^^ Yup the Spurs are favored to win big & quick. Tapos baka pa raw hindi maglaro si LeBron in some of the games since anytime daw pwedeng manganak ang GF niya during the Finals. Hope it's not true or this can possibly become the worst NBA Finals match up ever played. :bash: :bash: :bash:

I'm expecting a sweep here, and the Spurs should not under-estimate the Cavs... If they lay low, the Cavs might be able to extend the series up to a game 5 or 6...

Remember, The Finals format is the usual 2-3-2 and if the Spurs lower their guard on the road, Cavs might be able to steal 2 games at their home turf --- which will make an interesting series...

i stopped watching when Phoenix lost to Spurs.

hindi nanalo ang spurs sa cavs during the regular season.... 0-2

http://www.asia-basket.com/PHI/PHI.asp
Philippines in 'Group of Death' along with China, Iran and Jordan
by Hector Santos

Team Pilipinas found itself in the toughest bracket of the coming FIBA Asia Championship in Tokushima, Japan after being bracketed in Group A or the so-called “Group of Death” with defending champion and Asian Games gold medalist China, Asian Games bronze medalist Iran and fast rising Asian basketball powerhouse and Asian Games semi-finalist Jordan.

Bracket B, C and D can be considered to be the easier bracket due to few Asian powerhouse that was included.

Bracket B consists of Lebanon, host Japan, Saudi Arabia and UAE. 2005 FIBA runner up Lebanon and Japan are expected to dominate this group.

Meanwhile, group C includes Asian Games silver medalist Qatar, India, Kazakhstan and Indonesia. Qatar and Kazakhstan are likely to be the team to beat in this bracket.

Group D on the other hand comprises of South Korea, Hong Kong, Syria and Chinese Taipei. S. Korea, Syria and Chinese Taipei will surely battling for their spot in the quarters.

Teams play each other once in the same bracket after which the top two in each bracket advance to the knockout crossover quarterfinals. The four survivors move on to the crossover semifinals then the top two square off for the title.

The tournament will serve as the Olympic qualifier for Asia. China, as host of next year's Beijing Olympics, is guaranteed a slot in the 12-team basketball competition. If China wins in Tokushima, the runner-up gains a ticket to Beijing as Asia's other representative. If China fails to win, it will still play in Beijing as host nation and the FIBA-Asia champion qualifies for the Olympics.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/06072007/images/sports-pic02.jpg

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/06072007/sports01.html

Oh my gosh!
OF ALL PLACES, THE PHILIPPINES DRAWS ‘THE GROUP OF DEATH’
BusinessMirror
June 7, 2007

By Dominic Menor

THE anticipation of the country’s return to elite basketball status seemed to have popped like a balloon upon the announcement of the groupings yesterday for the Fiba-Asia qualifiers next month.

Team Pilipinas is clustered with China, Jordan and Iran in Group A, and Chot Reyes minced no words describing the Nationals’ situation.

“Unfortunately, we are in the group of death,” he responded.

The results of the group assignments were relayed by Patrick Gregorio, the executive director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas who was in Japan to represent the Philippines in the pretournament draw.

The outcome was passed on through a text message—which even true, fanatical believers in the RP 5 admit was a downer—and it couldn’t have felt more like a bucket of cold water splashed on the country’s face, knowing that the Philippines is left with no choice but to battle for two spots with the continent’s one dreaded team and two other daunting ball clubs that finished third and fourth in the Asian Games just last December.

“You work so hard to prepare,” Reyes said, “only to leave your fate to the luck of the draw.”

Reyes’s team has been busy and it plans to stay that way in the weeks leading to the Fiba qualifiers in late July.

The Nationals could have been called the Globetrotters this summer, playing in three different time zones in a span of a month and a half. They started their preparations with in a series of virtual pick-up games in the US.

Then, they flew to the Middle East where reality checked in hard. There, the Filipinos lost their first three games, still came up with the best finish in the country’s history in Fiba Club championship, and learned there was much to do.

Thailand was the next stop, and the event in it was what mattered. Team Pilipinas handily won the Southeast Asian Basketball Association to get a ticket to the Tokushima Olympic qualifiers from July 28 to August 5.

A tournament in Belgrade is up next week. The William Jones Cup in early July is the last boot camp for the Filipinos before they fly to Japan.

Reyes is right. All the hard work, and fate still frowned.

It could’ve been Group B with Japan (which is relatively still a manageable foe), or Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates (which are not as highly touted as the Middle Eastern teams already in the Philippines’ group).

Even Lebanon is beatable, considering the Philippines beat them handily only last month.

It could have been Group C with India and Indonesia (which are still lightweight basketball countries).

Heck, it could have been Group D with Hong Kong (considered a minnow) or Chinese-Taipei (at least, they’re not tall and big).

But what did the Philippines get?

Iran. Gregorio earlier said its national team was physically gifted and fundamentally sound. Gifted as in there are four players near seven feet, sound as in they play like they’re shorter than height.

Jordan. The Jordanians battled Iran for the bronze medal in the Asian Games in Qatar.

China. Yao Ming won’t be there. Teen phenom Yi Jianlian won’t be there. But China is so strong even their B team has a shot at the gold in the Fiba qualifiers. Oh yeah, their B team will be there.

“This team and this country have come too far to be denied,” Reyes said.

“It is not our style to dwell on negatives, so our only focus now is how to beat Iran and Jordan. China will take care of itself.”

Reports have it that the RP coaching staff knows a fair amount about the two Middle East teams it initially faces.

“We’re familiar with those teams. We know that Jordan has a naturalized player in Raheim White, a touring pro who used to play as import in the Jordanian league,” Reyes said.

Gregorio said the draw was overseen by Fiba-Asia first deputy secretary-general Hagop Khajirian of Lebanon.

“The draw was fair, with ample media coverage,” Gregorio added in his text message.

If China advances to the championship round, the other finalist gets a pass to the Beijing Olympics. If the Chinese don’t make it to the finals, then the champion of the qualifiers advances to the Olympiad.

The top two finishers in the group stages advance to the quarterfinals where they will be split evenly between two brackets. The top two teams there go into the crossover semifinals.

It was initially hoped that the Philippines would draw one of the two best teams in the 16-nation event, China or maybe Qatar. The theory was if the Filipinos faced either in the group stages, it was likely the next time the Philippines would meet the two countries is in the final.

In the draw, the Philippines got China. And then Iran. And Jordan. And the only thing the country didn’t get was luck.

Lead us...

The hope was that Team Pilipinas would be bracketed with one strong team. What happened was it was bunched with three.

And some local sports officials sounded like they nearly fell off their seats knowing that the Filipinos’ first three games were against the continent’s acknowledged powerhouse and two Middle Eastern countries that placed third and fourth in the last Asian Games.

“I will seek divine guidance first [before commenting on draw],” Jose Cojuangco Jr., president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), responded partly in jest.

“Ang bigat naman niyan. We watched them in the [Doha] Asian Games, and I think even Jordan placed second there. “I pray for the best for the national team,” he added.

Actually, Jordan placed fourth in the Qatar Games. The team that won the bronze? Iran, the country that recently hosted the Fiba Club Championships in May where it beat the Filipinos, 101-88.

“Sobrang buwenas naman n’yan,” quipped Joey Romasanta, the spokesman of the POC.

“It would be tough for us to beat anyone in that group, even Jordan. In the Asian Games, I thought the Jordanians had really tall players.”

...to salvation

Two former national coaches who were asked to comment on the draw said they know little about Jordan’s and Iran’s teams, even China’s, the third club in Group A.

“I really can’t judge personally those teams,” Jong Uichico, the RP coach in the 2002 Asian Games said. “I haven’t seen Iran and Jordan yet, and I don’t know if China’s team is good.”

“One thing is, you won’t face China in the crossover. Now the problem is, you have to sweep Jordan and Iran,” said Tim Cone, the Centennial Team coach in the ’98 Asiad who, like Uichico, are busy coaching their teams in the PBA. “I’ve read only in the papers that Yao Ming won’t play. [Yi Jianlian], who’s applying for the draft, likely won’t be there, too, for China.”

“Puro malalakas, pero kaya natin ’yan,” said Mikee Romero, the benefactor of the other RP national team. “At that point, magpi-peak na sila. After three tournaments, they have to peak this time.”

“China will be sending their Team B. They’re bigger than us, but our experience will outclass their youth.”

“This is a very tough challenge for the national team,” William Ramirez, the chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, said. “But I am confident hindi tayo mapapahiya because our boys will give it their best shot.”

ang malas naman talaga napunta pa tayo sa China.

the regular season doesnt matter.. iba pa lineup nila nun.. now lang sa playoffs nilagay sa bench si Manu.. and Spurs are one of the best road teams.

I just hope its a worthwhile series to watch! lahat ng class ko panghapon e.. so that means I can really see it live.. haha..

Only then saka natin masasabi na nagstart na talaga King James Era.. :)

may pag-asa pa yan.. ang problema.. kailangan matalo natin ang Iran at Jordan.. tsk tsk tsk.. at least pag nakalusot tayo dyan.. hindi na natin makakalaban ang CHina until finals.. tsaka team B lang nagn China papadala.. kaya yan!!

There goes our hopes in the Olympics. :lol: Well maybe not. We can't predict the future.

Anyway, I have to agree on the dude who suggested we train more on the individual sports like gymnastics and swimming. More medals. :D

If Spurs can stop Lebron James, or put him into foul trouble, then they stop the whole CAVS. That if there's someone in Spurs who can stop Lebron James.

I remember game 6 of CAVS vs NETS. Lebron James was in foul trouble during the 3rd quarter. CAVS lead the NETS by as much as 19 points, but suddenly when Lebron James was out for the last 10 minutes of the 3rd quarter. The NETS have taken the lead to start the 4th quarter. But Lebron James is back to start the 4th quarter and controlled the tempo of the game. CAVS regain the lead and they won by an 8 point margin.

IMO, Spurs will be the champ if they can finish the CAVS by game 5. If not, CAVS will be the champ if it will reach game 6 or 7.

^^ Malamang niyan the Spurs' thug tandem of Horry, Ginobli, and Bowen will rotate guarding LeBron. I don't think the Cavs can win the series w/o Lebron getting much needed help from his team mates. Lebron versus the Spurs won't cut it. It's a team sport for God sake.

I was going to bet with some friends that the Cavs can win at least 2 games of the finals. Pinahina niyo ang loob ko. :lol:

At least 1 game? hehehe!

sabi nga, bilog ang bola pag hawak ni LeBron, pag pinasa sa kasama, matindi ang dasal nila kung ma-i-shoot o magkakalat na naman.:lol:

^^ :lol: :lol: :lol: Hehehe...Baka naman kung isang panalo pwede siguro pero realistically not take the NBA championship title. Malabo mangyari yan maski na I'm rooting for the underdogs (Team LeBron). Hilaw pa kasi ang Cavs - hinog sa pilit baga - di gaya ng Spurs - which is why I don't see them winning the series against the Spurs pa. I'd be happy if they can just make it competitive man lang and hang with the Spurs to make it interesting.

It starts tomorrow!! I can't wait. 9am local time.. finally! :lol:

ilang sapak at suntok sa sikmura kaya ang matatangap ni lebron?? pustahan tayo.... just kidding("j)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/0608&092007/sports03.html

IT’S THE OTHER WAY AROUND; JORDAN, IRAN… ‘Concerned, scared’ of Filipinos
By Dominic Menor
Business Mirror
June 8, 2007

A TOP official of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas said two countries in the same group the Philippines is bracketed are themselves expressing concern.

They’re concerned that they were grouped with the Filipinos.

Patrick Gregorio, the SBP executive director who attended the draw in Japan Wednesday, said he spoke with the secretary-generals of the Japan and Korea national federations and they said Iran and Jordan were not at all delighted when they found out they would play the Philippines.

Hagop Khajirian, the first deputy secretary-general of Fiba-Asia, told him the same thing, Gregorio said.

“What are they trying to say? It means Iran and Jordan respects us and how we play basketball,” Gregorio said.

China is also in the same group as the Philippines, leading some to call Group A the proverbial “Group of Death.”

Noli Eala, the commissioner of the PBA, said the draw shouldn’t overwhelm anyone.

“The games are played on the basketball court, not in the draw,” he said.

Gregorio echoed the sentiment.

“I think the intention of the draw is really to give the teams a chance to study and analyze ahead of time,” he said. “The draw, more than being lucky or unlucky, it’s like saying ‘ito kalaban n’yo, pagplanuhan n’yo na.’ I’m sure our coaching staff will analyze that from our point of view.”

“Let us not get nervous, nor be affected by the result of the draw,” he added. “The desire to win emanates not from our minds, but from our hearts.”

Gregorio, who returned to Manila yesterday, said the Philippines was drawn second to the last before Indonesia.

From the onset, the mechanics of the draw—and then later, luck—put a squeeze on the country’s chances of landing on an easier group.

According to Gregorio, the top four teams in the Asian Games were already scattered to the four groups available.

As host, Japan was asked after the third round to choose the group it wanted to join. It chose Group B, joining Lebanon, UAE and Saudi Arabia.

“When Chinese-Taipei was drawn to join Group D, only A and C were left. Pinapanalangin ko nu’n na makuha natin C,” Gregorio recalled.

But that didn’t happen. And Gregorio isn’t going to lose sleep over it.

“Hindi talaga madali ang road to the Olympics,” Gregorio said. “It’s a very narrow road. Walang atrasan. Matira matibay, and people have to understand. We need to beat the teams that we’re supposed to beat, and that’s regardless of who we play first or last.”

The Philippines, which had hoped to be bracketed with China, got its wish. The theory is that the Filipinos don’t meet the Asian champions until the championship round.

Between the group stages and the semifinals, it’s anybody’s ballgame.

“If you make it past the elimination round, takot na sa’yo lahat,” Gregorio said.

Last night, Gregorio was set to meet with SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan who hosted a dinner for the Nationals for their victory in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association in Thailand.

Team Pilipinas has two more tournament trips before heading to the Fiba-Asia qualifiers on July 28 in Tokushima: a Belgrade gig next week and the Jones Cup in early July.

Game over. Lebron pinagtulungan nung tatlong thugs ng Spurs. San Antonio dominated the Cavs (as expected), though medyo deceiving yung score 85-76. Spurs lead the series 1-0.

:cry: :cry: talo cavs .... di bale ganyan talaga bida nagpapabugbog sa una ... :)

^^ Parang FPJ yan, pabugbog muna.... anak ng baka, dapat manalo sila, kahit 2 games, masisira ang diskarte. :nuts:

anemic naman laro kanina .... parang finals pa yong Cavs and Pistons or Spurs and Suns ...haaay

ok lang yan pampahinog kay le bron... malay natin baka next year makuha na nila ang larry o' brien trophy...:nuts:

puro pick n`roll lang kasi e.. 2 agad bantay yun.. I guess tama mga commentator.. dapat di niya ginagawa yun..

Let's hope LbJ finds a way thru this defense... tindi ng depensa..

Sorry Cavs fans. But you'll prolly loose. And I'll tell you why. Its because i'm rooting for the Cavs. And i have the worst luck in sports this year.
examples: (teams i rooted for are in bold all lost)
Vancouver Canucks vs Anaheim Ducks
Liverpool vs. AC Milan
Ottawa Senators vs Anaheim Ducks
Phoenix Suns vs San Antonio Spurs
New York Rangers vs Buffalo Sabres
Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors
plus some other smaller examples.
And finally, not this year but for the past 7 years...
McLaren vs Ferrari (or Renault)

But i really hope the Cavs win and break my winless streak. I really dislike the way the Spurs play. Manu and Bruce annoy me for some reason. Plus, they beat my Suns so the Cavs should win.

http://208.184.76.173/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30&aid=20070607219

Coaches see lighter load after Group of Death
By Nelson Beltran
Philippine Star
Friday, June 8, 2007
Coaches who have handled the RP team before could only commiserate with coach Chot Reyes and his troops for getting into the toughest group in the preliminary round of the Asian championship in Tokushima, Japan in July.

They agree the Nationals have no room for error right in the eliminations where they are bracketed with perennial champion China and emerging Asian powers Iran and Jordan.

“Tough luck, they can’t afford to make a mistake,” said Tim Cone, who steered the RP team to a bronze-medal finish in the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.

But he agreed with Reyes that the Nationals will get relatively lighter assignments in the next round if they’re able to make it past the preliminary round of Olympic qualifier among 16 teams.

“I really haven’t thought about it but I always assume that we will make it to the semis and would like to avoid China in the crossover,” said Jong Uichico.

The tournament format calls for each group to play one round in the preliminaries with the top two from each group advancing to the quarterfinals.

Group A’s and C’s top finishers are grouped with Group B’s and D’s runners-up (Group I) while Group A’s and C’s runners-up are grouped with Group B’s and D’s top-notchers (Group II) for another round-robin play in the quarters.

The top team of Group I meets the runner-up of Group II while the No.1 team in Group II meets the runner-up of Group I in the sudden-death semifinals. The winners in the semifinals dispute the championship while the losers dispute the third-place trophy.

Assuming China would top Group A, the Philippines needs to beat Iran and Jordan to advance to the quarterfinals with Japan, Qatar and Chinese Taipei in Group II if all the teams play according to their FIBA ranking.

^ So! It was your fault, all your fault that the Suns and Rangers lost!

But yeah I agree... I really HATE the way San Antonio plays. There's a way to be tough without being dirty. Like Detroit 1989 and New York 1994.

bakit dirty?... hinataw nga ni gooden si manu..... yun ang dirty play....("j)

it's part of basketball.

kailangan natin ng dirty players... yung mga konting sikmura sa kalaban nang di halata....("j)

^^oonga.. mga pinoy kasi ang lilinis mag laro kaya laging talo..:D

mga style ni jawo and bowen...("j)

malinis ba talaga maglaro ang mga Pinoy? Or let me change it, madumi ba talaga maglaro ang mga foreigner?

MF6CIOQTEwA

LZI-KaSeU2M

It's bad for the game really to be overly aggressive in defense. That's when you get thugs rather than artists playing basketball.

It's anticompetitive and kills the beauty of fundamentals and the grace of a good offensive set. It's a given that accidents happen on court, and basketball is a physical game, but there's a line between defensive genius and defensive mugging. I mean Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird were all graceful players. They were also defensive experts that played a physical game without resorting to kicking their opponents. If basketball becomes like hockey then it's not basketball anymore. You lose the beauty of the game because it becomes a not-so-fun grind and not a flowing piece of art. Just watch Phoenix and Golden State and you see a fun game that flows beautifully.

^^ I don't mind tough plays but the thing that pisses me off is when a see a role player (like Horry) who goes out of his way and puposely gives a vital player (like Nash) in another team a real hard/dirty shot which creates a situation where in even if Horry is suspended, he is considered a disposable player (for the Spurs) while Nash on the otherhand could have been seriously injured and would have had a greater effect in the overall performance of the Suns the rest of the games. Not only that but other Suns starters were also suspended for leaving the bench to assist/protect Nash which turned out to be the final nail on the coffin so to speak. Whether accidental or strategy by design, it's not fair - that's like cheating - in my opinion because in the end it gave the instigating team an advantage instead of actually being penalized for the dirty play. Where is the fairness in that? :ohno: :ohno: :ohno:

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/06112007/sports04.html

‘We will be mauled in Belgrade’
Business Mirror
By Dominic Menor Subeditor
June 11, 2007

BIGGER opponents won’t kill them. It will just make them strong.

That’s what team officials hope to gain when San Miguel Corp.-Team Pilipinas flies to Europe today
and into the heart of one of the most heralded basketball cities in the continent: Belgrade.

There, the Filipinos will be pitted against taller teams which are expected to be physical more than anything else, a trait that is a reality in international hoops.

“This is all part of the preparation, our going up against bigger and stronger teams,” said RP coach Chot Reyes. “In our research we noticed that our Asian counterparts are training in Europe. In fact, by the time we reach Belgrade, Iran would’ve wrapped up their training there.”

Asian teams which come mostly from the Middle East are already sharpening their skills around Eastern Europe, a region most popular for its basketball fanaticism.

The Jordan national team is playing reportedly in Turkey. Qatar is scrimmaging with tough teams in Slovenia, while Syria is in Greece.

And the Philippines is going to be in Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia one of the republics that used to form Yugoslavia which won the World Championships a record five times (in 2002, 1998, ’90, ’78 and ’70).

The Belgrade trip will be harsh but the Nationals will welcome it. Or they need to.

The Filipinos belong to a tough group in the Fiba-Asia qualifiers to be held late July in Tokushima, Japan. Jordan, Iran and China are bracketed with the Philippines which is looking to win the tournament and gain a berth in the Olympics next year in Beijing.

“It’s part of the toughening process, much the same of what we went through in the States,” said Reyes. “Talagang magpapabugbog kami dito.”

The Nationals fly to Hong Kong at 8 tonight, before they take a British Airways flight to Belgrade.

They will return on June 20, take a few days off, and plunge back into practice in preparation for the nine-day William Jones Cup tournament starting July 2.

The Jones Cup is the fifth and last trip abroad for the RP team in preparation for the Fiba qualifiers. The Nationals also saw action in the US, the Fiba-Asia Club Championship in Iran, and the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) championship in Thailand.

The Seaba event, which the Filipinos won, gave them a pass to play in the Tokushima tournament.

Among the five Division-One Serbian teams the Nationals will be facing in Belgrade, a squad from Novisad features a seven-foot import and four locals standing six-foot-11, six-foot-10 and six-foot-nine.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=sports6_june11_2007

Norwood joins RP 5
By Ronnie Nathanielz
Manila Standard Today
June 11, 2007

NATIONAL coach Chot Reyes said Fil-Am star Gabe Norwood, who is eager and ready to play for the Philippines in the Fiba Asia Men’s Basketball Championships, will join the nationals in London en route to Belgrade, where they will play five tough teams before competing in the Jones Cup in Taipei.

The nationals, who were drawn in the toughest group in the Tokushima tourney, where they are bracketed with China, Iran and Jordan, are determined to do their best to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics or virtually die trying.

Reyes said Norwood sent by fax the necessary papers regarding his Filipino ancestry and that the papers were forwarded to the Philippine Basketball Association.

“I don’t think there is going to be a problem for a passport but playing in the PBA is another matter,” said Reyes, who revealed that Norwood, a 6’5” standout, who played point guard for George Mason University, which advanced to last year’s National Collegiate Athletic Association Final Four, was “in shape because he just came from Czechoslovakia where he played.”
Norwood, whose late grandfather hails from Pangasinan and whose grandmother Frances Viloria is from Camiling, Tarlac, had earlier joined the nationals in their grueling workouts in their United States stint in California, last Friday and also practiced with the team before suiting up against an ABA/USBL selection of players and aspiring pros.

Naku malapit na masweep ang Cavs at talo nanaman sila kanina. :ohno:

Ba-bye Cavs! This will be Spurs' 4th win in 9 years (if I'm not mistaken)...

^^ Yup it's going to be their 4th Championship, a Dynasty for the Spurs. Advance Congratulations to them! :)

astig nang ball movement ng spurs... not just their defense...

bring out your brooms! sweeping time na.. hay.. chamba talaga ng Cavs.. hindi exciting Finals.. :ohno:

Hehehe, but you have to give some credits to the Cavs, mahirap makarating ng finals and they have to win, abah, masasayang yung benta ng hotdogs and other fast foods at maraming mawalan ng part-time jobs sa arena.

Pasalamat ang Spurs sa Cavs, para lang silang nag-ra-round-robin practice. :lol:

(abuso ba?) :nuts:

GO! CAVS, isang panalo lang, para malibre ako sa kainan.

The Cavs are still a young team and they made it this far. So congrats to them. LeBron needs more help for them to be more successful. It's like he is Jordan without Pippen. He doesnt even need another superstar to join him in the team, just someone or a couple of players that make their presence felt on the court.

detroit kasi nagpatalo e...("j)

merong bang news about j.r smith nang denver nuggets??

Yup it's going to be a sweep, and the most uncharismatic elite team in the whole NBA will win it all. Hohum.

Actually for me before, Utah was a more uncharismatic team, but ever since Kirelenko cried on the bench for playing bad, I decided that San Antonio was more uncharismatic, despite the fact that the Jazz are in Utah, the whitest, most boring state in the USA.

he he he, I dont know why San Antonio does not get any respect. I thought that the arrival of Manu and Tony will spice things up in the Alamo.... perhaps because their star Duncan is as boring as the plains of Texas. I think they just dont get the media attention as it is too far from the coasts. They can actually have a legit reason to be a dynasty as they dominated in the last few years.

To be sure they are really a good team. A very good team. They are the champions after all. Even if I think some of them are dirty, dirty players (Ahem. Bowen. Ahem.) and even if I think some of them are great flopping actors (Ahem. Manu. Ahem.) And 4 championships is amazing. It's just that it's San Antonio.

Maybe it's because they're a Texas team. I don't know... Of the three Texas teams, the only one I might have respect for is Houston. I love T-Mac and Yao (as slow as he is). And I also loved their now-ex-coach Jeffy Van Gundy from his time in New York. I respect him as a coach.

ha ha ha. You dont appreciate the dirty side of the NBA. I dont blame you as it takes out the inherent gracefulness of the game. The NBA have worked so hard to differentiate it from hockey. (ryanr might disagree) Its a good thing though they are not as dirty as Laimbeer's era pistons. :nuts: Yeah, poor San Antonio they are just too far to get the attention of the big boys from madison ave.

Basics kasi laro nila.. no loud superstars, no slamdunks kaya people consider them to be boring..

Its a sweep! 83-82 Spurs.. Don't let the final score deceive you.. :)

Tony Parker Finals MVP..

and now this thread will fade.. tapos na ang playoffs..

Spurs beat the Cavs tonight. Sweep completed. Congrats to the Spurs for winning the NBA championship.

post naman tayo ng finals pictures, regular season pictures..

next year i hope Dallas naman or Phx...

<embed type=application/x-shockwave-flash width=300 height=225 src=http://widgets.nba.com/o/46290e7717557b2b/james_zoning_070531 wmode=transparent allowscriptaccess=always allownetworking=all> </embed>

ayaw gumana..... wha

sana ginawa nya to sa finals

kelan ang game 5? :runaway:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/sports/view_article.php?article_id=71607

RP cagers praised; Norwood big in debut
Inquirer
06/16/2007

BELGRADE, Serbia—Just one game against formidable opposition and Gabe Norwood appeared good as advertised.

After meeting up with the rest of the San Miguel-RP Team at Heathrow airport in London Wednesday, Norwood helped the Nationals in a 97-79 victory over Mega Ishrana of the Serbian First Division the following day that kicked off the team’s European sojourn.

The 6-foot-6 point guard out of George Mason University scored nine points, had five rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes of action.

The big point: he was on the floor when the Filipinos established control late in the first period.

After the victory, coach Chot Reyes promptly asked the rest of the team to help make Norwood feel at home.

‘Help him out’

“Let’s get Gabe into the swim of our system quickly,” Reyes told his players. “Help him out.”

The Serbian club team played without its import, James Holmes, and top players Milovan Rakovic and Markovic Miloslav. But that didn’t mean the towering squad was easy picking for the Philippines.

Reyes utilized his full roster early and was rewarded for it, as the Filipinos ran at every chance they got for an 11-0 blast courtesy of the starting unit of Jay-Jay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa, Kerby Raymundo, Mick Pennisi and Dondon Hontiveros.

The Nationals earned both praise and advice from legendary Serbian coach Vlade Djurovic, a former national mentor.

“You are much better than I thought,” he said. “You move well, and you show a good understanding of the game.”

Things to work on

“But three things you must work on: One, do not give openings on defense; two, big guys must learn to score against bigger defenders; and three, outside shooting must improve. In Serbia, nobody shoots five out of five 3-pointers, but nobody makes one or two out of five either. Every top player here will make three or four out of five (shots) if left open from the outside.”

The scores:
PHILIPPINES 97—Hontiveros 15, De Ocampo 10, Helterbrand 10, De la Cruz 10, Norwood 9, Caguioa 8, Taulava 8, Raymundo 8, Alapag 7, Pennisi 6, Ritualo 6.
MEGA-ISHRANA 79—Pekovic 24, Dragicevic 23, Bajic 14, Ratkovica 8, Nikola 4, Ignjatovic 3, Opacic 2, Simic 1.
Quarters: 29-21, 49-37, 75-59, 97-79

kelan ang game 5? :runaway:

?? game 5 yan nung east finals..... ("j) sana ginawa nya yang mga moves na yan nba finals...

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/sports/view_article.php?article_id=71721

Serbia’s Vizura nips sputtering RP-SMC squad
Inquirer
06/17/2007

BELGRADE, Serbia—Serbian home teams no longer take the visiting San Miguel-Pilipinas squad for granted.

Aware of the Filipinos’ 97-79 drubbing of Mega Ishrana of Serbian First Division two days ago, Division B top team KK Usce Vizura came in full force Friday, using its height advantage to subdue SMC-RP, 82-77, at the Sportski Center.

Despite seven holdovers from last season’s roster plus five key additions, Vizura, in deep training for its Division A debut next season, only sealed the win after a rally by the Filipinos fell short in the end.

Vizura led, 80-77, in the closing second and the RP-SMC five had a chance to knot the ballgame but Danny Seigle’s three-pointer missed its mark, allowing the taller Serbians to seal the victory.

“My disappointment stems from the fact that we had a chance to win the game but we got blanked in the last three minutes,” said national head coach Chot Reyes.

And it wasn’t just a straight-out-of-left-field chance.

The Nationals last led at 77-75 on baskets by Talk ‘N Text center Asi Taulava and George Mason U standout Gabe Norwood but lost steam in the end after needing to overhaul a 66-52 deficit early in the second half.

“We gave ourselves the opportunity but we couldn’t cash it in,” said Reyes.
Dondon Hontiveros, Mick Pennisi, Jimmy Alapag, Kerby Raymundo and Danny Seigle engineered a 15-5 attack that helped the Nationals close in on the Serbian squad that had earlier erected a 14-point edge.

With Vizura up, 71-67, Hontiveros and Seigle took charge, pushing the Philippine squad aiming for an Olympic berth up, 72-71.

“We played hard tonight except for that lapse toward the end of the second quarter,” said Reyes, who rued the fact that the Nationals got their looks by executing well, but just couldn’t bury the baskets when they needed to.

Right at the onset, it was clear that the Serbians weren’t going to take the Filipinos lightly. Days after beating the Iran national squad, Vizura came up with its best starting unit against the RP-SMC squad, going to a five made up of a 6-4 point guard, a 6-11 center and a trio of 6-8 wingmen in Nenad Buric, Milos Djalovic and Nikola Pistolevic.

It’s uphill from now on for the Nationals as they take on powerhouse Novi Sad next followed by Montenegro, the Serbian 21-and-under squad, and the Swiss Lions.

The scores:

KK USCE VIZURA 82—Buric N. 19, Buric D. 13, Kecman 9, Karic 7, Dalovic 7, Tomovic 5, Radic 5, Obrenovic 4, Teodesic 4, Spalevic 4, Pistolevic 3, Mazibrada 2.

SMC-TEAM PILIPINAS 77—Seigle 15, Raymundo 12, Caguioa 11, Taulava 10, Norwood 6, Pennisi 6, Helterbrand 6, De Ocampo 5, Hontiveros 4, Alapag 2, Ritualo 0, Dela Cruz 0.

Quarters: 25-23, 54-44, 71-67, 82-77

SMC-RP 85, Novi Sad 88

San Miguel-Pilipinas bowed to perennial Serbian 1A powerhouse KK Novi Sad, 88-85, Friday at the Sports Ecko Sportski Centar in Belgrade, Serbia.

According to press statement Sunday from SMB-Pilipinas management, the Serbs played with six of their regulars and five key additions in their rebuilding program and without imports, 7-0 center Charles Chris and point guard Jerome Lagarnge.

However, the Nationals were incomplete as well, with Kerby Raymundo sitting out the game due to a bad case of food poisoning. Compounding matters was the exit of Tony de la Cruz early in the second quarter due to a strained back, leaving RP team with only 10 men to do battle against the taller and heftier Serbians.

But the Nationals put up a gallant stand, controlling the game three-fourths of the way until Danny Seigle fouled out with five minutes left and RP ahead 77-74.

The Serbs seized the opportunity to string five straight points, capped by a 3-pointer from 6-9 power forward Miroslav Radenkovic that gave the host a 79-77 edge.

Back-to-back offensive fouls against Asi Taulava allowed Novi Sad an 84-80 lead with two minutes remaining.

Following a timeout, Mark Caguioa completed a 3-point play to cut the deficit to one. A steal in the next play set up Gabe Norwood for a breakaway dunk but he got called for a traveling violation.

Another steal saw Norwood setting up Taulava for an uncontested layup, but the 6-9 center failed to convert and 6-10 Ilija Zolotic hit two free throws with 28 seconds left, 86-83.

Jimmy Alapag and Renren Ritualo missed open 3-pointers down the way.

"Again, a disappointing loss because we had the opportunity to win, but just couldn't finish the job," said RP coach Chot Reyes, who rued the absence of Raymundo, the injury to De la Cruz and disqualification on fouls of Seigle.

"We had a team meeting this morning about our defense, and the players responded by defending well, only to lose steam in the end," Reyes added.

Mark Caguioa scored the last five points of the third quarter as the Nationals took a 66-57 advantage with Norwood and Ritualo keeping the Serbs at bay in the fourth until Seigle's fouling out.

The RP team won the first of several exhibition matches against Serbian opponents with Serbian a 97-79 victory First Division's Mega Isharana a 97-79. But this was followed by an 82-77 defeat at the hands of KK Usce Vizura.

Scores:

NOVI SAD (88) Sutalo 27, Tomasevic 15, Radenkovic 14, Zolotic 11, Pap
8, Durasevic 8, Bunic 4, Gogic 1.

SMB-PILIPINAS (85) Caguioa 20, Seigle 19, Norwood 13, Taulava 10,
Hontiveros 8, Helterbrand 6, Pennisi 5, Alapag 3, Ritualo 2.

Quarters: 16-18; 33-41; 57-66; 88-85

RP cagers beat Montenegro, 99-85, in FIBA-Asia warmup game
06/18/2007

The San Miguel Corp.-Pilipinas squad defeated on Sunday Montenegro's under-20 national team, 99-85, at the Sports Ecko Sportski Center in Belgrade, Serbia.

But the victory could be costly as forward Danny Seigle suffered a pulled hamstring and could not play for the rest of their exhibition matches, while Mark Caguioa had to take a punching foul early in the game, according to an RP team statement Monday.

Though not in the original schedule of teams to face, the Nationals gave up their day-off to play a young, tall team that was going to pressure defensively and run.

Montenegro started off with 6'-2" point guard Marko Mijovic, 6'-4" off-guard Sead Sehovic, 6'-6" small forward Aleksa Popovic, 6'-9" power forward Milovan Savovic, and 6'-10" center Maksim Sturanovic.

The Montis pressured SMC-RP and stayed in the passing lanes from the opening buzzer.

This forced the Nationals' starting unit of Jimmy Alapag, Mark Caguioa, Dondon Hontiveros, Ranidel de Ocampo, and Asi Taulava to spread out on the floor and look for backdoor cutting opportunities early.

With Seigle coming off the bench, the Nationals took a 26-18 lead after the first quarter, increasing it to 51-40 at the half by going to Jayjay Helterbrand and using their experience to offset the absence of Kerby Raymundo (due to food poisoning) and Tony dela Cruz (due to a strained back).

Sehovic, who was called for a punching foul against Caguioa in the first quarter, returned in the second half to spark his team briefly before getting repelled by the mid-post attacks of Ranidel de Ocampo, Dondon Hontiveros, and Caguioa for a 56-43 Team RP advantage.

Going to their reserves, Montenegro coach Dejan Radonjic summoned Marko Milatovic and Igor Bjelic and the duo combined to close the gap, 74-67, at the end of three quarters.

With eight minutes left, Seigle drove, pivoted, and spun to the baseline only to go down screaming in pain (http://forum.philboxing.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=50158&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=1725)from a pulled hamstring.

With Seigle out and Mick Pennisi and De Ocampo fouling out, the Nationals went to Fil-Am Gabe Norwood who bailed them out at power forward with his aggressiveness and versatility.

"This was a good game for us to play as this team gave us a different look from the three we previously battled," said RP coach Chot Reyes. "The downside is the injury to Danny. Will this win turn out to be costly for us? We all hope not."

SMC-RP is priming up for the FIBA-Asia championship to be held in July in Tokushima, Japan. It's also set to compete in the Jones Cup tournament after their return from Belgrade.

Scores:

SMC-RP (99): Taulava 16, Seigle 15, Caguioa 14, Hontiveros 13, Norwood 10, Helterbrand 10, De Ocampo 9, Pennisi 8, Alapag 4, Ritualo 0

Montenegro (85): Savovic 20, Sehovic, Sead 15, Sehovic, Suad 9, Micovic 9, Bjelic 9, Milatovic 8, Gajovic 4, Sturanovic 4, Jovanovic 4, Martinic 3

Quarter scores: 26-18, 51-40, 74-67, 99-85

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=sports2_june19_2007

China joins Manila cagefest
June 19, 2007
By Ronnie Nathanielz

THREE Asian powerhouse teams, which will see action along with the Philippines in the Fiba Asia Men’s Basketball Championships in Tokushima, Japan in late July, have confirmed participation in the Manila Invitational tournament from July 12 to 15 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Noli Eala told Viva Sports/Standard Today that China’s national team that will go to Tokushima is coming, along with the Syrian and Lebanese national teams, giving the RP squad a real opportunity to assess its chances of qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympics when they compete in Japan.

Eala said it will be a single, round-robin tournament, with the top two teams meeting in the finals.

“It should be a good series,” said Eala, who also disclosed that the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas will bring in international referees from Fiba to officiate in the invitational series “just to make sure that the visitors have fair officiating and also jump-start a little bit our public relations program with Fiba officials.”

The commissioner also said coach Chot Reyes “should really consider making changes” in the RP team lineup “especially after knowing who our opponents will be.”

In Group A of the Fiba tournament, the Philippines will have to contend with China, Iran and Jordan with the two top teams advancing to the quarterfinals.

Eala said the inclusion of Tony de la Cruz should be reviewed especially since he is injury prone.

Eala said that Sta. Lucia Realty’s no. 1 rookie Kelly Williams “has offered to play and I think it’s worth considering.”

But Eala put a rider, stressing that Williams must give his “full commitment to the program and the plans of the team should be considered.”

Eala also mentioned if some of the teams in the ongoing PBA conference don’t make it to the next round, their players should also be considered. He mentioned Danny Ildefonso, Eric Menk and the Air21 players.

Eala said he believes all of this should be under review by Reyes when he returns from the Belgrade stint.

The commissioner said he was pleasantly surprised by the fine showing of the nationals in their games against top Serbian teams, saying, “I really thought they will be mauled and beaten black and blue. I think they have performed very well considering the time zones, considering the conditions and the fact that they have a new inclusion in Gabe Norwood because there are obviously going to be some adjustments. I think it speaks volumes of Norwood’s ability to adjust to the national team.”

my fascination with philippine basketball born and died with MBA (metropolitan basketball association), the real kick-ass no-holds-barred-playing professional basketball association in the phil (sorry for its demise though), after that... back to NBA again. i can not be patriotic in the name of a beer, milk or wine brand, i'd rather watch MTV.

Good luck to the philippines in the 2007 asian championships. Since China wont be without its main stars this is an opportunity for phili to qualify for the olympics. I dont know too much about phili basketball but i will be rooting for them during the qualifying tournament. Basketball has become a global sports now...the last two major tournaments have been won by argentina (2004 olympics) and spain (2006 worlds). China is slowly becoming a major force in the game.....now we have Yi coming to the NBA....Yao Ming is the best center in the NBA...China guards just need to shoot the ball better and dump the ball inside to yao...if they want to succeed in the olympics at home.

......

Yao's the best center in the NBA today??

Good luck to the philippines in the 2007 asian championships. Since China wont be without its main stars this is an opportunity for phili to qualify for the olympics. I dont know too much about phili basketball but i will be rooting for them during the qualifying tournament. Basketball has become a global sports now...the last two major tournaments have been won by argentina (2004 olympics) and spain (2006 worlds). China is slowly becoming a major force in the game.....now we have Yi coming to the NBA....Yao Ming is the best center in the NBA...China guards just need to shoot the ball better and dump the ball inside to yao...if they want to succeed in the olympics at home.

not yet...

Yao's the best center in the NBA today??

Yea he has to be.....Shaq is getting old...he was carried by dwayne wade to his 4th title....if yao didnt get injured this past season...he would have won the mvp. Greg oden still havent proven anything yet...

Yea he has to be.....Shaq is getting old...he was carried by dwayne wade to his 4th title....if yao didnt get injured this past season...he would have won the mvp. Greg oden still havent proven anything yet...

@dennisrodman, man! you are the greatest rebounder of all times in the NBA. :okay:
It is hard to find out who the best center in NBA now since the criteria of being a center can be fufilled by a tall forward or guard.

Btw, Your dad Phil Rodman retired in Angeles, Pampanga ~ Philippines and owned a bar. Just Kidding!

i still think it's Duncan

Yuppers, si Duncan, right now, with the championship ring of 2007 to prove it.

Si Spud Webb, puwedeng mag centro sa Pinas Team. :lol:

Duncan is usually considered a Power Forward so u will have to eliminate duncan. Yao Ming is the best Center in the NBA and soon Yi might give me a run for his money if he lives up to the hype.

Yuppers, si Duncan, right now, with the championship ring of 2007 to prove it.

Si Spud Webb, puwedeng mag centro sa Pinas Team. :lol:

OT na ito ha... hehe :lol: Timmy should be the best C/PF in the NBA right now. But he is not a pure C. Remember David Robinson? He was their C.

So who is the best pure C? Experts still acknowledge Shaq to be that person. Maybe not anymore but he was during his prime in his LAL days.

As for Spud Webb, he can't play C in our national team. Maybe PG. He is "only" around 5"6' according to official Nba records although they say he is taller than that. Many NBA players over- or understate their heights since they don't get measured naman. Being "small" worked in Spud's favor when he competed in the slum dunk contest against Dominique Wilkins. The crowd rooted for him.

@dennisrodman, man! you are the greatest rebounder of all times in the NBA. :okay:
It is hard to find out who the best center in NBA now since the criteria of being a center can be fufilled by a tall forward or guard.

Btw, Your dad Phil Rodman retired in Angeles, Pampanga ~ Philippines and owned a bar. Just Kidding!

Thanks my man...:D

Greg Oden or Kevin Durant? Take your pick!

yup duncan plays like a center... he should be a center...("j)

merong potential yung howard nang orlando...
dapat sa thread ng ----> NBA fans of pinoy ssc ito a

dapat kasi CENTER din ang laro ni yao medyo perimeter shot trip nun e.. hindi pa sya ganun ka dominating sa ilalim as a center (dunks and rebounds??)... dirk is also a C/PF tyaka SF din pala yun....("j)

oden... kahawig ni david robinson ang built?? di ko alam moves nila e

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/sports/view_article.php?article_id=72465

Swiss Lions send RP five home with loss
Inquirer
Last updated 04:18am (Mla time) 06/21/2007

BELGRADE -- Coach Chot Reyes said the nationals were going to get beaten black and blue but they could learn something in the process.

The San Miguel-RP squad wrapped up its Serbian remedial class on international basketball with a loss Monday night but left for home armed with added knowledge it hopes to use as it guns for an Olympic berth next month.

Playing its fifth game in five days, the short-handed Nationals went for another victory but fell short against the Swisslion Takovo Lions, 86-79, in a game played in Vrsac, a small town 80 kilometers northeast of Belgrade.

The RP scoreboard at the end of its tough Serbian tour was two wins and three losses, a decent performance considering that Reyes had anticipated lopsided losses for his boys all the way.

Coming off a 90-minute bus ride and arriving at the arena barely 30 minutes before game time, the Nationals started sluggishly against the Lions and fell behind by 15 points at the half, 57-42.

But the Filipinos fought back like wounded tigers in the last two quarters despite playing with only nine players.

Top gun Danny Seigle, do-everything forward Tony dela Cruz and sweet-shooting Dondon Hontiveros missed the game due to a variety of ailments, allowing the Lions to take control early with a tall lineup made up of 6-3 point guard Milos Kasabasic, 6-5 shooting guard Vladimir Vlaskovic, 6-6 Nikolai Gacie, 6-9 power forward Danilo Mijanovic, and 6-10 center Dalibor Djapa.

Mijanovic, a strong left-handed inside player with a deadly 3-point touch, and Djapa hit six 3-pointers between them as each scored 16 points in the first half to lead the Swisslion charge.

“This was a great trip,” said Mark Caguioa. “This is what basketball is all about. The NBA is part entertainment. Here, basketball is their life. I learned so much in our stay here.”

“I think we really improved in this trip, both in our game, and in our conditioning,” said Asi Taulava. “We are now getting in FIBA shape, not PBA shape.”

The scores:

SWISSLION TAKOVO 86 -- Mijanovic 26, Kasabasic 19, Djapa 16, Vlaskovic 14, Gacie 6, Mikic 5, Anastasov 0, Keri 0, Bugarin 0, Malovic 0.

SMC-PILIPINAS 79 -- Pennisi 15, Taulava 14, Helterbrand 14, Caguioa 12, De Ocampo 9, Ritualo 7, Raymundo 6, Norwood 2, Alapag 0.

Quarters: 21-28; 42-57; 59-65; 79-86

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30&aid=20070621162

Williams, Menk, Yap reinforce RP pool
By Nelson Beltran
Friday, June 22, 2007

The SMC-RP Team is reinforcing its pool of players with the addition of Kelly Williams, Eric Menk and either James Yap or KG Canaleta upon its return from a training trip in Belgrade, Serbia,

Williams has decided to cut short his stay in the United States and will join the RP team in the Jones Cup tourney in Taiwan on July 2-10.

Menk, Yap and Canaleta are also being considered for the trip which the RP Team management committee set as the final cutoff date in determining the players to be sent to the FIBA-Asia championship in Tokushima, Japan on July 28-Aug. 5.

Meanwhile, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) will name Fritz Gaston as coach of the national women’s team with the composition of the pool also to be announced in a press conference today.

Williams and Menk have assured PBA commissioner Noli Eala that they’re joining the Nationals in their training at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center inside Ateneo starting Monday.

“I’m very happy with these developments specially with Kelly’s decision to forego his vacation. It speaks volume of the man. Kelly showed true sign of commitment to help the cause of the RP team,” said Eala.

“I’m also thankful with Menk who manifested excitement and willingness to join the training without guarantee from coach Chot Reyes that he will make the Tokushima competition,” Eala added.

But Eala said Williams, Menk and Yap would likely join the Jones Cup trip, giving coach Reyes 14 players at his disposal in the nine-day competition. Tony dela Cruz is likely to be relegated to reserve status because of his
injury.

“At this time, the Tokushima lineup is still an open field. Players already in the team definitely have the inside track. But at the end of the day, the players in best shape and who could best contribute for the team in Japan are likely to make it,” said Eala.

“We’re beefing up the team. Hopefully, this adjustment works for the betterment of the team as the Tokushima trip nears,” Eala added.

He also expressed satisfaction on the team’s Belgrade trip although it caused injuries to Dela Cruz, Danny Seigle and Dondon Hontiveros.

Eala said Reyes is planning to use Seigle sparingly in the Jones Cup to preserve him for the Manila Invitational Cup. Seigle is nursing a hamstring pull.

Fil-Am player Gabe Norwood is also proceeding to the Jones Cup although his lawyer has yet to submit complete documents that will certify his Filipino citizenship.

“His papers are lacking but we’ll do this properly. We’ll not cheat our way to getting someone who’s not qualified,” Eala said.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/0622&232007/sports02.html

Reinforcements
By Jimbo Gulle
BusinessMirror Reporter
June 22, 2007

THE national basketball team, beaten and bruised from a tough tune-up sortie in Belgrade, Serbia, needs some relief. It hopes to get it from three of four men who could have been with them in the first place.

Kelly Williams, Eric Menk and either James Yap or Niño Canaleta will be tapped to reinforce the San Miguel Corp.-backed RP squad headed to the William Jones Cup in Taiwan from July 2 to 10, Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) commissioner Noli
Eala said yesterday.

The quartet would relieve Danny Seigle, Tony de la Cruz and Dondon Hontiveros, who suffered various injuries in Belgrade, which saw the RP-SMC team win just two of five games.

Williams, the PBA’s top rookie draft pick this season, decided to forgo his planned vacation to the United States and instead committed to join the team in the Jones Cup, which will feature the top Asian teams hoping to qualify for the Olympics.

The committee handling the squad formed and funded by the pro league has set the Taiwan tilt as the cutoff to determine the players that would represent the country in the FIBA-Asia championship in Tokushima, Japan from July 28 to August 5.

A slot to the 2008 Beijing Olympics is at stake in Tokushima.

Eala was pleased with the commitment from the Filipino-American Williams, the forward from Santa Lucia Realty who initially thought of vacationing in Detroit, where he grew up, after a long PBA season that could see him as its Rookie of the Year.

“I’m very happy with these developments, especially with Kelly’s decision to forgo his vacation. It speaks volumes of the man. Kelly showed true sign of commitment to help the cause of the RP team,” the PBA chief said.

“I’m also thankful to Menk, who manifested excitement and willingness to join the training without a guarantee from coach Chot Reyes that he will make the Tokushima competition,” added Eala, who also expressed satisfaction with the team’s Serbian trip despite the injuries.

Menk of Barangay Ginebra and Yap of Purefoods are both PBA Most Valuable Player winners, the former in 2004-’05 and the latter last year. Air21’s Canaleta, is a high-leaping forward who was on the RP team that won the Brunei Invitational last year.

They all assured Eala of joining the Nationals in training at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center inside the Ateneo campus in Quezon City starting Monday.

Adding them to the RP team for the Jones Cup would give Reyes 14 players to work with in the nine-day competition, as de la Cruz would likely be relegated to the reserve list because of his injured knee.

Seigle, arguably the team’s top gunner, pulled his hamstring against the Montenegro under-20 team and would be used sparingly by Reyes in Taiwan, Eala said.

Meanwhile, the RP lineup for the Tokushima Olympic qualifier “at this time is still an open field,” the PBA commissioner said.

“Players already in the team definitely have the inside track. But at the end of the day, the players in best shape and who could best contribute for the team in Japan are likely to make it,” Eala said.

“We’re beefing up the team. Hopefully, this adjustment works for the betterment of the team as the Tokushima trip nears,” he added.

Another Filipino-American, Gabe Norwood, is also proceeding to the Jones Cup, although Eala said he has yet to complete documents to certify his RP citizenship.

“His papers are lacking but we’ll do this properly. We’ll not cheat our way to getting someone who’s not qualified,” Eala said of Norwood, who also joined the RP team in Belgrade.

ano ba itsura ni norwood??? kung describe yung plays and moves nya kanino kahawig na player??

http://www.tribune.net.ph/sports/20070626spo3.html
Tough games await RP 5 in Jones Cup

The Daily Tribune, 6/26/2007

In what would serve as its penultimate test before it flies to Tokushima for the Fiba-Asia Men’s Championship late next month, San Miguel-Pilipinas takes on world power United States on July 2 when the William Jones Cup unfolds in Chinese-Taipei.

The Nationals next face Lebanon on July 3, Japan on the 4th, South Korea on the 5th, Jordan on the 6th, Iran on the 7th, Chinese-Taipei on the 8th, Qatar on the 9th and Kazakhstan on the 10th, drawing to near close extensive preparations in the country’s bid to send a basketball team to the Olympic Games for the first time since 1972 in Munich.

“Tough, no matter how it plays out,” said national coach Chot Reyes. “But I would have preferred USA later. Otherwise, it’s fine.”

A four-nation Manila Invitational, which would feature Syria, Lebanon, China and the Philippines, is scheduled for the national team after the Jones Cup.

Meanwhile, Ginebra’s Eric Menk, Purefoods’ James Yap and Sta. Lucia Realty’s Kelly Williams, along with Air21’s Niño Cañaleta, yesterday attended for the first time the SMC-RP practice at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center, and all expressed thrill at having been invited to training.

Morning session was devoted for weights and shootaround, while the afternoon involved 5-on-5 scrimmages.

Menk, a member of the RP team that came within a heartbeat of advancing to gold medal play in the Asian Games in Busan five years ago, said he was excited to report for practice.

“But not to be with Asi (Taulava),” Menk, laughing, said after practice.
Taulava, who was within earshot, responded while tinkering with his laptop: “Don’t believe what he said. He loves me.”

Menk, who admitted he would’ve wanted to be with the team from the beginning, said he has no expectations about his inclusion now.

“Coach didn’t guarantee me anything. I’m just happy to be here. I hope to play hard as I can in the Jones Cup, be a team player and help the team as much as I can.”

Yap insisted he felt no rancor when he wasn’t originally selected.

“Hindi sumama ang loob ko dahil nirerespeto ko ang desisyon ng mga RP coaches,” said Yap, the 2006 PBA most valuable player. “Alam nila kung sino ang karapat-dapat sa team.”

The call to attend RP team practice overwhelmed him nonetheless, Yap said, and prompted him to reset a scheduled vacation, including a planned trip with his wife Kris to celebrate their wedding anniversary next month.

“Kahit masarap sana magbakasyon, dito muna ako dahil para ‘to sa bansa,” he said. “At kung di man ako masama, okey din lang basta ma-experience ko lang yung training.”

Williams said sharing the same playing court with the rest of the national players gave him a natural high.

“It felt good just to be able to jump in and see these guys,” Williams said. “Coming in today was crucial.”

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30&aid=2007062585

Nationals still far from form for FIBA war
By Nelson Beltran
Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Chot Reyes said yesterday the RP team isn’t yet 100 percent ready for the FIBA-Asia championship but the national mentor is hopeful the Jones Cup in Taipei and the Manila Invitational tourney will help get them in competitive form for the Tokushima Olympic qualifier from July 28-Aug. 5.

“We’re still in the process of cramming. After SEABA, I would say the team was only 45-percent ready. After the Serbian trip, the team improved, lacking only about 15-20 percent competitiveness. I hope the Jones Cup and the Manila Invitational take care of the rest,” said Reyes as the Nationals resumed training yesterday.

The Nationals, who returned from their Serbian jaunt Friday, will be working out two times a day either at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center inside Ateneo or at the Sports Camp in Taguig until they leave for Taipei on July 1.

Kelly Williams, Eric Menk, James Yap and KG Canaleta have joined the team in training and, if things work out well, the four will reinforce the Nationals in the Jones Cup from July 2-10 and in the Manila Invitational from July 12-15.

“We’re playing no less than 13 games from July 2-15 and it’s a heavy schedule. So we’re looking at Williams, Menk, Yap and Canaleta to reinforce us in the Jones Cup and the Manila Invitational without guarantee of slots in Tokushima,” said Reyes.

But Reyes also said the four have a shot at making it to the Tokushima joust. Otherwise, they won’t be invited to join the pool.

With a month to go before the Olympic qualifier, Reyes said he’s faced with a delicate decision on whether to keep intact the roster which has worked for months or revamp the lineup with new additions with potential to improve the team’s competitiveness.

“There’s the need to firm up the lineup. But the question is whether it would really help or mess things up,” said Reyes.

“I admire my 12 players. On our flight back home from Belgrade, I told them the situation that some of them may be replaced. They said coaches know best and they’re ready for any eventuality. All they’re asking for is fair shot,” Reyes also said.

The national coach said he will make the decision after the Manila Invitational where the Nationals will be up against China, Syria and Lebanon.

“The current 12 understand things in this team. Renren (Ritualo) is a good example. He’ll check in only in the closing seconds of a quarter to take a three-point shot. The next quarter, he’s back on the bench. That’s why Renren is not scoring because he’s not playing much,” Reyes added.

But Reyes thinks they need another big man and a tall and quick all-around player.

“The two spot is very tight in this team with Mark Caguioa, Dondon Hontiveros, Ritualo and now Gabe Norwood. I have no problem with Caguioa and Hontiveros playing together since Hontiveros can go to three spot. The question is whether Caguioa and James Yap can play together,” said Reyes.

On Norwood, Reyes is convinced he’s a legitimate Fil-Am, saying he’s talked with the player’s relatives personally in Los Angeles.

“What I don’t know is whether his papers can be processed in time for the Tokushima event,” said Reyes.

Schedule of our RP Team in the 2007 William Jones Cup

Venue: Sinjhuang Stadium, Taipei County

July 2, 5:00 pm
Philippines vs USA

July 3, 5:30 pm
Philippines vs Lebanon

July 4, 3:30 pm
Philippines vs Japan

July 5, 5:30 pm
Philippines vs South Korea

July 6, 3:30 pm
Philippines vs Jordan

July 7, 3:30 pm
Philippines vs Iran

July 8, 5:00 pm
Philippines vs Taiwan

July 9, 3:30 pm
Philippines vs Qatar

July 10, 3:30 pm
Philippines vs Kazakhstan

ano ba itsura ni norwood??? kung describe yung plays and moves nya kanino kahawig na player??

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/gema/galleries/032606_uconn/gema-conn-03.jpg

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/gema/galleries/032606_uconn/gema-conn-06.jpg


http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/gema/sports/m-baskbl/auto_headshot/259835.jpeg

From http://gomason.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/norwood_gabe00.html

Gabe Norwood enters his fourth year with the Patriots and is a returning starter in the backcourt... Has an excellent "feel for the game"... Versatile player able to play either guard position and at small forward... Distributes the ball well and has good court vision... Intelligent athlete... Majoring in communication.

2005-06: Played in all 35 games and was sixth on the team in minutes played. Started three contests including a pair of games in the NCAA Tournament... Scored in 27 of 35 games and led the team in bench scoring... Was third on the team in steals and blocks and was fourth on the squad in assists... Was one of two players with more assists than field goals (min. 100 minutes)... Enters his senior year among the top 25 in school history in career assists and career blocks... Is also among the top 30 all-time in career steals... Stretching back to the start of his sophomore season, has had an assist in 55 of the past 64 games... Had season-high nine points against UNC Wilmington (Jan. 21) on perfect shooting... Had four points, four rebounds and two assists in first meeting with Delaware (Jan. 7)... Played season-high 29 minutes against Radford (Dec. 10) and finished with seven points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block... Against American (Dec. 5) had five rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block... Injured against Wake Forest (Nov. 11) and had a streak of 30 straight games with a rebound snapped

2004-05: Started 24 of 29 games played... Averaged 5.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest... Led Mason in assists (74) and steals (47)... Averaged 26.3 minutes per contest... Ranked third on the squad in rebounds per game and blocked shots (16)... Shot 43.8 percent from the floor... Scored in double figures six times, including a career-best 14 points vs. UNC Wilmington (1/8/05)... Collected a career-high nine rebounds at Delaware (1/12/05)... Registered 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals (tying a career-high) against No. 11 Michigan State (12/5/04)... Tallied 10 points, three rebounds, eight assists and two steals at St. Bonaventure (12/22/04)... Led or tied for the team lead in assists and steals 12 times... Ranked 14th in the league in assists per game (2.55) and was fourth overall in steals per outing (1.62)... Recorded a career-best three blocked shots vs. Drexel (1/19/05).

2003-04: Saw action in 29 games, earning one start... Averaged 8.4 minutes per contest... Scored 30 points and added 24 rebounds... Connected on 30.6 percent of his field goals and shot 30.8 percent from beyond the arc... Had 10 steals and three blocked shots... Tallied career bests of nine assists and five steals in 24 minutes at Towson (2/4/04)... Scored five points vs. St. Bonaventure (12/23/03)... Collected four rebounds each vs. Hofstra (1/14/04) and Delaware (2/21/04)... Earned first collegiate start against the Blue Hens (2/21/04).

HIGH SCHOOL: Had an outstanding two-year varsity career at State College Area High School for coach Drew Franks... Received Class AAAA 2003 most outstanding player and top offensive player honors in the Mountain League... Named first-team All-League as a senior and second-team All-League as a junior... 2002-03 team captain... Led the Little Lions in steals (71) and blocked shots (65) as well as in scoring and rebounding with 16.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest... Ranked second on the team in assists with 95... Guided State College to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class AAAA championship and a school single-season record with 25 wins (25-6 overall)... Was the only player from Western Pennsylvania to participate in the 2003 Pennsylvania-Maryland Shootout All-Star game... Helped the Little Lions to a 22-6 overall mark and a PIAA Class AAAA "Sweet 16" appearance as a junior... Played in the Pittsburgh Hoops Classic in fall 2002... Attended Coronado (TX) High School as a sophomore, earning first-team All-District 5A honors and was named "Newcomer of the Year"... Garnered 2001 All-South Plains honorable mention from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal... Played basketball as a reserve point guard for Broadneck High School near Annapolis, MD during his freshman season.

http://teampilipinas.blogspot.com/2007/06/usa-team-aia-rp-5s-first-assignment-in.html

USA team (AIA) - RP 5's first assignment in Jones Cup

www.aia.com

XENIA, Ohio --- Composed of 10 players from eight NCAA Division I universities, along with a former pro and one National Christian College All-American, Athletes In Action has assembled its roster to represent the United States at the 2007 Jones Cup, held in Taipei, Taiwan beginning July 2. Athletes In Action (AIA) captured the 2006 Jones Cup championship, marking the 15th time that a team from the United States had won the tournament since its inception in 1977.

The team will gather in Xenia, Ohio June 24 for a five-day training camp before heading to Taipei on June 29. In addition to playing nine games in a span of nine days, the team will perform numerous outreach activities including basketball clinics and visits to a local orphanage, thus supporting AIA’s commitment to develop the total athlete.

Among those selected to the roster include a set of twin brothers from Miami of Ohio, Eric and Tim Pollitz (Ottawa,Ohio) and West Virginia teammates Darris Nichols (Radford, Va.) and Alex Ruoff (Spring Hill, Fla.). Others accepting invitations to participate include: Brian Asbury (Miami/Miami, Fla.); Zack Gibson (Michigan/Grand Blanc, Mich.), Cliff Hammonds (Clemson/Cairo, Ga.); Brad Harris (Lee/Winston-Salem, N.C.) Todd Hendley (UNC Wlimington/Sanford,N.C.); Donald Sloan (Texas A&M/Dallas, Texas); and Tyler Wilkerson (Marshall/Lexington, Ky.). Former Samford guard Reed Rawlings, who spent time with three NBA organizations, also accepted the invitation to participate.

Former George Washington University and St. John's (N.Y.) head coach Mike Jarvis is leading AIA's Jones Cup team again in 2007, after guiding AIA to the gold medal in 2006. University of Minnesota-Moorhead assistant coach Jason Beschta and former Bryan College head coach Morris Michalski will aid Jarvis.
Six of the 10 NCAA Division I players on the roster competed in either the NIT or NCAA Tournament this year,including Nichols and Ruoff whose West Virginia team defeated Hammonds' Clemson Tigers in the NIT championship game. Sloan helped Texas A&M reach its first "Sweet 16," since 1981, while the Pollitz twins led Miami of Ohio into the NCAA Tournament by winning the Mid-American Conference championship. Hendley was part of the NCAA Tournament teams at UNCW in 2005 and ’06.

The 2007 Jones Cup, Asia’s premier international tournament held annually, will be the 29th edition. Other countries competing in the tournament include: Taiwan, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Japan, Korea, Kazakhstan and Philippines. All of the aforementioned countries will be sending their senior men’s national teams as they prepare for their Olympic qualifying tournament three weeks later.

Athletes In Action is the sports branch of Campus Crusade for Christ International. Dave Hannah, who desired to capitalize on society's great love of sports and utilize the platform given to athletes to reach the world for Jesus Christ, founded AIA in 1966. AIA's outreach range includes ministry to college and professional athletes and coaches globally across a great number of sports. International competing teams partner with in-country staff and other mission organizations to resource Christian ministry around the world.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30&aid=20070626171

Battle-scarred but Fiba ready – Chot
By Nelson Beltran
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
The hard grind and the gut-wrenching run of about 30 international games may take their toll on the players but these would eventually toughen up the SMC RP team as it plunges into action in the FIBA-Asia championship in Tokushima, Japan starting July 28.

That’s coach Chot Reyes’ prognosis with the Nationals set to play 13 games from July 2-15 in the final phase of their buildup for the Asian Olympic qualifier.

“The risk of injuries and being burned out are concerns we have to address. That’s why we wanted more players on the pool. If something happens to a member, we have a ready replacement,” said Reyes.

“We’re probably battle-scarred by the time we go to Tokushima but I prefer that than be healthy but soft and unprepared for the battles ahead,” Reyes added.

Danny Seigle and Tony dela Cruz are likely to sit out the Jones Cup in Taipei as the two suffered injuries in their tough schedule in their recent Belgrade jaunt.

“We really punished ourselves in Belgrade. Bugbog and injuries were things we expected but that’s the way to do it to improve our game. We have to take the risk,” said Reyes.

Reyes said he may not play Seigle in the Jones Cup to give time for his injury to heal and, at the same time, “throw off the opposition scouting our team.”

Seigle has been the RP team’s top gun from their US training, Iran journey, SEABA stint and Belgrade jaunt. The San Miguel Fil-Am is looking forward for the Tokushima joust, having missed the Busan Asian Games in 2002 due to a torn ACL.

At the same time, Reyes said Serbian contacts would help them scout the Jordan team which is part of the Group of Death together with the Nationals in the Olympic qualifier.

“The Novi Sad team which we played in Serbia has been invited by Jordan for a four-game series. We’ve made arrangements where we can get reports from that Jordan series,” said Reyes.

The Philippines is bracketed in Group A with Jordan, Iran and China.

The Nationals play nine games in nine days in the Jones Cup before playing four games at home in the Manila Invitational from July 12-15.

“The Serbian experience was great. It went well with the players growing together as a team, and the progress was evident in the games we played,” Reyes stressed.

Schedule of Philippines for the WILLIAM JONES CUP INVITATIONAL BASKETBALL via ESPN Philippines:

02-Jul-07
17:00 Usa Vs Philippines
Men's (L)

03-Jul-07
17:30 Philippines Vs Lebanon
Men's (L)

04-Jul-07
15:30 Philippines Vs Japan
Men's (L)

05-Jul-07
17:30 Korea Vs Philippines
Men's (L)

06-Jul-07
15:30 Philippines Vs Jordan
Men's (L)

07-Jul-07
15:30 Philippines Vs Iran
Men's (L)

08-Jul-07
17:00 Chinese Taipei Vs Philippines
Men's (L)

09-Jul-07
15:30 Qatar Vs Philippines
Men's (L )

10-Jul-07
15:30 Philippines Vs Kazakhstan
Men's (L)

nasa directv ba yan???? i wanna watch!!!

nasa directv ba yan???? i wanna watch!!!

You'll have to ask directv directly. Haha :jk: lang.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30&aid=2007062999

Serbian to assist RP 5?
By Joaquin Henson
Saturday, June 30, 2007
National coach Chot Reyes said the other day he has suggested to Samahang Basketbol Ng Pilipinas officials contracting Serbian basketball guru Vlade Jarkovic to assist the Philippine team bidding for an Olympic berth at the FIBA-Asia championships in Tokushima on July 28-Aug. 5.

Jarkovic was recommended by FIBA referee instructor Alan Richardson to coordinate the national squad’s recent six-game series in Belgrade.

Richardson, who was in Manila last April for clinics on the PBA’s invitation, arranged the games against top clubs from Serbia and Montenegro.

“I’ve submitted Vlade’s name to the SBP,” said Reyes. “He told me he’ll be available to work with us in July. Vlade was great with the guys in Belgrade. He knew when to yell at them and when to pat them on the back for a job well done. He’ll be a big help to us as a consultant if it can be worked out.”

At the moment, Reyes is backstopped by assistants Nash Racela and Aboy Castro. Coca-Cola coach Binky Favis joined the staff last Monday. Former national coaches Joseph Uichico, Tim Cone and Norman Black begged off from working with the team because of other commitments.

Reyes said the Belgrade trip was an eye-opener as he saw for himself why Serbia and Montenegro, now two separate entities after splitting from what was once a unified Yugoslavia, are considered basketball hotbeds.

“There are about 90 Serbian coaches all over Europe, about 100 Serbian players in the US NCAA and about 15 in the NBA,” said Reyes. “We even have a Serbian (La Salle’s Marko Batricevic) in our UAAP. Serbia has a basketball coaching academy where you can earn a certificate after two years. Vlade, for instance, has an economics degree and a coaching certificate. There is one unified basketball system in Serbia, starting the kids with the fundamentals at an early age and as they get older, they’re exposed to the same development approach. It’s all about skills training.”

Reyes said Montenegro, which has a population of only 800,000, is coming on strong as a basketball powerhouse with a national under-20 team powered by two seven-footers.

“We learned a lot in Belgrade and we can still learn a lot more from the Serbs as we try to become comfortable with the international game which is very different from the way basketball is played in the NBA or the PBA,” said Reyes.

In six Belgrade games, the Philippines won twice. Reyes said the standouts were Asi Taulava, Ranidel de Ocampo, Mick Pennisi, Jay-Jay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa and Gabe Norwood.

Taulava dominated late in the series as he began to reap the benefits of a conditioning program that has brought down his weight from a high of 295 pounds to 264. Reyes said trainer Dennis Aenlle’s three-part daily program is broken down into lifting weights early in the morning, court drills late in the morning and more court drills late in the afternoon to early evening.

:banana:

http://www.pba.ph/content/view/1684/59/

ABC-5 TO AIR SMC-RP GAMES IN JONES CUP
Total of 21 Jones Cup games in telecast schedule
Saturday, 30 June 2007

The prayers of true-blue Pinoy basketball lovers have been answered.

In response to never-ending requests from fans thirsting for National Team action, ABC Sports will be airing all of the games of the San Miguel-Pilipinas squad in the 2007 William Jones Cup to be held in Taipei, Taiwan from July 2 to 10.

The tough 10-team tournament will see the Nationals playing nine games in nine days as they move into the final month of preparations for the FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship in Tokushima, Japan on July 28 to August 5.

First on tap for Team Pilipinas on July 2, Monday, is defending champion USA, represented by collegiate standouts. The game will be aired over ABC-5 live at 5 p.m. The remainder of SMC-RP’s games will be telecast the same day on a slightly delayed basis.

Other games that should be of interest to Filipinos wanting to see the kind of opposition our Nationals will be facing in Japan will likewise be shown on ABC-5. JONES CUP TELECAST SCHEDULE (over ABC-5)

July 2

5:00 pm USA vs Philippines

10:00 pm Chinese-Taipei vs Japan

July 3

4:30 pm Jordan vs Korea

7:00 pm Philippines vs Lebanon

10:30 pm Iran vs Chinese-Taipei

July 4

10:00 pm Philippines vs Japan

July 5

4:30 pm Jordan vs USA

7:00 pm Korea vs Philippines

10:00 pm Chinese-Taipei vs Lebanon

July 6

5:00 pm Philippines vs Jordan

10:30 pm Chinese-Taipei vs Kazakhstan

July 7

4:30 pm Philippines vs Iran

6:00 pm Japan vs Korea

9:00 pm Qatar vs Chinese-Taipei

July 8

4:00 pm Korea vs Lebanon

10:00 pm Chinese-Taipei vs Philippines

July 9

4:30 pm Philippines vs Qatar

10:00 pm USA vs Chinese-Taipei

July 10

4:30 pm Philippines vs Kazakhstan

7:00 pm Iran vs USA

10:30 pm Chinese-Taipei vs Korea

Congratulations Portland. :)

We'll gladly take Zach Randolph in New York. I know he has problems, but I'm super glad to have him with the Knicks. Steve Francis will be a good fit for Portland, presuming his knee gets better. He never did well in the NY system. Maybe in Portland he'll shine.

Golden State... also a few great moves. I'm going to miss J-Rich, and he deserves to be honored by Golden State for being a consummate worker. He's been there through thick and thin... mostly thin. But now GS has a ten million dollar exception for a trade and Brandan Wright and lost a heavy contract. Even better to pursue people like Kevin Garnett with!

^^ Gagaling si Steve Francis dito, daming "GAMOT" diyan sa tabi tabi. :lol:

Zach Randolph learned the hard way, but I heard he will still bring his entourage to NY. (guns and cars + NY) Goood!

From a Blazer mgmt. insider's mouth(chismis) ~ "We need Kobe Bryant also"








ANO RAW? ngeeee!

Team by Team Analysis
By John Schuhmann


NEW YORK, June 28, 2007 -- So we knew going in that Greg Oden and Kevin Durant would go at Nos. 1 and 2. But that doesn't mean there weren't some surprises at the 2007 NBA Draft.
And those surprises start with the trades of Ray Allen and Zach Randolph to the Atlantic Division. There were more deals made, and there's likely to be a lot more down the line. What could they be?

Below is a team-by-team review of all of tonight's action and a preview of what else is to come this offseason.

ATLANTIC CENTRAL SOUTHEAST NORTHWEST PACIFIC SOUTHWEST
Boston Chicago Atlanta Denver Golden State Dallas
New Jersey Cleveland Charlotte Minnesota L.A. Clippers Houston
New York Detroit Miami Portland L.A. Lakers Memphis
Philadelphia Indiana Orlando Seattle Phoenix New Orleans
Toronto Milwaukee Washington Utah Sacramento San Antonio




EASTERN CONFERENCE
(in order of regular season finish)
Detroit Pistons
What they did:


Drafted Rodney Stuckey at No. 15.
Drafted Arron Afflalo at No. 27.
Drafted Sammy Mejia at No. 57.
What now?
First, they've got to resign Chauncey Billups. Then they could look for some bench help, but Antonio McDyess isn't going anywhere and Jason Maxiell is ready to take on a larger role down low.

Drafting Stuckey, a combo guard who can get to the basket, allows the Pistons to possibly shop Flip Murray to a team that could use some veteran backcourt help.

Cleveland Cavaliers
What they did:


No picks or trades
What now?
Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao are both restricted free agents, so the Cavs will need to get them signed in order to keep their core together. They also should be shopping for a point guard or another scoring option to take some of the offensive burden off of LeBron James.

Chicago Bulls
What they did:


Drafted Joakim Noah at No. 9.
Drafted Aaron Gray at No. 49.
Drafted JamesOn Curry at No. 51.
What now?
The Bulls will need to resign Andres Nocioni (unrestricted). They've long been rumored to be in the running to deal for a superstar (Garnett or Bryant), but that would probably require resigning (and trading) P.J. Brown to a contract that the other team is willing to pay.

Noah gives them a solid rebounding and defensive presence, and Gray could give them some low post scoring, which is their biggest need, but they could still be willing to deal a member of their backcourt for some help up front.

Toronto Raptors
What they did:


Traded a 2008 second-round pick to San Antonio for the draft rights to Milovan Rakovic.
What now?
They've already traded for Carlos Delfino to add more depth to their bench. They were 27th in the league in rebounding differential last season, so they'd like to acquire a banger through trade or free agency.

Miami Heat
What they did:


Drafted Jason Smith at No. 20.
Traded the draft rights to Jason Smith to Philadelphia for the draft rights to Daequan Cook, a 2009 second-round pick and cash considerations.
Drafted Stanko Barac at No. 39.
Traded the draft rights to Stanko Barac to Indiana for a 2009 second-round pick.
What now?
Pat Riley probably wants to shake things up after the disappointment of last season and his first priority should be a point guard. They may have had one had Javaris Crittenton slipped one more spot to No. 20.

But James Posey and Jason Kapono are both unrestricted free agents, so there's a need for a swing man as well if they don't return.

New Jersey Nets
What they did:


Drafted Sean Williams at No. 17.
What now?
There has been a few rumors out there of the Nets shopping Richard Jefferson, looking to get a big man in return. The hot rumor earlier in the day was Jefferson, Nenad Krstic and Jason Collins for Jermaine O'Neal. They've also been rumored to have interest in Wizards' restricted free agent Andray Blatche.

Drafting Williams fills a need, but if the Nets want him to be productive in the postseason, they will need to allow him to work through his mistakes early.

Washington Wizards
What they did:


Drafted Nick Young at No. 16.
Drafted Dominic McGuire at No. 47.
What now?
Jarvis Hayes (restricted), Andray Blatche (restricted) and Roger Mason are free agents, so Young could definitely get some burn right away. But the Wizards could still use some help down low.

Orlando Magic
What they did:


Drafted Reyshawn Terry at No. 44.
Traded the 54th pick to Houston for cash considerations.
What now?
With the departure of Grant Hill, the Magic have some cap space, but resigning Darko Milicic could take care of that.

They could use a scorer, and Rashard Lewis is apparently a target, but it may come down to a choice between him and Darko.

Indiana Pacers
What they did:


Traded a 2009 second-round pick to Miami for the draft rights to Stanko Barac.
What now?
With only Rawle Marshall and Keith McLeod as free agents, the Pacers don't have much wiggle room without making a trade to make significant changes this summer. Jermaine O'Neal is reportedly on the block though, and we have a feeling Larry Bird really wants to shake things up.

Philadelphia 76ers
What they did:


Drafted Thaddeus Young at No. 12.
Drafted Daequan Cook at No. 21.
Traded the draft rights to Daequan Cook, a 2009 second-round pick and cash considerations to Miami for the draft rights to Jason Smith.
Drafted Petteri Koponen at No. 30.
Drafted Kyrylo Fesenko at No. 38.
Traded the draft rights to Petteri Koponen to Portland for the draft rights to Derrick Byars and cash considerations.
What now?
It will be Andre Iguodala's first full season as the go-to guy, and judging by his second half last season, the Sixers are an interesting young team.

Thaddeus Young might be able to play some at the four, but Philly definitely needs to add a big man or two.

Charlotte Bobcats
What they did:


Drafted Brandan Wright at No. 8.
Drafted Jared Dudley at No. 22.
Traded the draft rights to Brandan Wright to Golden State for Jason Richardson and the draft rights to Jermareo Davidson.
What now?
They used their cap space to get Richardson, the scorer that they wanted. Does that mean that they'll let restricted free agent Gerald Wallace go elsewhere (especially since they drafted another small forward in Dudley)?

New York Knicks
What they did:


Drafted Wilson Chandler at No. 23.
Traded Steve Francis and Channing Frye to Portland for Dan Dickau, Fred Jones and Zach Randolph.
Traded a 2008 second-round pick to Portland for the draft rights to Demetris Nichols.
What now?
Randolph and Eddy Curry is certainly a potent low-post combination on the offensive end, but neither is exactly a defensive anchor down low. As has been the story with the Knicks for the last few years, they have the talent. It's just a matter of getting that talent to play together ... and play defense.

Atlanta Hawks
What they did:


Drafted Al Horford at No. 3.
Drafted Acie Law at No. 11.
What now?
They've got a point guard. They've got a beast down low. They've got Joe Johnson, they've got some young wings like Josh Smith and Marvin Williams, and they've even got some cap space.

Give them a year or two to develop and the Hawks, yes the Hawks, could be back in the playoffs.

Milwaukee Bucks
What they did:


Drafted Yi Jianlian at No. 6.
Drafted Ramon Sessions at No. 56.
What now?
As long as they stay healthy, the Bucks should get back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Mo Williams is a free agent, as is Earl Boykins, so the Bucks will need to shore up the point guard position.

Otherwise, their lineup (Redd, Simmons, Villanueva, Bogut) is solid, so there's no rush for Yi to produce.

Boston Celtics
What they did:


Drafted Jeff Green at No. 5.
Drafted Gabe Pruitt at No. 32.
Traded Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, the draft rights to Jeff Green and a future second-round pick to Seattle for Ray Allen and the draft rights to Glen Davis.
What now?
The Celtics now have an interesting mix of young and old with Rajon Rondo, Allen, Paul Pierce, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes and Al Jefferson as their new core.

The biggest question now may be if Sebastian Telfair will still be in a Celtics uniform come November. Either way, they might want to add another big to the mix.


WESTERN CONFERENCE
(in order of regular season finish)
Dallas Mavericks
What they did:


Drafted Nick Fazekas at No. 34.
Drafted Renaldas Seibutis at No. 50.
Drafted Milovan Rakovic at No. 60.
Traded the draft rights to Milovan Rakovic to Toronto for a 2008 second-round pick.
What now?
Jerry Stackhouse is a free agent and Devean George can opt out, so the Mavs might need some scoring off the bench if Maurice Ager isn't ready to step into a larger role. Fazekas could replace Austin Croshere, who is also a free agent.

But the Mavs aren't likely to panic after the first-round loss to the Warriors. They'll likely just lick their wounds, figure out what went wrong, and look to make another run at the Finals.

Phoenix Suns
What they did:


Drafted Rudy Fernandez at No. 24.
Drafted Alando Tucker at No. 29.
Traded the draft rights to Rudy Fernandez to Portland for cash considerations.
Drafted DJ Strawberry at No. 59.
What now?
Draft Night has passed and both Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion are still Suns. So, for now, they're the same team they were when they lost to the Spurs in the Conference Semifinals.

San Antonio Spurs
What they did:


Drafted Tiago Splitter at No. 28.
Drafted Marcus Williams at No. 33.
Drafted Giorgos Printezis at No. 58.
What now?
If Jacque Vaughn (unrestricted) doesn't stick around, the Spurs could use a back-up point guard. They're rumored to be a possible destination for Grant Hill, who could fit right in and even possibly even start.

Splitter (along with Printezis), of course, is a continuation of the Spurs' tradition of drafting international players. They're probably going to have to wait a year for him to come over, but that's OK. These guys are the champs. They don't need him right now.

Houston Rockets
What they did:


Acquired the 54th pick from the Magic for cash considerations.
Drafted Aaron Brooks at No. 26.
Drafted Brad Newley at No. 54.
What now?
With the acquisition of Mike James and the hiring of Rick Adelman, the Rockets should be more of an offensive team next season. And with James, Rafer Alston and Brooks, the Rockets seem to have more point guards than they need. But there are certainly some teams out there who can use one, so maybe the Rockets could make a deal for some help up front. Right now, their only bigs are Yao Ming, Chuck Hayes and Dikembe Mutombo.

Utah Jazz
What they did:


Drafted Morris Almond at No. 25.
Drafted Herbert Hill at No. 55.
What now?


The Jazz needed a shooter and Almond is just that.

The rest of the summer for the Jazz probably starts with Andrei Kirilenko. Will they shop him for some more scoring in the backcourt? If not, Utah is certainly in good shape with one of the best inside-out combinations (Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer) in the NBA.

Denver Nuggets
What they did:


No picks or trades.
What now?
The Nuggets probably see what they can do in their first full season with both Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson on the roster. Marcus Camby was rumored to go to Atlanta for the 11th pick, so they may be willing to deal him for some backcourt help, especially since Steve Blake is an unrestricted free agent.

Los Angeles Lakers
What they did:


Drafted Javaris Crittenton at No. 19.
Drafted Yue Sun at No. 40.
Drafted Marc Gasol at No. 48.
What now?
Don't bet on Kobe Bryant being moved, but believe that Mitch Kupchak will do everything he can to get KB8 another All-Star to in the Laker lineup. With two young point guards in Crittenton and Jordan Farmar to go along with Andrew Bynum, the Lakers might have the right pieces to get it done.

The Crittenton pick also allows them to let Smush Parker (unrestricted) go elsewhere, but re-signing Luke Walton should be a priority.

Golden State Warriors
What they did:


Drafted Marco Belinelli at No. 18.
Drafted Jermareo Davidson at No. 36.
Traded Jason Richardson and the draft rights to Jermareo Davidson to Charlotte for the draft rights to Brandan Wright.
Drafted Stephane Lasme at No. 46.
What now?
They had depth at the wings -- although Matt Barnes and Mickael Pietrus (restricted) are free agents -- which allowed them to deal Richardson for someone who could help them on the boards, and shed some salary as well. They were last in the league in rebounding differential last season, so they may still be looking for help up front.

Belinelli seems like a good fit and gives the Warriors someone else to handle the ball.

Los Angeles Clippers
What they did:


Drafted Al Thornton at No. 14.
Drafted Jared Jordan at No. 45.
What now?
With Shaun Livingston likely out for several more months, the Clippers had only Sam Cassell (who turns 38 in November) and Jason Hartas their returning point guards heading into the season, so it was a bit surprising that they passed on Javaris Crittenton at 14. But they got a point in Jordan at No. 45.

Thornton will give them some offensive firepower off the bench, but Corey Maggette already has that role, so the Clipps might be looking to make a move down the line.

New Orleans Hornets
What they did:


Drafted Julian Wright at No. 13.
Drafted Adam Haluska at No. 43.
What now?
Desmond Mason is an unrestricted free agent, so Wright could fit right into an already solid starting lineup of Chris Paul, Peja Stojakovic, David West and Tyson Chandler.

After that, an addition or two to the bench might be in order for the Hornets.

Minnesota Timberwolves
What they did:


Drafted Corey Brewer at No. 7.
Drafted Chris Richard at No. 41.
What now?
Kevin Garnett certainly seems to be available, so the Wolves could be in serious rebuilding mode if the deal him. But part of the package that they were originally looking for was a high pick, so it will be interesting to see what they want now.

If Garnett stays, they still need a year or two for Brewer and Randy Foye to be a playoff-ready supporting cast.

Sacramento Kings
What they did:


Drafted Spencer Hawes at No. 10.
What now?
Mike Bibby and-or Ron Artest could be on the market, allowing the Kings to go young in the backcourt. Hawes is a Brad Miller type who helps shore up their frontline.

Portland Trail Blazers
What they did:


Drafted Greg Oden at No. 1.
Acquired the draft rights to Rudy Fernandez from Phoenix for cash considerations.
Drafted Josh McRoberts at No. 37.
Drafted Derrick Byars at No. 42.
Traded the draft rights to Derrick Byars and cash considerations to Philadelphia for the draft rights to Petteri Koponen.
Drafted Taurean Green at No. 52.
Drafted Demetris Nichols at No. 53.
Traded Dan Dickau, Fred Jones and Zach Randolph to New York for Steve Francis and Channing Frye.
Traded the draft rights to Demetris Nichols to New York for a 2008 second-round pick.
What now?
Dealing Randolph allows LaMarcus Aldridge to start alongside Oden, but there's still a hole at the three. Ime Udoka could keep that role if he re-signs. Martell Webster is there as well, but now with Jarrett Jack, Sergio Rodriguez, Koponen, and Green, they've got a lot of point guards. So, Kevin Pritchard could have something else in the works.

But no matter what else they do, with Oden, Aldridge and Roy, they've got quite a young triumvirate to build around. Blazermania is back.

Seattle SuperSonics
What they did:


Drafted Kevin Durant at No. 2.
Drafted Carl Landry at No. 31.
Drafted Glen Davis at No. 35.
Traded Ray Allen and the draft rights to Glen Davis to Boston for Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, the draft rights to Jeff Green and a future second-round pick.
What now?
The Allen deal could certainly mean that the Sonics would like to keep Rashard Lewis in Seattle, but he'll probably get some attention from other teams as well. If they don't resign him, the Sonics might still be able to get something in return if they can work out a sign-and-trade.

They could certainly use some help up front, unless they believe their young bigs like Johan Petro and Robert Swift will develop quickly.

Memphis Grizzlies
What they did:


Drafted Mike Conley Jr. at No. 4.
What now?
Conley probably allows the Grizzlies to let Chucky Atkins (unrestricted) go elsewhere. The Grizzlies can now build around their new point guard, Mike Miller, Rudy Gay and Pau Gasol (who's only 27) ... unless they want to move Gasol and really go young.

greg oden 19 yrs old lang?? halimaw..

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/sports/view_article.php?article_id=74149

National five leaves for ‘killer’ Jones Cup
By Musong R. Castillo
Inquirer
07/01/2007

MANILA, Philippines—Chot Reyes believes that the Philippine national team will get valuable training in the 29th Jones Cup—whatever the result.
“We will be facing a lot of the teams there (in the Jones Cup) when we get to Tokushima,” Reyes told the Inquirer over the phone yesterday. “This (tournament) is a vital component in our preparations (for the Fiba-Asia).”

The team departs for Taipei at noon today and will be faced with a killer schedule of nine straight games in the 29th edition of the tournament starting with the Nationals’ opening match against powerhouse United States tomorrow.

Reyes said that playing in the Jones Cup, which the Philippines won last with the Centennial Team coached by Tim Cone in 1998, would give him a solid idea on whom to take to Tokushima, Japan for the Olympic qualifier set July 28-Aug. 2.

“Definitely, the final lineup for Tokushima will come from the players I have (in the Jones Cup),” Reyes said. “We have the ingredients we need. It is still possible that we could tap others (not in the pool) but it’s highly improbable.”

Eric Menk, KG Canaleta, Kelly Williams and reigning PBA MVP James Yap have joined the national pool since last week, giving Reyes a deep bench even with Danny Seigle and Tony Dela Cruz out because of injuries.

Dela Cruz, out with a bad back, and Seigle, sidelined by a slight hamstring pull, will catch up with the team early this week.

The Jones Cup will not hold a championship game, that’s why all games are important. The top team after the gruelling elimination round is automatically crowned the champion with ties to be broken via a quotient system.

Aside from host Taiwan, the other Jones Cup entries are Japan, Qatar, Korea, Lebanon and Kazakhstan, which are all seeing action in the Fiba-Asia.

Other members of the team are Asi Taulava, Jimmy Alapag, Ren-Ren Ritualo, Mick Pennisi, Kerby Raymundo, Dondon Hontiveros, Jay-Jay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa and 6-foot-6 Fil-American point guard Gabe Norwood.

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2007/0629/nba_g_gokdjnmc_412.jpg
Oden looks like a grandfather and Noah looks funny.
:colgate:

parang ben wallace or bill russel si oden... lakas depensa sa ilalim...
si noah parang pingris sa pinas ang style... 7 footer din??

where is Noah playing? is he the son of Yannick Noah of tennis?

chicago loves afro... si ben and noah
center pareho...

@dinabaw yup tatay nga niya yung tennis player

Jul 1, 2007 7:1pm ET NBA.com
Report: Jason Kapono to the Toronto Raptors
Marc Stein of the ESPN.com writes, "Free agent sharpshooter Jason Kapono has quickly reached an agreement Sunday to leave the Miami Heat and sign a four-year deal believed to be worth $24 million with the Toronto Raptors. The NBA's free agent period commenced at 12:01 Sunday morning, with free agents unable to formally sign contracts before July 11."

mukhang matagal pa bago mag champion ulit ang miami... puro matanda na nga nawalan pa nang young shooter... tsk tsk tsk

GAME 1

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/sports/view_article.php?article_id=74260

San Miguel-RP opens vs tough US selection
By Ernie Gonzales
Inquirer
07/02/2007

TAIPEI -- The most critical part in the crash training program of the San Miguel-Pilipinas national quintet starts here Monday with the opening of the 29th William Jones Cup basketball tournament.

The Filipinos, who are scrambling to achieve peak form for the Olympic qualifier later this month, get going against the defending champion Americans represented again by the Athletes in Action squad in a 5 p.m. game which coach Chot Reyes said had no real meaning for him.

“We came here to primarily scout Jordan and Iran and then make an assessment of where we are now in our preparation for the FIBA-Asia tournament,” said Reyes.

Jordan and Iran are bracketed with the Filipinos along with defending champion China in the FIBA Asia set July 28-Aug. 2 in Tokushima, Japan.

The tournament serves as the qualifier for the Asian representative to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Nationals, who were formed only late February from among the millionaire aces of the Philippine Basketball Association, need to beat these two Middle East countries or kiss their Olympic qualifying hopes goodbye.

“We know a little bit about Jordan and we know Iran,” said Reyes, whose team placed fourth in its first tournament in the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup won by the Iranians at home last May while using two imports.

Since then, Reyes said the Filipinos are 25 percent away from achieving ideal form for the FIBA Asia.

“We want to hit top form in Japan not here in the Jones Cup,” added the San Miguel coach, who is playing here with four late recruits: Erik Menk, James Yap, Niño Canaleta and Kelly Williams.

The game with the Americans will be followed by the official opening ceremony at 7 p.m. at the 7,000-seat Sinjhuang Stadium in Taipei.

Other opening games pit Kazakhstan against Jordan at 11 a.m., Lebanon against Iran at 1 p.m., Korea against Qatar at 3 p.m. and Taiwan against Japan at 7:30.

The Filipinos will play Jordan this Friday and Iran the next day. After the Americans, the nationals will take on Lebanon on Tuesday, Japan on Wednesday and Korea on Thursday.

Completing the RP schedule are games with Taiwan on Sunday, Qatar on Monday and Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

The tournament is a straight single round with the team with the most victories being declared champion. All ties will be resolved by the quotient system.

NOTES: Jong Uichico, the Barangay Ginebra coach, has joined the Nationals here to boost the coaching staff backing Reyes. Uichico, the 2002 Busan Asian Games head coach, will be in charge of scouting the opposition along with Binky Favis and Aboy Castro… Danny Seigle and Tony Dela Cruz, who are out of the Jones Cup lineup due to injuries, are coming here nevertheless within the week to join the team in scrimmages… While each team is allowed to suit 14 players, only 12 will see action with those assigned to play to be declared by the coach 30 minutes before the game… The US is the winningest team in the Jones Cup since its start in 1977 with 14 titles. The Philippines comes next with three, the last pulled off by the RP Centennial team of Tim Cone in 1988. That team later salvaged the bronze medal in the Asian Games.

grrr.. ganda nang laban nang RP vs. USA.. hanep daw si Alapag..

RP 70
USA 62

1.29 left 4Q

Yup... watched ESPN live coverage... game just ended. Others can watch ABC5's slightly delayed telecast now.

RP 72
USA 67

Final :banana:

nakita ko nga dun sa PC. na katabi ko e(nasa PC rental shop ako)... sayang pinatay nung mayari...

pag uwi ko naman tyak tapos na ang laban

72-67! woohoo! we won!

nakita ko nga dun sa PC. na katabi ko e(nasa PC rental shop ako)... sayang pinatay nung mayari...

pag uwi ko naman tyak tapos na ang laban

@kikodj... you can still catch ABC5's coverage... start of 4Q pa lang ito.

tol nasa intramuros ako... bulacan pa uwian ko.... hehehehe("j)

panalo tayo??? ayos a pampalakas nang kompyansa yan
bench warmers and rejects naman ng NBA yata yung mga USA e... hehehehe
pero kahit ganun we will take that...

wala bang replay yan?? sana may replay nang 10pm

wala bang replay yan?? sana may replay nang 10pm

I'll post it here if mayroon replay later... :)

... bench warmers and rejects naman ng NBA yata yung mga USA e... hehehehe
pero kahit ganun we will take that...

This USA-AIA team is the defending Jones Cup champion.

post ka nang highligts photos nung laban nang US-phil kung meron

post ka nang highligts photos nung laban nang US-phil kung meron

Haha siyempre... that's kung meron akong mahanap. :)

thanks @kikodj ..wow i hope he can contribute to chicagos young and dynamic team !

Guys, here's a complete ESPN broadcast schedule of the Jones Cup including other countries' matches:

(Replay of the RP-USA match will be at 1:30pm tomorrow.)

02-Jul-07 15:00 Korea Vs Qatar (L)
02-Jul-07 17:00 Usa Vs Philippines (L)
02-Jul-07 19:30 Chinese Taipei Vs Japan (L)

03-Jul-07 02:30 Korea Vs Qatar (R)
03-Jul-07 13:30 Usa Vs Philippines (R)
03-Jul-07 15:30 Jordan Vs Korea (L)
03-Jul-07 17:30 Philippines Vs Lebanon (L)
03-Jul-07 19:30 Iran Vs Chinese Taipei (L)

04-Jul-07 02:30 Jordan Vs Korea (R)
04-Jul-07 13:30 Philippines Vs Lebanon (R)
04-Jul-07 15:30 Philippines Vs Japan (L)
04-Jul-07 17:30 Usa Vs Korea (L)
04-Jul-07 19:30 Chinese Taipei Vs Jordan (L)

05-Jul-07 13:30 Philippines Vs Japan (R)
05-Jul-07 15:30 Jordan Vs Usa (L)
05-Jul-07 17:30 Korea Vs Philippines (L)
05-Jul-07 19:30 Lebanon Vs Chinese Taipei (L)

06-Jul-07 15:30 Philippines Vs Jordan (L)
06-Jul-07 17:30 Iran Vs Korea (L)
06-Jul-07 19:30 Chinese Taipei Vs Kazakhstan (L)

07-Jul-07 10:00 Philippines Vs Jordan (R)
07-Jul-07 15:30 Philippines Vs Iran (L)
07-Jul-07 17:30 Japan Vs Korea (L)
07-Jul-07 19:30 Qatar Vs Chinese Taipei (L)

08-Jul-07 13:00 Korea Vs Lebanon (L)
08-Jul-07 15:00 Iran Vs Kazakhstan (L)
08-Jul-07 17:00 Chinese Taipei Vs Philippines (L)

09-Jul-07 01:00 Korea Vs Lebanon (R)
09-Jul-07 13:30 Chinese Taipei Vs Philippines (R)
09-Jul-07 15:30 Qatar Vs Philippines (L)
09-Jul-07 17:30 Kazakhstan Vs Korea (L)
09-Jul-07 19:30 Usa Vs Chinese Taipei (L)

10-Jul-07 13:30 Kazakhstan Vs Korea (R)
10-Jul-07 15:30 Philippines Vs Kazakhstan (L)
10-Jul-07 17:30 Iran Vs Usa (L)
10-Jul-07 19:30 Chinese Taipei Vs Korea (L)

WOOO WE WON!

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/07032007/sports01.html

San Miguel-RP shocks defending champions
BusinessMirror
July 3, 2007

CHINESE TAIPEI—The San Miguel-Team Pilipinas treats the 29th William Jones Cup as a mere preparatory tournament, but the desire to win was very evident and the result was a 72-67 shocker over the defending champion Athletes in Action (AIA) Monday night at the Sinjhuang Gym.

Trailing by five, 52-57, going into the last five minutes and 14 seconds, Team Pilipinas got the lift it needed from Jimmy Alapag, who keyed an 8-0 run with a triple. Mick Pennisi followed suit with another trey and Kerby Raymundo scored on a curling lay-up to push the Filipinos ahead, 60-57.

After Reed Rawling responded for the Americans, Alapag rifled in his fourth triple of the match and Mark Caguioa finally got going by scoring the last nine points for the Nationals who sent shock waves not only to the AIA but to eight other teams entered in the 10-day meet.

“Jimmy bailed us out big time and Mark finished the job for us,” said National coach Vincent “Chot” Reyes.

Alapag finished with 19 points.

San Miguel-Team Pilipinas put together a 12-0 run to erect a 39-31 advantage at the halftime break.

But the Filipinos were held to only six points on three free throws and a three-point shot by Dondon Hontiveros in the third period as the Americans seized the upperhand, 46-45, at the end of the third period.

In the other opening day matches, Korea nipped Qatar, 70-69; Jordan won over Kazakhstan, 63-61; and Lebanon beat Iran, 80-71.

Lebanon and San Miguel-TeamPilipinas mix it up at 5:30 p.m. seeking a second straight win and tournament leadership.

While Lebanon does not present an immediate threat as far as the Philippines’ dreams of returning to the Olympics is concerned, Reyes said there is a need to scout the Lebanese well and take a good hard look at them.

“There’s a good possibility for us meeting the Lebanese in the quarterfinals of the FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship in Tukoshima, Japan. If we finish second in Group A, I’m sure we’ll face Lebanon in the quarterfinals,” said Reyes.

“Napakaswerte ng Lebanon kasi ang Group B ang pinakamadaling group. Siguradong sila ang magiging top team ng Group B. Tayo dadaan sa butas ng karayom sa Group A,” he added.

The Philippines is bracketed in what is described as “The Group of Death” as Group A has powerhouse China, Iran and Jordan.

“Walang panapon sa Group A. Kung mayroon man, baka tayo iyon considering that we only started preparing last March 12.”

“We’ve played Lebanon a couple of times and we’ve fared well against them. We’ve in fact beaten them. They will also take part in the Manila Invitationals,” said Reyes. But who knows, baka pati sila nagtatago ng baraha?”

The Lebanese national team is reinforced by Joe Vogel and Brian Feghnali, a pair of players who have seen action in the NBA.

What Reyes and San Miguel-Team Pilipinas are really preparing hard for are the games against Jordan on Friday and Iran on Saturday. Like the Philippines, both sent their respective national teams.

“Hindi naman sana tayo pupunta dito sa Jones Cup if organizers did not assure us that we’ll be going up against the national teams of Iran and Jordan. This is a very good opportunity for us to gauge our strength and that of these two countries three weeks before Tukoshima.,” said Reyes.

Still, Reyes said he is torn between trying to hide his cards in the Jones Cup joust and the public perception. “While this is just part of our preparation for Tukoshima, kailangan din nating manalo dito. Realistically, we’re eyeing a top four finish. Pero alam ninyo na na kapag natalo tayo dito, marami na namang genius ang lalabas sa Pilipinas at magtatanong kung bakit nagkaganoon ang campaign sa Jones Cup. We have to strike a balance.”

The scores:

San Miguel-Team Pilipinas 72—Alapag 19, Caguioa 14, Pennisi 11, Hontiveros 11, Norwood 7, Taulava 5, Raymundo 5, de Ocampo 0, Helterbrand 0, Williams 0, Canaleta 0.

Athletes in Action 67—Hendley 11, Gibson 10,Wilkerson 10,Rawlings 9, Sloan 8, T. Pollitz 6, Nichols 5, Ruoff 5, E.Pollits 2,Hammonds 1, Harris 0, Asbury 0.
Quarters: 21-25; 39-31; 45-46; 72-67

If Warriors can get Kevin Garnet in a trade, I'm willing to break the team if I were Mully and do it in a heartbeat. Trade Richardson, Harrington, Foyle & Monta + draft pick / role player for Garnet. Simply Awesome! I think they'll be more competitive with Garnet in the line-up during and post season because small ball can only go so far eh.



Golden State Warriors
What they did:

Drafted Marco Belinelli at No. 18.
Drafted Jermareo Davidson at No. 36.
Traded Jason Richardson and the draft rights to Jermareo Davidson to Charlotte for the draft rights to Brandan Wright.
Drafted Stephane Lasme at No. 46.
What now?
They had depth at the wings -- although Matt Barnes and Mickael Pietrus (restricted) are free agents -- which allowed them to deal Richardson for someone who could help them on the boards, and shed some salary as well. They were last in the league in rebounding differential last season, so they may still be looking for help up front.

Belinelli seems like a good fit and gives the Warriors someone else to handle the ball.


Minnesota Timberwolves
What they did:

Drafted Corey Brewer at No. 7.
Drafted Chris Richard at No. 41.
What now?
Kevin Garnett certainly seems to be available, so the Wolves could be in serious rebuilding mode if the deal him. But part of the package that they were originally looking for was a high pick, so it will be interesting to see what they want now.

If Garnett stays, they still need a year or two for Brewer and Randy Foye to be a playoff-ready supporting cast.



Golden State... also a few great moves. I'm going to miss J-Rich, and he deserves to be honored by Golden State for being a consummate worker. He's been there through thick and thin... mostly thin. But now GS has a ten million dollar exception for a trade and Brandan Wright and lost a heavy contract. Even better to pursue people like Kevin Garnett with!

I have a feeling the Warriors are really going after KG! :okay: :okay:

Yi does not want to play for Milwaukee --- but the Bucks does not want to let go of him... hmmm...

Noah will be the proto-type of Ben Wallace...

No big time trades as of the moment... can't wait...

GAME 2

RP loses 62-65 to Lebanon on last second 3 pt shot. :cry:

that's what Yao wants before but the Rockets never let him go ithink he was offered a 'BIG' sum after 3 years....baka ganyan strategy ni Yi pero sobra naman yang si Yi kala mo kung sino eh 6th pick lang sya ,unproven pa nga ang skills nya baka sa kalaunan magiging si Wang Zhi zhi siya!

Yi does not want to play for Milwaukee --- but the Bucks does not want to let go of him... hmmm...

Noah will be the proto-type of Ben Wallace...

No big time trades as of the moment... can't wait...

I thnik Noah will be traded later he is a 'bait' , tingnan mo yung magagaling sina Artess , Elton Brand and another 1 yung sa new york. gawain kasi ng Bulls yan ,,bullish talaga or bull%$# hahaha

^^ I watched the game and it was so horrible. :cry:

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30

Lebanese buzzer-beater sinks RP five
Philippine Star

Wednesday, July 4, 2007 TAIPEI – Rony Fahed fired a triple with no time left as Lebanon came from behind to nip SMC-Team Pilipinas, 65-62, yesterday for its second straight victory in the 29th Jones Cup international basketball tournament at the Sinjhuang Stadium in Taipei County here last night.

Dondon Hontiveros misfired what seemed to be an ill-advised shot with still five seconds remaining in the contest with the count tied at 62, enabling the Lebanese one last stab at the basket, which Fahed completed with an off-balanced bank shot as time expired.

As the Lebanese whooped it up in their frontcourt, the Filipinos made their exit shaking their heads in disbelief after blowing what had appeared to be a won game on a sputtering finish marked by three flubbed offensives.

That included another Hontiveros miss from the three-point range in the closing minute which paved the way for Omar El Turk’s three-pointer that moved Lebanon to within, 61-62, after trailing by as many as 10 points in the third period.

It was a sorry loss for Team RP, which shocked fancied defending champion Athletes in Action of the US, 72-67, Monday only to be stunned by a gutsy Lebanese side, which played catch-up majority of the way.

The Filipinos actually self-destructed in the last two-and-a-half minutes and failed to score after Hontiveros had given the Nationals a 62-56 advantage.

Two free throws by Fadi El Khatib and a triple by El Turk put the Lebanese to within a point, 62-61, exactly a minute to go. After Khatib blocked an undergoal stab by Asi Taulava, he lost the ball to the sideline giving San Miguel-Team Pilipinas a chance to pad on the slim lead.

But Mark Caguioa, one of the heroes in the victory against defending champion Athletes in Action of USA, committed a dribbling violation and turned the ball over to Lebanon.

In the ensuing play, Gabe Norwood sent Basem Bala to the stripe with the Lebanese missing the rear end of his charities for a 62-all count, 17 seconds to go.

Instead of working out the go-ahead play, however, Hontiveros opted to heave a harried quartercourt shot with still about five seconds to go and missed, paving the way for Fahed’s heroics.

“It was a very interesting win. The Philippines is a very good team because it won against the Americans,” said Serbian Georges Ketzi, head coach of the Lebanon squad which tied Korea at the top of the standings following a 71-65 victory over Jordan.

“It’s a revenge win for us and a good preparation for the team en route to the Olympic qualifer in Japan,” Ketzi added.

“We haven’t been together for most part of the year. The coach is new. I just want to come in and try to contribute to my team. Our main goal is to be 100 percent when we hit Japan,” said Lebanese ace Joe Vogel.

San Miguel-Team Pilipinas took the half, 37-31 with new recruit James Yap scoring seven points in his short stint. The Filipinos opened the third period with a four-point swing courtesy of Gabe Norwood for a 41-31 advantage.

However, the Filipinos were assessed five quick fouls and entered penalty with still over five minutes to go. As a result,the Lebanese threatened 47-44,1:26 to go.

But Vogel was assessed a technical foul after pushing off Taulava and that led to a five-point swing by the Filipinos easing the pressure a bit, 52-44 at the end of the third.

Norwood opened the final period with a slam dunk as San Miguel-Team Pilipinas re-established a ten-point bubble, 54-44, 8:09 to go. But Fahed scored five points including a twiple in a 9-0 burst by Lebanon whihclosed in, 54-53, 5:11 remaining.

Athletes in Action and Kazakhstan bounced back from stinging opening day losses by routing separate rivals. The Americans, who drew double digit scoring from six players, sent Qatar reeling to its second straight setback, 106-68. The Kazakhs likewise handed Japan its second loss, 96-61.

Brian Asbury paced Athletes in Action with 17 points and Todd Hendley had 15. Cliff Hammonds and Alex Ruoff chipped in 11 apiece while Tyler Wilkerson and Reed Rawlings had 10 points each.

Anton Ponomarev led the Kazakhs with 27 points while Alexandr Tyutyunik had 18.

The Philippines is expected to encounter little resitance from Japan in today’s 3:30 pm encounter. The Japanese have reportedly sent a collegiate team. The RP-Japan match will be shown over ABC Channel 5 at 7 pm tonight followed by the Chinese-Taipei-Jordan game at 10 pm.

San Miguel-Team Pilipinas takes on a tough Korean squad tomorrow in preparation for their meeting with Jordan and Rizal in the weekend.
Reyes said he is wary about Jordan which pulled off a 63-61 squeaker of a win over Kazakhstan on opening day.

“That is bad news for us. In my mind, Kazakhstan should be a tougher team because we lost twice to them last year and in the Champions Cup.But with Jordan winning over Kazakhstan, presents a different scenario,” said Reyes.
Rashiem Wright scored 25 points in 33 minutes while Zaid Alkhas added 12 in that surprise win over the Kazakhs.

San Miguel-Pilipinas faces Jordan on Friday and Iran on Saturday and these are the games that matter most to Reyes as both teams are entered in the same bracket as the Filipinos and powerhouse China in the Tukoshima joust.
Iran got clobbered by Lebanon,80-71 but Reyes feels the Iranis ay be hiding their cards. “Tingin ko may itinatago ang mga iyan,” he said.

nooooooooooooo :bash:

Ang ganda pa naman sana ng play ng Pinas. Iba talaga kapag sinamahan ng swerte ang kalaban. :ohno:

that's what Yao wants before but the Rockets never let him go ithink he was offered a 'BIG' sum after 3 years....baka ganyan strategy ni Yi pero sobra naman yang si Yi kala mo kung sino eh 6th pick lang sya ,unproven pa nga ang skills nya baka sa kalaunan magiging si Wang Zhi zhi siya!

Well said!... IMO the NBA should not allow players (and managers) who get drafted dictate where they want to go... or else the draft will become useless...

We will see if the Bulls will use Noah as trade bait... they need "inside presence" which could only come from a veteran (like KG?)... :lol:

Ang ganda pa naman sana ng play ng Pinas. Iba talaga kapag sinamahan ng swerte ang kalaban. :ohno:

For me lang ha it was also the RP team's fault... they were up for almost the entire game, but they let it all slip away towards the end and gave Lebanon a chance to win it with a 3 pt shot. They weren't able to protect their lead in the last 2 minutes. To think they've won over this same Lebanon team 4x before in tournaments held outside the country and also in the Philippines.

Anyway, RP team will get a chance for revenge when this Lebanon team comes to the Philippines for a pocket tournament before going to Japan for the FIBA tourney at the end of the month.

Next game (game 3) will be against Japan later.

wag sana mangyari yan sa ibang games yung pabaya nilang plays sa huli... puro tress kasi ang ginagawa nila kahit lamng sila e mintis naman kya naka habol lebanon...

ginto na naging bato pa... tsk tsk tsk...

na miscalculate kasi siguro ng pinas kung ilang seconds pa natitira, tumira agad, 5 secs pa ang natitira

For me lang ha it was also the RP team's fault... they were up for almost the entire game, but they let it all slip away towards the end and gave Lebanon a chance to win it with a 3 pt shot. They weren't able to protect their lead in the last 2 minutes. To think they've won over this same Lebanon team 4x before in tournaments held outside the country and also in the Philippines.

I agree na may kasalanan din ang Pinas dun. And I also agree with what supporting statement you have. Ang isa pa nakabigay ng chance sa Lebanon eh ung pagtawag ng kung anu-anong foul nung puting referee sa mga Pinoy. You saw him call on a foul to Norwood and Taulava during the last quarter? It's very obvious that they were just there trying to guard the Lebanese players, pero tinawagan sila ng foul. And both were shocked. Maski ako.

na miscalculate kasi siguro ng pinas kung ilang seconds pa natitira, tumira agad, 5 secs pa ang natitira

Isa pa yan sa mga nakita ko rin. Kung naubos sana ung time, may overtime pa sana.

80-74, dikit pa rin ang score vs. Japan.. lapit na daw matapos..

nakup! 81-79, 1.30 remaining.. mukhang masisilat pa nang Japan..

syet.. nasilat na naman.. 84-86! :(

GAME 3

Japan 86
RP 84

Final

Note: The game was tied with 10 secs to go at 84-all. RP timeout, play broken, pass intercepted, Japan fastbreak layup. Btw, like yesterday, RP practically led all throughout this game. :cry:

dalawang malas after isang swerte.
shet!

So far my assessment after 3 games: NO KILLER INSTINCT. Don't get me wrong as I am not saying that we are not competitive because we are... what I am pointing out is that we don't go for the kill when the opponent is down. Why let them stick around? They let them do that and they got stabbed 2x now in the back. Arrghh.

Well, good thing this is "only" the Jones Cup and not the FIBA Qualifiers... so it's just another day at school, another lesson learned. They now have to move on and play again tomorrow...

how could we lose to japan? :lol:

no way.

@tcchua: sa tingin ko, lesson sila ng lesson pero pagdating sa test, di man nila makuha ang pangalan nila.

hindi pa National Team nang Japan yun.. nakaka pang hina talaga.. pano pa tayo mangangarap nang Olympics appearance.. eh collegiate team lang nang Japan hindi tayo umubra! dapat yan itigil na... sayang lang ang pera..

^^ don't say that. we might be better tomorrow.

they're kicking themselves in the locker room as we speak and getting a mura from the coach. they had better learned a lesson.

hindi pa National Team nang Japan yun.. nakaka pang hina talaga.. pano pa tayo mangangarap nang Olympics appearance.. eh collegiate team lang nang Japan hindi tayo umubra! dapat yan itigil na... sayang lang ang pera..

Don't say @dvorak na sayang ang pera. For one, it is good that the PBA is wholeheartedly supporting this endeavor with help of the team owners and sponsors like Nike so money is not an issue here. Another reason why it is not sayang pera is that we have a team that we can be proud of... win or lose we are well-represented... this is priceless ika nga di ba?

You know I started this thread, updated and kept this going all this time because I believe in our FIBA Asia goal. I believe we can go to the Olympics. It is frustrating losing like this alright because of the lack of a KILLER INSTINCT but let us not lose hope. We've survived being in the FIBA freezer for so long (thanks to the BAP we lost so much training time!) so why give up on our team now?

lol i saw the replay.

gawd. the wrong we did there was that we became too confident with the 10 point lead. pati si commentator nagyabang.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30

Lightning strikes twice
Philippine Star
Thursday, July 5, 2007

TAIPEI – SMC-Team Pilipinas reeled from a second heartbreak of a loss barely 24 hours after the first.

Ambushed by the Lebanese at endgame Tuesday, the Nationals suffered the same fate at the hands of the Japanese in the third day of the 2007 William Jones Cup at the Hsinchuang Stadium Wednesday.

The Japanese fashioned out a shocking 86-84 come-from-behind win sealed with a final-second breakaway lay-up by heady guard Yusuke Okada off a steal by Takumi Ishizaki on Dondon Hontiveros.

It was another bitter defeat for the Nationals, who took control most of the way and led by 12 points twice in the first half only to sputter at the finish.

“We can’t execute, we can’t close out a game. That’s the story of our lives here,” said RP team coach Chot Reyes.

“From day one, natataranta at nawawala ang diskarte sa endgame ( they’re rattled, lost their focus at endgame). It’s my fault because I couldn’t give them good shots,” Reyes added.

The Nationals still had a chance to force overtime in the final second but Ishizaki deflected an alley-oop pass by Gabe Norwood to Kelly Williams.

The Japanese scored their first win in the tourney following a 77-90 shellacking by the hosts Monday and a 61-96 massacre by the Kazakhs Tuesday. The Nationals, who stunned the Athletes in Action of the United States, 72-67, on opening day, on the other hand, suffered a second loss after an equally numbing defeat to the Lebanese, 62-65, Tuesday.

It was practically the same story as in the RP-Lebanon contest with the Nationals blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead as they couldn’t hit a basket at the finish.

And they couldn’t plot a decent play, losing two possessions on passing errors in the final minute.

An errant pass by Hontiveros to Jayjay Helterbrand was turned by Okada into a precious twinner on a lay-up with time down to one second as the Japanese surged ahead at 86-84 after playing catch-up the entire last three quarters.

Earlier, firebrand Shoei Kikuchi, who scored a game-high 27 points, finished a transition play by the Japanese on a three-pointer to tie the count at 84-all with time down to 8.5 seconds.

Team Philippines sued for time but still couldn’t execute a play as it struggled against the Japanese’ efficient defense.

Reyes probably committed a tactical error in keeping Eric Menk and James Yap on the floor for long in the payoff period.

Renren Ritualo was fielded back only in the final second although the Talk n Text hotshot went 7-of-9 from the three-point area in the first half.

Earlier, Lebanon proved its three-point win over RP was no fluke as it walloped Kazakhstan, 90-77, for its third win in a row.

Qatar broke into the win-column with a 74-72 decision over Iran.

ano ba ang mag chachampion dito

yung may pinaka maraming panalo??? ala nang semis and finals??

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/sports/view_article.php?article_id=74880

Japan hands San Mig-RP team 2nd straight loss
Another heartbreaker for RP 5
By Ernesto Gonzales
Inquirer
07/05/2007

TAIPEI -- Lightning struck the San Miguel-Pilipinas national quintet a second time Wednesday night in the 29th William Jones Cup International basketball tournament here.

A day after losing to Lebanon on a buzzer-beating shot, the Nationals suffered another meltdown in an 86-84 loss to unfancied Japan Wednesday.

A fastbreak layup by Yusuke Okada with a second left following a Japan interception off a Dondon Hontiveros pass doomed the Filipinos, who led by 12 points twice, the last at 68-56 late in the third quarter.

“Natataranta (they still get rattled),” said national coach Chot Reyes. “I don’t know why we can’t execute and close out the game.”

“We played very well in the first 39 minutes. Unfortunately, this is a 40-minute game. It’s my fault because I should be able to get good shots for my players.”

Ironically, it was Hontiveros who also figured in the decisive play that led to the RP downfall a night earlier.

Against Lebanon, Hontiveros opted to go for a wide-open shot early instead of running out the clock some more.

After he missed, Lebanon came up with a desperation three-pointer from Roy Fahed at the buzzer to win, 65-62.

Inspired by their great escape, the Lebanese seized the early solo lead by thumping Kazakhstan, 90-77, for their third straight victory.

Qatar somehow eased RP’s worry about the strength of Iran by nipping the 2006 Asian Games bronze medalist, 74-72.

The Iranians, bracketed with the Filipinos in the FIBA-Asia championship along with Jordan and defending champion China, absorbed a second loss in three games.

Now also at 1-2 are Qatar, the Philippines, Japan and Kazakhstan.

The unexpected RP collapse ruined a sizzling offensive show off the bench by Renren Ritualo.

Ritualo, benched in RP’s opening win against the US and rested against Lebanon, finished with seven triples for 21 points to help RP assume its first 12-point lead at 43-31.

Then a 10-2 run capped by Gabe Norwood’s triple restored the margin at 68-56 in the third period, but the Japanese just wouldn’t go away.

Shohei Kikuchi, a southpaw deadshot who led all scorers with 27 points, scored on a drive then added a three-pointer as Japan tied it at 84-84 with eight seconds left.

After an RP timeout, Hontiveros received the throw-in but the Jpanese defense anticipated his pass to JJ Helterbrand and then struck with the winning basket.

The Japanese used only six men and fielded another man only when Yosuk Machida fouled out. Reyes, on the other hand, rested Mick Pennisi, saying he found no need for him in the match.

The Filipinos, who are using this event as a buildup for the FIBA-Asia championship, next play the Koreans at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

The scores:

JAPAN 86 -- Kikuchi 27, Onishi 23, Okada18, Machida 12, Ishezaki 4, Inoue 2, Shonaka 0.

RP 84 -- Ritualo 21, Hontiveros 11, Helterbrand 10, Williams 8, Taulava 8, Raymundo 8, Yap 5, Norwood 5, Caguioa 5, Alapag 2, Menk 1.

Quarters: 25-25, 44-50, 60-71, 86-84

so sad. weve given the best players in the philippines but we cant still have a good win. anyways, pampa lubag nalang yung win sa USA

minaliit tayo nang USA team.. minaliit natin ang LEBANON at JAPAN...
tsk tsk tsk

ano ba ang mag chachampion dito

yung may pinaka maraming panalo??? ala nang semis and finals??

The team with the most number of wins will be crowned champions in this 10-day tournament where each team plays 9 games. Tie-break is via the quotient system so our losses by 3 and 2 pts are sad but will come in handy later on when the final standings are determined.

^^ so that means that we still have a chance? team philippines must start learning from their mistakes. They always become over confident.

So far my assessment after 3 games: NO KILLER INSTINCT. Don't get me wrong as I am not saying that we are not competitive because we are... what I am pointing out is that we don't go for the kill when the opponent is down. Why let them stick around? They let them do that and they got stabbed 2x now in the back. Arrghh.

I have to agree with you. They have been over confident after what had happened with the RP-USA game. They always lay low everytime it's in the middle of the last quarter. Tapos si Hontiveros naman nagmadali during the last one second of the game. He should have just pressed the ball to extend the game. If there had been a 5-minute overtime, we could have won.

The San Miguel-Pilipinas team bounced back at the Jones Cup International basketball tournament by beating Korea, 88-84, in Taipei County Thursday.

The Filipinos boosted their morale by eking a hard-fought fourth quarter performance and pouring in 19 points against Korea’s 16.

Korea was leading by three points at the end of the first half, forcing the Filipinos to sink in 29 points in the third quarter.

The Filipinos came out of a hard grind in the final canto as the Koreans tightened theire defense.

San Miguel-Pilipinas came out of a heart-breaking 86-84 loss to Japan on Wednesday. They were also beaten by Lebanon, 65-62, in a similar fashion on Tuesday.

The Filipinos now sport a 2-2 win loss slate in the tourney.

Source (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=83613)

GAME 4


RP 88
Korea 84

Final

Note: RP played with more spunk to close out the game which is great. We can't wait to see injured Seigle (voted into the mythical 1st team in the recent tournament in Iran) return to the team to play in the coming FIBA Asia!

kewl !

Latest standings:

Lebanon 3-0
Jordan 3-1
Philippines 2-2
USA-AIA 2-2
Iran 2-2
Qatar 2-2
South Korea 2-2
Taiwan 1-2
Japan 1-3
Kazakhstan 1-3

http://www.tribune.net.ph/sports/20070706spo1.html
SMC-Team Pilipinas trounces S. Korea
By Aldrin Cardona
Tribune
07/06/2007

TAIWAN — San Miguel-Team Pilipinas came prepared for its most enormous game after absorbing two painful defeats in huge collapses, and the Nationals responded with an 88-84 shellacking of Korea to salvage some pride in the 2007 William Jones Cup at the Sinjhuang Stadium in Taipei County.

Just how prepared?

Eric Menk pumped irons “400 times.” Asi was made to sweat for his freethrows. The whole squad spent the morning doing body contortions under conditioning coach Dennis Aenle. A one-hour hard practice session followed. Then they all prayed hard.

All these for a 7-foot-4, 280 pounds Ha Seung-jin, the hulking former Portland Trailblazer, who became Taulava’s greatest challenge yet. Taulava responded. But he got all the knees, elbows and Ha’s entire weight to pay for this important win.

They’re just enough to make up for the two close losses to Lebanon and that bunch of college kids from Japan.

No pain, no gain. At least, they now enjoy the ribbing from each other. They have expected the buttkicks back home if they failed to win this one.

Fil-American Gabriel Norwood ignited the Nationals with a trey just after the start of the fourth quarter, a signal that won’t easily collapse this time. But the Koreans did not crumble easily.

An exchange of baskets had the Koreans leading until 75-73, with still six minutes left. But Mark Caguioa unloaded a howitzer and Dondon Hontiveros scoring on a feed by Jayjay Helterbrand. Korea’s Kim Dong-woo, however, still kept the game close, scoring on a hard layup to stay within 77-78, four minutes remaining.

Then, miracles happened.

Reyes’ crew stayed glued until the buzzer, despite Hontiveros fouling out with still 3:30 to go. Taulava’s freethrows also worked, missing once in six tries that has become so valuable to the Philippine win. And, like a twist in fate, the Koreans scrambled, allowing the Filipinos to show-off, including a one-hand slam dunk from Norwood to close out the match.

That was the Philippines’ second win in four games, the other one, a 72-67 win over defending
champion United States.

“We finally won a close one. We finally found a lot about ourselves. We hung together and stayed there together,” said Reyes, pressured for a win back home but still thinking about the more important matches when he herds his crew to Tokushima, Japan, for the Asian Championship in July.

Caguioa was also in praises of the team: “We made our free throws tonight, we really played hard.”
Caguioa topscored for RP with 19 points, and he got help from others, too.

But there will be no rest for the RP boys. They will face another gargantuan task in beating Jordan today. Jordan defeated the US, 69-66, for its third win in four games.

Jordan’s coach Mario Palma, however, did not underestimate the Philippines’ strength. But he shared Reyes’ mission in coming here. “The result of the Jones Cup will not matter to us,” Palma said. “It’s a study game for us. We want to know our strengths and weaknesses. That’s our mission. It’s a sentiment shared by others as well.”

“It’s a learning process. We learn from each other. We’re going to the Philippines (to join the Manila Invitationals) and gain some experience how it is playing against our opponents in Tokushima,” said Joseph Vogel, the naturalized Lebanese who once played in the NBA as an American.

A very good, objective analysis :okay:

http://www.tribune.net.ph/sports/20070706spo4.html

Chot's Dilemna
by Aldrin Cardona
Tribune
07/06/2007

TAIWAN — Chot Reyes will live and die in the Jones Cup with his experiments.

The National team coach needs to see what would work in Tokushima, Japan, when his crew works for an Olympic berth in the Fiba-Asia Men’s Championship. He also needs to compile wins and end up with a decent finish here in the 2007 William Jones Cup, actually just part of the buildup for the San Miguel-Team Pilipinas for the Tokushima joust, to silence critics back home.

Apparently, he cannot enjoy both worlds.

The Philippines dropped two close matches to Lebanon and Taipei in a succession of heart-wringing debacles.

They’re the kind that leaves nothing but pain that saps any sportsman’s heart, including Chot, PBA commissioner Noli Eala and the rest of the league’s board who collectively watched the Nationals’ 84-86 defeat to a bunch of college kids from Japan on TV after a crucial meeting on Wednesday.

I’m sure telephone exchanges followed soon after. I personally saw how busy Chot was answering calls and text messages, which I am sure, came from home.

“Kasalanan ko ‘yan, they cannot get good shots,” Chot said. “For 39 minutes we played very well, but we collapsed in the last minute, like yesterday (Tuesday). Hindi ko na alam, natataranta ang mga players natin.”

“From Game One, hindi lang tayo maka-shoot sa last quarter, nakukunan pa tayo ng bola. We cannot execute, we cannot close out the game,” he added.

Sources close to Eala, however, said the PBA boss believes it wasn’t Chot’s fault. And even if the Nationals lose a couple more matches here, nothing will lose their faith. Chot and his crew will give everything in its arsenal to make it back to the Olympics since 1972 in Munich.

Jong Uichico, Chot’s assistant who incidentally has a run at the PBA Press Corps’ award for Coach of the Year, however, summed up their predicament after those two loses.

“We’re sure we’re up against some hostile public opinion,” Uichico said. “But we should not forget that our primary reason for coming here is to scout our opponents some more. Kung may itinatago sila, may itinatago din kasi tayo.”

That Chot is continuously tweaking his combinations was evident in the first three games. But in some instances, he already showed some of his aces, like when Jimmy Alapag burned the nets with his trey in the Nationals’ 72-67 upset of defending champion US (Athletes in Action), or when Renren Ritualo took over in firing the howitzers against Japan when the Nationals held the game for 39 minutes, only to collapse in the last second.

But for the coaching staff, sticking to plans may do wonders— forget about the results, Tokushima matters most.

And Chot, not exactly zen-like but surprisingly cool here, must be given time to prove his blueprint will work. Besides, the team isn’t formed yet and two would be dropped from the current pool roster. And it’s not exactly an idle season for Chot and his crew. One day after their return on Thursday, San Miguel-Team Pilipinas will face some of their Jones Cup rivals for the Manila Invitationals.

China’s Team-B will play, as its prime cuts are busy playing elsewhere. It’s the same squad which the Nationals will play in Tokushima. If we’re not good enough for their second team, then Chot can assess if it’s still alright to hope for an Olympic glory.

Of course, there’s still a different avenue to clinch an Olympic berth as China is sure of owning one, being the host. But the road to Beijing is as rough as waters of the China sea.

Chot knows it and if his manly attitude is to be our gauge, he’s willing to take the blame if nothing in his book works out fine.

* * *

Naturalization is no longer the unspoken word among our basketball coaches. The realization that a team of pure-bred Filipinos could notlonger work miracles in the international basketball scene had come long ago, in came the Fil-foreigners.

But even with this bunch that includes big guys like Asi Taulava, Mick Pennisi and Eric Menk, there is still a big hole left to be filled at the center of any Philippine team.

If Chot would be heard, Philippine authorities should better scout for some foreign wonders who may want to change nationalities into Filipino, like what Americans Chip Engeland, Jeff Moore and Dennis Still, did in the 1980s.

“Even the United States does it,” Chot quipped. “They have Hakeem Olajuwon, and the likes. Even if we are no longer here, I think it should be considered. Just look at out opponents here, Lebanon even has a former NBA player in its fold.”

It was one of the most successful basketball programs for the Philippines, and San Miguel top honcho Danding Cojuangco should be thanked for thinking ahead the rest of Asia.

The ball, however, is in the hands of Manny Pangilinan and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

The PBA should also do its share by reverting to Fiba rules and stop being a copycat of the NBA. It’s the trend now, even in Europe. And NBA squads are no longer the Dream Teams they used to be. They get clobbered too, sometimes.

Latest standings:

Lebanon 3-0
Jordan 3-1
Philippines 2-2
USA-AIA 2-2
Iran 2-2
Qatar 2-2
South Korea 2-2
Taiwan 1-2
Japan 1-3
Kazakhstan 1-3



that's strange, Taiwan has the home court advantage then yet...

Powerhouse pala ang middle easters sa basketball.

Wicked! We have a thread for this pala. I agree with the earlier post na over-confident tayo mga 10-point, 15-point lead kaya di natin nasusustain.
Anyway, it was a great game with Korea! Haha

I haven't watched the game but I'm glad they sustained throughout the game. Kudos to Team Pilipinas! :okay:

that's strange, Taiwan has the home court advantage then yet...

Powerhouse pala ang middle easters sa basketball.

Yes, power has shifted to the Middle East in the last few years. Lots of ME teams coming up... just take a look at the results of the 2006 Doha Asian Games:

Gold - China (same group as RP in FIBA Asia)
Silver - Qatar
Bronze - Iran (same group)
4th Jordan (same group)
5th Korea
6th Japan
7th Kazakhstan
8th Chinese Taipei
9th Lebanon
10th Syria
11th Uzbekistan
12th Bahrain

GAME 5

Jordan 74
RP 70

Final

Lost another close game.

^^ Anong oras yan? Sa ABC5 mo ba yan napanood?

inaabutan ko yan sa abc5 mga 11:30PM

GO team PHILIPPINES!

go team Philippines go for 3rd place !:cheer: :D

^^ Anong oras yan? Sa ABC5 mo ba yan napanood?

ESPN's coverage of the Jones Cup is live. I posted the complete schedule before... you may scroll back this thread to take a look at it again. The local ABC5 coverage is delayed so you can catch some of the games when you get home from work.

By the way, I followed the RP-Jordan game via an internet forum. It started at 3:30pm. :)

hay naku... goodluck na lang sa Olympic dream natin. wala naman masamang mangarap, right?

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30&aid=20070706138

Jordan gives RP taste of Tokushima
By Nelson Beltran
Philippine Star
Saturday, July 7, 2007

TAIPEI – The SMC-Team Pilipinas had a feel of top-level opposition awaiting it in the Japan Olympic qualifier, putting up a brave stand before succumbing to a close four-point defeat to a Group of Death rival.

The tall and lanky Jordan team pounced on the Nationals at the paint and hacked out a 74-70 victory in a preview of their showdown in the FIBA-Asia joust in Tokushima, Japan.

The Jordanians leaned heavily on big men Jamal Almaaytah, Zaid Alkhas and Ayman Idais as they showed up the Filipinos, scoring a fourth win in five games to seize solo leadership halfway through the nine-day Jones Cup Hsinchuang Stadium last night.

RP coach Chot Reyes, however, was hardly alarmed by the stinging loss.

“If there’s such a thing as a good loss, this one is it and I’ll take it anytime. We’ve seen them play, and I believe we can beat them,” Reyes said.

“They let their best players play while we kept some of ours. They struck heavily at the paint but we played their big men just straight-up defense. We’ll try to remedy this in Tokushima,” Reyes added.

The RP team mentor had kept some aces up his sleeve, singling out Danny Seigle and Renren Ritualo who didn’t see action.

Jordan coach Mario Palma himself downplayed the importance of the win and was impressed by the way the Filipinos played.

“The game showed that we can beat them but they can beat us too. It would be a tough game for sure in Japan,” said Palma before the international media.

“The Filipinos fight for every single ball and just never give up. They’re a good team with quickness and shooting. They would be strong contender in Japan,” Palma added.

Next up for the Philippines is Iran, another team in the RP team’s bracket called the Group of Death in the elimination round of the Olympic qualifier in Japan from July 28-Aug. 5.

At press time, the Iranians had an even 2-2 record to the Philippines’ 2-3 mark.

Jordan took the solo lead at 4-1 with the Athletes in Action of the US catching up with Lebanon at 3-2 after the former whipped the latter, 81-70, earlier in the day. Qatar walloped Japan, 86-68, also for its third win against two defeats.

The Philippines would have figured in a four-way tie on top with Jordan, US and Lebanon had it beat the Jordanians.

Jordan jumped the gun on the Philippines, opening up with a 9-2 run and leading all the way to the finish although the Filipinos kept coming back from a sizeable deficit.

The Nationals had a chance to pull even with time down to 1:01 but Kerby Raymundo muffed two charities, exposing further the team’s poor free-throw shooting. The Nationals missed nine of 22 free throws in the contest.

NOTES: Asi Taulava downed four bottles of energy drink to steel himself up for his battle against 7-foot-4 Korean behemoth Ha Seung-Jin. He went on to match up well with the former Portland Trailblazer as he logged seven points and the same number of rebounds. He made three clutch free throws helping the team seal the morale-boosting 88-84 win... RP team manager Robert Non arrived yesterday in time for the RP-Jordan tiff. He attended the PBA board meeting Wednesday. Non said Harbour Centre was given up to July 31 to decide whether or not it’s joining the pro league next season... The Jordanian coach believes the RP team is in much better shape, saying they have trained with a complete lineup. “We started training just about the same time as the Philippines. But we’re training with only seven to eight players,” said coach Mario Palma.

are we out of the game?

Wala pa bang balita/tsismis with KG yet? Mukhang Golden State and Phoenix are the top contenders according to many basketball publications. Phoenix is strong enough contenders w/o KG so hopefully Golden State ends up with KG na lang since I'm also from the Bay Area eh! Guess we'll just have to see what the future brings ...:)

Philippines defeated Iran 89-79.:banana:

GAME 6

RP 89
Iran 79

Final

Note: This is the best game of RP in the Jones Cup so far... Iran was the bronze medalist in the 2006 Doha Asian Games and will be in the same group as our NT in the FIBA Asia.

sayang yung jordan-Philippines

^^ Pero at least nasa standing pa rin naman tayo

malaki ang chance na matalo natin ang Jordan sa Tokushima, may tinatago pa tayong alas samantalang sila nailabas na nila lahat ng star players nila.

meron ding alas na tinatago ang mga yan....("j) satin SEIGLE and RITUALO

yung jordan an lalakas mag rebound.. napaisip tuloy ako pano kung ma injury si TAULAVA?

meron ding alas na tinatago ang mga yan....("j) satin SEIGLE and RITUALO

yung jordan an lalakas mag rebound.. napaisip tuloy ako pano kung ma injury si TAULAVA?

Seigle will be very valuable to our cause when he comes back from injury to play in the FIBA Asia for our NT. He is our real secret weapon. As for Ritualo, they already saw how deadly he is from the trifecta region. If I am not mistaken, in the RP-Japan game he went 7 of 9 from the 3 pt area spanning the 1st to 2nd quarters of that game.

Did you see how Taulava slowed down 7'4" Ha in the RP-Korea game? Grabe how Asi defended him... he will be irreplaceable if ever he gets injured kaya huwag naman sana mangyari ito.

tingnan nyo mga tol saan nag sasanay ang CHINA team...

NBA.COM
Jul 7, 2007 12:0am ET
Chinese Team Taking Notes
John Reid of the NEW ORLEANS TIMES-PICAYUNE writes, "Chinese National team coach Jonas Kazlauskas is convinced there is no better way to develop his players than by having them compete in the Las Vegas Summer League. There are 22 NBA teams in the Summer League, and the Chinese team is the international team among the group. The Chinese team made its debut Friday night and came away with an 86-77 victory against the (NBDL) Memphis Grizzlies. Wang Zhizhi led all scorers with 27 points."

China???

NBA.com
Jul 7, 2007 12:0am ET
Chinese Team Taking Notes
John Reid of the NEW ORLEANS TIMES-PICAYUNE writes, "Chinese National team coach Jonas Kazlauskas is convinced there is no better way to develop his players than by having them compete in the Las Vegas Summer League. There are 22 NBA teams in the Summer League, and the Chinese team is the international team among the group. The Chinese team made its debut Friday night and came away with an 86-77 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies. Wang Zhizhi led all scorers with 27 points."

Billups will re-sign with detroit
Grant Hill will sign with PHX

I'm just happy that the Philippines finally has a real commitment to pursuing International Basketball success.
They finally pulled player they like out of the PBA and let them train together.

Everybody in the world is improving in B-Ball just ask team USA.
Akala nila just because they put big name stars out there - gold na sila. Team game talaga.

Hopefully all these exibition games will help mold the RP team when it really counts.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/sports/view_article.php?article_id=75439

San Miguel-RP brings down Iran
By Ernesto Gonzales
Inquirer
07/08/2007

TAIPEI, Taiwan—Challenged to play as if this was the Asia Fiba Championship in Japan, the San Miguel-Pilipinas national quintet responded by whipping Iran, 89-79, Saturday in the 29th William Jones Cup International basketball tournament here.

James Yap, a non-factor in RP’s three earlier losses, redeemed himself by scattering a team high 18 points while Jimmy Alapag and Mark Caguioa reprised their stellar roles against defending champion United States in leading the Filipinos to their most impressive win so far.

“The boys really played well,” said national coach Chot Reyes, who singled out not only Yap, but Erik Menk and Ranidel de Ocampo as well for contributing, in their own quiet way, to the country’s third victory in six games.

“Coming in, I challenged the boys to have the mind-set that they’re playing Iran in the Asia Fiba championship. I’m glad the boys responded,” he added.
It was an inspiring win for the Filipinos, who remained upbeat despite taking a 74-70 decision from Jordan Friday.

Jordan and Iran are in RP’s bracket in the Fiba-Asia along with defending champion China and all three nations are using the tournament for training and scouting the enemy to boost their respective causes in Japan starting late this month.

The Jordanians seemed to have the edge over their two main rivals as they sustained their unexpected run to the championship in this straight single round tournament by slipping past Lebanon, 72-68, to improve their leading record to 5-1.

The Americans took solo second at 4-2 after downing Kazakhstan, 92-78.
Lebanon fell to 3-3 along with RP and Iran while the Kazakhs stood at 1-5.
Cheered by about 200 Filipinos in the sparse gallery of 3,000 at the Hsinchuang gymnasium in Taipei County, Yap unloaded his first 11 points to help lift the Nationals to a 51-46 halftime lead.

Kelly Williams and JJ Helterbrand took over early in the second half before back-to-back triples by Yap and Alapag capped a 10-point explosion that pushed RP’s lead to a whopping 14 points at 76-62.

When the Iranians, who boast 7-foot-1 center Hamid Ehadadi, closed in at 81-75, Gabe Norwood unloaded a 3 and then Caguioa added a layup and another triple to set the final count with still a minute and 20 seconds left.

Alapag and Caguioa finished with 14 points each while Williams added 12
that included a followup dunk that nearly brought the house down in the third quarter.

As usual Asi Taulava proved his worth by holding his ground against Ehadadi, who stood almost a head above him.

The Filipinos, who will play host Taiwan next at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, played in front of PBA commissioner Noli Eala and injured teammates Danny Seigle and Tony dela Cruz, who arrived here early in the day.

The scores:

SAN MIGUEL-RP 89—Yap 18, Caguioa 14, Alapag 14, Williams 12, Helterbrand 9, Norwood 8, Taulava 5, Menk 4, Hontiveros 3, De Ocampo 2, Raymundo 0, Pennisi 0.

IRAN 79—S. Bahrami 22, A. Bahrami 16, Ehadadi 14, Amini 5, Tadjik 4, Davari 4, Afagh 2, Nabipoor 2.
Quarters: 19-24, 51-46, 68-62, 89-79

GAME 7

RP 40
Chinese-Taipei 29

end 1st half

tingnan nyo mga tol saan nag sasanay ang CHINA team...

NBA.COM
Jul 7, 2007 12:0am ET
Chinese Team Taking Notes
John Reid of the NEW ORLEANS TIMES-PICAYUNE writes, "Chinese National team coach Jonas Kazlauskas is convinced there is no better way to develop his players than by having them compete in the Las Vegas Summer League. There are 22 NBA teams in the Summer League, and the Chinese team is the international team among the group. The Chinese team made its debut Friday night and came away with an 86-77 victory against the (NBDL) Memphis Grizzlies. Wang Zhizhi led all scorers with 27 points."

Then in their 2nd game... China got blown out by 20 pts by Sacramento.

LAS VEGAS, July 7 -- After missing his first seven shots of the game a fan shouted at Kings’ swingman Francisco Garcia that he needed to “pick it up”. Garcia took the advice and went on to hit six of his next ten shots to finish with a game-high 20 points in the 73-47 blow out win over Team China.

The Kings stretched their lead to as many as 28 points late in the third quarter. They dominated inside outscoring Team China 38-6 in points in the paint.

You know for me lang, practicing against these NBA teams during the summer is not the way to go. Remember that these are NBA teams that are only using their 2nd and 3rd teams. The Dream Team nga can't win it all anymore in international competitions.

GAME 7

RP 61
Chinese-Taipei 43

end 3Q

wtf ESPN? Why did they cut it? Freakin botches...

wtf ESPN? Why did they cut it? Freakin botches...

Bwisit nga e nasa 4Q na with RP 16pts ahead but ESPN had no choice because F1 Raceday LIVE na talaga by 7pm and the race starts at 8pm. I know dapat StarSports ito but they switched this to ESPN for this weekend. I'll update the final scores na lang later. And we can watch the replay of the RP-Chinese Taipei game later via ABC5.

LOL. I saw in wikipedia that we lost.

RP defeated Chinese-Taipei 82-64.:banana:

LOL. someone fixed the wikipedia mistake

LOL. someone fixed the wikipedia mistake

Yeah, someone already corrected it and then changed the record of Chinese-Taipei to 0-7. No wins. LOL :lol:

Since anyone can edit it... never trust Wikipedia with your life if I were you. :lol:

I don't. :lol: When we did research at our school, my teacher discouraged me from using wikipedia

GAME 7

RP 82
Chinese-Taipei 64

Final

Note: So far, this is the best all-around game Team Pilipinas has displayed in the Jones Cup. Man, we really shot the lights out of our opponents in this game... homecourt advantage pa naman nila.

This is a game where we didn't hold back any punches (except probably for the absence of D. Seigle). We didn't fear being scouted. We had no regard for the hometown crowd. They just put on a good show. Go Team Pilipinas! :banana:

I don't. :lol: When we did research at our school, my teacher discouraged me from using wikipedia

That's good. Haha. :lol: Hey, they've corrected Chinese-Taipei's record back to 4-3. LOL. :lol:

anong oras ba ipapalabas ang game sa ABC?

anong oras ba ipapalabas ang game sa ABC?

Should be later around 9-9:30pm. I just hope the replay would include the complete game... feed is also from ESPN kasi eh. :)

Should be later around 9-9:30pm. I just hope the replay would include the complete game... feed is also from ESPN kasi eh. :)

It's 10:20pm now... you guys can watch ABC5 for the replay of RP-Chinese Taipei. Start na ang replay. Tip-off in a few mins.

Don't know what category to post this.

Philippines has new Boxing champ. Saw it last night on Showtime Boxing
Nonito Donaire - 112 lbs


http://youtube.com/watch?v=48IDY61whtY

OT hehehehe

tol merong pinoy sports yata na thread.. or create ka nalang nang boxing
thread.. meron na ba peepz???.. malapit na ang barerra pacquiao dos..

akala ko me nag boxing sa jones cup...("j)

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30&aid=20070708134

RP five peaking up, routs Taiwan
By Nelson Beltran
Philippine Star
Monday, July 9, 2007

TAIPEI – Improving by the day, the SMC-Philippine team gave the Filipino workers here a big treat yesterday as it fashioned out a relatively easy 82-64 victory over host Chinese Taipei in the 29th Jones Cup at the Hsinchuang Stadium.

Buoyed by their 89-79 win of Iran Saturday, the Nationals conquered another FIBA-Asia championship top contender in the Taiwanese, underscoring the fact that the squad is getting closer to peak form for the Tokushima joust.

The Nationals established control early for the convincing victory watched by a sellout crowd, almost half of them Filipinos.

Coach Chot Reyes and his players said the big Filipino crowd served as their “sixth man” as they became the first RP team to beat Chinese Taipei in their home court since the RP Centennial Team ruled the Jones Cup in 1998.

“To me, it’s a satisfying win since we hadn’t beaten Chinese Taipei in the Jones Cup for nearly a decade now,” said Reyes.

“Secondly, we’re really looking to step up our game. We divided into three phases our stint here. We’re now on the final stage and we’re looking to press our bid. It seems pieces are falling into place,” Reyes added.

The Nationals caught up with Lebanon, Iran and Chinese Taipei at third place behind Jordan (5-1) and the United States (5-2) on similar 4-3 win-loss records heading to the last two games of the nine-day, 10-nation tourney.

They play Qatar today and Kazakhstan tomorrow.

“In our first three games here, we’re looking how we could get together with the entry of new players. The next three games were the discovery phase since we’re to play Jordan and Iran. Against Chinese Taipei, Qatar and Kazakhstan, naghahanap na kami ng pangdiin. Matagal na tayong hindi nanalo sa kanila,” said Reyes.

Against the Taiwanese, the Nationals pressed their bid early while working on a fluid motion game and torrid outside shooting.

As in their previous games, the RP team‚s guards and wingmen accounted for much of the team‚s production with Mark Caguioa and Jimmy Alapag finishing in double figures with 20 and 15 points, respectively.

Reyes, however, thought the team's collective effort defensively spelled the big difference in the contest.

“We talked about working harder on defense and we'll continue to work on it. Kasi tingin ko sa depensa magkakatalo sa Tokushima,” said Reyes.

The Nationals dominated the Taiwanese, leading by as many as 20 points to great satisfaction of the flag-waving Filipino supporters, who almost matched the number of the hometown crowd in the venue.

“They (the Filipino crowd) gave us an adrenaline drive. They neutralized the local crowd that it looked like we‚re playing on our home court,” said Reyes.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30&aid=20070708137

Chot says RP can survive elims in Japan
By Nelson Beltran
Monday, July 9, 2007
TAIPEI – Having seen the caliber of Iran and Jordan in the Jones Cup here, RP team coach Chot Reyes is now more than convinced the Nationals can survive the Group of Death games in the FIBA-Asia championship in Japan later this month.

“Nabawasan ang apprehension. Now we know we can beat these two teams,” said Reyes, having sized up the Iranians and the Jordanians whom the Nationals will have to hurdle to make the quarterfinal round of the Tokushima Olympic qualifier.

The Nationals dropped a close 70-74 defeat to the Jordanians Friday then whipped the Iranians, 89-79, Saturday.

Reyes believes Iran is a better team than Jordan.

“Iran beat Jordan for third place in the Doha Asian Games last year. Iran is taller. Our problem with Jordan is that their big players can shoot from the outside,” said Reyes.

Incidentally, the Philippines is bracketed with Doha Asiad champion China, third placer Iran and fourth placer Jordan in the FIBA-Asia championship.

“It’s really a tough bracket. At least, we have seen Iran and Jordan. Our performance against them here is a confidence-builder,” said Reyes.

Supposing the Chinese top the group in Tokushima, the Nationals should finish second to make the next round.

Man for man, the Iranians and the Jordanians are taller than the Filipinos. But the RP team has proved here that it can match up using quickness, physical game and good outside shooting.

The RP team did well against Iran and Jordan even with Danny Seigle and Renren Ritualo in the sidelines.

“May tinatago pa tayo, sila naglabas na ng baraha,” said Reyes, noting that the Iranians unveiled here brothers Aidin and Nikkha Bahrami and the Jordanians their naturalized player Rashiem Wright.

“During a break in the Champions Cup, we played the Iran national team in a three-quarter tune-up game. Wala yung magkapatid pero tinambakan kami. That time, parang walang pag-asang talunin natin ang Iran,” said
Reyes, suggesting that his team has vastly improved.

On Wright, Reyes said the naturalized player is one individual who has made Jordan a tremendous force.

“Without him, Jordan is just an ordinary team. The good thing for us is that we have players who have shown that they can neutralize him,” said Reyes.

Nakakainis! I missed another game! Pero okay lang. Panalo naman! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

wow... what's up with qatar? :nuts:

End of 1st quarter phi 28-10 qat with a last second 3 pointer by who knows who. :lol: I didn't really see who made it.

panalo na tayo jan....("j)

How dissapointing! We're only leading by 8 now..

ejected si Chot Reyes.. 2 technical fouls..

why do we keep fouling? freakin goodness.

omg! i think we're gonna lose!!! :eek:

RP 83
Qatar 77

1 minute left

yipeeee! :banana: :banana: :banana:

another 3points by Qatar..

RP 85
Qatar 80

20 secs left

We won!

88 - 80

some (filipino) douche trashed the william jones cup wiki. :lol:

GAME 8

RP 88
Qatar 80

Final :banana:

1 game to go against Kazakhstan tomorrow. RP now 5-3.. best case is 6-3 tayo. Ok na rin kahit hindi champion. :)

Check out http://teampilipinas.blogspot.com, RP team's unofficial blog:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f169/RNHalawi/jonecup_result_july2.jpg

SAYANG YUNG MGA LOSSES NATIN
PANALO SANA TAYO

sa totoo lang parang tayo pinakamagaling
MINALAS LANG TALAGA SILA IN THOSE DAYS

experimental lang yung games nila dito para sa Japan... napatunayan daw nila na kaya nilang talunin ang mga teams nang Lebanon, Jordan, korea..

tingin ko yun din iniisip nung mga teams sa kabila na kaya din nila tayong talunin kasi dikit naman ang iskor tapos kitang kita pa yung weakness natin sa rebounding...

nabasa ko sa newspaper puro injury daw ang Lebanon... nag request sila na i re-scedule sila sa invitationals naten dito sa pinas...

nabasa ko sa newspaper puro injury daw ang Lebanon... nag request sila na i re-scedule sila sa invitationals naten dito sa pinas...

Oo, nabasa ko din un. May isa daw na player na nasa Lebanon na namatay tapos si El Khatib naman na-injure. Kawawa naman sila lalo na ung namatay.

-----

Congrats again, Team Pilipinas!! :cheers:

-----

Hindi ko na naman napanood ung game nila. I swear I'm watching the game today! Anong oras ba ung game ng RP-Kazakhstan sa ABC5? Nawawala ESPN samin eh. :ohno:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/sports/view_article.php?article_id=75740

RP dribblers post ‘bad win’ over Qataris
By Ernesto Gonzales
Inquirer
07/10/2007

TAIPEI -- The San Miguel-Pilipinas national five cooled off after a sizzling start but came up with just enough fire to turn back Qatar, 88-80, Monday in the 29th William Jones Cup International basketball tournament here.

Coach Chot Reyes had himself thrown out after getting successive technical fouls and the ploy worked as the Nationals regrouped after nearly blowing a 21-point lead to clinch their fifth win in eight games.

“If Jordan was a good loss, this is a bad win,” said Reyes. “They played with great effort and energy in the first half, then they thought the game was over and relaxed.”

All five starters scored to set the tone for the explosive takeoff of the Filipinos, who are in the homestretch of their scrambling buildup for the FIBA-Asia Championship in Tokushima, Japan, starting late this month.

The Nationals, who led all the way for the first time in the 10-team tournament, pulled ahead by 18 after the first quarter, then went ahead by 47-26 late in the second period.

But Qatar came back hard to move within six points twice in the third period, and though the Filipinos regained a double-digit lead at 62-49, Reyes decided it was time to fire up his boys some more by taking two Ts with 30.4 seconds left in the quarter.

“Nagpa-thrown out na ako (I had myself ejected),” Reyes said with a smile.

Reyes later said the Filipinos’ performance was unacceptable since they were supposed to play with sustained aggression throughout.

Turning to his last game against Kazakhstan at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Reyes said it will be nothing but a “foundation” match since the Filipinos might end up facing the Kazakhs in the quarterfinals in the FIBA-Asia Championship if they get past Jordan and Iran.

Meanwhile, Jordan, a 74-70 winner over the Philippines last Friday, all but clinched the championship with a 72-71 decision of Iran.

With a leading 7-1 record, the Jordanians next face lowly Japan, which took an 82-74 whipping from Lebanon earlier.

While defending champion United States has a chance to tie Jordan, the Americans are goners in a two-way deadlock due to an earlier loss to the Jordanians.

Lebanon is currently tied with RP at 5-3 in the battle for third.

Mark Caguioa, although feverish early in the day, put in enough minutes to pace the Filipinos with 14 points.

It was the starting combination of Asi Taulava, Kelly Williams, Gabe Norwood, Jayjay Helterbrand and James Yap, though, that surprised Qatar initially.

Dondon Hontiveros added 13 points like Williams, including two free throws that bailed RP out, 85-77, with 31 seconds left after Qatar, which took a sixth loss in eight games, came within 77-83.

The scores:

PHILIPPINES 88 -- Caguioa 14, Hontiveros 13, Williams 13, Alapag 11, Taulava 10, Helterbrand 9, Norwood 6, Raymundo 5, Yap 4, Pennisi 3, Menk 0.

QATAR 80 -- Musa 19, Saeed 19, Salem 14, Abdi 8, Ahmad 7, Abdulla 6, Abdul Rahman 5, Daoud 2, Nasr 0, Malek 0.

Quarters: 28-10, 47-29, 62-54, 88-80

@kevinb... I'll check ABC5 coverage...

Guys, sana pumunta ang Lebanon for the invitational.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/sports/view_article.php?article_id=75763

RP cagers in shape for Manila Invitational
Inquirer
07/10/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- With spectacular victories over the United States, South Korea, Iran and host Chinese-Taipei in the ongoing 29th William Jones Cup, San Miguel-Pilipinas has proven its worthiness for a hometown tournament before it goes to war three weeks from now.

From July 12-15, less than two weeks before they fly to Tokushima, Japan to battle for an Olympic berth in the FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship, the Nationals will take on powerhouse China, Syria and Lebanon in a 4-nation Manila Invitational at the New Arena in San Juan City and the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The appearance marks the first and last time coach Chot Reyes’ SMC-RP squad will parade its stuff before the Filipino public as it embarks on a journey that could carry it all the way to the Beijing Olympiad in August next year.

No Philippine basketball team has made it to the Olympic Games since 1972 in Munich, Germany, the year masked Palestinian terrorists scaled the walls of the Olympic Village, barged into the Israeli sleeping quarters, and shot to death half a dozen of the occupants, athletes and coaches alike.

“As we wind up the RP team buildup to Tokushima, the four-nation Invitational is a great opportunity to showcase to the millions of Filipino fans the product of our national team’s labor and commitment to win an Olympic berth,” said PBA commissioner Noli Eala.

The tournament format calls for a single round robin, with the top two teams vying for the championship and the other two playing for third place.

Venue for the July 12 and 14 games is at The New Arena, while the Araneta Coliseum hosts the July 13 and 15 matches.

The Big Dome games will serve as curtain-raiser for games of the PBA Fiesta Conference Finals.

The Tokushima FIBA-Asia Championship, set July 28-Aug. 5, will pick Asia’s representative to the Olympics. As Olympics host, China is seeded to the Games.

If the Chinese make it to the FIBA-Asia final, then the other finalist will go to Beijing as well. If China
fails to reach the final, then only the FIBA-Asia champion gets a ticket to the Games.

^^ Thanks. BTW, Saan ung New Arena sa San Juan? Never heard of it..

^^ Thanks. BTW, Saan ung New Arena sa San Juan? Never heard of it.. I dunno too. Ask Mayor JV hehe. :jk:

^^ :lol:

'Di ba last day ngayon ng Jones Cup?

PHI 22
KAZ 21

end of 1Q

FINAL

KAZ 107
PHI 90

^^ Hindi ko na naman napanood! :gaah: Tapos talo pa. :cry: So that makes it 5-4. :(

GAME 9

FINAL

KAZ 107
PHI 90

Jones Cup: Pinoys bow to Kazakh cagers to finish at 3rd

San Miguel-Team Pilipinas bowed to tailender Kazakhstan, 107-90, to end its campaign on Tuesday at the 29th William Jones Cup men's (http://forum.philboxing.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=50158&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=3945#)tournament in despair at the Hsin-Chuang Stadium in Taipei.

Instead of finishing in second place, the Filipino cagers tumbled to fifth with their 5-4 win-loss record.

"I saw this coming since the second half of yesterday's game against Qatar. I tried to remedy the situation by practicing early this morning," national coach Vincent "Chot" Reyes said in a statement issued after the game.

Reyes, who went straight to the team bus immediately after the game in disgust, added: "They (the nationals) are confined to the barracks tonight. Nobody visits them. Lights out at 10."

Even before the game ended, team manager Robert Non had already scouted for restaurant that would provide a healthy dinner for the Nationals. He bought pistachio nuts and squash seeds for an expected victory celebration at the Sunworld Dynasty Hotel where cases of San Miguel beer had been delivered.

So Non could not hide his disappointment at the loss, saying: "Doon na lang sila sa hotel kumain. Ang problema ngayon ay kung sino ang iinom ng beer?"

The Filipinos had a good first quarter with Mark Caguioa, who was running a fever the day before. On the floor, he waxed hot for 10 points, giving San Miguel-Team Pilipinas a slim 22-21 edge at the end of the period.

But tragedy struck: James Yap injured his left knee in a fall, with 5:01 remaining in the second period.

Yap, who was celebrating his wedding anniversity with television star Kris Aquino, was literally carried out of the court by Paul Asi Taulava.

Still, the Filipinos managed to stretch their lead, 40-34, with 3:59 remaining. But the Kazakhs came alive and put together a 12-2 blast that shoved them ahead, 46-42, before Jay-jay Helterbrand closed out the half by splitting his free throws, 46-43.

Helterbrand opened the third period with back-to-back triples as San Miguel-Team Pilipinas led for the last time at 49-46.

The count was tied for the last time at 55-all on a basket by Jimmy Alapag, 6:50 left in the canto. And then it was Kazakhstan who led the rest of the way.

Entering the final period with a slim 76-72 advanage, the Kazakhs torched the Filipinos in the form of a 12-2 run that broke the game wide open, 88-74.

"The game was really physical. We made a special preparation for this game. We started out with our outside shooters Yegor Biryulin and Dmitriy Gavrilov, and our plan worked perfectly. The Philippines is really a good team but we played them four times and we beat them four times," said Kazakhstan coach Vitaliy Strebkov as Kazakhstan closed out with a 2-7 card in a tie for last place with Japan.

"Magsdasal na lang tayo na hindi natin makaharap ang Kazakhstan sa Tokushima. Hindi panatin sila tinatalo. Kapag nagharap tayo, malamang sa manggigil tayo and that would be bad for us," Reyes said.

The scores

Kazakhstan (107): Y. Rustam 28, P. Anton 23, T. Alexandr 12, Y. Issakov 11, Y. Mikhail 10, S. Andrey 10, K.Dimitriy 7, B. Yegor 6, N.Ivan 0, S. Artyom 0, M.Voyeikov 0, G. Dimiriy 0

Philippines (90): Caguioa 24, Alapag 21, Hontiveros 14, Williams 13, Helterbrand 5, Taulava 3, Yap 3, Ritualo 3, Menk 2, Raymundo 2, De Ocampo 0, Pennisi 0

Quarter scores: 21-22; 46-43; 76-72; 107-90

3rd place :banana:

3rd place :banana:


Yup 3rd place. We were tied with Taiwan, USA, Korea, Iran at 5-4 but since we beat them all... we got 3rd place. RP benefited from the quotient system (including the winner over the other rule) imposed in this tournament. :banana::cheers::banana::cheers::banana:

Since the team left the stadium in disgust when we lost to Kazakhstan much, much, much earlier... no one from the team stood on the podium to receive our 3rd place award.

omg. stupid team pilipinas.

omg. stupid team pilipinas.

You actually can't blame them...

1) RP played 9 games in 9 days

2) RP will play at least 3 more games in the Manila Invitationals starting this Thursday

3) RP initially thought we were in 5th place until the last Jones Cup game when Korea massacred Chinese-Taipei that everyone (RP, Chinese-Taipei, USA, Korea, Iran) ended up tied at 5-4.

In the tie-breaker, RP came out on top kaya 3rd place tayo.

GO TEAM PHILIPPINES!

cno 1st at 2nd?

cno 1st at 2nd?

Champion - Jordan
2nd - Lebanon
3rd - RP

awww... dw team pilipinas! soldier on!

ok na rin yun.

3rd place! :cheers:

No need, alam ko na. :D

okey na yun.

We could have been 7-2 but it's ok.

Here are the final placings:

1. Jordan 7-2 (GOLD)
2. Lebanon 6-3 (SILVER)
3. Philippines 5-4 (BRONZE)
4. Iran 5-4
5. South Korea 5-4
6. USA AIA 5-4
7. Chinese Taipei 5-4
8. Qatar 3-6
9. Kazakhstan 2-7
10. Japan 2-7

MVP: Rashiem Wright (Jordan)
ave 17.3 pts, 3.4 reb, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals

Zaid Al Khas (Jordan) and Osama Daghles (Jordan) finished 2nd and 3rd in the MVP voting. (All 3 naturalized players)

Even if Team Pilipinas were won the game against Kazakstan, they still end up in 3rd place.

Even if Team Pilipinas were won the game against Kazakstan, they still end up in 3rd place.

Yes @windshear you are right because at 6-3 we could have tied Lebanon but still ended up in 3rd place since we lost to them earlier in the tournament (via a last second 3 pt shot).

Yup 3rd place. We were tied with Taiwan, USA, Korea, Iran at 5-4 but since we beat them all... we got 3rd place. RP benefited from the quotient system (including the winner over the other rule) imposed in this tournament. :banana::cheers::banana::cheers::banana:

Since the team left the stadium in disgust when we lost to Kazakhstan much, much, much earlier... no one from the team stood on the podium to receive our 3rd place award.

Just to add, a Filipino referee accepted the BRONZE medals in behalf of the RP NT.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1352/768826401_9a28beda5a_m.jpg

RP NT results (from http://teampilipinas.blogspot.com):

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/9844/countdownsy1.jpg

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/7066/finalrpol6.jpg


Next tournament of our RP NT to watch out for:

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/9712/countdownsd2.jpg

so makakasali na ba ang pnas next year sa beijing or not ?

hindi pa.. malalaman lang after ng laban sa Tokushima

pero kung nanalo ang Taiwan sa Korea 4th lang tayo.. okay congrats na din..

meron bang news about Yap's injury?

hindi pa.. malalaman lang after ng laban sa Tokushima

sana makapasok tayo sa olympics
kahit alam kong hindi uubra ang mga players natin sa mga europeans and some south americans, yung presence lang ng philippine team sa olympics masaya na ako

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30&aid=20070710182

Danny S impressed by RP 5’s fine form
By Nelson Beltran
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
TAIPEI – Watching from the sideline, Danny Seigle marveled at how the SMC-Philippine team has improved from the time they started training in February.

“We’ve improved a lot. What more if we’re trained for at least a year. Seeing how my teammates play here, I’m comfortable and confident we can do well in Tokushima,” said Seigle, the team’s ace forward not fielded in the Jones Cup due to injury.

Seigle is now back in training, having his own program while the Nationals were competing in the Jones Cup. The 6-foot-7 Wagner University product is likely to rejoin the Nationals as they play the Chinese, Syrians and Lebanese in the Manila Invitationals back home starting tomorrow.

The San Miguel Beer stalwart said their trips in the United States, Iran and Belgrade helped shape up the team.

“In the US, it was more of a conditioning which we’re still using now. Iran was an eye-opener because our butts were kicked there. Belgrade was different. We learned so much there. We wished we could have stayed longer there,” said Seigle.

With the return of Seigle and Tony dela Cruz, RP team coach Chot Reyes has 16 players at his disposal. Reyes intends to name the final 12 after the Manila Invitationals but will bring three reserves in Tokushima.

Seigle doesn’t think anybody would feel bad being left out.

“We owe it to the country to field the best players. I don’t think somebody would die to be left out. We’re told from the beginning that someone might be replaced,” said Seigle.

But Seigle thinks Reyes has a tough decision to make in this regard. He said: “As I saw here, everybody deserves a slot.”

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Sports&p=49&type=2&sec=30&aid=20070710184

Jordan to block RP Five’s bid
SPORTING CHANCE By Joaquin M. Henson
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
If the Philippines hopes to advance to the quarterfinals of the FIBA-Asia Olympic qualifiers in Tokushima, newly-crowned Jones Cup champion Jordan must be eliminated as a stumbling block.

The Philippines, Jordan, Iran and China are bracketed in what national coach Chot Reyes calls “The Group of Death” in the first round of eliminations. Two of the four teams will move up to the quarterfinals after three days of games. The other two will be relegated to the consolation pool for ranking purposes.

First on tap for the Philippines is Iran on July 28. Then, Reyes’ charges face China the next day and on July 30, it’ll be Jordan.

China is sending a mixed bag of veterans and newcomers coached by ex-national cager Adijian Chang Bin to Tokushima. Local fans will get a chance to size up the squad during the Manila Invitationals starting tomorrow at the San Juan Arena.

China, Syria, Lebanon and the Philippines are squaring off in the four-team pocket tournament that serves as a prelude to Tokushima. Tomorrow’s and Saturday’s contests will be held at the Arena while the Friday and Sunday contests will precede the PBA Fiesta Conference Finals at the Big Dome.

Reyes says Jordan has “upgraded” its lineup with naturalized cager Rasheim
Wright, a 6-3 guard who played as an import in Lebanon the last two years. Wright, 26, scored nearly 1,200 points in only two seasons for District of Columbia, an NCAA Division II school. The other key addition is Portuguese coach Mario Palma who called the shots for the Angola national squad in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. Palma’s coaching staff is made up of two more imports, Mario Gomes and Zoran Dokic.

Under FIBA rules, each country is allowed to recruit one naturalized player with no residency requirement. In the previous rules, a country could use two naturalized players with a three-year FIBA prior notice.

The Philippines fielded two naturalized players, Jeff Moore and Dennis Still, in the 1985 FIBA-Asia (then known as the Asian Basketball Confederation) Championships under the old FIBA rules. Coach Ron Jacobs piloted the national team to the title, the Philippines’ last in the biennial tournament.

Other Asian countries with naturalized players are Japan (Eric McArthur) and Lebanon (Joe Vogel).

Foreign-born players who trace their roots to a particular Asian country are allowed to suit up with no limit. This is how Lebanon can play Brian Beshara of Louisiana State University and Paul Afeaki of the University of Utah with Vogel. Beshara and Afeaki claim Lebanese lineage. This is also why the Philippines is permitted to play Fil-foreigners like Danny Seigle, Mick Pennisi, Asi Taulava, Kelly Williams and Gabe Norwood.

Jordan has never qualified for the semifinals in a FIBA-Asia tournament but in the last Asian Games, finished fourth behind China, Qatar and Iran.

With Wright’s arrival, Jordan has suddenly gained a reputation as a title contender. Palma is eyeing no less than an Olympic slot in Beijing. So is Wright who said “it’s a wonderful opportunity … never in a million years, would I have ever dreamed that I would be playing ball internationally, let alone have the opportunity to be on another country’s national team.”

For Wright, playing for Jordan opens the door for an Olympic appearance – something that wouldn’t be possible with his mother country. Wright, who is Muslim, promised Jordanian fans he won’t let them down. “We will do it this summer,” said Wright.

Clearly, Wright is no Michael Jordan but for Jordan, he’s Mr. Right.
Jordan beat the Philippines, 74-70, in the recent Jones Cup but Wright was hardly a factor, scoring only eight points. Did Palma hold Wright back? Or was that all he could show?

Palma unleashed two new Jordan recruits, 6-10 Jamal Almaaytah and 6-9 Ayman Idais, on the Philippines and they were frightening. Jamal wound up with 18 points and Ayman, 15. Neither played for Jordan in the last FIBA-Asia Championships, raising doubts as to their origins. Jamal is 26 and Ayman, 29, so they’re no spring chickens. Where did they come from?

In the last Asian Games, Jordan’s main weapons were 6-8 Zaid Alkhas, 6-7 Islam Abbas, 6-4 Fadel Al Najjar and 6-4 Enver Soobzakov. Zaid hit 27 points and Abbas netted 12 in Jordan ’s 86-58 loss to China in the semifinals. There were no signs of Jamal or Ayman in that contest.

Another Jordanian cager to watch is 6-5 Sam Daghlas, an NBDL veteran who played at Midwestern State. It has been reported that Jordan might enlist 7-foot center Dshmal Schotz, renamed Maitah, for additional ceiling in Tokushima. Dshmal is supposedly half Jordanian.

Jordan won’t be the only nut the Philippines must crack in the “Group of Death,” assuming China is untouchable. Iran looms as another obstacle.
In the Jones Cup, Iran didn’t play 7-3 center Jaber Rouzbahani who’s only 21. The Philippines rode on hot three-point shooting to down the Asian Games bronze medalist, 89-79.

Iran’s offense is anchored on the Bahrami brothers, 6-6 Samad (who was the Asian Games leading scorer) and 6-7 Aidin. They combined for 38 points against the Philippines in the Jones Cup.

Iran ’s heft and height are critical factors. Eight of coach Rajko Toroman’s players are 6-6 and over with 7-1 Hamed Ehadadi the tallest. For the Philippines to repulse Iran in Tokushima, Reyes’ perimeter gunners must be on target because it’ll be extremely difficult to score close to the basket.

FYI, Manila Invitationals schedule:

Schedule:

July 12 (Thu) - The Arena in San Juan

4:30 p.m. China vs. Syria
6:30 p.m. Opening Ceremonies
7:30 p.m. Philippines vs. Lebanon

Lower Box =Php 330
Upper Box = 125

July 13 (Fri) - Araneta Coliseum

2:00 p.m. Lebanon vs. Syria
4:00 p.m. Philippines vs. China
6:30 p.m. PBA Finals

CourtSide = Php 890
Patron = 630
Lower A = 580
Lower B = 475
Lower C = 425
Upper A = 265
Upper B = 105

July 14 (Sat) - The Arena in San Juan

4:30 p.m. China vs. Lebanon
6:30 p.m. Philippines vs. Syria

Lower Box =Php 330
Upper Box = 125

July 15 (Sun) - Araneta Coliseum

4:00 p.m. Manila Invitational Finals and PBA Finals

CourtSide = Php 940
Patron = 680
Lower A = 630
Lower B = 525
Lower C = 475
Upper A = 265
Upper B = 105

Ticket prices from TicketNet.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/sports/view_article.php?article_id=76179

RP five takes on Lebanon; China battles Syria ‘B’
By Musong R. Castillo
Inquirer
07/12/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- Call it Chot Reyes’ final look at his foes -- and also at his team.

With less than three weeks to go before the FIBA-Asia Olympic qualifier, the Philippine basketball team plunges into the last phase of its preparations as the four-nation Manila Invitational gets off the ground at The Arena in San Juan City on Thursday.

The tournament, which will also have Syria, Lebanon and rock-solid China seeing action, will allow Reyes a final glimpse of some of the noted competition while also giving him a firm idea on who to bring to Tokushima, Japan as the Philippines bids for an Olympic slot later in the month.

Reyes has put 15 men in his lineup for the tournament and will bench the injured James Yap, streak-shooter Ren-Ren Ritualo and Ranidel de Ocampo when the Nationals debut against the Lebanese in the 7:30 p.m. contest.

Syria and China, which will be parading its “Team B” for the event, take the lid off the tournament at 4:30 p.m. before brief opening ceremonies are held at 6:30.

Reyes said that he has yet to determine who his final 12 would be, especially since Fil-American Gabe Norwood still has to produce his citizenship papers and Kelly Williams still has no Philippine passport.

The Nationals planed back home Wednesday morning after finishing tied for third in the 29th William Jones Cup in Taipei, where Reyes said he accomplished everything he set out to do.

“Other than the two losses to lightweight teams, we accomplished our objectives there,” Reyes said. “No, I don’t think that we will have a case of burnout (on our players) because we’ve done nothing (internationally) for the last two years.”

While Reyes had showcased the full potential of his lineup in the Jones Cup, Lebanon coach Draga Raca, a member of the 1978 World Champion Yugoslavian team, admitted to not exposing his team’s real strength in Taipei.

“We were protecting some of the players from injury and trying out (various) combinations,” Draga said during the formal press launch of the event Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

China will not be bannered by its NBA players for this tournament and in the FIBA-Asia, with the likes of Wang Zhizhi and Yao Ming practicing with its premier team in Las Vegas.

We beat Lebanon!

88-83

:banana:

We beat Lebanon!

88-83

:banana:

Am still at the office.:cry: Any replays?

me no think so.

but i was so disappointed with the result since we were in double digit leads for most of the game exept the last quarters.

me no think so.

but i was so disappointed with the result since we were in double digit leads for most of the game exept the last quarters.

I'll say it again... we still lack the KILLER INSTINCT. :gunz:

meron bang news about Yap's injury?

Anong nangyari sa kanya?

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Ilan na ba games na nalaro ng Pinas? Lately, I haven't been watching much.