Lumpur Dragons.

King also had 12 rebounds, five assists and four steals, 7-foot-5 Sam Deguara and Jeremiah Gray scored 15 and 13 points while point guard Jason Brickman dished out 14 assists to put Alab in solo second at 9-5.

Alab leapfrogged the Taipei Fubon Braves after the Taiwanese side fell on the road to the Singapore Slingers 106-99 at the OCBC Arena in the ABL’s other game.

Fubon, which lost for the second straight time, dropped to third at 9-6.

The result also gives Alab a positive approach entering a 10-day break caused by the rescheduling of the Feb. 16 home game against the Macau Black Bears due to travel restrictions caused by the novel coronavirus.

Alab won’t be seeing action until Feb. 19 when it returns to Kuala Lumpur to face the Dragons.

Gray scored the game’s first five points while King put up six in the first period to put Alab ahead 25-15.

King scored eight straight points at one point in the second quarter, helping the Philippine club zoom to a 50-31 lead at the break.

A dunk by Gray gave Alab its biggest margin 60-37 with over six minutes to go in the third, the game seemed to be all but a mere formality.

But the Vietnamese club made things interesting late as Dang Khoa Tran scored seven straight and import Sam Thompson cut it to four 79-75 on two foul shots with 40 seconds remaining.

Deguara, however, converted a slam on the ensuing possession to assure Alab of its third win in the last four outings.

Saigon dropped to 3-10 despite a game-high 32 points from Thompson.

The scores:

ALAB PILIPINAS 82 — King 26, Deguara 15, Gray 13, Heading 9, Domingo 6, Brickman 5, Ganuelas-Rosser 4, Williams 2, Vigil 2, Caracut 0, Aban 0, Rangel 0.

SAIGON 75 — Thompson 32, Taylor 15, White 10, Tran 7, Young 5, Dierker 2, Nguyen 2, Dinh 2.

Quarters: 25-15; 50-31; 71-54; 82-75.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Japan’s two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu clinched his first Four continents title on Sunday, becoming the first male skater to complete the so-called “Super Slam.”

Hanyu skated to Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi’s “Seimei” for his free skate, relying on the familiar music that secured his second Olympic gold two years ago at the Pyeongchang Winter Games in South Korea.

The Japanese figure skating star hit a quad Salchow, quad toe-Euler-triple Salchow, a triple Axel, a triple flip as well as level-four spins and footwork, but stumbled on the quad Lutz and fell on an underrotated quad toe.

Hanyu scored 187.60 points and racked up 299.42 points overall to secure the title after winning three silver medals at the Four Continents.

“I was disappointed (with my mistakes) but I will be able to prepare for the World Championship by analyzing today’s mistakes,” Hanyu said.

With Sunday’s victory, the 25-year-old became the first male skater to complete the Super Slam of the junior world title, world title, Olympic gold, Grand Prix Final and continental championship.

American skater Jason Brown claimed the silver medal with an emotional performance to “Schindler’s List”, posting a personal best score of 180.11 points and 274.82 points overall.

“I’m super excited. I was really focused on going out there and skating my best performance that I could,” Brown said.

Japan’s 16-year-old Yuma Kagiyama delivered an impressive performance to the “Tucker” soundtrack and grabbed the bronze with 270.61 points in his International Skating Union (ISU) Championship debut.

Boyang Jin of China slipped from second to fourth after popping two planned quads into doubles to finish with 267.67 points, while South Korea’s Cha Jun-hwan came up from sixth to fifth at 265.43 points.

Four Continents features top skaters from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.

Source: Manila Bulletin