The 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference championship will be in possession of the team that wants it more.
Just which team that would be remains a big question mark as Barangay Ginebra and Air21 lower the curtains on their titular showdown with a final act a deciding seventh game Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
The 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference championship will be in possession of the team that wants it more.
Just which team that would be remains a big question mark as Barangay Ginebra and Air21 lower the curtains on their titular showdown with a final act a deciding seventh game Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
What many thought would be a ho-hum best-of-seven series has shaped up into an epic duel as the Kings, walking wounded as their coach Jong Joseph Uichico keeps on saying, refused to let go, giving credence to their never-say-die spirit that has endeared them to their multitudes.
A huge crowd mostly Ginebra diehards is expected to show up for the 7 o'clock showdown and fill every nook and cranny of the historic Big Dome to rally behind the Kings, who saved their season and stayed on course for a ninth championship by rallying from 16 points to stun the Express, 80-75, in Game 6.
That remarkable comeback certainly provided the Kings a huge psychological boost as they battle the Express for all the marbles and the possible return of Jayjay Helterbrand in the lineup should lift up the spirit and energize the franchise aiming to reclaim the title it won in 2004-05.
Apparently, Helterbrand, who sustained a hamstring pull late in Game 2, tried to play in Game 6 but the injury still bothered him.
'But who knows? We might play him in Game 7,' hinted Joseph Uichico, seeking an eighth career championship and his second title with the Kings.
Joseph Uichico anticipates the Final Act to be a battle but claims there's no need for adjustments.
'This (Game 7) is a players' game. It's their wanting to win that will make the difference,' Joseph Uichico said.
'Sheer heart. That's what has kept us alive. I just hope we could play again that way on Wednesday.'
Air21 coach Dolreich Perasol said their loss in Game 6 has provided them insights on how to improve on some areas of their game.
Air21 is eyeing its first PBA championship and the Express appear to have the skills and the ability to accomplish their goal. But after throwing away a golden opportunity last Sunday, some observers wonder if the Express still have the heart to go all the way.
Dolreich Perasol, who has the chance to claim the most valuable jewel in his coaching career, said his troops were 'sad and very frustrated after losing Game 6' but suggested the Express have only themselves to blame for the defeat.
'(Ginebra) did nothing special to beat us. We lost because we gave them a lot of second chance points and we made a lot of poor shot selections,' Dolreich Perasol explained.
But what apparently puzzled the Air21 coach was his troops' move to abandon the full court defense that has kept the Kings struggling on offense for most part of Game 6.
'I really don't think we have to feel bad. That would be a negative feeling going into Game 7. We know exactly what happened there. All we have to do is to play together to pull this through,' Dolreich Perasol said.
Hopefully, its not too late for the Express to get their acts together.
Adam Parada (213-C-81, agency: Octagon, college: Cal-Irvine) finally came up with the kind of game expected of him Wednesday night. Too bad it came too late for Red Bull.
Still, the Barakos drew strength from Adam Parada's personal conference-high 33 points to beat the Magnolia Beverage Masters, 102-90, for third place in the Smart PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.
Adam Parada, who averaged only 16.
Adam Parada (213-C-81, agency: Octagon, college: Cal-Irvine) finally came up with the kind of game expected of him Wednesday night. Too bad it came too late for Red Bull.
Still, the Barakos drew strength from Adam Parada's personal conference-high 33 points to beat the Magnolia Beverage Masters, 102-90, for third place in the Smart PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.
Adam Parada, who averaged only 16.3 points in the semifinals where Red Bull was swept in four games by Barangay Ginebra, also wound up with 11 rebounds, four assists and as many blocked shots while Leo Najorda added a career-high 22.
Together with Cyrus Baguio's 15 points, the Barakos clinched a third straight third place finish that was last achieved by Sta. Lucia Realty (the 1997 Commissioner's Cup to the '98 All-Filipino).
Best consolation na ito. After our shutout series with Ginebra the least we can do is try and win third, said Barakos coach Yeng Guiao. This makes us consistent with our finishes the whole season and it's not bad for a team like ours. Okay na rin ito.
The victory is made extra special since Magnolia, formerly known as San Miguel Beer, is the league's winningest with 17 titles and also has the most second runner-up honors with 14.
A 15th was denied, despite Kenneth Bono's career game of 15 points and 11 rebounds that led four other Beverage Masters who chipped in at least 10 points each.
A very big factor for the Barakos was Beverage Masters import Amal McCaskill seeing very limited action due to reported injuries on both knees. He started the game but was taken out after only first five minutes, contributing nothing.
Guiao said it is now a matter of renewing the contracts of most of their seven players with expiring pacts and looking forward to their preparations for the coming season that starts October 4.
Guiao revealed that the contracts of Baguio, Mike Hrabak, Topex Robinson, Warren Ybanez and Carlo Sharma are sure to be renewed.
They're already done deals in principle, he said. But first, we have to study the draft prospects because we have a first round pick, said Guiao, whose team picks ninth overall.
Helping Adam Parada the most in the third period was Baguio's 10 points and Celino Cruz's six which allowed the Barakos to outscore the Beveerage Masters 37-27 to go up by 85-70.
Adam Parada already had 18 points and eight rebounds and Najorda 15 in the first half as Red Bull tried to impose its will in the early goings against a Magnolia squad that showed a lot of grit despite playing all-Filipino for majority of the game.
In fact, the Beverage Masters managed to hold their own against the Barakos and even came clambering back from a 70-86 deficit to make it a very manageable 82-86, still plenty of time left.
Behind Adam Parada's steady play and significant contributions from Kiko Adriano, Red Bull quickly re-organized and countered with an 8-0 surge to make it a more comfortable 94-82 count, still 6:14 to go.
Magnolia would come no closer than nine points the rest of the way.
It was a much tighter contest in the first half, where the Beverage Masters jumped the gun on the Barakos for two nine-point leads and kept within striking distance 43-48 at the half.
Mike Cortez and Danny Seigle each had eight points after the first two quarters.
Even rookie Jonas Villanueva chipped in five points in the second quarter, all coming during an 8-2 run that gave Magnolia its second nine-point lead of the game 33-24, 10:21 to go before the break.
But Red Bull simply would not be denied and applied more pressure in the latter part of the quarter and throughout most of the third.
Before Magnolia knew it, Red Bull had stretched its halftime lead to 15 and to its biggest at 86-70 at the start of the payoff period.
The high emotions riding on the game was typified by Sharma, who was ejected with 9:20 left in the fourth period after showing his displeasure on a non-call by throwing the ball on a referee with his team ahead 86-74.
The incident seemed to spark Magnolia's uprising even more as it closed to within four points on a charity split by Dorian Pena. (NCo)
It's still not certain if Gabriel Norwood (196-G/F-85, college: George Mason) will be declared eligible for the PBA draft on Aug. 31 even as Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez
has affirmed his right to Filipino citizenship under a 1973 Constitution provision.
Norwood is now in the US waiting for the decision on his eligibility by the PBA Board of Governors. His local representative
Mark Chan said he plans to fly in two weeks before the PBA draft if the Board clears his eligibility.
It's still not certain if Gabriel Norwood (196-G/F-85, college: George Mason) will be declared eligible for the PBA draft on Aug. 31 even as Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has affirmed his right to Filipino citizenship under a 1973 Constitution provision.
Norwood is now in the US waiting for the decision on his eligibility by the PBA Board of Governors. His local representative Mark Chan said he plans to fly in two weeks before the PBA draft if the Board clears his eligibility.
Last Friday, Chan submitted to the PBA a four-page memorandum signed by Gonzalez and addressed to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo explaining why Norwood has a rightful claim to Filipino citizenship.
Gonzalez' memorandum triggered the issuance of a Philippine passport to Norwood which he used to represent the country as a national cager at the FIBA-Asia Championships in Tokushima and the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok last year.
PBA executive director Rickie Santos said the memorandum was forwarded by commissioner Sonny Barrios to league lawyers for review before making a recommendation to the Board.
'I was told that the PBA reserves the right to confirm or deny a draft applicant's eligibility,' said Chan. 'Right now, Gabe's case is up in the air.'
Chan said he sought Games and Amusements Board chairman Eric Buhain's counsel and was advised to pursue the case with the PBA on the strength of Gonzalez' endorsement.
'An option was to get a Presidential Executive Order from Malacaang like Alex Crisano,' said Chan. 'But we were informed Crisano's case is different because he had already played in the PBA and all the PBA needed was a reconfirmation.'
Chan turned in Gonzalez' memorandum as a document of proof to beat the July 25 deadline the PBA set for submission of papers. The PBA is requiring original copies of birth certificates of Fil-foreign draft applicants and their parents to be given by Aug. 29.
Chan said Norwood's priority is to play in the PBA. He has offers to play in the National Basketball Development League, which is the NBA's farm system, the National Basketball League in Australia and the French league. But Norwood is holding out for the opportunity to play in the PBA.
'Gabe is excited to play in the PBA,' said Chan. 'He loves the Filipino fans and he considers it an honor to play for the country. He thinks if he plays elsewhere, it will be difficult to rejoin the national team because of conflict in schedules, distance and contract obligations.'
Norwood, 23, was born in North Carolina. He traces his Filipino roots to his maternal grandmother Francine Dora Viloria. Gonzalez said his mother Tiffiney Sainte Hardy is considered a Filipino national under the 1935 Constitution.
Gonzalez pointed out that Norwood's mother was only 18 when he was born.
'Being a minor who had no chance to elect Philippine citizenship, Tiffiney should be treated as having enjoyed dual citizenship at the time (of Norwood's birth),' said Gonzalez. 'Having been born in the US, she is an American under the jus soli principle. At the same time, she is a Filipino citizen under the jus sanguinis principle as her mother appears to have retained her Philippine citizenship despite her marriage to an (African-American).'
Gonzalez said because Norwood was born to a Filipino mother, he gained the right to Philippine citizenship under Section 1(2) of Article III of the 1973 Constitution declaring as Philippine citizens 'those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines' at the time of their birth.
Gonzalez said Norwood has the right to be issued a Philippine passport in accordance with Section 5 of Republic Act No. 8239.
'Norwood's case is a no-brainer,' said a source. 'He has played twice for the Philippine team. He paid his dues in the PBL and acquitted himself admirably. He holds a Philippine passport. Surely, he is eligible to apply for the PBA draft as a Filipino citizen. It would be a denial of his human right if he is declared ineligible because after all, he is a Filipino citizen as affirmed by the Department of Justice.' -
A wonderful episode looms bright in the horizon for the Air21 franchise after 13 frustrating conferences, four coaching changes and several surprising trades.
So as he entertained sportswriters for the post-game interview, Dolreich Perasol allowed his troops to seize the moment and celebrate at the confines of their locker room.
The Express have just defeated the Magnolia Beverage Masters, 92-82, in Game 5 of their semifinal duel for a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
A wonderful episode looms bright in the horizon for the Air21 franchise after 13 frustrating conferences, four coaching changes and several surprising trades.
So as he entertained sportswriters for the post-game interview, Dolreich Perasol allowed his troops to seize the moment and celebrate at the confines of their locker room.
The Express have just defeated the Magnolia Beverage Masters, 92-82, in Game 5 of their semifinal duel for a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The result of Wednesday's encounter, without doubt, means so much for Perasol, the low-keyed and unassuming coach of Air21, the players and management for whom a trip to the Finals has been nothing but just a dream for the past six years.
After a roller coaster ride early in the eliminations, the Express slowly picked up their rhythm and suddenly Perasol, whose patience and modesty had endeared him to his players, has a chance to accomplish what his predecessors Bonnie Garcia, Derrick Pumaren, Bong Ramos and Joe Lipa had failed to achieve.
Unless something terrible happens to his lead characters, Perasol and the overachieving Express may find themselves playing in the Finals and contending for the PBA's season-ending championship.
History awaits the six-year-old franchise Friday night as the Express aim for the clinching fourth victory over the Magnolia Beverage Masters in Game Six of their semifinal series set for 7 p.m. at the Cuneta Astrodome.
A win will send Air21 to a best-of-seven title duel opposite Barangay Ginebra starting Wednesday at the Araneta Colliseum.
Perasol is confident his charges would get the job done but for good measure he cautioned them to stay focused on the task at hand.
'If we have to win, we have to do it in a fashion that is convincing,' Perasol said.
Resiliency, hardwork and unselfishness have become the foundations of the Express' success this conference.
The Express were also this good three years back. They made the semifinals of this same conference with Sean Daniels as import. Although they showed some promise, the team eventually fell short and settled for a third place finish.
Steven Thomas, who is now the leader of this year's class, has never played in a championship game much like the Express, reason why he's moving heaven and earth to get there.
'I've never been in a championship series so this is very important to me,' Thomas said. 'We just have to take it one game at a time.'
'Our chances are good because our locals are playing phenomenal. They're winning without me. I'm just doing the talking communicating.'
Still, Thomas cautioned his teammates to treat Magnolia with respect, short of saying they can't afford to be complacent.
Obviously, the Beverage Masters are hard-pressed to win Game 6 to force a deciding game. And there's a possibility they might have to do it without hotshot Dondon Hontiveros.
Hontiveros, who played just 11 minutes in Game 5 after injuring his left ankle in the second quarter, remains a doubtful starter.
Without Hontiveros, Magnolia coach Siot Tanquingcen could only hope import Amal Mccaskill, Lordy Tugade, Danny Seigle, Danny Ildefonso and Olsen Racela would be able to withstand the booming cannons of Air21.
'I hope Dondon could play. I don't want our achievement to be tainted,' Perasol said. 'It would be sweeter to win the series if Dondon is there. But we'll take it any which way.' (DBC)
Coaches Joseph Uichico of Barangay Ginebra and Siot Tanquingcen of Magnolia are used to the playoff atmosphere.
So its not surprising at all that they are bracing themselves for a tough grind Wednesday night, totally different from the one their troops faced in the opener of their respective semifinal series.
Coaches Joseph Uichicoof Barangay Ginebra and Siot Tanquingcenof Magnolia are used to the playoff atmosphere.
So its not surprising at all that they are bracing themselves for a tough grind Wednesday night, totally different from the one their troops faced in the opener of their respective semifinal series.
With close to 11,000 spectators on hand at the Cuneta Astrodome, the Barangay Ginebra Kings dominated and silenced the Red Bull Barakos, 108-82, and Magnolia pounced on undermanned Air21, 113-87, Sunday to gain a headstart in the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference best-of-seven series.
The Kings and the Beverage Masters were clearly in their best in Game 1, looking every inch certified title contenders. But neither Joseph Uichico nor Tanquingcen was ready to proclaim that this series which will send the winners into a championship showdown could end sooner than expected.
'It's always a relief to win the first game. But this doesn't mean anything,' offered Joseph Uichico , noting it would be a big mistake to count the Barakos out this early into the series.
Not even the Kings' nine-game winning streak, it seems, is enough to convince the two-time Coach of the Year that this series would be a simple walk in the park for his troops.
'We're not too concerned about the streak. Our goal has always been play to win,' Joseph Uichico said.
The fact that Red Bull managed to secure a seat in the Final Four without the so-called 'superstars' is a testament to the resiliency of the Barakos something that Joseph Uichico said should not be overlooked by the Kings.
'We know what Red Bull is capable of doing. We just have to match their intensity and keep our defensive mentality,' said Joseph Uichico , who expects their 4:50 p.m. encounter at the Araneta Coliseum to be a little bit more physical and aggressive.
Modesty aside, even Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao believes his charges should have no trouble bouncing back from Sunday's lopsided loss. But he also said they have to find a way to slow down Ginebra import Chris Alexander, who completely dominated Adam Parada in Game 1.
'He's big and quicker than Adam. He's a very big problem for us if we can't find a way to slow him down, Guiao said.
Alexander posted 16 points and 17 rebounds in Game 1 while holding Parada to just 6 points on 2-of-8 shooting.
Tanquingcen is also convinced that their 7:20 p.m. date with the Air21 Express won't be easy.
'Definitely, it will be a different story in Game 2,' said Tanquincen.
The Beverage Masters had an easier time controlling Game 1 mainly because Air21 import Steven Thomas wasn't around.
'He's back. So we're back in business,' said Bo Perasol, the low-keyed Express coach who was pleased to see his reliable reinforcement back in the lineup.
Thomas, who made himself available for Korean Basketball League draft, arrived early Monday morning from the U.S. and headed straight to the Xavier gym in San Juan to join the team in practice.
Without Thomas in Game 1, the Express gave up 25 markers on second chance points, 16 more than their average in the eliminations.
'We really had a tough time without him. But it will be an entirely different story on Wednesday,' Perasol said. (DBC)
Top rookie prospect Gabe Norwood had just gotten a new found hope in his bid to make the Philippine Basketball Association Annual Draft.
Commissioner Renauld “Sonny' Barrios extended the deadline for Fil-foreign players to complete all the necessary requirements
for them to be considered in the final list of candidates for the August 31 event set at Market Market Place in Taguig.
Top rookie prospect Gabe Norwood had just gotten a new found hope in his bid to make the Philippine Basketball Association Annual Draft.
Commissioner Renauld “Sonny' Barrios extended the deadline for Fil-foreign players to complete all the necessary requirements for them to be considered in the final list of candidates for the August 31 event set at Market Market Place in Taguig.
From its original July 8 deadline, Barrios gave the seven Fil-foreign aspirants until July 25 to present at least photo copies of all the documents and papers required of them. The documents, he added, serve as prerequisites for all foreign-bred players wishing to make it to the PBA Draft.
Norwood and six other Fil-foreign players already signified their intention to join the draft by submitting their respective applications prior to the July 8 deadline, although none among them we’re able to complete the requirements imposed by the league.
The former George Mason University stalwart and PBL Rookie of the Year while playing for Hapee still has to secure an approval from the Department Justice regarding his Filipino citizenship.
“The papers that we are requiring them to submit serve as sort of their passport to become candidates for the annual draft,' said Barrios, who added that no less than the PBA Board of Governors reiterated the same policy in its last meeting held July 14.
Barrios, however, said that authenticated and original copies of those documents must be turned over to the league by noon of August 29.
Certificate of Recognition from the Bureau of Immigration, DoJ affirmation, authenticated birth certificate from the National Statistics Office (if applicant is born in the country), authenticated birth certificate of Filipino parent or other valid documents acceptable to the appropriate agency, marriage certificate of parents, duly notarized and/or authenticated naturalization papers of Filipino parents, duly notarized affidavits of at least three persons residing in the Philippines attesting to the claim of citizenship of applicant, and all other documents which the PBA Commissioner may require are some of the documents the league require all Fil-foreign hopefuls.
Any of the Fil-foreign applicants who fail to complete the requirement by July 25 will be considered out of the list according to Barrios.
The complete list of Fil-foreign aspirants also includes, Kevin Delafu, Jared Dillinger (196-G/F-84, college: Air Force), Robert Baltch Reyes, Solomon Mercado, Christopher Viardo, and Charles Waters.
July 4 (Fri) Araneta Coliseum
Ginebra 111 Welcoat 86
Red Bull 105 Talk N Text 105
July 6 (Sun) Cuneta Astrodome
Ginebra 97 Alaska 90
Sta. Lucia 81 Red Bull 85
End of Elimination Round
Standings After Double Round Robin Elimination Round
Team W L
Z-Air 21 (12-6)
Z-Red Bull (11-7)
Y-Ginebra (10-8)
Y-Coca Cola (10-8)
Y-Magnolia (10-8)
X-Talk N Text (9-9)
X-Alaska (9-9)
X-Purefoods (8-10)
X-Sta.
July 4 (Fri) Araneta Coliseum Ginebra 111 Welcoat 86 Red Bull 105 Talk N Text 105
July 6 (Sun) Cuneta Astrodome Ginebra 97 Alaska 90 Sta. Lucia 81 Red Bull 85
End of Elimination Round
Standings After Double Round Robin Elimination Round Team W L Z-Air 21 (12-6) Z-Red B
