The first day of Greg Slaughters run at making the Philippine national basketball team was a smashing success. The prized 6-foot-11 tower of eight-time Cesafi champion University of the Visayas (UV) lived up to expectations during his first stint of training under Serbian coach Rajko Toroman, at the Moro Lorenzo gym at the Ateneo de Manila University campus in Manila. Slaughter, who led the Green Lancers to their eighth straight title in the Cesafi last month was tapped by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to attend the three-day big man camp under the watchful eye of Irans former head coach, Rajko Toroman According to Slaughter, he was made to participate in several intense big man drills, which left him out of breath quickly. They had me do a lot of drills. It wasnt hard stuff but I got winded quickly. It was very tiring, Slaughter said in an interview with Cebu Daily News. Slaughter participated in the training sessions along with two Fil-American players and Mac Baracael of the Far Eastern University. Slaughter considered the opportunity to be a grand one and is hopeful of being selected into the national squad. He also added that the training would be ultimately good for him individually and the entire UV squad, as they prepare for their stint in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League. I think the potential to improve is limitless. They are going to have me train and have all these international competitions. Toroman is a great coach who brings with him an impressive resume, that includes bringing Iran to the Olympics and producing the very first Iranian player in the NBA, Slaughter said. Multi-titled head coach Elmer Boy Cabahug also conceded that the chance for his big man to improve will go a long way towards helping the UV Green Lancers. He is also in Manila to accompany his center and learn from Rajko Toroman It will be a plus factor for Greg and UV as he will be able to train with the best young big men in the country today, Cabahug said.
Wala pa ring tatalo sa Alaska. Thats probably the new go-to line of every PBA fanboy right now. After all, it sums up just how awesome the Alaska Aces have been in their quest to be this seasons Commish Cup Champions.
In retrospect, it seems this really was meant for them. They lost just three games in the eliminations to finish as the #1 seed. They exorcised their demons by beating San Mig Coffee in the semifinals, and now they completed their quest by sweeping an embattled Ginebra squad [read more]
Wala pa ring tatalo sa Alaska. Thats probably the new go-to line of every PBA fanboy right now. After all, it sums up just how awesome the Alaska Aces have been in their quest to be this seasons Commish Cup Champions.
In retrospect, it seems this really was meant for them. They lost just three games in the eliminations to finish as the #1 seed. They exorcised their demons by beating San Mig Coffee in the semifinals, and now they completed their quest by sweeping an embattled Ginebra squad. It's a storybook tale fit for a franchise that seemed to lose its luster after going through more downs than ups in the past few seasons.
With its last title way back in 2010 and legendary coach Tim Cone jumping ship, it sure looked like Alaska was on its way to irrelevance, but with new blood and renewed fervor, the franchise's glory days (last seen in the 90s) may yet see the light of day anew.
As for Ginebra, it had its own fairy tale to spin, but all that happened here was the Kings fighting like mad dogs only to see everything spin out of control in the fourth quarter. Down by just 2 in the payoff period after Chris Ellis's last basket, the Kings went cold and witnessed a mind-blowing (and title-clinching) 24-2 flurry by the Aces that left more than 23,000 paying patrons at the Big Dome wide-eyed. Now the Kings are sent back to the drawing board, tired and broken.
Coach Luigi Trillo hit it on the head when he said, We have built a good foundation for this team and our new additions were the pieces we needed. These are good guys, character guys.
Indeed there was no shortage of character guys and heroes for Alaska, and perhaps there was nobody bigger than rookie sensation Calvin Abueva. Abueva was snubbed in the Best Player of the Conference vote, but he let his game speak in Game 3. The former San Sebastian Stag finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds in a performance worthy of greatness (and ire, if you're a Ginebra fan). Best Player? Nah. How about Beast Payer.
And how about the first ever recipient of the Bobby Parks Best Import of the Conference -- Rob Dozier? The former Memphis Tiger was dominant with 27 points, 20 points, 7 assists, and 6 blocks. Needless to say, he completely outplayed Ginebra's Vernon Macklin.
Also stepping up big were "The Boss" Sonny Thoss and former Gilas playmaker JV Casio. They were both the main sparks behind Alaska's series-ending run, scoring 18 and 13 markers respectively by game's end. Thoss, for his outstanding Finals performance, won the Finals MVP plum, while not a few people are probably relishing at the though of Casio maybe getting a late call-up to the Gilas squad.
And now we can all hum to that undying Alaska Milk jingle again
Wala pa ring tatalo sa Alaska.
Game Recaps: ALASKA over GINEBRA, 104-80 The Alaska Aces defeated Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 104-80, in Game Three to sweep the Commissioners Cup finals Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
Alaska used a furious fourth quarter run to end the game to win the 14th championship in franchise history.
Wala pa ring tatalo sa Aces, wala pa ring tatalo sa Gatas Republik, wala pa ring tatalo sa Alaska! exclaimed Alaska chief executive officer Wilfred Uytengsu after the match
Best Import winner Robert Dozier dominated with 27 points, 20 rebounds, seven assists, and six blocks to lead the way for the Aces. Calvin Abueva added 22 points and 10 rebounds while Sonny Thoss posted 13 points and 14 rebounds for Alaska, who dominated the boards, 64-50.
With Ginebras backs against the wall, the Gin Kings put up a tough fight through three quarters. The game was still close early in the fourth quarter, with Alaska leading by just two points, 80-78.
Then all hell broke loose.
Alaska unleashed a 24-2 run to end the game, capped by a three-pointer from third-string point guard Raphy Reyes, to close out the series.
Thoss won finals Most Valuable Player honors after averaging 14.5 points in the series while anchoring the Alaska defense.
LA Tenorio carried the fight for Ginebra with 18 points. But import Vernon Macklin once again struggled, posting a quiet 12 points on just eight shots.
The Alaska Aces didnt waste any time at all.
They went on a 14-0 start and cruised on until the endgame to defeat the crowd-favorite Ginebra Gin Kings, 87-70, in Game One of the 2013 PBA Commissioners Cup Finals.
It was an unexpected start to a game and a series billed by many PBA observers to bring back memories of the classic 90s rivalry between the two storied franchises [read more]
The Alaska Aces didnt waste any time at all.
They went on a 14-0 start and cruised on until the endgame to defeat the crowd-favorite Ginebra Gin Kings, 87-70, in Game One of the 2013 PBA Commissioners Cup Finals.
It was an unexpected start to a game and a series billed by many PBA observers to bring back memories of the classic 90s rivalry between the two storied franchises.
There wasnt anything storied about the way Ginebra started, however, as the Aces just shot the lights out in the first quarter, outscoring the Kings, 28-6. Eight different players scored for Alaska in that period, while only Vernon Macklin, Mac Baracael, and Chris Ellis scored for Ginebra, with Macklin the only one making field goals.
Alaska continued to dominate the Kings all the way till the middle of the fourth quarter, when Ginebras starters actually mounted a last ditch 17-6 rally to trim the deficit to just 11, 79-68, with less than three minutes left. Alaska, however, came through to score 8 of the games last 9 points and peg the final score.
Alaska is now just two wins away from its maiden title in the post-Tim Cone era, while the Gin Kings need to recover after this unqualified blowout.
Game Recaps: ALASKA over GINEBRA, 87-70 The Alaska Aces unleashed a knockout punch in the first quarter and cruised the rest of the way to take Game One of the Commissioners Cup finals, 87-70, over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Wednesday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
Alaska finished the opening period with a 28-6 advantage, making life miserable for the usually high-scoring Ginebra offense.
We need to play to our identity. I think we set the tone, said Alaska coach Luigi Trillo. Thats our identity: defense.
Import Robert Dozier anchored the stingy defense, grabbing 22 rebounds for Alaska, which drew balanced scoring with seven players posting at least nine points, led by RJ Jazul with 16.
The Aces limited the touches of explosive Ginebra import Vernon Macklin, who had 16 points on just nine attempts from the field.
I thought we did a fairly good job on Vernon. I thought we were able to control him. You cant stop him, but I thought we did a good job controlling him, said Trillo.
Alaska also hounded Ginebra court general LA Tenorio to 4-of-16 shooting, leaving Gin Kings coach Alfrancis Chua looking for answers in the first half. The ponytailed coach dug deep into his bench, fielding in recovering guard Mark Caguioa as well as little-used players Elmer Espiritu, Rico Maierhofer, and Rob Labagala to look for a spark.
Tenorio tried to rally Ginebra in the fourth quarter, helping the Gin Kings cut the deficit to just 11 points, 79-68, with a three-point play with less than three minutes left.
But steady shooting from Sonny Thoss helped Alaska pull out the victory in the best-of-five series.
Its a short series, five games, said Trillo. They have tired warriors right now. It puts a lot of pressure on them.
Trillo, however, cautioned about getting too confident with the lopsided win.
We know better. We need to take care of this, he said. Its not gonna happen again. Theyre gonna elevate, energize their team.
The 2013 PBA Commish Cup will not have a repeat titlist this year. This much was confirmed after the Alaska Aces booted out their former mentor and his current team in Game 4 last Saturday, while the Bgy. Ginebra Gin Kings completed a stirring comeback from a 1-2 series hole to upend the Talk N Text Tropang Texters last night. So its going to be an Alaska-Ginebra showdown for the championship!!! First to four games wins! Gatas o Gin? Kampihan na!
Last Friday, Bgy [read more]
The 2013 PBA Commish Cup will not have a repeat titlist this year. This much was confirmed after the Alaska Aces booted out their former mentor and his current team in Game 4 last Saturday, while the Bgy. Ginebra Gin Kings completed a stirring comeback from a 1-2 series hole to upend the Talk N Text Tropang Texters last night. So its going to be an Alaska-Ginebra showdown for the championship!!! First to four games wins! Gatas o Gin? Kampihan na!
Last Friday, Bgy. Ginebra forced a rubber match after beating Talk N Text, 104-101. After struggling in Game 3, Vernon Macklin redeemed himself well here, dropping 37 points on the overmatched and overworked TNT frontline. V-Mack also collared 12 rebounds and dished out 4 assists as the Gin Kings forced a winner-take-all Game Five.
Hardly any locals showed up for the Texters, as Tony Mitchell was basically a one-man scoring machine. Mitchell, as brilliant as he is scoring 45 points, could not carry TNT straight into the Finals, and coach Norman Black is now left pondering about the critical missed opportunities in this outing. In contrast, Ginebra enjoyed a ton of support from its locals. Jayjay Helterbrand, LA Tenorio, Chris Ellis, and Kerby Raymundo all scored 12 or more points to backstop Macklin's virtuoso performance.
A day after, Alaska defeated San Mig Coffee, 83-78, to enter a PBA Finals series for the first time since Tim Cone bolted for SMC. So many improbable things happened in this game -- from Rob Dozier scoring just 6 points, the Aces roaring back from a double-digit deficit, and Calvin Abueva scoring all but two of his points in the fourth period. Such a well-earned series win by the Aces.
James Yap and Marc Pingris, easily the two most popular SMC Mixers, were both non-existent here. Yap missed the game entirely, while Ping was limited to a paltry 5-point output. The result? Bye bye title defense.
Hows this for irony? Tim Cone left Alaska when the Aces were struggling. He signed up with SMC and led them to last season's Commish Cup title. He swept the Aces in the elims of the current Commish Cup. And then he gets beaten in four games by his former apprentice with a number of the same players he left behind. In the process, Cone's new team was dethroned by his old team. Fate, you're pretty funny.
Last night, Ginebra completed its big series turnaround by trouncing Talk N Text, 111-103. The Gin Kings utilized a blistering first half to immediately put considerable distance between themselves and TNT. Coach Alfrancis Chuas wards were all over the hardwood, making plays on both ends of the floor on their way to a 61-41 spread. It turned out that was enough of a cushion to pave the way for a Finals clash with the Aces.
In his three games, TNT import Tony Mitchell has proven he can score in bunches. He, however, can also miss in bunches, and he is also allergic to passing the ball. Not the best combo in the world if you ask me. Not too keen on his coming back to reinforce the Texters next conference.
Vernon Macklin was awesome with his 22-20 line, despite shooting just 6-of-14 from the field. Mac Baracael, too, was extremely impressive with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 triples. Talk about stepping up big time. But the man of the match was definitely LA Tenorio. The Lieutenant scattered 28 markers despite missing all 7 of his trey attempts. He shot 62% from the 2-point area and made 12-of-14 FTs. Also grabbed 6 boards and had 5 dimes. LA vs Casio in the Finals should be a classic.
Game Recaps: GINEBRA over TALK N TEXT, 104-101 Vernon Macklin carried Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on his broad shoulders as the Gin Kings stayed alive against Talk N Text, 104-101, in Game Four of the Commissioners Cup semifinals Friday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
Macklin scored 37 points, including a basket with 54.4 seconds left that broke the games final deadlock, to force a rubber match for a ticket to the championship round.
The import got plenty of support from Ginebra locals, as five other players scored in double figures Jayjay Helterbrand (17 points), LA Tenorio (16), Chris Ellis (13), and Kerby Raymundo (12).
This win is for my players, said Ginebra coach Alfrancis Chua. Wala na akong masabi sa kanila.
Ginebra built a double-digit lead in the first half, before Talk N Text rallied in the third quarter after Macklin was called for a flagrant foul for shoving Ranidel De Ocampo.
Talk N Text leaned on import Tony Mitchell, who scored 45 points. But the dynamic reinforcement lost steam down the stretch, missing several shots that could have tied the game for the Tropang Texters.
Hes a very good import. We cant stop him, but we can contain him, said Chua, whose Gin Kings forced Mitchell into missing all eight of his three-point attempts apart from eight turnovers.
Mitchell got limited support from the rest of the Tropang Texters, with only Ranidel De Ocampo scoring in double figures for Talk N Text.
The final game of the series is set on Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum at 6:15 p.m.
ALASKA over SAN MIG COFFEE, 83-78 A new champion will emerge at the end of the Commissioners Cup.
The Alaska Aces made sure of that on Saturday night, defeating defending champion San Mig Coffee, 83-78, to win their semifinals series at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum in four games.
With the victory, the Aces booked their first championship round appearance since the departure of former coach Tim Cone, who left the team two years ago to coach the Purefoods franchise.
Import Robert Dozier struggled with just six points, but five of those came in the dying minutes to give the Aces the final push to close the match.
Im proud of Robert, hes playing with a sprained ankle, said Alaska coach Luigi Trillo, who is making his first finals appearance in just his third tournament as a PBA coach.
Dozier was one of many heroes for Alaska, which also includes Calvin Abueva. The brash rookie forward struggled in the first half, but scored 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to help the Aces come back from a 14-point halftime deficit.
When Calvin gets going, he really gets going, said Trillo.
San Mig Coffee came out firing, unleashing a 19-0 run in the second quarter to lead 48-34 at the half. But the Mixers, who were playing without top gun James Yap, did not seem to have enough firepower in the second half to keep up with Alaska.
James, he couldve helped them, said Trillo. They lacked one more weapon inside.
Alaska will play the winner of Sundays Game Five between Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in a best-of-five finals series set to tip off on Wednesday.
I think both teams are tired also, said Trillo, who refused to disclose a preference for either opponent. Hard to say. Im not gonna wish for anything.
GINEBRA over TALK N TEXT, 111-103 Barangay Ginebra San Miguel unleashed a blistering attack early before showing poise in the face of a furious Talk N Text rally to win Game Five of their Commissioners Cup semifinals series, 111-103, Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
With the win, Ginebra booked its first finals appearance since the 2011 edition of the tournament.
I didnt expect that well be in the championship, said Ginebra coach Alfrancis Chua, who rebounded from an 0-4 start to the tournament to make a Cinderella run to the finals as a seventh seed. They will face top-ranked Alaska in the championship round.
Its a God-given gift, daming injuries, pero nakarating kami dito.
Buoyed by a boisterous crowd of 21,408 cheering lustily for them from the opening tip, the Gin Kings built a 20-point halftime lead, 61-41, against the shorthanded Tropang Texters.
But Talk N Text, which was playing without star forward Ranidel De Ocampo in addition to injured stalwarts Kelly Williams and Jared Dillinger, did not give up. The Tropang Texters cut the lead to just 11 points at the end of the third period, and came within striking distance in the final quarter.
Tinitingnan ko, kinakabahan ako, said Chua. Pero yung mga players, wala lang.
LA Tenorio led Ginebra with 28 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter to keep Talk N Text at bay.
The kid showed something that, pwede talaga siyang mag-[Best Player of the Conference, said Chua.
Import Vernon Macklin, whose arrival in the tournament turned Ginebras fortunes around, added 22 points and 20 rebounds, while Mac Baracael had 21 points.
Against Alaska in the finals, Chua knows the going will get even tougher.
Alaska is very complete, from wing to point to big man, said Chua, who added that he wont be thinking of the championship round just yet.
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