Watching comedy film no laughing matter as Tubid loses phone to thief

By Snow Badua

January 06, 2013, 08:54 pm

  Barako Bull star Ronald Tubid loses iPhone and Meralco forward Carlo Sharma his wallet to petty thieves during the holiday break. Jerome Ascano

BARAKO Bull star Ronald Tubid went out last week and watched a comedy film, Si Agimat, Si Enteng at Ako, where he had a cameo role.
It turned out to be a horror experience.
The 29-year-old PBA veteran had answered a call from friend, Marc Pingris, inside the cinema when, minutes later, he discovered that his three-year-old iPhone 4 was no longer in his pocket.
“Nakunsensya nga si Marc kasi sabi niya parang siya pa daw ang dahilan ng pagkawala ng celphone ko”, he laughed.
Asked if his talent fee for the movie is enough to compensate for the cost of his phone, Tubid answered: “Mas mahalaga kasi sa akin dun yun mga contact numbers. Hindi ko pa naman na-i-back-up. Di ko kasi akalain na madudukot yun, sobrang ingat ko na!”
Tubid, it turned out, was not the only player victimized by petty thieves over the holidays.
His friend, Meralco Bolts forward Carlo Sharma, lost his wallet from suspected Salisi Gang members inside their village in Pasig City.
“Bumaba lang ako saglit sa kotse ko para bumili, pagbalik ko natangay na yung wallet ko. Kaka withdraw ko pa naman nun”, recalled Sharma, who lost P4,000, his ATM, and other important documents.
“Ang lalakas nga ng loob, ang laki kong to, hindi na natakot.”, added Sharma, who recalled how a tattooed guy covered his peripheral vision of the car while from the sari-sari store.
“Lookout siguro yung tumakip sa akin tapos may isa o dalawang tumira sa bintana ng kotse," he concluded.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @snowbadua

The Top International Basketball Stories of 2012

2012 was a great year for international ball. We had the Olympics, the FIBA World Championships for Boys, the Jones Cup, and several other noteworthy tourneys. In this post, we’ll look at the events that distracted us from our usual dose of NBA and local hoops, and we’ll look at the teams, the players, and the headlines that made us scream at the top of our lungs (cheering or jeering) out of patriotic pride.

Indonesia Warriors win the 2012 ASEAN Basketball League crown

For the third straight year, a Filipino team made it to the ABL Finals, but, for the second straight year, that Filipino team fell short of copping the championship trophy.

Led by, ironically, Filipino-American spitfire Stanley Pringle, the Indonesia Warriors scalped the San Miguel Beermen in three games to bring the ABL crown home toJakarta. Pringle led the way in Game 3 with 28 points, while American imports Evan Brock and Steve Thomas combined for 25 markers. Two other Pinoy imports, Jerick Cañada and Allan Salangsang, proved vital for Indonesia’s cause. Native Indons on the Warriors’ roster combined for just 11 points in the deciding game (Mario Wuysang, Arki Wisnu, and Amin Prihantono).

In their first ABL season, the Beermen did really well by advancing to the Finals, where they were the slight favorites to take the crown back to Manila – a Pinoy team, the Air Asia Philippine Patriots, won the ABL Championship in its maiden season in 2010. Import Duke Crews led the way in Game 3 for SMB with 29 points while Pringle’s fellow Fil-Am rival, Chris Banchero, poured in 16 markers.

Indonesia’s Todd Purves was named Coach of the Year, Steve Thomas was named Defensive Player of the Year, while Evan Brock was feted as the Finals MVP. SMB’s Leo Avenido was adjudged Season MVP.

Team USA cops Olympic Gold & the FIBA Boys Tourney Championship

Team USA continued to assert its dominance over the whole friggin’ world by winning two major FIBA tournaments this year – the FIBA U17 World Championships and the London Olympics Basketball Games.

Led by top collegiate prospects Jahlil Okafor, Conner Frankamp, and Jabari Parker, the American boys ran roughshod over the Aussies in the Final of the 2012 FIBA U17 tourney held in Lithuania. Okafor, a 6’11 behemoth from Arkansas, produced 17 points and 8 rebounds for Team USA in the title game, while high-scoring point guard Frankamp tossed in 22 markers on 7-of-9 FG shooting. Parker, one of the biggest names on the roster, scored 12 points in just 14 minutes of play. The 6’8 17-year old combo-forward from Chicago, Illinois just announced his signing with perennial NCAA powerhouse Duke University. He will be an eligible freshman for the 2013-2014 NCAA season. His achievements have already been compared to that of another Chicago native – Derrick Rose.

For his part, Dante Exum, a 6’4 shooting guard out of Melbourne, led the Aussies with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists on 8-of-17 FG shooting. This early, he’s being eyed as a potential lottery draft pick in the NBA once he becomes eligible in 2014. NCAA heavyweights Georgetown and Indiana have reportedly tendered offers for him to play in their respective programs.

In the London Olympics, Team USA remained the undisputed king by romping through the competition and punching through undefeated, 8-0. They didn’t have the easiest of times in a couple of games (they beat Lithuania by just 5 in the elims and beat Spain by just 7 in the gold medal game), but it was clear they were the heavy favorites to retain the title – and they did just that.

LeBron James and the Americans dominated the
international basketball scene in 2012.
(image from FIBA.com)

Kevin Durant was awesome in the final game, finishing with 30 points and 9 rebounds, while Spain’s Pau Gasol netted 24 markers, 8 boards, and 7 dimes. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant added 19 and 17 points respectively for the Americans, while Juan Carlos Navarro and Marc Gasol scored 21 and 17 points respectively for the Spaniards.

Energen Pilipinas places sixth in FIBA Asia Boys Tourney

Team Energen Pilipinas failed to improve or even duplicate the fifth place finish of the 2010 U18 national team after they lost to Taiwan in the battle for fifth place in the 2012 FIBA Asia U18 Tournament in Mongolia.

The Pinoys went 2-1 in the group stage, beating Saudi Arabia, 95-52, and Kazakhstan, 83-69, before bowing to a bigger Iranian squad, 72-93. They went undefeated in the crossover second round, beating Indonesia, 88-62, Taiwan, 88-83, and Bahrain, 99-72. Despite this, they wound up third in Group F after Iran was upset by the Taiwanese, 78-77. This made Iran the top seed, while Taiwan gained the second spot.

The Pinoys faced old nemesis Korea in the quarterfinals and lost, 90-77, after the Koreans pulled away in the third period. NBA prospect Lee Jong-Hyun led Korea with 26 points and 18 rebounds, while FEU-FERN’s Jerie Pingoy led Energen’s cause with 19 markers.

Team Pilipinas rebounded against Lebanon, 80-69, to set-up the rematch with Taiwan for fifth place. LSGH shooter Mario Bonleon led Energen with 19 points, while Ateneo Blue Eagle G-Boy Babilonia grabbed 8 rebounds in their win over the Lebanese.

The Pinoys failed to repeat over the Taiwanese in the next game as their EABA rivals swelled the gap, again, in the third canto. The duo of Fang Shih-En (6’8”) and Lin Kuan-Chun (6’2”) ate up our frontline with a combined 38 points, 21 rebounds, and 8 steals on 13-of-19 FG shooting. NU’s Jay-J Alejandro led Energen with 22 points, while Pingoy and Bonleon each contributed 15 markers. Top Pinoy center Jay Javelosa was not able to play in this game due to injury.

Gilas wins the Jones Cup

Though the 2012 Jones Cup in Taiwan was meant to be a tune-up tournament from which the Gilas boys were supposed to learn lessons, it became, instead, a beacon of hope as coach Chot Reyes successfully steered the Philippine NT to the title.

In doing so, coach Chot duplicated what coach Tim Cone was able to do with the 1998 Philippine Centennial Team – a team that finished third in the 1998 Asian Games. Current Bgy. Ginebra starting point guard LA Tenorio came up big in the final game against the United States, scoring 20 points, including the go ahead pull-up jumper that sealed the historic win. Tenorio also grabbed 6 rebounds and handed out 3 assists. Jeff Chan backed him up with 18 points on the strength of 5 treys, while Marcus Douthit registered 17 markers, 12 boards, and 2 rejections.

Gilas won 7 of its 8 games in the tournament, losing only to Lebanon. Douthit was the team’s best player, averaging about 16 points and 11 rebounds per outing. Chan was the only other player who normed double-digit scoring with 11.6ppg. Despite a slow start in the tournament, and playing behind Sol Mercado in the rotation early on, Tenorio was named tournament MVP due to his delivery in the clutch.

This win brought renewed faith in the Gilas program, and bolstered their chances for placing well in the big tourney for which they were really preparing – the FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo.

The Gilas boys brought home the Jones Cup crown for the first
time in 14 long years.
(image from the Smart-Gilas Facebook page)

Iran wins the FIBA Asia Cup

Despite Gilas’s strong showing in the Jones Cup, they weren’t able to pull off another stunner and win the FIBA Asia Cup in Japan. The championship, instead, went to WABA powerhouse Iran, which was undefeated throughout the competition, 7-0.

Iran faced a gritty Japanese home squad in the Finals. They had beaten the Japanese earlier in the tournament in a tight contest, 71-65, and the Japanese gave them hell in the championship match, too. Despite the usually potent pairing of Kosuke Takeuchi and naturalized center JR Sakuragi having a tough time on offense, the Nippon five kept in-step with Iran thanks to the sniping of young wingman Kosuke Kanamaru. Kanamaru, who plays for the Panasonic Trians in the Japanese Basketball League (the JBL, which is different from the BJ League, has company-sponsored teams like the PBA; it will be re-structured into Japan’s National Basketball League starting mid-2013), connected on 4 triples to lead Japan’s charge with 16 points.

Iran, however, played a bit more solid basketball in the endgame thanks to the scoring of Samad Nikkhah Bahrami (who else?) and the imposing presence of Asghar Kardoust. In the end, Iran narrowly beat Japan, 53-51, and took home its first ever FIBA Asia Cup, which was formerly known as the FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup.

Gilas faltered in the battle for third, losing to perennial tormentor Qatar, 79-63. Naturalized former LA Laker Trey Johnson led the Qataris with 16 points along with Mohammed Yousef and Erfan Ali Saeed, both of whom combined for 27 points and 20 rebounds. Not surprisingly, Marcus Douthit led the Philippines with 17 points and 10 boards, while Gary David and Jared Dillinger contributed 15 and 12 markers respectively. Gilas got badly beaten on the boards, 31-47, and Qatar shot well from beyond the arc (33%).

The top four teams in this tourney – Iran, Japan, Qatar, and the Philippines – each earned an additional berth for their respective FIBA Asia Subzones in the 2013 FIBA Asia Men’s Championship. This means that the distribution of slots will look like the following:

- West Asia: Iran (FIBA Asia Cup Champ) + Lebanon (Host) + 2 regular slots + 1 bonus slot

- Gulf: 2 regular slots + 1 bonus slot

- Central Asia (the Stans): 1 regular slot

- South Asia: 1 regular slot

- East Asia: 2 regular slots + 1 bonus slot

- Southeast Asia: 2 regular slots + 1 bonus slot

I believe, however, that, eventually, one of the slots in West Asia will be given to East Asia because apart from Iran and Lebanon, historically speaking, only Jordan, Syria, and maybe Iraq are the only other teams capable of competing at such a high level. I doubt if Syria will be able to send a team (I hope I’m wrong, though) because of the current peace and order instability there. This means that one slot will probably be given to East Asia, since, historically speaking, it has the most concentrated roster of traditional Asian powerhouses – China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.

Champions Cup ain't done yet

Due to the not-so-ideal security situation in Beirut and its surrounding areas (read: Syria), the 2012 FIBA Asia Champions Cup Final between Lebanese club Al-Riyadi and Iran’s Mahram squad was postponed indefinitely.

This was NOT the only unusual thing about this past year’s Champions Cup, of course. For one, a record-low 5 teams joined, presumably because, again, of the not-so-ideal security situation in the area. Not all the FIBA Asia subzones were represented, as the Gulf region, South Asia, and Southeast Asia did not send representatives. Al Rayyan of Qatar, AL Shabab of Kuwait, the Indonesia Warriors, and the San Miguel Beermen were all supposed to join, but miscommunication and security concerns caused those teams to withdraw participation.

Considering how this event was supposed to gauge the readiness of Beirut to host 2013’s FIBA Asia Men’s Tournament, I wonder how the FIBA Asia bigwigs are feeling right now.

Beirut hosts the 2013 FIBA Asia Tournament

Despite the twin heartbreaks of Energen Pilipinas and Smart-Gilas on the court, perhaps the deepest wound Pinoy basketball fans received in 2012 was when FIBA Asia awarded the hosting rights to the 2013 FIBA Asia Men’s Championships to Beirut and NOTto Manila.

This despite the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) being the ONLY national association to go as far as to give FIBA Asia Secretary General Hagop Khajirian a personal tour of the facilities in Manila, and this despite the SBP delivering the most polished presentation to FIBA Asia’s primary decision-makers.

Here’s the thing, though – if FIBA Asia decides to hold the final game of the 2012 Champions Cup somewhere else (probably a more stable area like Dubai, UAE, or Doha, Qatar), then what does this say about the readiness of Beirut to hold the Men’s Championships? More importantly, what does this say about the FAITH of the other FIBA Asia member countries in Lebanon’s ability to be a host? And what does it say about the decision-making of FIBA Asia? It’s all wrapped in intrigue and uncertainty, so let’s all see how it develops.

Here’s my fearful prediction, however – by the end of the first quarter of 2013, FIBA Asia will realize that they cannot possibly stick to their guns and let Beirut host. They will run back to the SBP to see if Manila is ready to be the back-up host. SBP, of course, will decline out of wounded pride. This will leave FIBA Asia with no other choice but to turn to (who else?) the Chinese, who are ALWAYS ready to host such events – this is actually very similar to what happened to the 2011 edition, which was supposed to be in Lebanon, too.

The long and short of it is don’t be surprised if the 27^th FIBA Asia Men’s Championship will, indeed, be held somewhere in China.

Shaking your head? Yeah. Get used to it.

FIBA changes its system

For a summary of FIBA’s changes, read these bullets from FIBA.com:

“The key principles agreed for the new competition format and calendar for men from 2017 are the following:

• After the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, the next edition will be moved to 2019 (instead of 2018) and will be played every four years from then on. A total of 32 teams (increased from 24) will participate in FIBA’s flagship event.

• The qualification period for the FIBA Basketball World Cup will be held over the course of two years and consist of six windows which will be in November (2017), February, June, September, November (2018) and February (2019). The exact period and length of these windows will be defined in the coming months in collaboration with all stakeholders. The national teams will be divided into two divisions – Division A and Division B – with groups of three or four teams in an open system with promotion and relegation. Games in the qualification period will be played in a home-and-away format.

• Asia and Oceania will play in a combined Asia-Pacific region to qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup, but universality will remain in place for the qualifying process to the Olympic Games.

• As of 2017, the continental championships will take place every four years (2017, 2021, 2025) with a similar system of qualification as for the FIBA Basketball World Cup and which will come into action after FIBA’s flagship event in 2019. The windows will follow the same principle as the qualifying process to the FIBA Basketball World Cup but will be adapted in the Olympic years (2020, 2024).

• The qualification for the 2020 Olympics will be through the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup and four Olympic Qualifying Tournaments to be held in four zones.”

Confused? Then read my own take on it here. This means FIBA, in an effort to try and avoid direct competition for markets between basketball and football, adopted changes patterned, ironically, after the system of FIFA – the group from which they were trying to distance themselves. In short, the qualification for future FIBA World Championships (now renamed FIBA World Cup; qualification starts in 2017) will be very similar, if not identical, to the qualification process for the FIFA World Cup. This will also apply to FIBA’s continental championships. Implication? The process will be longer, domestic leagues will be interrupted to a more significant degree, and teams will lose the chance to get exposed to high-level competition because of the “promotion and relegation” system.

Shaking your heads even more? I told you to get used to it, didn’t I?

This is the third part in a series of posts detailing the “Top Basketball Stories of 2012.” I’ve already posted the Top NBA Stories and Top PBA Stories. The fourth and last part will be about the Top Local Amateur Basketball Stories.

http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-top-international-basketball.html 

The Top UAAP, NCAA, and Amateur Basketball Stories of 2012

CKSC wins the MMTLBA grand slam!

The Chiang Kai Shek Blue Dragons put their mark on Metro Manila Tiong Lian Basketball Association (MMTLBA) history by notching an unprecedented grand slam, winning the title in all three MMTLBA divisions.

They were seeded third in the MMTLBA’s version of the Final Four, and they faced perennial powerhouse Xavier School in the semifinals. Xavier, led by the highly-sought-after Jeron Teng, carried a twice-to-beat edge, but it was all for naught as the Blue Dragons of coach Goldwin Monteverde all but obliterated the Golden Stallions. CKSC beat Xavier, 83-76, in the first game before deflating them, 70-50, in the decider.

The Dragons faced top-seeded Hope Christian High School (HCHS) in the Finals, and they surprised everyone by, once again, sweeping the more heavily-favored team. Burly forward John Kevin Baytan, who, reportedly, might suit up for Adamson University in the UAAP, normed 17.0ppg, 9.0rpg, and 1.5spg for Chiang Kai Shek in the Finals.

Other CKSC players who contributed significantly were Kimlee Bayquin, John Paul Nieles, and Carlo Young. Bayquin and Young are still playing for CKSC this season, and they should be interesting prospects for several collegiate programs mid-2013. Another interesting CKSC prospect is 6’6” tower of power Wilson Bartolome, who normed 5.5 blocks per game in the Finals while also averaging 9.0ppg, and 7.0rpg. He’s no Justin Chua, but he might develop into an intriguing big man in the seniors ranks.

On the HCHS side, Clint Doliguez, King Benemerito, Janrey Garrido, Errol Villar, and John Apacible all played well. Doliguez and Apacible are still currently playing for HCHS, and they played big as Hope Christian won the title in the inaugural Philippine Secondary Schools Basketball Championship (PSSBC) late in 2012. Garrido and Villar were both part of the UST Growling Tigers in UAAP Season 75.

NU wins the Filoil Tourney

The NU Bulldogs were supremely dominant in their 2012 Filoil Flying V Hanes Cup championship run, going through all their eleven games undefeated.

In doing this, Ray Parks and his pack sent a powerful message to the rest of the local college basketball scene. In the Finals, Parks was, once again, the hero of the day. The tournament MVP scattered 19 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, dished out 2 assists, and stole the ball twice to lead NU over the gritty and much-improved DLSU Green Archers. Emmanuel Mbe, adjudged the Defensive Player of the Tournament, also did well, finishing with 13 points, 15 boards, and 2 rejections, while Gelo Alolino stepped up with 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Emmanuel Mbe and Ray Parks are all smiles after the
NU Bulldogs captured the 2012 Filoil Flying V Hanes Cup.
(image by Jan Dizon/Filoil Flying V)

LA Revilla and Norbert Torres led the Geen & White with 14 and 13 markers respectively. Both teams eventually did well in the following UAAP season, and they both returned to the Final Four. NU’s last time trip to the UAAP postseason was way back in 2001, while the Archers failed to make it in 2011.

Beda dominates NCAA Srs & Jrs

Once again, San Beda was the undisputed #1 force in NCAA Basketball as the Red Lions and Red Cubs romped their way to the Seniors and Juniors titles respectively.

The Lions gifted rookie mentor Ronnie Magsanoc with an NCAA title, dominating the Letran Knights, 67-39, in Game Three of the Finals. The diminutive duo of Anjo Caram and Baser Amer led San Beda with a combined 31 points, while Jake Pascual tossed in 10 markers and grabbed 9 rebounds. San Beda shot just 36% from the field, but their defense held firm, holding the Knights to just 27% FG shooting. They also managed to shackle Letran shooter Kevin Alas to just 11 markers on 5-of-21 shooting.

This was Beda’s third straight crown in the NCAA Seniors Division.

The Lions’ little brothers also copped the title in theJuniors Division, beating the San Sebastian Staglets in two games.

Senior Red Cub Javee Mocon was adjudged Finals MVP after averaging 12.5 points and 14.0 rebounds in the Championship series. RP-Youth Team members Arvin Tolentino and Andrei Caracut also did well for Beda as they normed 16.5ppg and 15.0ppg respectively in the Finals. Mocon, along with fellow graduating star player Van Abatayo, is reportedly headed for the Red Lions next season, while Tolentino, Caracut, and fellow RP-Youth stalwarts Rev Diputado and Ranbill Tongco all have one more year to continue powering the Red Cubs.

FEU-FERN nails UAAP Jrs title

Finally, the FEU-FERN Baby Tamaraws of coach Michael Oliver were able to annex the elusive UAAP Juniors title, thanks mainly to the cut-above-the-rest play of graduating guard Jerie Pingoy.

Pingoy led the Baby Tams in a vengeful sweep of the NU Bullpups a year after the Bullpups defeated Pingoy’s crew in the Season 74 Juniors Finals. Pingoy normed 21.0ppg, 6.5rpg, 5.5apg, and 4.0spg for FEU in this season's Finals. The Baby Tams escaped the Ateneo Blue Eaglets in the Final Four, 70-67, before going through the wringer in beating NU, 78-77, in Game One.

Game Two was, quite literally, a marathon match. FEU and NU battled through three overtimes before a champion was crowned. Pingoy once again led the way for FEU as he spearheaded a decisive 8-2 spurt in the third extra session that all but sealed the title for the Baby Tams. Pingoy was co-scoring leader for the entire division during the elimination round with 21.0ppg. He was tied with De La Salle-Zobel’s Renzo Subido, who’s tagged to be one of the breakout stars in next season’s Juniors wars.

Pingoy, meanwhile, is being wooed by several college programs, but the ones that have made the most noise are the FEU Tamaraws and the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

Ateneo bags the 5-peat

The Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles made history, exorcised their demons, and gave their decorated mentor a fitting farewell by copping their fifth straight UAAP Seniors Basketball crown after beating the UST Growling Tigers.

The Blue Eagles became the first ones to win five straight
Seniors basketball titles in the UAAP's Final Four era.
(image by Arvin Lim/UAAPSports.tv)

Super sophomore Kiefer Ravena led the Eagles’ drive for five in the championship-clinching second Finals game with 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, while the towering Greg Slaughter registered 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 rejections. Senior point guard Juami Tiongson also stepped up with 10 points, 3 assists, and 2 swipes, including the critical steal off a Tata Bautista pass in the endgame to close out the match.

UST, meanwhile, was led by graduating playmaker Jeric Fortuna, who finished with 20 points, 8 boards, and 6 dimes in his final UAAP game. Nobody else scored more than 9 points for the Growling Tigers, who were hoping for a repeat of their 2006 title journey against the Eagles.

With this win, Ateneo did what no other UAAP program has been able to do since the Final Four was instituted in the early ‘90s. They went one up on UST and DLSU, both of whom achieved rare four-peats, by annexing their fifth Seniors crown in a row. This became Ateneo’s eighth UAAP Seniors hoops crown overall.

UST wins PCCL crown

The Growling Tigers of coach Pido Jarencio exacted a significant measure of revenge on their UAAP Finals tormentors when UST beat Ateneo in Game 3 of the PCCL National Finals.

Jeric Teng drilled in 22 markers as the Tigers won their first PCCL national crown. He shot three of his five three-pointers in the pivotal fourth period as UST kept Ateneo at bay. Teng was also named Tournament MVP.

He was ably supported by Kevin Ferrer, who ended up with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. Ferrer typified the Tigers’ aggressiveness in the game, as UST outrebounded Ateneo, 47-32, which resulted in 21 second-chance points for the España crew.

Ryan Buenafe and Kiefer Ravena scored 20 points each to lead Ateneo’s losing cause. Had they won, the Eagles would have snared their fourth PCCL trophy.

LSGH tops Milo BEST

The future superstars of Philippine basketball were on display in the National Finals of the Milo BEST SBP (Small Basketeers of the Philippines) and Passerelle tournaments, with the La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) Junior Blazers emerging as champs in both divisions.

LSGH drubbed University of San Carlos, 60-49, in the SBP Division, while LSGH also beat the University of the Visayas, 83-77, in the Passerelle Division.

Shan Exequiel Vesagas and Miguel Alfonso Santos paired up for 27 points to lead the Junior Blazers in their SBP conquest. Neon Chavez finished with 13 points for USC, which was the favorite after going 3-0 in the round-robin semifinals.

The LSGH Greenies -- SBP Champions of 2012.
(image from the BEST Sports Center Facebook page)

In the Passerelle meet, Carlo Abadeza and Michael dela Cruz combined for 28 markers to lead LSGH in the title-clinching match. Dela Cruz’s triple in the dying seconds ensured the victory for the Greenies. Dave Cabanilla led the Baby Lancers of UV with a game-high 20 points.

The LSGH Greenies -- Passerelle Champions of 2012.
(image from the BEST Sports Center Facebook page)

We would all do well to keep tabs on those aforementioned names as they will surely make waves in the UAAP and NCAA wars in the next five years or so.

Coaching Carousel

Coach Pido Jarencio of UST and coach Ronnie Magsanoc of San Beda surprised many fans when they tendered their resignations after this year’s collegiate basketball season. They were, however, not the only ones who bid their respective schools and programs adieu.

Here’s a list of the coaches who, as of this writing, will no longer helm their respective teams:

- Coach Norman Black announced his decision to end hisstint in the UAAP and return to the PBA after Season 75.

- Coach Pido Jarencio steps down as UST mentor.

- Coach Ronnie Magsanoc resigns from being the San Beda Head Coach.

- Coach Bert Flores steps down after failing to steer the Tamaraws into the Final Four.

- Coach Allan Trinidad was removed from his post by the San Sebastian administration. As he departs, his Kampangan recruits have also reportedly bolted Baste.

- Coach Richard Del Rosario resigns as CSB’s Head Coach.

- Coach Chito Victolero resigns as Mapua’s Head Coach.

- Coach Louie Alas steps down as the Letran Knights’ head tactician.

MVP pulls out of… then returns to Ateneo

In what will certainly be remembered as one of the most bizarre turnarounds in the local sports scene, long-time Ateneo patron Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) completely detached himself from his alma mater after conflicting stances on sensitive social issues. This was, however, reversed a couple of months later with the announcement that Ateneo and MVP had mended their ties and have renewed their mutually fruitful partnership for the foreseeable future.

This is the last of a four-part “Top Basketball Stories of 2012” series. You may find the other parts (NBA, PBA, and International Basketball) by clicking here.

http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-top-uaap-ncaa-and-amateur.html

Friday's NBA roundup

BULLS 96, HEAT 89

MIAMI (AP) — Carlos Boozer scored 27 points and the Chicago Bulls dominated on the boards to become only the third visiting team to win in Miami this season, beating the Heat 96-89 Friday night.
Chicago outrebounded Miami 48-28. The Bulls had 19 offensive rebounds to four for the Heat.
The Eastern Conference-leading Heat fell to 15-3 at home. Their other home losses came against the Knicks and Warriors.
Miami’s LeBron James scored 30 points, extending his streaks of scoring at least 20 points to 31 consecutive games this season, and 52 games in a row overall when including last year’s playoff run. He has scored at least 25 in eight consecutive games.
The first meeting between the teams this season was a bruiser, and the Bulls repeatedly outfought and outfoxed Miami on the boards. The Heat had won four games this season when outrebounded by 15 or more, but this time the disparity beat them.

NETS 115, WIZARDS 113, 2OT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Johnson’s jumper with 0.7 seconds left in the second overtime lifted Brooklyn over Washington.
Bradley Beal’s two free throws tied the score at 113 with 9.1 seconds to play before Johnson, who had 18 points, hit the shot that improved Brooklyn to 4-1 under interim coach P.J. Carlesimo.
Brook Lopez had 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Nets, and Deron Williams added 24 points and 10 assists.
Beal had a career-high 24 points. Jordan Crawford scored 23 points and Nene, who fouled out in the first overtime, had 20 for Washington, which lost its fourth in a row and is now 4-27.
After Martell Webster’s jumper gave the Wizards a 106-104 lead to begin the second overtime, Gerald Wallace made a layup and Keith Bogans converted a three-point play and a layup for a 111-106 lead with 3:21 to play.
Beal hit a 3-pointer as the first overtime ended to tie the score at 104. It was the second time Washington extended the game at the horn. Nene hit a hook shot to tie it at 93 in regulation.

THUNDER 109, 76ERS 85

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Russell Westbrook scored 27 points, Kevin Durant added 26 and Oklahoma City bounced back from a rare home loss to beat Philadelphia.Oklahoma City made eight of its first 10 3-point attempts in the second half and never trailed after scoring the final five points before halftime.Serge Ibaka chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds and Kevin Martin had 16 points off the bench for the Thunder, who haven’t lost consecutive home games since dropping two of the first three to start the 2010-11 season.
Nick Young led Philadelphia with 21 points, and Jrue Holiday had 15 points and nine assists. The Sixers fell to 2-5 on their eight-game road trip, which started before Christmas and concludes Saturday night at San Antonio.

CAVALIERS 106, BOBCATS 104

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 33 points, including a pull-up jumper from the foul line with one second left, to lift Cleveland over Charlotte.
Irving had 14 of his team’s final 16 points and 26 points in the second half as the Cavaliers snapped a three-game losing streak.
Irving was 10 of 21 from the field and converted all 10 free throws while scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter. He also had six assists and five rebounds.
Tristan Thompson added 19 points and C.J. Miles added 18 for the Cavaliers.
Ben Gordon led Charlotte’s second-half charge, finishing with 27 points.
Ramon Sessions added 20 points and Gerald Henderson had 17, including a career-high four 3-pointers for the Bobcats, who have lost 19 of 20.

CELTICS 94, PACERS 75

BOSTON (AP) — Kevin Garnett scored 18 points before he was ejected for a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter, and the Celtics snapped a four-game losing streak.
Rajon Rondo added 18 points, seven assists and five rebounds for Boston, which had lost eight of 10 to fall a season-worst three games below .500. Garnett also had seven rebounds.
Tyler Hansbrough scored 19 points and David West and Roy Hibbert had 10 rebounds apiece for the Pacers. The Central Division leaders had won six of seven and nine of 11.
The Celtics used a 17-3 run in the second quarter to take control of the game.

PISTONS 85, HAWKS 94

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Austin Daye had a season-best 20 points and Detroit earned its fourth consecutive victory.The Hawks, who trailed by as many as 19, had the ball in the final seconds, but Andre Drummond blocked Lou Williams’ jumper at the buzzer to preserve the win.The Pistons have won six of seven overall, with the only loss coming in double overtime at Atlanta. The second unit has powered the surge, outscoring the starters in several games, and the reserves outscored Atlanta’s backups 41-14, led by Daye.
Josh Smith had 20 points for Atlanta, while Al Horford had 18 points and 15 rebounds.

TRAIL BLAZERS 86, GRIZZLIES 84

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Wesley Matthews scored 21 points, J.J. Hickson added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Portland beat Memphis.
Rudy Gay’s jumper from near the top of the key was off the mark, allowing the Trail Blazers to escape a closely played game that saw nine ties and 21 lead changes.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Portland, while Nicolas Batum and Damian Lillard added 11 points apiece, Lillard also handing out eight assists.
Marreese Speights had a season-high 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Grizzlies in place of Zach Randolph, who missed the game with flu-like symptoms. Gay had 19 points, but was 8 of 21 from the field.
Marc Gasol scored 12 points and had a career-best eight blocks. Darrell Arthur contributed 10 points off the Memphis bench.

KINGS 105, RAPTORS 96

TORONTO (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins scored a season-high 31 points and matched his career high with 20 rebounds, John Salmons scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and Sacramento beat Toronto.
Jason Thompson scored 14 points and Isaiah Thomas had 11 as the Kings won their second straight road game. Sacramento had gone 1-13 away from home before winning at Cleveland on Wednesday.
The Kings have won six of eight overall following their second five-game losing streak of the season.
Kyle Lowry scored 24 and Ed Davis had 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who came in having won eight of nine and a season-best five straight at home.
Alan Anderson scored 20, DeMar DeRozan had 14 and Jose Calderon added 13 for the Raptors.

JAZZ 87, SUNS 80

PHOENIX (AP) — Al Jefferson scored 21 points and Paul Millsap added 19 to lead the Utah Jazz past the slumping Phoenix Suns, 87-80 Friday night.
Gordon Hayward added 14 points off the bench for the Jazz, who have won consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 5 - 12.
Utah was without center Enes Kanter, who sprained his right ankle in a win Wednesday against Minnesota.
Marcin Gortat had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix. Goran Dragic added 17 points, but only six after the first quarter.
Utah’s bench outscored Phoenix’s reserves 32-14.
Randy Foye gave the Jazz the lead for good, 47-44, on a 3-pointer with 9:41 left in the third quarter. Four minutes later, Jefferson scored six straight points to key a 14-2 run that stretched Utah’s lead to 65-52.
Phoenix pulled no closer than seven the rest of the way.

Clippers 107, Lakers 102

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Paul had 30 points and 13 assists, Blake Griffin added 24 points, and the Los Angeles Clippers led all the way in beating the Lakers 107-102 on Friday night.
Kobe Bryant scored 38 points and Dwight Howard had 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who lost for the second time this season to their Staples Center co-tenants.
Bryant carried the Lakers in the fourth quarter when they closed to 99-97 on his 23-foot jumper with 1:29 left. But Paul scored the Clippers’ final eight points to seal the victory and drop the Lakers two games below .500. The Clippers lead the Lakers by 10 games in the standings.
The Clippers had dropped two consecutive road games earlier in the week, when their 17-game winning streak was snapped.

Rockets 115, Bucks 101

MILWAUKEE (AP) — James Harden scored 29 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 115-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
Harden shot 11 of 18 from the floor to go with seven assists and four steals for Houston, which has won 10 of its last 13 games.
The Rockets, who shot 54 percent from the field, also got 22 points from Carlos Delfino in his return to Milwaukee. He played for the Bucks from 2009-12 before signing with Houston as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Milwaukee equaled a season high by losing its third game in a row despite 16 points from Brandon Jennings.


http://www.statesmanjournal.com/viewart/20130105/SPORTS/301050021/Friday-s-NBA-roundup

2012 PBA Philippine Cup Semifinals Roundup: December 27-28, 2012 AND The Top Stories of 2012

San Mig Coffee survived Game 5 against the Elasto-Painters, while the Tropang Texters found a way to neutralize the Aces. Both series will end in 2013.

Feel free to read the nicely-written game recaps by Rey Joble further down in this post. For now, however, let’s look back at the year that was and the biggest news bits from PBA.

Powerade and Rain or Shine -- Rise of theUnderdogs: In the 2010-2011 season, the Coca-Cola/Powerade Tigers and the Rain or Shine Elasto-Painters combined for a total of just 25 wins out of 71 games. Not a lot of people were expecting them to burst through the 2011-2012 season as title contenders, but that’s exactly what they were able to do.

Bolstered by the entry of several impressive rookies, Marcio Lassiter and JV Casio of Powerade and Paul Lee of ROS, both teams advanced deep into the 2011-2012 Philippine Cup Playoffs by eliminating higher-seeded opponents. They then faced off in the semifinals, which went all the way to seven games. The Tigers, led by the sniping of veteran Gary David, won the rubber match, 107-98, to barge into the Finals opposite the powerhouse Talk N Text squad. The Tigers eventually lost to the deeper Texters, but their emergence did not go unnoticed. The Tigers were to be a feared team all throughout the rest of the season.

Gary David caught fire throughout the whole 2011-2012
season of the PBA.

In contrast, the Painters’ semifinal exit seemed to light a fire in them that burned brightly and culminated in their glory-filled 2012 Governors’ Cup run. Coach Yeng Guiao’s crew, backstopped by Best Import winner Jamelle Cornley, won all but one game in the eliminations before advancing outright to the Championship round with a 10-4 slate after the semis.

Facing the Painters were the B-Meg Llamados, and it was a Championship series to remember. ROS went up 3-1 after beating B-Meg, 94-89, in Game Four, but the Llamados surged in the next two matches to force a Game Seven. Cornely led the Painters in this deciding encounter with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Jeff Chan emerged as the Finals MVP.

The leaders of Powerade and ROS – Gary David, Gabe Norwood, and Jeff Chan – were eventually assimilated into the revamped Smart-Gilas roster that won the 2012 Jones Cup. Strangely enough, the Tigers eventually blew up their roster (see below) by trading away Marcio Lassiter, JV Casio, and Sean Anthony, but the Painters remained solid moving into the new PBA season.

B-Meg and Denzel Bowles: Denzel Bowles wasn’t the most well-known import in the 2012 Commissioner’s Cup, but when the dust settled after Game Seven of the Finals against TNT, Bowles became a household name. Some were even clamoring for him to be naturalized as a potential replacement for the aging Marcus Douthit.

This was all warranted, of course, as Bowles bowled over (puns are fun!) the fans with his grit and undying effort. He was one of the youngest imports in that conference and yet he played with such poise. The former James Madison University Duke Dog hit two pressure-packed free throws at the end of regulation to send Game Seven to overtime, where he poured in 11 points to seal the Llamados’ stirring comeback.

Ever the emotional young buck, Bowles had this to say after clinching the title, “I’ve never been in this situation before, but these shots were the biggest shots of my career. I’m glad that I got an opportunity to win a championship. I know my mom is crying now, because this victory is a breakthrough for my family.”

Retiring #7: A true legend will always command the respect of the people around him, no matter the gap in status or generation. That was manifested in the jersey number retirement ceremony honoring former Senator and Ginebra icon Robet Jaworski last July 8. From that point on, no other player will be allowed to wear #7 – a sign of respect for the achievements put forth by Jaworski in his storied career.

During the ceremony, it was crystal clear how Jawo was still capable of putting everyone under his spell. As my colleague, Josiah Albelda of Rebound Magazine and Rappler.com, observed, “a male fan shouted ‘I love you’ while Jawo was taking the stage, and he fired back with his own ‘I love you, too.’” Needless to say, the fans erupted in cheer and laughter.

Only the Living Legend, Robert Jaworski, can get away with something like that.

Mark Caguioa is MVP: In some ways, we can consider Caguioa the successor to Jawo’s Ginebra kingship. Like Jawo, Caguioa is a supremely gifted baller, and, though he is nowhere near Jawo’s level in terms of charisma, he still has a big enough personality to keep the Ginebra fans loyal.

Nicknamed “The Spark,” Caguioa has had a colorful career studded with awards and citations, including being recognized as the 2001 Rookie-of-the-Year, but the one thing that has always escaped him is being named Most Valuable Player.

Until 2012, when he was named the PBA's 2011-2012 Season MVP.

Though his team never made it past the semifinals of any conference last season, Caguioa put up great numbers, norming 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 41 games for Ginebra. He joined fellow MVP hopefuls Gary David, James Yap, Arwind Santos, and Ranidel De Ocampo in the PBA’s Mythical First Team.

*Trades and More Trades: Several blockbuster deals made heads turn in the middle of 2012:

- January 27, 2012: B-MEG received Gin Kings forward JC Intal and a 2012 2nd round pick from Barako Bull. Ginebra got Llamados forward Kerby Raymundo and Energy rookie Dylan Ababou. Barako Bull ended up with Gin Kings veteran Ronald Tubid and rookie Reil Cervantes, as well as a second round draft pick in 2014 from Ginebra.

- April 20, 2012: In a surprising move, the Powerade Tigers sent Celino Cruz and Marcio Lassiter to Petron while they received 2011 Rookie of the Year Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Rey Guevarra, and Lordy Tugade. This was the first peculiar step in Powerade blowing up its core.

- August 31, 2012: Alaska, Barako Bull, Barangay Ginebra, new team Global Port, and Petron Blaze were involved in a five-team trade that sent LA Tenorio to Ginebra, JV Casio and Dondon Hontiveros to Alaska, Willie Miller to Global Port, Hans Thiele and Wesley Gonzales to Petron Blaze, and Enrico Villanueva to Barako Bull. With Casio and Lassiter out of Powerade, along with Doug Kramer, Sean Anthony, and coach Bo Perasol, the Tigers, now renamed the Global Port Batang Pier, were to start the new season composed mostly of new personnel.

*information adapted from the PBA’s Wikipedia pages.

Power rookies -- Fajardo, Abueva, and Hodge: A 6’10 behemoth from Cebu, a beastly triple-double machine from the NCAA, and an athletic combo forward from the NLEX Road Warriors – these were the three juiciest picks that made PBA observers really excited during the 2012 PBA Draft.

When August 19’s draft ended, June Mar Fajardo of the Asean Basketball League’s San Miguel Beermen became the top overall pick and went to Petron. Calvin Abueva of the San Sebastian Stags, a do-it-all monster nicknamed “The Beast,” went to the Alaska Aces as the #2 pick. Cliff Hodge, the high-flying former NLEX Road Warrior and Sinag-Pilipinas stalwart, was drafted 4^th overall after Petron surprisingly chose Alex Mallari at #3.

Hodge started the season as the most productive rookie, until Abueva finally donned the Alaska jersey and HE took over the #1 rookie spot. Fajardo’s performance has been inconsistent, and he was hobbled by injury, but the consensus is he could be the next great big man in the PBA.

Japeth to the NBA D-League: Japeth Aguilar, a former #1 pick in the PBA, was selected by the Sta. Cruz Warriors in the seventh round of the 2012 NBA D-League Draft. This caused quite a stir among local hoop nuts, since it was the first time a Filipino was ever chosen in the D-League. Most people became hopeful and supportive of Japeth, but there were a few who expressed doubts about his skills and whether he was turning his back on the PBA or National Team duties for the sake of the NBA dream.

In the end, Japeth fell short of cracking the final roster of the Warriors, though they did make him a practice player. Just recently, he was named by Gilas coach Chot Reyes as one of the members of the team that would be sent to Dubai and Hong Kong for the national team’s preparatory tournaments, but Japeth instead chose to take his chances and face the possibility of playing in Europe.

PBA grows and grows: At the formal launch of the PBA’s 38^th season, Commissioner Chito Salud said, “We had quite a year behind us. We are looking forward, and we are optimistic to sustain the gains we had in the previous season.”

What gains? Take a look:

- The league grossed Php 114 million in gate receipts alone.

- The attendance figures for the PBA games went up significantly, culminating in the more than 21,000 people who watched Game 7 of the PBA Governors’ Cup.

- The league seems to have more parity, with four teams vying in the three different Conference Finals – Powerade, Rain or Shine, B-Meg, and Talk N Text. Eight of the ten clubs were able to see semifinals action in at least one conference, and all teams except the Shopinas.com Clickers/Air 21 Express were able to advance past a conference’s elimination round at least once.

All these bits of information reveal one thing: the PBA’s glory days are back!

This is the second in a series of posts chronicling the “Top Stories of 2012.” The NBA’s top stories may be found here, while those for FIBA and local amateur ball will follow soon!

Game Recaps:

SAN MIG COFFEE MIXERS  over RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO-PAINTERS, 79-67

San Mig Coffee’s campaign in the Philippine Cup wouldn’t be ending in 2012.

With their backs against the wall, the Mixers grinded out a 79-67 victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their last game of the calendar year Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena to stay alive in their best-of-seven Philippine Cup series.

“The New Year’s celebration is the farthest thing from our minds right now,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.

The win cut down San Mig Coffee’s series deficit, 3-2, and the Mixers did it despite missing James Yap for most of the game due to foul trouble.

The San Mig Coffee superstar was limited to just two points after playing just 23 minutes. He picked up his fourth and fifth fouls in quick succession with still more than nine minutes left in the third quarter, and did not check in until the 5:32 mark of the fourth quarter, when San Mig was already up, 71-62.

The rest of the Mixers stepped up with their main man out of commission. Joe Devance top-scored with 20 points, while Marc Pingris posted 18 points and 10 rebounds. Peter June Simon and Mark Barroca took care of the perimeter game for San Mig Coffee in Yap’s absence, scoring 16 and 11 points, respectively.

“They really dug deep, they played heavy, heavy minutes,” said Cone.

Pingris, Simon, and Barroca each played at least 41 minutes, with Devance logging 37.

Without its top offensive weapon, San Mig Coffee turned to defense, limiting Rain or Shine to just 32.9 percent shooting from the field. Only one Elasto Painter, Larry Rodriguez, scored in double figures with 14 points.

Rain or Shine’s top guns were silent from the field, with Paul Lee shooting 3-of-12 and Jeff Chan, 1-of-8.

Cone said San Mig Coffee’s only focus would be winning Game Six, which is set on Thursday, January 3, at the same venue.

“They beat us twice in a row. And we believe we can beat them twice in a row,” he said.

SMC 79 – Devance 20, Pingris 18, Simon 16, Barroca 11, Reavis 6, Villanueva 3, Gonzales 3, Yap 2, Intal 0.

ROS 67 – Rodriguez 14, Cruz 9, Lee 8, Ibanes 8, Matias 7, Norwood 5, Belga 4, Quinahan 4, Tang 3, Chan 3, Tiu 2, Arana 0.

QS: 17-15, 31-29, 52-50, 79-67

Marc Pingris stepped up big time when James Yap
was sidelined with foul trouble.

Larry Rodriguez, James Yap, and Gabe Norwood will
all meet again in Game 6.

TALK N TEXT TROPANG TEXTERS  over ALASKA ACES, 99-95

Talk ‘N Text used an explosive second quarter before holding steady in crunch time to defeat Alaska, 99-95, in Game Five of their Philippine Cup semifinals series Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Tropang Texters moved one game away from making their third straight appearance in the Philippine Cup finals, posting a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The two-time defending champions broke loose in the second quarter, scoring 35 points to turn a tight game into a 55-43 spread at the half. Ranidel De Ocampo, Larry Fonacier, and Jimmy Alapag combined for 25 points over that stretch.

But Alaska stayed within striking distance for most of the second half, cutting the deficit to eight points, 79-71, at the end of the third quarter on a three-pointer by Dondon Hontiveros.

The Aces made their final move late, cutting the lead to just three points, 98-95, after a 7-1 run capped by a putback by Gabby Espinas.

“They have a lot of fight, they don’t give up,” said Talk ‘N Text coach Norman Black.

Alaska rebounded a Ranidel De Ocampo miss in the ensuing play, but Calvin Abueva committed a crucial turnover with eight seconds left.

Jayson Castro then hit one of two free throws to push the lead to two possessions, 99-95, and Talk ‘N Text held on for a stop in Alaska’s final play.

Ryan Reyes had 15 points to lead the balanced Talk ‘N Text attack that saw nine players score at least eight points.

Abueva led Alaska with 19 points and 11 rebounds, but the Tropang Texters hounded Alaska’s top gun JVee Casio to just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting.

Talk ‘N Text has a chance to clinch the series in Game Six set Friday, January 4, at Cuneta Astrodome. Black said his team is looking forward to the long holiday break between games.

“We have the older team, so I think it might help us more,” said Black.

TNT 99 – Reyes 15, De Ocampo 13, Fonacier 12, Dillinger 11, Alapag 11, Williams 10, Carey 10, Castro 9, Peek 8, Raymundo 0, Aban 0.

ALA 95 – Abueva 19, Baguio 14, Espinas 13, Baracael 12, Jazul 11, Thoss 10, Casio 8, Hontiveros 6, Belasco 2, Reyes 0, Dela Cruz 0.

QS: 20-20, 55-43, 79-71, 99-95

Calvin Abueva slipped up in Game 5, but he and the Aces
are sure to come back strong in Game 6.

Ryan Reyes led the way as the Texters move just
a win away from a Finals spot.

Source: Unless otherwise specified, game recaps were compressed and compiled from InterAKTV. (Writing credit to Rey Joble.)

Images: All images are from InterAKTV. (Photo credit to Nuki Sabio, Pranz Kaeno Billones, and Paul Ryan Tan) 

http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/2012/12/2012-pba-philippine-cup-semifinals_30.html