By Agence France-Presse

Oklahoma City’s Chris Paul and Houston’s Russell Westbrook, who were traded for each other in the offseason, highlight the reserves for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game next month in Chicago.

Paul will be making his 10th appearance and Westbrook his ninth as they are two of seven reserves added from the Western Conference, the league announced on Thursday.

They are joined by Portland’s Damian Lillard, who is making his fifth appearance, and Denver centre Nikola Jokic, who earned his second nod. New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram and Utah teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, of France, will be making their all-star debuts.

Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry and Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons top the list of players chosen by the league’s coaches from the Eastern Conference.

Lowry is heading to the showcase for the sixth consecutive season.

The 33-year-old Lowry was one of seven Eastern Conference reserves named on Thursday for the February 16 game where he will join teammate Pascal Siakam who was selected as a starter last week.

Miami’s Jimmy Butler, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Miami’s Bam Adebayo and Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis were also picked from the East.

While the reserves included plenty of veteran talent, Mitchell, Gobert, Ingram, Adebayo, Tatum and Sabonis are all first-time selections.

Gobert becomes the third French player to make the All-Star game after Tony Parker and Joakim Noah. The reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year is in his seventh season.

Milwaukee’s reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James will captain the two teams for the mid-season exhibition.

On Thursday the NBA announced that a new format will be in place that will honor the jersey number 24 of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

Under the first-time format, each quarter will be played as a “mini-game” for charity.

Scores will be reset to 0-0 at the start of the second and third quarters.

Going into the fourth, the teams will start with all the points they have amassed with a target score set to win the game.

The target will be the number of points scored by the leading team through the first three quarters — plus 24.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jan Carlo Anolin

MANILA – Six Filipino fighters, including ONE strawweight king Joshua Pacio, are eyeing to get their hands raised at the end of the match when they clash against their respective opponents in ONE: Fire & Fury today at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Pacio is out to defend his title against a much older opponent in Alex Silva, former ONE strawweight champion and a blackbelter in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, in the main event.

Despite the odds in ground game, Pacio had prepared himself for the worst and focused his training on escaping and countering Silva on worst case scenarios.

The 24-year-old champion added that he will still heavily rely on his striking, considering it as his ‘bread and butter.’
“Kung sakaling mapunta man sa ground, ‘wag tayo mag-panic,” the Baguio native fighter said.

Pacio isn’t rattled that he will be facing a grappling specialist since this is not the first time it happened.

In September 2018, Pacio defeated Japanese Yoshitaka Naito which he considered as “one of the best grapplers” in the strawweight bout. Naito eventually beat Silva last May 2019.

With that said, the young champion said there is no room complacency and believes that it boils down to whoever becomes the ‘well-rounded’ fighter.

Silva, confident with his grappling skills, said the battle won’t just be taking place on the ground.

“My style is grappling but I think to get the victory I need to put all my skills together and we’ll see what happens,” the 37-year-old Silva said.

With experience at hand, Silva added that the homecourt advantage and crowd won’t be a hindrance once the match begins: “To be honest when I’m in the cage, I only hear my corner.”

Meanwhile, four other fighters bannering Team Lakay are also aiming for the win in their respective bouts.

Two-time lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang and Pieter Buist of the Netherlands clash in the lightweight division while Danny Kingad and China’s Xie Wei battle in the flyweight bout.

Lito Adiwang faces Thai foe Pongsiri Mitsatit in the strawweight division while Gina Iniong, the 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist in kickboxing, duels with Asha Roka of India in the atomweight division.

Hailing from Zamboanga del Norte, Jomary Torres of Catalan Fighting System will be the first in line in the atomweight bout against Jenny Huang of Taipei, China.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

It was about six in the morning Monday when this writer’s phone kept ringing, triggering the start of a “where were you when it happened” moment.

I never got to answer the call of my sports editor, but he already sent through Messenger a link that shook me wide awake.

The link was a report that Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash. A subsequent check on US media outlets confirmed the stunning news.

It initially felt like a bad dream or one of those “‘insert celebrity name here’ has died” stories from dubious websites, but it wasn’t. Kobe Bryant was dead at the age of 41.

As reality set in, wonderful memories of June 25, 2016 resurfaced.

That date marked what turned out to be Bryant’s final visit to Manila. For many, the visit was best remembered for a press gathering followed by a spectacle held before a big crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

But select media members, including myself, were invited to a special training session at Kerrys Sports in Bonifacio Global City, the arrangement being for us to take part in drills that will give us a glimpse of what “Mamba Mentality” is about and for Bryant to likely watch, say a few words and leave.

I saw Bryant in person five years earlier when a group of NBA players took part in a two-game exhibition against a team of PBA stars and Gilas Pilipinas at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, my only recollection being the one when he wrapped the ball around Arwind Santos before converting his signature fadeaway jumper.

But boy, seeing Bryant a second time was way more different.

After getting dressed into our gear, a group of camera people suddenly entered the locker room followed by a guy familiar to many. It was Bryant, in an all-black sports outfit that lived up to his “Black Mamba” persona.

Bryant high-fived each member of the group that included my brother Reuben Terrado, fellow sportswriters Cedelf Tupas, Joel Orellana, Mark Escarlote, Jerome Lagunzad and Christian Jacinto and other media colleagues namely Mark Zambrano, James Velasquez, Paolo del Rosario and Migs Rocha. He flashed his trademark smile and spoke for about a minute or so.

“I also got some magic beans to sell you too,” Bryant joked during his brief talk. “You guys ready to go? Let’s go!”

As Bryant headed out to the court, a burst of screams and cuss words came out, in cloud nine over what took place. Whether it was genuine or understanding his status as a global icon, Bryant went the extra mile.

He didn’t have too. Being Kobe Bryant was enough.

Inside the court, Bryant, accompanied by coach Xavy Nunag, told us to perform an eight-minute drill which includes a series of sliding, backpedal and sprints. The presence of Bryant, coupled with the fear of getting an earful under his watch enabled everyone to endure the punishing drill.

“That’s how I warm up before my workouts,” Bryant later told us.

Before the final drill that was so excruciating that the routine was hardly recalled, Bryant gave us some words of wisdom.

“If you want to do exceptional things, you have to train exceptionally,” he said before handing the reins to Nunag.

The subsequent engagements Bryant took part later that day were mere bonuses to an experience that may never be repeated, ever.

That’s why his death was a combination of shock, disbelief and sadness for this writer. But looking back, meeting Kobe Bryant, even for a few minutes, was a thrill of a lifetime.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

LOS ANGELES – The tears continued to flow and the tributes kept pouring in on Wednesday, three days after five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant was killed in a devastating helicopter crash.

In New York, the Nets and their fans paid tribute to Bryant before their home game against Detroit with a video montage and an eight second moment of silence.

There were also two empty chairs at courtside at Barclays Center, each decorated with a bouquet of flowers. Bryant and his daughter Gigi sat in those seats for a December 21 game against Atlanta.

In the warm-up, the players wore red Lunar New Year shirts with Bryant’s name on the back. Nets fans then chanted “Kobe, Kobe, Kobe”.

Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter died when the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter they were riding in slammed into a rugged hillside in thick fog in Calabasas, northwest of Los Angeles. The crash also killed seven others.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter as Brooklyn pulled away for a 125-115 victory over the Pistons.

Elsewhere, Victor Oladipo wasted no time channeling his inner Kobe in his return by draining a clutch three pointer as Indiana beat the Bulls 115-106.

Oladipo wiped away tears as he described his clutch shot which came in his first NBA contest in more than a year after sitting out with an injury.

“I just shot it man. That’s the Mamba mentality. Mamba mentality,” said Oladipo, who is recovering from a right knee injury.

“That’s for Kobe, Gigi, all people on that helicopter. It has been a tough year. I am just thankful.”

T.J. Warren scored 25 points and Oladipo scored nine points on two-for-eight shooting in 21 minutes.

Oladipo delivered the biggest shot of regulation, tying the game 100-100 with a deep three-pointer with 10 seconds left.

Domantas Sabonis finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana while Malcolm Brogdon (15), Justin Holiday (13), Jeremy Lamb (10) and Goga Bitadze (10) also scored in double figures.

Chicago’s Chandler Hutchison scored a career-high 21 points as the defeat ended the Bulls’ modest two-game winning streak.

The Pacers have now beaten the Bulls eight straight times.

Also, Damian Lillard delivered 36 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career triple-double to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 125-112 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Lillard made six three-pointers to tie Stephen Curry for the NBA record of 33 over a four-game stretch. Golden State’s Curry set the mark in 2016.

CJ McCollum added 22 points and Trevor Ariza tallied 21 as Portland won for the third time in the past four games.

Carmelo Anthony scored a season-best 13 rebounds in the loss.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

LOS ANGELES – As prices soared for the Los Angeles Lakers’ first NBA game since the death of team icon Kobe Bryant, StubHub said it would donate all fees from sales on the ticket marketplace site to the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation.

The Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center on Friday night.

Their scheduled Tuesday game against the Los Angeles Clippers had been cancelled in the wake of Bryant’s death on Sunday in a helicopter crash that killed nine people.

Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna was also among the dead.

“To honor the legacy of the great Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi, StubHub is donating 100% of the fees of tickets sold on StubHub for the January 31 Lakers vs Trail Blazers game to the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation,” a statement on the website said.

StubHub will also donate the fees from sales to the rescheduled Lakers-Clippers game to the foundation.

On Wednesday morning, StubHub showed the least expensive tickets being offered for $811 dollars — compared to under $200 last week.

Some tickets for the game, where the Lakers are expected to honor Bryant, were being offered for resale at thousands of dollars more than their face value, including courtside seats offered at around $18,000.

The ticket-selling app Gametime showed tickets offered at similar prices.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Novak Djokovic paid “huge respect” to old rival Roger Federer Thursday after he swept past the ailing star and into a record eighth Australian Open final to move closer to his 17th Grand Slam crown.

In the 50th installment of one of sport’s greatest rivalries, the Serb shrugged off a tentative start to reinforce his recent dominance, showing no mercy to the injury-hit Swiss maestro in a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-3 win.

He will play either fifth seed Dominic Thiem or seventh-ranked German Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final, but it will take a monumental effort to prise another title from the 32-year-old.

Of the seven Melbourne finals Djokovic has made, he has won them all.

If any extra motivation was needed, winning on Sunday will see the Serb reclaim the number one ranking after Thiem sent Rafael Nadal packing in the last eight.

“It’s never easy to play Roger. I mean, obviously he was hurting. You could see it in his movement. Respect to him for trying his best,” said defending champion Djokovic, who is into his 26th Grand Slam final.

“After losing the first set, he got a medical (timeout). He came back and played all the way through. It’s unfortunate that he was not at his best.”

It was the fourth time Djokovic had beaten Federer at the semi-final stage in Melbourne after doing the same in 2008, 2011 and 2016.

Federer, the 2018 champion, came into the match carrying a groin injury that he picked up in his five-set, come-from-behind quarter-final win against Tennys Sandgren.

He was seen around Melbourne Park before the match with tape on his upper right leg and there were even rumours that he might pull out.

But that is not in the 38-year-old’s nature — he has only ever given up four walkovers in his long career and has never retired in more than 1,500 matches, facts that Djokovic said were “amazing” and deserved “huge respect”.

Power and finesse

Djokovic was clear favorite after beating the third seed in every Grand Slam meeting since Wimbledon 2012, but in their 50th career clash it was Federer who initially set Rod Laver Arena alight.

The opening game, on Federer’s serve, lasted six minutes in an indication of what might be in store.

Then against the odds the 38-year-old, the oldest man in a Grand Slam semi since Jimmy Connors in 1991, broke Djokovic on his first service game with an unbelievable backhand passing shot.

The edge didn’t last long with the Serb immediately hitting back to even it up.

But the power and finesse of the Federer game was troubling Djokovic, who was on the back foot and was broken once more to go 4-1 behind.

Federer had three break points to make it 5-1, but Djokovic dug deep to fend them off as he clawed back, breaking once more as the Swiss was serving for the set.

It went to a tiebreaker which the second seed dominated to pull off a remarkable turnaround in a set that Federer threw away.

Federer took a medical timeout at the end of it and he wasn’t moving freely in the second set.

But he clung on until he fluffed an easy shot at the net to hand Djokovic set point at 4-5 and the Serb cracked a top-quality crosscourt volley to go two sets to one in front.

Djokovic was pumped and Federer rapidly running out of steam.

When the Swiss star was broken to go 4-2 behind in the third, there was no way back as his rival extended his winning record over him to 27-23.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Novak Djokovic beat an injured Roger Federer in straight sets to reach his eighth Australian Open final as unheralded American Sofia Kenin stunned top seed Ashleigh Barty to end home hopes on Thursday.

Djokovic twice fought back from a break down in the first set and after dominating the tie-breaker he never looked back, winning 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-3 as Federer, who needed a medical time-out, faded.

“Respect to Roger for coming out tonight,” said the Serb, who is closing on his 17th Major title. “He was obviously hurt. He wasn’t even close to his best in terms of movement.”

Djokovic, who has never lost a Melbourne semifinal or final, will now play the winner of Friday’s clash between Dominic Thiem — who shocked world number one Rafael Nadal on Wednesday — and Alexander Zverev.

In the women’s competition, Kenin, 21, upset Australia’s Barty and Garbine Muguruza downed Wimbledon champion Simona Halep to join the American in Saturday’s final.

Federer was hampered by a groin injury in his five-set quarter-final with Tennys Sandgren, and rumors swirled that he might pull out of the semifinal.

The 38-year-old Swiss, a six-time champion at Melbourne Park, was cleared by a scan but he took the court rating his chances at only “three percent” against Djokovic.

“I was playing with nothing to lose,” Federer said, adding: “Today was horrible, to go through what I did.

“Nice entrance, nice send-off, and in between is one to forget because you know you have a three percent chance to win.”

‘I’m just speechless’

Earlier, Barty had sent Australian expectations soaring of a first home-grown winner since 1978, but aggressive 14th seed Kenin saved two set points in each set to win 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 and battle into Saturday’s decider.

Moscow-born Kenin looked stunned at reaching her first Grand Slam final, at a tournament where she has often gone unnoticed while fellow Americans Serena Williams and 15-year-old Coco Gauff hogged the headlines.

“I’m just speechless, I honestly can’t believe this. I’ve dreamed about this moment since I was five years old… I’ve worked so hard to get here,” said Kenin, who was a baby when her family moved to America with just a few hundred dollars to their name.

“She came up with some really great shots. I knew she wasn’t going to give it up to me — I really had to fight out here. There’s a reason she’s number one.”

Kenin’s win came on a day when temperatures hit 38 Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit), prompting play to be suspended on outside courts — following earlier problems with bushfire smoke, downpours, wind and even muddy rain at the season’s opening Major.

In the second women’s semi Muguruza, a two-time Major-winner but out of the seedings after a form slump, scrapped her way to a 7-6 (10/8), 7-5 win over fourth seed Halep.

“I wasn’t thinking that I was down, I was thinking keep going and at some stage you’re going to have an opportunity,” said the Spaniard, who came back from behind in both sets.

“Luckily I have 48 hours now to recover and get ready for the last match, we train all of our career to be able to play on this court and in (front of) this crowd.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Kristel Satumbaga

Local top junior player Alex Eala and Indonesian Priska Madelyn Nugroho continued their Cinderella run at the 2020 Australian Open Juniors Championships girls doubles after booking a finals berth on Thursday in Melbourne.

The fourth-seeded Eala and Nugroho stunned top seed Kamilla Bartone of Latvia and Linda Fruhvirtova of Czech Republic 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 for a shot at the Grand Slam crown.

It was a surprising feat for Eala and Nugroho, who are only teaming up for the second time after last week’s semifinal finish at the 2020 AGL Loy Yang Tralalgon Junior International.

They arrange a title date with Slovenia’s Ziva Falkner and Great Britain’s Matilda Mutavdzic, who edged American tandem Elizabeth Coleman and Savannah Broadus 6-4, 4-6, 10-8.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

Games Friday (The Arena, San Juan)

8:30 a.m. – Letran vs Lyceum (Junior’s)

10 a.m. – Letran vs Lyceum (Men’s)

12 noon – Letran vs Lyceum (Women’s)

2 p.m. – Mapua vs San Sebastian (Women’s)

3:30 p.m. – Mapua vs San Sebastian (Men’s)

5 p.m. – Mapua vs San Sebastian (Junior’s)

College of Saint Benilde came back from an opening set loss as it downed San Beda University 17-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-22 to stay perfect in the NCAA Season 95 volleyball Thursday at The Arena in San Juan.

Gayle Pascual led the Lady Blazers with 20 points, while Diane Ventura contributed 14 points, including two service aces, while Chelsea Umali had 11.

“Masaya na wala pa kaming talo,” said CSB team captain Jewel Lei. “Na-test ang maturity namin, nagre-relax kami kampante hanggang sa mahabol kami. Paisa-isa di namin napapasinin ang score.”

“Pero push lang ang pace hanggat di pa tapos ang game kaya ‘wag titigil,” she added.

CSB, which collected 13 blocks, improved its record to 6-0, the only unbeaten team in the elimination round.

University of Perpetual Help System DALTA handed defending three-time champion Arellano University its first defeat after a 5-0 start last Wednesday. The Lady Altas and the Lady Chiefs are tied for second and third places with similar 5-1 cards.

The Lady Red Spikers dropped their second straight game following a 3-0 record but still stay at the No. 4 spot in the standings.

Nieza Viray and Cesca Racraquin each scored 13 points while Trisha Paras and Ella Viray contributed 10 points apiece for San Beda.

In the men’s division, St. Benilde edged San Beda 23-25, 25-17, 27-25, 19-25, 15-9 to join Arellano in third place at 4-2.

San Beda also posted its third win in five juniors matches following a 25-7, 25-16, 25-8 romp of CSB-LSGH.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By TITO S. TALAO

MILAN — The “commonality” and “inclusiveness’ which PBA chairman Ricky Vargas of TNT KaTropa has brought to the PBA board is what current vice chair Bobby Rosales of Columbian Dyip hopes to continue in the event he assumes the top post.

“What he has done the past two years going to his third, Chairman Ricky really has united the board,” said Rosales moments before the governors went behind closed doors for a daylong planning session.

“There is now a commonality in our objectives and goals which has made the PBA more inclusive with all the programs of Commissioner [Willie] Marcial,” he said.

By being inclusive, Rosales said, the league has of late “extended to everybody who loves basketball, with all our community-based programs and out-of-town games that reach out to other places.”

He added on the effort the league is exerting to expand: “At the end of day, it all redounds to the benefit of the basketball fans and the players.”

The PBA board has done away with the previous succession process and voted Vargas, also president of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (Abap), to two consecutive terms after he took over in the midst of internal turmoil in 2017.

Rosales came aboard as vice chairman under the same election system six years after the PBA accepted the Columbian franchise, along that of Blackwater, into the fold. He has to be voted upon if he is to lead the PBA in the 46th season or the next.

A key component of Vargas’ tenure, according to Rosales, is the program put in place by the PBA and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, under Meralco Bolts governor Al Panlilio, covering the league’s involvement in the national team.

“We’ve really come a long way in helping develop and prepare the Gilas team, especially for the forthcoming FIBA World Cup,” said Rosales.

Does he have anything envisioned in the horizon this early?

“The Chairman has done a lot for the PBA, and as vice chairman now, I share the same goal as he has,” Rosales said, sidestepping the question.

“Hopefully when all his all-inclusive programs take effect fully, we will be able to invite or attract more people to watch the games not only in the venue but also in the social media platform.”

Going beyond borders, Rosales stressed, is the PBA’s ultimate goal.

“The PBA has always been looking for ways to go beyond basketball, how to be able to extend or develop more programs for the benefit of more people.

That’s where we envision the PBA to go in the medium and long term.”

Source: Manila Bulletin