ALL WEEK long following the May 13 polls, I spent my time gathering the names of athletes past and present and people connected to sports one way or the other who ran for a post in the just concluded elections.
Hot start, cold start—it really didn’t matter. Alaska still has complete mastery of Barangay Ginebra. The Aces wiped away an early seven-point deficit with ease and all but crushed the spirits of the Gin Kings with a 104-90 win last night in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup title playoffs at Mall of Asia Arena.
CALVIN Abueva took charge in the fourth quarter, spearheading an Alaska comeback for an 83-78 victory over San Mig Coffee at Smart Araneta Coliseum that dethroned the Mixers and sent the Aces to the Finals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
WHOEVER said that the Shanghai Sharks were here in Manila to spread goodwill and play a couple of friendly games with local teams, didn’t know what he was talking about.
PLAYING in a do-or-die game for the third time in close to a month, Barangay Ginebra did what it is traditionally very good at: Survive.
All for the fans. Gilas-Pilipinas, the national five tasked to take the country back to the World Basketball scene, and a PBA All-Star Selection made up of superstars who are just as talented as the nationals, clash in the centerpiece game of the All-Star Week today at Davao Del Sur Coliseum here.
Chris Ellis, Barangay Ginebra’s creative high-flyer, won the PBA All-Star Week’s Slam Dunk title as expected—but worked hard to pull it off last night.
COMING out with boundless energy, Barangay Ginebra made Talk ‘N Text look truly ugly on this one. After yielding the first bucket of the game, the Gin Kings dropped one blitzkrieg after another and bombed the Tropang Texters back to the stone age, 104-81, to take a 1-0 lead in their Cebuana Lhuillier PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series.
IT WAS mere curiosity that prompted me to touch base early this week with Talk ‘N Text coach Norman Black and Rain or Shine team owner Raymond Yu.
JV CASIO delivered key baskets in the stretch and helped Alaska salvage an 87-81 victory over Air21 last night that gave the elimination round topnotcher Aces the first Final Four seat in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
ERIC Dawson took over for Meralco at the crunch last night and keyed an 88-85 decision of San Mig Coffee that moved the Bolts within another quarterfinal win of dethroning the Mixers from the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
BRUNO Sundov caught fire early in the third quarter, fueling Rain or Shine’s wire-to-wire 106-97 victory over Barako Bull at Smart Araneta Coliseum last night and assure the Elasto Painters of at least a playoff for the second twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
SWEETER the second time around. Alaska overhauled a bigger Rain or Shine deficit this time and then completed another miraculous comeback without an import in the final 3:20 for an 89-84 overtime win that all but gave the Aces a twice-to-beat edge in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs.
