BOOSTERS GUN FOR 2-0 LEAD, E-PAINTERS LOOK TO EVEN UP

ONE would think Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao would be down following a tough loss.

The opposite is true, however, as Guiao remained upbeat his Elasto Painters can finally put one over the Petron Blaze Boosters Wednesday in their PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Gametime is at 7:15 p.m.

Petron can make it an imposing 2-0 lead in the best-of-five matchup should it win anew and rack up an 11th straight triumph in all.

Guiao would have none of that, however.

“We made it close and we had a chance to win it in the end,” said Guiao, referring to an 83-91 loss in the series opener last Monday.

The defending champions hung tough despite missing the services of the injured Paul Lee and the decisive manpower advantage by the Boosters and Guiao hopes his charges would see it the way he does.

“It’s also a morale booster on our part,” said Guiao. “We gave them a good fight. It proved that Petron Blaze is not unbeatable.”

Even Petron coach Gee Abanilla admitted Rain or Shine gave them a big scare despite his team’s 56-48 rebounding advantage. “They played really well, they matched us up pretty well,” he stated.

It took a timely Elijah Millsap explosion and a backup triple by Alex Cabagnot in the fourth quarter before the Boosters could fully pull free of the E-Painters, who charged back from a 10-point deficit to even take a 77-73 lead.

Millsap laced his PBA career-high 41 points with 11 straight points to make it an 84-81 count, before Cabagnot’s clutch trey made it an 87-83 game, only 79 seconds to go.

Millsap added 14 rebounds and Cabagnot wound up with 18 points and six rebounds. Only June Mar Fajardo, however, was the other Petron player in double figures with 15 he spiked with a career-high 17 boards.

“We’ve got to get contribution from our locals. Some of the locals must step up,” stressed Abanilla.

The same is true of Rain or Shine. Arizona Reid had 28 points and 11 rebounds despite battling cramps since the third quarter while Jeff Chan bucked a 1-for-7 three-point shooting to finish with 16.

No other E-Painter scored in double figures although Beau Belga and Ryan Arana combined for 14 points, the bulk coming during their fightback from a 48-58 deficit.

In the end, neither team even reached 40 percent in field goal shooting and both Abanilla and Guiao expect the same to be true for the rest of the series.

“Our overall strategy remains the same, which is to keep it close and give ourselves a chance to win it in the end,” said Guiao. (NC)

MERALCO EVENS SERIES

JARED Dillinger provided the spark Meralco needed in overcoming San Mig Coffee, 73-69, Tuesday that evened up their PBA Governors Cup semifinals series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

In only his third game in the conference Dillinger came off the bench and was all over the place, scoring, assisting, rebounding and generally making the plays that kept the Bolts’ heads above water in the face of unrelenting pressure from the Mixers.

“When we got Jared we were really prepared to play him multiple positions, from 1 to 4. That’s the kind of flexibility he brings to our team,” said Bolts coach Ryan Gregorio of the former TNT guard-forward who scored 10 points and also had four assists and a block.

“He gave us a big lift tonight, giving the extra pass and making shots.”

Reynel Hugnatan did his ample share with 15 points and 12 rebounds and Cliff Hodge added 12 and nine to make up for another relatively quiet night from Mario West as Meralco negated a 73-83 loss in the best-of-five opener last Sunday.

After scoring just nine points West had 17 points but only on an 8-for-36 field shooting. But such a performance should only be expected from a yet another struggle from the league’s top two defensive teams.

In the end, Meralco made just 26 of 85 field goal attempts while San Mig fared just slightly better by going 21-for-55.

It is something Gregorio could live with. “We perfectly prepared for a situation like this,” he said.

“It’s gonna be a grind for both teams putting emphasis on defense. Limiting them to 69 speaks of the desire.”

The rest of the series, reduced to a best-of-three starting Friday, should go along similar lines, added Gregorio.

“It’s gonna get harder from hereon,” said Gregorio. “I think there’s no shift in the philosophy of both teams. Both teams like to play defense.”

After scoring his first seven points off charities Marqus Blakely started hitting his offensive stride with back-to-back treys in the last 69 seconds of the third period and wound up with  gamehighs of 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Yet the others who helped make the Game 1 win possible, Joe Devance, Alex Mallari and Marc Pingris, were veritable no-shows and only relievers Yancy de Ocampo and Rafi Reavis stepped up to keep San Mig close up to a point.

Still, Meralco was given one big scare.

Despite their own struggles from the field the Mixers kept mustering the charge needed in nearly razing a 12-point deficit in the second quarter and a 55-65 one in the fourth.

James Yap’s charities capped his 13-point performance and made it a 68-70 count, still 2:28 left, but that would prove to be San Mig’s last gasp.

West scored on a twisting drive and the Bolts went into the final 1:23 of play with a three-point lead after Marqus Blakely could only come up with a charity split.

Sunday Salvacion then sealed the deal and his own 12-point game with a charity in the last 5.3 seconds. (NC)

The scores:

Meralco 73 – West 17, Hugnatan 15, Hodge 12, Salvacion 12, Dillinger 10, Wilson 5, Reyes 2, Ross 0, Cardona 0, Cortez 0.

San Mig 69 – Blakely 24, Yap 13, De Ocampo 10, Reavis 9, Mallari 4, Barroca 4, Simon 3, Najorda 2, Pinferrada 0, Gaco 0, Devance 0, Pingris 0.

Quarters: 19-8, 34-30, 56-50, 73-69

BOOSTERS, E-PAINTERS GET IT ON

PETRON Blaze coach Gee Abanilla would not be drawn into any word war with former mentor and current Rain or Shine counterpart Yeng Guiao, much less start one.

Instead, Abanilla would rather let his charges do the talking through action when the Boosters and Elasto Painters begin their PBA Governors’ Cup semifinal series 7:15 p.m. Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

A win is a must for both teams since the pairing is just a race-to-three and the loser would be burdened with making adjustments in just a day’s time in the every-other-day schedule.

But the protagonists have put each other under the microscope, know the other side’s tendencies and have prepared accordingly. That is why more emphasis is being put on the mental aspect of the game.

“Going back to an old cliche, we will take this one game at a time. We can’t afford to look any further,” said Guiao.

“We have to look for a weakness even if they don’t have one. We have to be strong mentally to make up for their depth and talent. Keep the game close to give ourselves a chance at winning.”

“We are excited about our game tomorrow,” countered Abanilla. “We have to raise our level of play a notch higher and expect a battle against Rain or Shine.  Being physically and mentally prepared against them is a priority if we want to be successful.”

Abanilla actually got the better of his former mentor in their lone elimination round meeting, winning via a 99-84 count last Aug. 23.

That does not mean Abanilla is ready to discard his tag of student to Guiao’s teacher at once, however. Abanilla served as one of Guiao’s assistants in their Red Bull days before being enticed to come over to the San Miguel Corp. group in the early 2000′s.

After serving as deputy in San Miguel Beer and Petron Abanilla was named the Boosters’ head coach only late July.

“It’s really hard to quantify kung ano ang mga natutunan ko kay coach Yeng,” said Abanilla. “Let’s just say na marami akong natutunan kay coach Yeng. I know for a fact that his leadership skill is very high. I really appreciate that, I really admire that from him.”

Besides, Guiao has been known to spring some surprises starting with his first five and relievers, not to mention plays, which are sure to come to the fore in these playoffs.

“Going against this guy is a big challenge. You never know what to expect from him,” said Abanilla.

Main reason why the rookie coach has primed up the likes of Elijah Millsap, Arwind Santos, June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter and Alex Cabagnot to be ready for any eventuality.

Rain or Shine’s manpower problems are Guiao’s main concern.

Pau Lee, usually good for 12.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, is a doubtful starter due to a right calf muscle he injured in the course of a 108-106 victory over GlobalPort in their quarterfinals matchup last Thursday.

Also, top E-Painters sniper Jeff Chan has to fully get his groove in the conference, averaging a shade under just 7.0 points per game and a measly 16 percent from beyond the arc.

Good thing for Guiao the likes of Arizona Reid, Ryan Arana and JR Quinahan have taken turns picking up the slack. (NC)

Hard Arana foul fired me up, says Petron import Millsap after career game

PETRON import Elijah Millsap admitted the hard foul inflicted on him by Ryan Arana had awakened the monster in him that led to a new personal conference high in scoring and a 91-83 win for the Boosters in the opener of the PBA Governors Cup semifinals opposite Rain or Shine.

Millsap was whistled for a technical foul for throwing the ball on Arana after the tough Elasto Painters guard committed a hard foul on him while going for a basket.

Chris Tiu made the technical free throw to make it a 77-73 lead for Rain or Shine with 6:50 left in the game.

That ignited something inside the 24-year-old Millsap.

“Yeah, I pride myself in taking the challenge when they foul me hard. I’m not one of the players who will back down from any contact,” said the Petron import.

Shortly after the technical foul, Millsap took matters into his own hands.

He scored the Boosters’ next 11 points and single-handedly brought the team back, with his three-point basket at the 3:43 mark giving Petron an 84-81 lead it will never relinquish.

The high-scoring import eventually finished with 41 points – surpassing his previous best of 35 points he made against Alaska.

“I don’t focus on points. I just really focus on winning and just glad at helping my team win tonight,” he said when asked about his new personal-scoring high in the PBA.

On a 10-game winning run – the longest for the franchise in the last 24 years -- the Boosters are actually now just two victories away from returning to the Finals for the first time since the 2011 Governors Cup.

But Millsap, soft spoken and humble, is not yet looking that far ahead.

“We just can’t worry about the Finals, we’ll just focus Rain or Shine for Game Two,” he said. “We have to give them respect, they’re the defending champion, and I don’t think they won’t die that easy.”

Follow the writer on Twitter: @gerardmos

DEFENSE STILL THE KEY

The warring sides in the San Mig Coffee – Meralco battle expect things to get uglier.

No easy shots. No easy rebounds. A harder push here and a harder shove there.

The two teams set the tone of their battle in Game One – a physical defensive competition that is likely to continue for the rest of the series.

Victorious with bigger stops that they translated to key transition baskets at the finish Sunday, the Mixers look to pull another one versus the Bolts in Game Two of their PBA Governors’ Cup best-of-five semifinal showdown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Tuesday.

“Games will be ugly. It’s a series of attrition,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.

“No excuses, we lost Sunday night, but we will come back stronger,” said Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio.

As what they’ve been doing all tournament long, the Mixers and the Bolts tried to put the shackles on each other Sunday night.

The Mixers drew first blood in the series as they proved to be more successful with defensive efforts at endgame.

“We battled until we found some open lanes. Our defense created transition baskets in the fourth,” said Cone.

“They did a good job defensively. We practically had to bleed for every basket, and during crunch time, they made their shots and we failed,” said Gregorio.

Cone and Gregorio don’t expect things to change in Game Two.

“We have to shoot well. The paint is just too clogged to operate. We’ve got to get our shooters in sync to give Mario (West) his operating space,” said Gregorio.

“The plan is to tie the series. We cannot dig a deep 0-2 hole. It will be very hard to extricate,” he added.

The Mixers will stick with their ploy, especially with gunner Allein Maliksi declared out for the next six to eight months due to an ACL tear sustained in the SMC – Alaska quarters tussle.

“That brought us down a bit as Allein was really performing well. It was a devastating blow for us,” said Cone. (SB)

RISING UP

THE stakes have risen in the PBA Governors’ Cup and so has Joe Devance’s game.
The versatile forward has been instrumental in San Mig Coffee’s quarterfinal surge over Alaska and the headstart over Meralco in their semifinal pairing to earn the Accel-PBA Player of the Week honors for the period Sept. 23 to 29.
In said span the 6-7 southpaw averaged 12.3 points, including a personal conference-high 17 in the Mixers’ 83-73 triumph over the Bolts last Sunday in their Final Four matchup.
For San Mig coach Tim Cone, Devance’s all around game speaks more volumes than his individual statistics.
“Joe does a lot more for us than what shows up in the boxscores. He handles the ball, can set up the offense and probably is our best player in terms of understanding our execution,” noted Cone.
“He’s a point forward in the strictest sense, which allows us great flexibility. He’s showing all that in this playoff so far and has been a huge key to our success.”
The 31-year-old said he’s simply doing what he can in his team’s bid to win the crown that was almost theirs last season before losing to Rain or Shine in the last and deciding game of the Finals.
“I’m just trying to do my little part, trying to help the team win,” said Devance.
Other Mixers in Mark Barroca, Alex Mallari and PJ Simon have also stepped up when Allein Maliksi got sidelined by a knee injury in the deciding game against Alaska, but it was Devance who stood out the most, considering he averaged just a little over 7.0 points in the eliminations.
He poured 10 points in a 105-112 loss to the Aces and returned with 12 and nine rebounds in the series-clinching 83-73 win last Friday.
In the opener of the best-of-five semis series with Meralco, Devance led all San Mig scorers with his points, anchored on 3-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc. In all, he made seven of 10 shots and also had two rebounds. (NC)

njured Paul Lee not giving up hope of returning to action before season's end

PAUL Lee remains hopeful he’ll still be able to suit up for Rain or Shine if ever it earns a return trip to the PBA Governors Cup Finals.

The sophomore guard sat out Game One of Rain or Shine’s semifinals series against Petron owing to a calf injury he suffered in the team’s quarterfinal playoff win over Globalport.

Initial diagnosis on the extent of the injury showed a tear in his calf muscle that could sidelined for him for the rest of the season-ending conference.

But ever the warrior, Lee said he’s keeping his fingers crossed the damage is not as serious as earlier feared.

“Hindi natin masabi kasi ayon sa physical therapist namin mabilis naman `yung recovery. So malay natin mag-iba yung panahon,” said last year’s top rookie after watching the series opener which the Elasto Painters lost, 91-83, in civilian clothes.

 Lee also missed last season’s Governors Cup Finals after suffering a shoulder injury in Game Two of the title series. He has since gone under the knife to repair the injury.

This time, the former University of the East stalwart doesn’t need to undergo surgery for his injured calf.

“Kailangan lang ng pahinga at tsaka therapy,” he said.

That prognosis opened hopes for him of still playing for the Elasto Painters this conference if and when they advance again to the Finals.

“Siguro may chance. Malaki `yung chance kaya sana nga umabot sa Finals,” he said.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @gerardmos

Bolts rookie disowns tweet calling for coach’s resignation, says account was hacked

MERALCO rookie Cliff Hodge on Sunday night quickly disowned a tweet that called for the resignation of Bolts coach Ryan Gregorio, saying his Twitter account was hacked.

The Twitter world went ablaze shortly after the Bolts’ 83-73 loss to San Mig in Game One of their PBA Governors Cup semifinal series when a tweet fired from Hodge’s account @therealchodge1 read: “Coach Ryan should resign immediately before HE LOSES another game for the team!!!!”

The Fil-American forward moved quickly to douse the fire, claiming he had been using a ‘very weak’ password for his Twitter account and that it was most probably hacked by “people who tried to distract him and the team in the semis.”

“It was my fault. I only had the name of my girlfriend Mackenna as my access code, so it was easily hacked,” Hodge said.

 “You know I can never do that to coach. I have very high respect for him. And even if we lose by a hundred points, I can never blame him. It’s a team game,” he added.

Hodge said it is not his style to air his grievances in public while reiterating his utmost respect for the coach who made him the fourth pick overall in the last rookie draft.

“If I have issues with coach Ryan, I will talk to him man to man … privately. I am not the type of person who will use other means to air my feelings,” he stressed.

 “I know how hard coach works for this team. And I know he doesn’t want this result to happen. I can see his sacrifices,” Hodge added, while reiterating his utmost respect for the man who made him last year’s 4th pick overall.

The Pensacola, Florida-raised cager said his admiration of Gregorio had not waned, even during the time when he was the object of trade rumors in the early goings of the Governors cup.

“I have no grudge against coach Ryan. He is like an older brother to me,” he added. “I even played almost 30 minutes today so there’s no point to criticize him like that!”

Asked if he has already discussed the matter with Gregorio, Hodge said no.

 “I’ll talk to him early morning tomorrow. I don’t think it’s the right time. And I don’t think he’ll even believe it was mine (my tweet),” he said, while declaring that he only opens his Twiter account from his mobiline phone.

The 6-foot-5 hard-banging wingman likewise ruled out a case of prank from his teammates.

 “They can’t do that. We’re all focused in the game. We’re so busy at our aim to win to do such irresponsible jokes,” Hodge said.

Hodge also advised fellow players to keep a stronger password on their every social network account to avoid such troubles.

 “Avoid troubles. Keep a stronger password. You never know what they will put on it using your name,” said the former Reedley College standout. 

Follow the writer on Twitter: @spinph

Petron's Abanilla knows Guiao too well to take Rain or Shine lightly in series

                          

DESPITE Petron’s nine-game win streak that included a huge win over Rain or Shine in the eliminations, Boosters coach Gee Abanilla believes they have their work cut out for them as they take on the Elasto-Painters in the PBA Governors Cup semifinals starting on Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

After losing their conference opener to the Meralco Bolts, the Boosters have piled up nine straight wins including a 99-84 win over the defending champion Elasto Painters.

But Abanilla says the best-of-five semifinal series against Rain or Shine, a squad with vast playoff experience, will be a serious test to their maturity, chemistry and desire to win the championship.

“Now that we’re part of the semis, we’re aiming for something higher. We’ll try to make the best out of it (series). And our focus is to improve ourselves individually and as a team,” Abanilla said, whose team booked a semis seat following a 101-94 quarterfinal victory over sister team Barangay Ginebra.

Also an interesting subplot is the battle of student and mentor — Abanilla served as assistant coach to Guiao for a few years at Red Bull.

The soft-spoken Abanilla says he has high respect for Guiao, noting that the fiery mentor has the ability to draw the best from his players.

“I’ve learned a lot from coach Yeng,” said the freshman Boosters mentor, who is out to end Petron’s two-year PBA title drought.

“I know for a fact that his leadership skills are very high. I admire that from him. So going up against this guy in the semis is such a challenge because you don’t know what to expect,” he added.

Rain or Shine is entering the series as the underdog as Guiao won’t have last year’s Rookie of the Year Paul Lee, ruled out of the season due to a calf muscle tear early this week.

Guiao will have to dig deep to find ways to come up with the numbers Lee usually makes. The former UE player averaged 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists during the single-round eliminations.

But big man Beau Belga said Rain or Shine will be able to mix it up with the bigger and talented-laden Petron squad, even without Lee.

“Sanay naman kami na kulang. Nung nag-champion kami last year, wala rin naman si Paul Lee. Siyempre, gusto namin na dehado kami,” said Belga, who served as an alternate player for the Gilas Pilipinas team in last month’s Fiba-Asia men’s championships.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @spinph

                                                                                                                                     

PBA:REPLAY SAN MIG COFFEE VS MERALCO BOLTS

                                                                               
 


Game 1  Best Of 5 SEmis  Replay            

 
                  

San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Alaska Aces - 27 September 2013

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SAN MIG-MERALCO: A SERIES ABOUT BREAKING DEFENSIVE WALL

Defense will surely be at optimum level as San Mig Coffee and Meralco slug it out in their side of the PBA Governors Cup Final Four.

The protagonists are the league’s leading defensive teams at the moment. The question is which one is able to break the other’s defensive wall.

They break the ice in their best-of-five showdown at 6:45 p.m. Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We are conscious on why we are here. Our defense brought us here, and the same toughness will bring us to the next level,” said Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio.

“We are a defense-minded team. If we’re able to make the stops, we’ll be okay,” said San Mig Coffee import Marqus Blakely.

The Bolts made the Top Four in the elimination round and got past the Globalport Batang Pier in the quarters while holding their opponents to an average of just 84.4 points per game.

The Mixers have also been successful while limiting the production of their foes. They give away 87.6 points per outing.

“Much has been said about coach Tim’s offense, but in reality, his team plays tenacious defense as well. We are neck and neck in a lot of categories on defense, so this series is about finding ways to score against one another,” Gregorio also said.

Needless to say, both would need their offense to work to win the game.

A major cause for concern for San Mig coach Tim Cone is the loss of gunner Allein Maliksi on an MCL injury suffered versus Alaska Milk Friday.

“That’s devastating because he was becoming such an integral part of the team,” said Cone. “Now, though, difficult, we’re trying to refocus on our job at hand. We know we have our hands full with Meralco.”

San Mig Coffee is looking for back-to-back finals in the season-ending tourney while Meralco, in its first Final Four, is determined to go deeper in these playoffs.

“This is a new experience for us. We have to will ourselves to victory and it can only be done through hard work, mental toughness while having fun along the way. We will enjoy this new milestone in our young franchise and we are very clear on our desired destination,” said Gregorio.

The series is rich in subplots, including the one about the Mixers’ personal battle with their former coach.

Before moving over to Meralco in 2010, Gregorio steered the Purefoods franchise to three titles.

San Mig Coffee relied on clutch baskets by PJ Simon and Mark Barroca at the finish as the Mixers edged the Bolts, 88-87, in their elimination-round tiff. (SB)

As draft order takes shape, Sangalang likes his chances of landing at Ginebra

AMATEUR standout Ian Sangalang is seeing a glimmer of hope in his childhood dream to play for Barangay Ginebra in the PBA.

If the results of the first two conferences this season and the outright elimination of Air21 in the Governors Cup will be the early basis, the possibility of Ginebra ending up as owner of one of the top two picks in the November 3 Rookie Draft is indeed very big.

The Kings own the first round pick of the Express in the coming draft which will most likely figure in a draft lottery to determine the order of drafting at halftime of Game Two of the Finals on October 13.

Aside from Ginebra, also expected to figure in the first three picks are San Mig Coffee (which owns the pick of Globalport), and Rain or Shine (from Barako Bull).

If all else falls according to plan, the possibility of Sangalang suiting up for the Kings might be fulfilled.

“Syempre, natutuwa din ako kasi may posibilidad na mag-number one `yung Ginebra, kasi nga Barangay Ginebra fan ako dati. Bonus siguro kung kukunin nila ako,” Sangalang told Spin.ph.

“Marami rin kasing tao na gustong lumaro ako sa Ginebra, hindi lang ako,” added the agile 6-foot-7 big man who comes from a family of solid Ginebra fans.

To listen to podcast of the interview with Sangalang, click here.

The former NCAA and PBA D-League MVP even revealed how fans of the PBA’s most popular squad would send him messages everyday on his Twitter account @iansangalang2 regarding the prospect of him ending up with Ginebra.

“Andami nga nag-me-mesaage sa akin, sinasabihan ako na may tsansa ako sa Ginebra. May iba rin na nagsasabi na, ‘Nangangamoy Ginebra na raw ako!’,” he shared laughing.

“Yung preference ko for Ginebra andyan pa rin. Mawawala lang talaga yan kung may ibang team na ako na lalaruan sa PBA,” Sangalang added.

Sangalang’s  agility, shooting touch, and hustle has already drawn comparison with legendary four-time league MVP Ramon Fernandez.

Although flattered by the comparison, the center out of San Sebastian College was honest enough to admit that he hasn’t seen Fernandez play in the PBA.

“Marami nga nagsasabi nun. Pero hindi ko na kasi naabutan si Sir Mon,” he said. “Kahit si coach Ato (Agustin), sinasabi kalaro na kalaro ko nga daw.”

The former Gilas Pilipinas prospect disclosed how as a child, he grew up watching Ginebra stars Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand, who inspired him to develop his dribbling skills as a big man.

“Before Jayjay Heltebrand and Caguioa, kahit sentro ako nun yun ang idol ko. Sila ang ginagaya ko saka si Kelly Williams,” added Sangalang.

Aside from the big man from Pampanga who once formed the dreaded `Pinatubo Trio’ of San Sebastian along with Calvin Abueva and Ronald Pascual, other marquee players joining the draft are former Ateneo stars Gregory Slaughter and Nico Salva, and Letran top slotman Raymond Almazan.

Asked if he is ready to play for other teams outside of Ginebra, Sangalang said, “Syempre, kahit saan basta kailangan ako.”

Sangalang has not played high level basketball of late or since his EA Regen team was eliminated in the last PBA D-League Foundation Cup five months ago.

But the cat-quick center assured he is in tip-top shape as he has been practicing with former teammates at NLEX at the 36 Fitness gym.

“Nagpapakundisyon, nagbabawas na ng timbang para pagdating sa PBA, ready na,” said Sangalang, who’s currently in Lubao, Pampanga following the death of his grandmother Filipinas Mendoza last Monday.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @snowbadua

After Bulldogs come up short again, star Parks faces future filled with uncertainties

BOBBY RAY Parks is uncertain whether he will come back for a fourth season with National University after the Bulldogs' campaign in UAAP Season 76 in yet another disappointment.

The two-time UAAP Most Valuable Player Parks left a lot of questions hanging after his top-seeded team suffered a 69-76 loss to fourth-seed University of Santo Tomas on Saturday.

“I’m not sure,” Parks told reporters after the game. “I’ve got some thinking to do.”

Parks said he isn’t even sure whether he will suit up for the NU-backed Banco De Oro squad in the PBA D-League or enter the PBA draft, but said making it to the NBA is still his biggest dream.

“D-League not sure. Probably, I’ll train in the States. I don’t know. I have lots of things going through my mind right now,” said the two-time league MVP.

“Of course, it is still an option,” said Parks regarding his NBA dream. “That is my goal and my dream.”

Parks’ statements came in the midst of speculations that NU coach Eric Altamirano might not return for next season after three championship-less years with the team.

But Parks was quick to issue a denial.

“Not true,” said Parks with a curt reply.

Parks finished with 15 points in the game but was a non-factor in the endgame, even sitting out the final minute of the game after suffering from cramps on both feet.

Parks said that the loss is a learning experience for the Bulldogs after bowing to a veteran-laden cast of UST, which became the first fourth-seeded team to reach the title series since the Final Four format was institutionalized in 1994.

“They are veterans. They played their type of basketball,” said Parks. “We fell short. We’ll see where it goes.”

Parks admitted that inexperience did the Bulldogs in.

“We are the new kids on the block. Every team has been there, done that. It’s a learning experience for us,” said Parks.

That was none more apparent than in the endgame, when the Bulldogs turned the ball over three times and took bad shots while the Tigers piled on the pressure.

 “We didn’t executed well the way we did. We were frantic. We didn’t make our shots. We made extra passes but we weren’t making our shot,” said Parks.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @reubensports

Blakely vows to make up for free throw woes after getting 'Shaq' treatment from Cone

JUST like in the two-game quarterfinals against Alaska, San Mig import Marqus Blakely expects the Meralco Bolts to do the 'Hack-a-Marq' when the two teams start their PBA Governors Cup semifinal series on Sunday.

Free throw shooting has been the energetic import’s weakness throughout this conference, but Blakely no longer frets about it now after getting some words of encouragement from Mixers coach Tim Cone who cited NBA great Shaquille O’Neal as an example to fire up his import.

“Coach made a great analogy. Shaquille O’Neal, he won a lot of (NBA) championships and he wasn’t a great foul shooter. But down the stretch, they don’t take him out of the game because he’s such a big threat on the rebounding and scoring in the post,” said Blakely.

Taking Cone's words to heart, the 24-year-old Blakely, who is only making 41.4 percent of his free throws this conference, has vowed to contribute in other facets of the game to cover up for his weakness.

“You see how many fouls shots I missed and you could see how many I made, but the little things would go unnoticed,” he said.

“The hustle plays, diving for loose balls, extra possessions, boxing out, those things win championships. Now, we’re still here in the semis. It’s zero-zero, anybody can win it (title).”

Nonetheless, the athletic San Mig import said he won’t mind going to the line again in the semifinal series should the Bolts pounce on his Achilles heel.

“That’s (free throws) something I’ve been working on the whole season so if they’ll send me on the line, I’ll gladly shoot them,” said Blakely, who averages 26.5 points, 16.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.7 blocks this conference.

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Gregorio believes he finally has enough weapons to turn tables on Cone, San Mig

MERALCO Bolts coach Ryan Gregorio believes he now has the arsenal to turn back Tim Cone and the San Mig Coffee Mixers. 

Since his historic 4-0 sweep of Cone and the Alaska Aces in the 2010 Philippine Cup, Gregorio has been ousted twice by his American arch-rival and his former team in the playoffs after his transfer to Meralco a few years ago.

Cone's San Mig thwarted Meralco twice in the quarterfinals, first in the 2010 Philippine cup, 2-0, and again in the 2012 Commissioner’s Cup, 2-1.

“But now I believe it’s going to be different, because it’s best-of-five and we have a complete arsenal now,” Gregorio said.

“We’re confident that now being more mature together in the league, we’re ready to seize every opportunity,” he added. “We’re pretty much up there, but it’s not enough…. work is still much to be rendered!”

A couple of big trades has turned the Bolts into a title contender in the PBA Governors Cup, with new boys like Mike Cortez and Jared Dillinger plugging holes in a team that already boasts the likes of Macmac Cardona, Reynel Hugnatan, Sunday Salvacion, Rey Guevarra, and import Mario West.

“Not a lot of people probably realize this that part of my decision-making process was to put in players with championship experience, because they’ve been there, done that, and they know what it takes for us to go to the next level,” added Gregorio, who is also a Meralco assistant vice president and head of its sports and youth advocacy.

Gregorio said San Mig will be a big stumbling block in their bid to finally win their franchise’s first ever crown, but the former UP Maroon guard declared their readiness to take on the challenge.

“We are ready… at this point I think San Mig’s edge is experience, but our edge is hunger. They have a purpose, we have ours. And we will give them a good fight,” he said.

“By stages ang approach namin, we’ve cleared Stage One, that is to end up in the top four, we cleared Stage Two by winning against Barako. Now this is Stage Three,” Gregorio described their campaign.

“We’re not looking at any other direction. We have a clear written goal on where we want to go. We want to clear this big hurdle in San Mig to keep cilimbing up the ladder, and ultimately reach the mountaintop,” he added.

But Gregorio believes reaching his goal this conference will not be easy, as his former players James Yap, Peter June Simon and Marc Pingris are capable of taking over in important games.

“I am wary of the playoffs mentality of the three, I know them so well. They have the ability to switch it on especially when the game is on the line,” he said.

“I am cautious and conscious of their contributions offensively...” Gregorio added. “But we have planned out a detailed coverage just to limit them!”

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Studio 23

UAAP                    FINALS GAMES 1 
TEAMS                 De La Salle  vs UST TIGERS 
Venue                    Araneta  Coliseum Cubao 

                                                                 
                       

BASKETBALL NBA Curry brothers Steph, Seth carry rivalry into Warriors camp

OAKLAND, California — Seth Curry was walking around the Golden State Warriors practice court during media day festivities Friday (Saturday, Manila time) when a stranger struck up a conversation.

A few minutes later, the rookie realized he had been mistaken for somebody else — older brother Stephen Curry. He quickly corrected their mistake.

"Sometimes I let them keep going," he joked.

Seth has spent most of his life being compared to Stephen. He wouldn't mind looking like his brother on the court starting Saturday, when the Warriors open training camp with both on the roster.

The sons of former NBA player Del Curry competed at everything from basketball to video games growing up. Born two years apart, their careers are far removed from each other now.

Stephen, 25, elevated his game to star status by leading the Warriors to the second round of the playoffs last season. Seth, 23, went undrafted out of Duke after undergoing surgery on his right knee/shin and is competing for a spot backing up his brother at point guard, which might be the most intriguing competition in camp if he can be anywhere near the level he played at in college.

Even if it's for only a few weeks, playing on the same NBA team is a unique opportunity for both. They haven't played together since Seth's sophomore year at Charlotte Christian School.

Stephen moved on to Davidson the following year and turned heads in the NCAA tournament. Seth played one season at Liberty before transferring to Duke, where he dazzled for two years and disappeared at times during his senior season because of injuries, which sidelined him for predraft workouts.

While it might seem like a long shot, both believe Seth has a great chance to make the roster.

"I don't think the Warriors would sign him if they didn't think so either," Stephen said. "Maybe they paid more attention to him because he's my brother, but nobody's going to throw money and an opportunity at somebody if they don't think he's got an opportunity to make the team out of camp and help the team down the road."

When he was healthy, Seth averaged 17.5 points on 46.5 percent shooting in his final season at Duke. He said he has no regrets about delaying surgery until after the season, which pushed back his rehabilitation and likely caused him to go undrafted.

"It was definitely disappointing," Seth said. "The biggest thing was just not being able to go through the draft process. It was tough because I had surgery right after the season. I wasn't able to get in front of teams and work out and compete against guys in my draft class. But it was out of my control."

Making Golden State's roster will be difficult. Kent Bazemore is back for his second season, and the Warriors added veteran Toney Douglas and drafted Nemanja Nedovic of Serbia with the 30th pick.

If he doesn't make the team, Seth could also try to work his way up through the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League. He said he's not worrying about anything but training camp now.

Seth attended several Warriors games the past few seasons and said one of the reasons he decided to join the team in camp and not play overseas or for somebody else is because general manager Bob Myers and his staff will give him every opportunity to show what he can do in the preseason. He's eager to prove — like his brother had to out of college — that he's big enough to score and defend his position in the NBA.

"We talk about it all the time, 'It's the same knocks we've had our whole lives,'" Seth said.

Seth was cleared to participate in five-on-five scrimmages about six weeks ago. Along with nearly every player on the roster, he has been in the Bay Area practicing since the first week of September.

"He always wants to guard Steph," Warriors forward David Lee said. "You can tell the sibling rivalry is there and I think it's only added to the competition for everybody in camp."

Stephen said teammates no longer look at Seth as his brother. Instead, he's just "one of the guys."

"Sometimes I forget he's here and then you see him make a shot and you're like, 'What's up?'" Stephen said.

Family time also has spread beyond the court. Seth is living with his brother, his brother's wife, Ayesha, and the couple's 14-month-old daughter, Riley. He's been helping out with chores around the house and even stayed home babysitting a few nights.

"Rent's not free," Stephen joked.

Spending nearly every moment together, Seth said, has helped with the transition.

"I kind of have an advantage," he said. "I can see him day by day and see how he prepares for everything."

Both also know the competition will heat up on the court once training camp begins.

"It's inevitable," Seth said. "We've always been competing and always will be."

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