OFFICIAL PBA THREAD

VILLANUEVA, YEO P40,000 POORER DUE TO SCUFFLE
Enrico fined P10,000 more for game incident
Wednesday, 29 November 2006


PBA commissioner Noli Eala yesterday meted Enrico Villanueva and Joseph Yeo P40,000 fine each in the aftermath of what he described was a "regrettable incident" involving the league's two young stars.


Eala handed out his decision after the fact-finding team which he heads had completed a thorough inquiry that included hearing the versions of the two protagonists as well as the testimonies of several witnesses to the incident.

Through a letter served to the two stars, the commissioner emphasized that he chose not to dwell on the conflicting testimonies on who instigated the incident but the fact "remains clear and undeniable that you (Villanueva and Yeo) committed acts unbecoming of a professional player and detrimental to the values being espoused by the league."

Apparently, that explains why he imposed the same sanction to the two temperamental players.

Villanueva and Yeo figured in a brawl at the Araneta Coliseum parking lot on November 19,2006 in full view of the public. The scuffle took place after Villanueva's Red Bull Barakos defeated Yeo's Coca-Cola Tigers, 95-67.

Eala also slapped Villanueva an additional P10,000 fine for a flagrant foul he committed on Yeo with 2.3 seconds left in the second quarter of their game.

PBA technical chief Perry Martinez said the offense drew a non-call from the game officials but a review of the tape clearly showed the offense Villanueva committed.

"It's unfortunate the act was inadvertently not caught by the referees. Nevertheless, there have been precedents in the past in relation to imposing fines and penalties in this league that acts committed by any player during a game, even if not penalized during the actual game, may be subject to sanctions thereafter," Martinez said.
 
RED BULL WHIPS TALK N TEXT IN FIGHT-MARRED GAME
Guiao, TNT team manager ejecteded berating the Red Bull mentor.

The two then exchanged words and yelled at each other, emptying both benches.

After cooler heads prevailed, both Guiao and Lim were ejected from the game.

Just before the confrontation, Guiao was assessed this first technical when he entered the court following a similar verbal altercation between Sharma and Asi Tualava. The two players were also slapped a technical each.

The boys showed a lot of mental toughness. They followed the game plan despite the distractions, said Guiao afterwards.

The Barakos went on with their business and easily put the skirmishes behind.

Leo Najorda was the most focused Barako during that stretch, scoring eight of his 11 points to power Red Bull to a 51-41 lead at the half.

The Pals never recovered from there even as Red Bull played full throttle until the final buzzer with the final score turning out to be the biggest lead of the game.

Talk `N Text managed to score just 16 points in the fourth quarter and last made a basket with 2:13 left and the outcome already settled, 76-95.

The win kept our chances alive for an outright semis berth, noted Guiao whose team notched its third win in their last four games.

Taulava finished with 20 points to pace the Pals, whose second loss in their last three games put them at an even 7-7 record, which virtually kissed goodbye their bid to make the semis outright.

The Barakos completely outplayed the Pals in virtually all major departments, outrebounding them by 70-55 and dishing off more assists 28-13.

The Pals, who also missed the services of Don Allado who was preparing for his wedding Friday, also committed 21 turnovers compared to the 10 of the Barakos.

The scores:

Red Bull 104 Villanueva 13, Baguio 13, Robinson 12, Najorda 11, Sharma 10, Pennisi 9, Valenzuela 8, Bugia 8, Fonacier 7, Cruz 6, Alvarez 4, Ybanez 3.

Talk `N Text 76 Taulava 20, Alapag 15, Carey 17, Ritualo 10, Washington 8, Belano 6, Cardona 3, Pablo 2, Andaya 0, Fran 0.

Quarterscores: 23-21, 51-41, 78-61, 104-76.
 
GINEBRAS FAST & FURIOUS DUO SCORCHES AIR21
Kings battle back from 16 points down to beat Express and grab solo lead and took the games biggest lead at 72-56 on a basket by Yancy de Ocampo with 6:41 to go in the third quarter.

But they couldnt handle the lead properly and it slowly slipped away due to carelessness and bad decision-making.

Their eighth loss in 14 games formally ended the Express bid for an outright semis slot and could have even jeopardized their chances of making the quarterfinals outright.

Barangay Ginebra trailed by 84-90 when the Kings went on a 10-0 run. Salvation ended that run by sinking five straight free throws that put the Kings ahead for the first time, 94-90, with 7:45 left.

Air21 rookie Arwind Santos tied the count at 97 with 4:36 to go but Menk scored over Santos in the next play and Helterbrand hit a free throw for a three-point Ginebra lead.

The Express, who have now alternated wins and losses in their last nine games, had several chances to overhaul the deficit but blew it on bad plays and poor shot selection.

Gary David scored 28 points to lead Air21 while Wynne Arboleda added 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The scores:

Barangay Ginebra 116 Caguioa 35, Helterbrand 25, Menk 15, Hatfield 13, Reavis 10, Salvacion 8, Macapagal 6, Tubid 2, Abarrientos 2, Holper 0, Mamaril 0.

Air21 105 David 28, Arboleda 21, Canaleta 16, de Ocampo Y. 10, Santos 9, Telan 8, de Ocampo R. 7, Dimaunahan 3, Avenido 3, Sotto 0, Bernardo 0.

Quarterscores: 26-30, 48-54, 81-81, 116-105.
 
BIG MEN CARRY TALK N TEXT OVER STA LUCIA
Taulava Washington combo overpowers rivalsing gate and left the Realtors eating their dust.

It was 30-14 after one quarter, and following a highlight-reel alley-oop pass by Jimmy Alapag to Jay Washington, the lead suddenly ballooned to 47-23 six minutes before halftime.

There was no turning back for the Phone Pals from there.

Weve been lacking consistency. Thats what Ive been preaching to my team, consistency, said coach Derick Pumaren, whose team was coming off an embarrassing 76-104 loss to Red Bull in a road game in Tacloban City just three nights before.

Hopefully with this win, we can play consistent basketball.

Asi Taulava had a season-high 31 points, 12 rebounds and three block shots in the Phone Pals eighth win in 15 outings, keeping the teams hopes for an automatic semis spot alive.

Washington, last years No. 1 overall draft pick, finished with a career-high 24 markers and 17 rebounds, as he got the better end of his match up with 2006 top rookie Kelly Williams, who wound up with only seven points but collected 13 off the boards.

Sta. Lucia lost back-to-back games for the first time this season and failed to keep pace with Barangay Ginebra at the top of the leaderboard. The Realtors instead fell to a three-way tie for second with Red Bull and San Miguel, all with similar 9-5 cards.

But the Realtors, playing with a patch of black ribbon on their jerseys following the death of one of their corporate lawyers Saturday, tried to mount a second half rally, and almost succeeded after coach Alfrancis Chua fielded in a small but quicker unit.

What stood as a 20-point Talk N Text third quarter lead was suddenly cut to six, 94-88, following a basket by Williams with four minutes left.

Thats the closest the Realtors would get, though.

Taulava doused off the rally by completing a three-point play and Mac Cardona scored on a jumper for a 5-0 Phone Pals bomb and a 99-88 lead in the final 1:48 of the game.

Paolo Mendoza led the Realtors losing cause with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc.

The scores:

Talk N Text 109 Taulava 31, Washington 24, Harvey 14, Cardona 12, Ritualo 12, Alapag 7, Allado 7, Pablo 2, Fran 0, Belano 0.

Sta. Lucia 96 Mendoza 16, Isip 14, Omolon 11, Cabagnot 10, Espino 10, Williams 7, Bughao 7, Catli 6, Duremdes 5, Calimag 4, Aquino 4, Gonzales 2.

Quarterscores: 30-14; 55-38; 84-64; 109-96.
 
GUIAOLIM CONFRONTATION TACKLED IN TUESDAY CONFERENCE
Team officials to face heavy sanctions?
Tuesday, 05 December 2006

Whether Yeng Guiao will be able to call the shots Wednesday depends on the verdict of PBA commissioner Noli Eala, who has summoned the Red Bull coach as well as Talk N Text team manager Frankie Lim to a conference Tuesday afternoon.

The commissioner, who will attend to the two officials separately, would like to hear what drove them to lose their temper to the extent of challenging each other to a fight in full view of the public last Thursday.

The embarrassing incident that took place at the spanking new Tacloban Convention Center marred the Red Bull-TNT game that saw both teams empty their benches. The Barakos eventually won the game, 104-76.

Eala, who was on hand when the two officials confronted each other, has instructed Lim to appear at 2 oclock at the PBA office while Guiao takes his turn at 2:30 p.m.

The commissioner also invited TNT star center Asi Taulava and Red Bull reserve slotman Carlo Sharma, who took cheap shots at each other in the second quarter of the game.

Apparently, that led to the incident involving Guiao and Lim, who were both ejected from the court.

Under league rules, an ejection means an automatic one-game suspension for a player.

That rule doesnt apply to coaches but that doesnt mean coaches cant be suspended, said Perry Martinez, the leagues technical chief.

The Barakos, who are in contention for an outright semifinal spot in the 2006-07 Talk n Text PBA Philippine Cup, face the hardluck Welcoat Dragons Wednesday.
 
CRACKDOWN ORDERED FOR MISBEHAVING PLAYERS & OFFICIALS
Stricter implementation of conduct watch necessary Ealaed to clamp down on all "inappropriate behavior" by players and team officials.

In the investigation conducted by the PBA probe team headed by commissioner Noli Eala, it was found out that Guiao and Lim traded blows at the height of their tirade in full view of a sellout crowd which came to watch the Red Bull TNT game at the Tacloban Convention Center. The Barakos won, 104-76.

The confrontation between the two officials overshadowed the offense of TNT center Asi Taulava and Red Bull reserve forward Carlo Sharma, who took cheap shots against each other in the second quarter of the game.

For their antics, Taulava was fined P1,600 while Sharma, a first-time offender, was slapped P1,000 in fines.

Eala said the behavior displayed by Guiao and Lim were "unacceptable" and he showed his displeasure by slapping the two officials with a two-game suspension. Guiao was also fined P65,000 and Lim P50,000.

Altogether, the total fines amounted to P597,600, including those meted on the 15 players and 18 team personnel who rushed onto the court at the height of the GuiaoLim confrontation.

"Under PBA rules, players who come within the vicinity of the commotion will be fined P20,000 while non-players will be slapped P10,000," said Perry Martinez, the PBA's technical head.

Other personalitries who were fined from TNT were Anthony Washington, Jimmy Alapag, Harvey Carey, Patrick Fran, Victor Pablo, Taulava, coach Derrick Pumaren, assistants Tonichi Yturri, Bong Ramos, Ferdinand Ravena and Agustin Tiongco and team personnel Ahmed Baylen, Eugene Hermosa, Julius Ipo and Cedar Destura.

From the Red Bull side, those who were slapped with fines were Leo Najorda, Celino Cruz, Larry Fonacier, Junthy Valenzuela, Sharma, Cyrus Baguio, Warren Ybanez, Enrico Villanueva, assistant coaches Roehl Nadurata, Rudy Hines and Gelacio Abanilla, team physician John Lim, assistant team manager Jay Llanos Dee and team personnel Elmer Bola-Bola, Edgar Fernandez, Marlon Celis and Dominador Deocareza.

The Tacloban scuffle came barely three weeks after Red Bull center Rico Villanueva and Coca-Cola rookie guard Joseph Yeo mixed it up at the parking lot of the Araneta Coliseum.

Apparently, Eala had had enough of these acts that threaten to tarnish the image of the PBA at a time when the league is drawing its fans back.

"I want to announce that because of this incident, including the past incidents involving player altercations and other matters involving coaches complaining on court and showing actuations that really are not becoming of head coaches, the PBA will now start clamping down on inappropriate behavior like this on court," Eala proclaimed.

The league commissioner said that at the beginning of the conference, he and his technical staff talked to the coaches and gave them the opportunity to air their complaints and clarifications with the referees while the game is on-going.

"At the beginning of the season, we gave them that leeway to seek clarification from the refs, hoping that it will bridge the gap between the coaches and the officials. However, we feel the privilege has been abused by some coaches at this time," Eala observed.

Eala said the "conduct watch" will also be strictly implemented on players as well as team personnel.

"So starting immediately we will once again become strict on coaches conduct. They can still seek clarification with the referees but in a manner that is becoming of a head coach as well as in a manner that will not be antagonistic with the officials," he continued.

"If they do not do that, then the referees will be given instructions to maintain discipline to make sure order is in place. We really feel this is necessary this time."
 
STRONG SECOND HALF POWERS AIR21 PAST RED BULL
Yancy stands tallest for Express who defeat Barakos a second time and beat the Red Bull Barakos, 92-89, Friday night in an exciting Talk N Text-PBA Philippine Cup encounter at the jampacked Ynares Center.



"I was so disappointed with our performance (in the first half). We were not rebounding, we were not defending and we couldn't match their energy," said Perasol. "So I told them if they can't play well enough perhaps it would be better for us not to return for the second half because we'll just get embarrassed."



Perasol's word of wisdom worked like magic for the Express, who showed up for the second half like wounded tigers.



The Express seized control of the game in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter using a 15-2 run which turned a 68-71 third quarter deficit into an 81-73 lead.



Yancy de Ocampo, who shot 9-of-15 from the field, also grabbed 11 rebounds for a double-double effort in the 33 minutes of action while Gary David scored 15 points and Ranidel de Ocampo added 14 for the Express, who made it 2-0 over the Barakos this conference.



With their seventh win in 15 games, Air 21 remained in seventh place in the team standings and probably still in contention for an outright quarterfinals spot but the Express fate may no longer be entirely in its hands.



I really don't know if we could still make it to the quarters outright. I'm just hoping that we could continue performing at a high energy level so we could have a better record should we land in the wildcard," Perasol said.



The top two teams after the classification phase advance to the semifinals outright while the third, fourth and fifth-ranked teams move on to the quarterfinals. The teams finishing at Nos. 6, 7, 8 and 9 go through a single round-robin format to determine the fourth and last quarterfinalist with their classification records carried over. The last-placed team after the classification phase will be eliminated.



Looking to bolster their bid for an outright semifinal berth, the Barakos controlled the game in the opening half with Enrico Villanueva, Celino Cruz, Mick Pennisi and Cyrus Baguio doing the damage.

But in an unexpected twist, they experienced offensive meltdown in the second half with the worse part coming in the fourth quarter which saw them making just 6-of-21 of their attempts from the field for woeful 28 percent shooting.

Red Bull played again without head coach Yeng Guiao, who served out the second of a two-game suspension as a result of that incident he had with Talk N Text team manager Frankie Lim in their game in Tacloban City Thursday last week.

Four straight points by Villanueva, who led Red Bull with 16 points and 14 rebounds, pulled the Barakos to within 81-85 with 4:12 remaining.



But Yancy de Ocampo answered with a three-pointer and Ranidel de Ocampo and Wynne Arboleda added a basket each as Air 21 stretched the lead to 11, giving the Express enough cushion to survive Red Bull's last ditch rally.



Rich Alvarez scored 13 points and had 10 rebounds while Junthy Valenzuela added 13 for the Barakos, who dropped to a 10-6 record.

The scores:

Air21 92 de Ocampo Y. 20, David 15, de Ocampo R. 14, Telan 12, Arboleda 11, Dimaunahan 9, Avenido 5, Canaleta 4, Santos 2, Sotto 0, Bernardo 0.

Red Bull 89 Villanueva 16, Alvarez 13, Valenzuela 12, Cruz 11, Pennisi 11, Sharma 10, Baguio 7, Robinson 4, Najorda 2, Ybanez 2, Fonacier 1, Bugia 0.

Quarterscores: 28-24, 45-53, 68-71, 92-89.
 
PUREFOODS NIPS SLR IN OVERTIME
Old reliables Castillo & Limpot deliver big baskets for Giants
Saturday, 09 December 2006

ANTIPOLO City The Purefoods Chunkee Giants went to two of their most senior players when their talented core of young turks couldnt deliver.


Noy Castillo and Jun Limpot scored eight of the teams last nine points in overtime to power the defending champion Giants to a thrilling 103-101 win over the Sta. Lucia Realtors in a wild-and-wooly game of the 2006-07 Talk N Text PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center here Friday night.

Castillo knocked in back-to-back three-pointers late in the overtime period while Limpot scored on an undergoal stab that gave Purefoods enough cushion to put away the tightly-fought encounter.

The man they refer to as the Golden Boy had the Midas touch from three-point range, connecting on 4-of-5 shots to finish with 14 points all in the second half.

The 36-year-old Limpot, on the other hand, only had eight points in the win that allowed Purefoods to tie Sta. Lucia at fourth place and bolstered its bid for an outright semis berth.

Both the Giants and Realtors have 9-6 records, with the latter having dropped their last three assignments.

After drilling a trey that knotted the count for the 17th and last time at 97-97, Castillo banged in another one from the same spot, shoving the Giants in front for good, 100-98, with a minute and a half left.

After Dennis Espino missed at the other end, Limpot answered back with his own basket as Purefoods appeared to have the game wrapped up with a four-point lead in the final nine seconds.

Or so many people thought.

That was until Kenneth Duremdes knocked in a crucial three-pointer in a two-second span to cut the lead to 101-102.

The door was even left open for a possible Sta. Lucia win after Purefoods guard James Yap was called for an eight-second violation while about to make the backend of his free throws. The violation gave the Giants a shaky 103-101 lead four seconds to go.

Opting to go for a game-winning shot, the Realtors set up Paolo Mendoza for a long trey that was way off the mark.

Kerby Raymundo led all Purefoods scorers with 19 points, but badly missed in the Giants final play in regulation that could have won it for the team. Peter Simon added 13 while three others also finished in double figures for the reigning champions.

Regulation ended at 88-all on a split from the line by Espino in the last 16 seconds.

Espino had 21 points to show the way for the Realtors. Duremdes finished with 20 and rookie Kelly Williams finished with 18, including the nights highlight reel, a powerful follow up jam off a miss by Nelbert Omolon midway in the third quarter and Sta. Lucia leading, 64-59.

The first half was just as tightly fought.

No team led by as many as six and the score was tied four times in the last three minutes before the break.

It was 43-all at halftime as Espino converted on two free throws

The Giants appeared to have gained momentum when they took a 37-31 lead with five minutes to go in the second period. But the Realtors quickly erased the deficit by scoring six straight points to knot the count at 37.

Purefoods made up for its lack of size by outscoring Sta. Lucia from the perimeter in the first half, 11-4, but the Realtors bench outplayed their Giants counterpart, 13-4, to level things up.

The scores:

Purefoods 103 Raymundo 19, Simon 17, Castillo 14, J. Yap 13, Pingris 13, Limpot 8, Evangelista 7, Yee 6, Artadi 4, Camaso 2.

Sta. Lucia 101 Espino 21, Duremdes 20, Williams 18, Aquino 17, Calimag 8, Omolon 7, Cabagnot 4, Bughao 2, Isip 2, Gonzales 2, Catli 0, Mendoza 0.

Quarterscores: 22-22; 43-43; 65-66; 88-88 (reg); 103-101.
 
Jay Washington and James Yap wearing China Zoom Lebron IV..although di bagay sa Uniform ng Talk n Text yun china 4..hehe
 
Quote:
although di bagay sa Uniform ng Talk n Text yun china 4
:smokin
smokin.gif
Click to expand...
 
STA. LUCIA STOPS WELCOAT, HALTS LOSING STREAK
Realtors stay alive in quest for outright semis berth that had them trailing the Dragons by four points at the end of the opening quarter, the Realtors picked up their rhythm in the next period to seize control.


Sta. Lucia coach Al Chua said the victory brought back the confidence of his troops and provided them with renewed hope in their bid for an outright semifinal berth in the Talk N Text-PBA Philippine Cup.


"We needed this win really badly," Chua said afterwards.


Their 10th win in 16 games snapped a three-game losing skid. But whether the Realtors could recover from those previous jolting defeats to San Miguel Beer, Talk N Text and defending champion Purefoods and earn a free ride to the semis looks tough, although Chua remains optimistic.


"Pwede pa. If we could win our last two games against Ginebra and Coke, I think we might have a chance," he offered.


Kenneth Duremdes showed the way for the Realtors with 18 points while Nelbert Omolon added 16 points and 11 rebounds to match Espino's double-double effort. The Realtors' starting center also grabbed 11 boards in 37 minutes of action.


Sta. Lucia trailed Welcoat, 25-22 after one quarter but the Realtors warmed up in the second period and outscored the Dragons, 24-17.


Back-to-back three-pointers by Norman Gonzales and Kelly Williams broke a 38-38 count and propelled the Realtors to a 46-42 halftime led which they never relinquished.


The Dragons were just six points down (48-54) with four minutes left in the third quarter when the Realtors, starring Espino, Omolon and Duremdes went on 15-2 blast that ripped the game wide open.


It was Welcoat's seventh straight loss and 13th overall in 16 games, dampening the Dragons bid for a place in the wildcard phase as they remained one game behind Coca-Cola in the race for the No. 9 spot with two games left in the classification phase.


Welcoat rookie center Jay-R Reyes had an impressive night, scoring 19 points, grabbing 17 boards and blocking five shots all career-high numbers -- in 39 minutes of action. But his best effort in the pros thus far was spoiled by a conference-high-tying eight turnovers and that killer third quarter which saw the Dragons going shooting a woeful 18 percent from the field (3-of-16), eventually leading to their demise.

The scores:

Sta. Lucia 98 Duremdes 18, Espino 17, Omolon 16, Williams 11, Cabagnot 11, Mendoza 10, Aquino 7, Isip 3, Gonzales 3, Catli 2, Calimag 0.

Welcoat 82 Reyes 19, Gelig 12, Sta. Maria 12, Mente 12, Cabatu 10, Lopez 9, Lao 8, Sagad 0, Baguion 0.

Quarterscores: 22-25, 46-42, 69-54, 98-82.
 
RITUALO LIFTS TALK N TEXT PAST AIR21 IN SHOOTOUT
6 Phone Pals, 8 Express in double figures
Sunday, 10 December 2006

SUCCESSFUL the first time they met, the Air21 Express decided to engage the Talk N Text Phone Pals in another virtual shootout.

This time, they dearly paid for it.

The Phone Pals rode on a big third quarter cushion to hold off the Express, 124-119, in a high scoring game of the 2006-07 Talk N Text PBA Philippine Cup Sunday night at the Astrodome.

The La Salle connection of RenRen Ritualo, Mac Cardona and Don Allado came up big and finished in double figures for the Phone Pals, who were in control for the entire stretch of the free-wheeling ballgame.

Ritualo went 3-of-5 from three-point range to finish with 25 points while Cardona added 20 and Allado had 17.

Anthony Washington also played solid for Talk N Text with 16 markers, so did Asi Taulava who had an all-around game of 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Jimmy Alapag contributed 12 and was the sixth Phone Pal to finish in double figures in the win that avenged the teams 110-127 setback to the Express last
October 18.

More than that, it bolstered Talk N Texts bid to clinch an outright quarterfinals berth with their ninth win in 16 outings for solo sixth place.

We have to win this game. Every game is important because whether its outright quarterfinal for us or a higher placing in the wildcard, either way we have a good chance, said coach Derick Pumaren.

Everybody contributed well in this game. Im very happy with the way we executed, he added.

Catching fire right in the opening period, the Phone Pals readily torched the Express for 35 points in the first twelve minutes of play and led by nine going
into the second.

The lead stretched to as high as 21 early in the second half, 74-53, on a right corner three-pointer by Ritualo.

While the Phone Pals appeared to be coasting from there, the Express gave one final push for a comeback. They almost succeeded, chopping the deficit down to
114-117 with a minute and half left in the game.

But Ritualo doused the rally by hitting another trey before Taulava added two free throws for the finishing touch.

The Express ninth loss in 16 games put to naught the double figure contribution of eight Air21 players, led by the 25 of Gary David.

The scores:

Talk N Text 124 Ritualo 25, Cardona 20, Allado 17, Washington 16, Taulava 14, Alapag 12, Pablo 8, Belano 8, Santos 2, Noble 2, Fran 0.

Air21 119 David 25, Y de Ocampo 17, R. de Ocampo 16, Santos 13, Arboleda 13, Canaleta 12, Dimaunahan 11, Telan 10, Avenido 2, Sotto 0, Billones 0.

Quarterscores: 35-26; 62-49; 93-80; 124-119.
 
SAN MIGUEL, PUREFOODS SEEK REVENGE OVER UNDERDOG RIVALS
Welcoat inks 7-foot Feihl.

Things have drastically changed since then though.

The Beermen have gone 10-2 after absorbing a jolting 88-96 loss to the Dragons last October 15.

In contrast, Welcoat went 1-11 in their next 13 games and is coming into the game reeling from seven consecutive defeats.

In the hope of stopping the bleeding, Welcoat coach Leo Austria revived the career of EJ Feihl by signing up the seven-foot veteran center as replacement for Rob Wainwright, who had missed the Dragons' last three games due to injury.

The day's other game pits the Coca-Cola Tigers against defending champion Purefoods Chunkee Giants at 7:20 p.m.

Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said the Giants are upbeat about their situation, specially coming from a moral boosting win against the Sta. Lucia Realtors last Friday.

Nevertheless, he said he expects a tough game against the hardworking Coca-Cola Tigers.

"Coke plays hard and they never quit. We must outwork and outhustle the Tigers to keep our winning streak going," Gregorio said.

The Tigers (4-12) defeated the Giants in their first meeting last October 18, 92-77. They hope to score a repeat to ensure their place in the wildcard phase.

"They (Tigers) are playing survival and they can be very dangerous. We must come into the game with the same or even greater attitude to survive. With three more games left, the door for an outright semis spot is still open," Gregorio said.
 
BEERMEN STAY ON TARGET FOR OUTRIGHT SEMIS
Another Dynamite Danny explosion sets tone for SMB win over Welcoated losing. And since were in this position we might as well make the most out of it, offered SMB head coach Chot Reyes after the game.

Nevertheless, the end result didnt seem enough to please Reyes.

If we will play just this kind of game against Talk N Text we wont stand a chance, he said obviously referring to his troops lack of intensity and enthusiasm in dealing with the Dragons.

The Phone Pals defeated the Beermen, 90-84, in their first meeting last November 19 and Reyes is eagerly looking at Sundays rematch as chance for his troops to get even, just like they did against Welcoat.

The turning point of the game came in the third quarter when San Miguel Beer after playing catch-up in the first half, held the Dragons to a 7-of-21 shooting from the field and forced them into six turnovers in the third quarter while outscoring Welcoat, 29-20.

After Nino Gelig made two free throws to give Welcoat a 50-46 lead at the start of the third period, San Miguel wasted no time in responding with an 18-2 run which game them a 64-52 advantage from which Welcoat never recovered. Danny Ildefonso, who also missed their first meeting against the Dragons because of an injury, tallied seven points, four rebounds, three assists, two shotblocks while Pena added four points in that decisive spurt.

Jay-R Reyes scored 15 points on just a 4-of-12 shooting from the floor and Denver Lopez and Joey Mente added 12 apeice for Welcoat, which made just 31-of-82 attempts from the field.

It was a frustrating loss for the Dragons, who picked up their eighth consecutive loss and 14th overall in 17 games, virtually eliminating them in the race with Coca-Cola for the fourth and last spot in the wildcard phase of the elims.

As things stand now, Welcoats only chance to be able to get to the next phase is to win its last game against Air 21 on Christmas Day and hope that the Coca-Cola Tigers drop their last two games to forge a playoff for that last spot in the wildcard phase.

The scores:

San Miguel Beer 97 Seigle 28, Adducul 12, Pena 11, Tugade 10, Hontiveros 9, Espinas 8, Ildefonso 7, Gonzales 5, Racela 4, Tenorio 2, Wilson 1, Calaguio 0.

Welcoat 85 Reyes 15, Lopez 12, Mente 12, Cabatu 11, Gelig 10, Baguion 7, Sagad 5, Sta. Maria 5, Lao 4, Feihl 4.

Quarterscores: 17-22, 46-48, 75-68, 97-85.
 
SIMON, LIMPOT SHINE AS PUREFOODS CHUNKEE ROUTS COCA-COLA
Surging Giants now tied for 3rd
Wednesday, 13 December 2006

THEY may have kept it upon themselves, but the Welcoat Dragons were silently cheering on the sidelines for a Purefoods victory over Coca-Cola Wednesday night.

The Giants responded to their call.

Peter June Simon posted a career-high 32 points as the defending champions easily disposed of the Tigers, 114-73, in the 2006-07 Talk N Text PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Simon already had half of his total output by halftime when the Giants raced to a comfortable 16-point spread, serving as the foundation in handling the Tigers the worst loss in their four-year franchise history.

The 41-point winning margin happened to be the biggest in the last six years since Alaska routed Tanduay, 119-71, in the battle for third during the 2000 Commissioners Cup.

The Giants third straight win shoved them into a three-way tie for third with Sta. Lucia and Red Bull at 9-6, keeping them very much in the thick of the running in the crowded race for the two outright semis berth.

In winning the last Philippine Cup, Purefoods also gained an automatic berth in the Final Four.

Were in a good position to still make it to the semis (outright) because were shooting the ball well. Thats what weve been practicing, said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

We just have to stay focused in our last two games, he added, referring to the Giants coming games against Red Bull and Alaska.

The humiliating loss was Coca-Colas eighth in its last nine outings for a 4-12 record and opening the door for a possible Welcoat stint in the wildcard phase.

The Dragons (3-13) earlier lost to the Beermen, 85-97, but eluded outright elimination following the Giants lopsided win over the Tigers.

The Tigers will have the Sta. Lucia Realtors for their final opponents while the Dragons take on the Alaska Aces in their last outing.

Veteran Jun Limpot, celebrating his 35 birthday Thursday, played like 10 years younger as he complemented Simon by adding 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the floor.

Together, the two Juns sparked the Giants second quarter breakaway.

Limpot had 11 points during the stretch while Simon scored Purefoods last seven points before halftime, including a jumper inside the two-minute mark that gave the team a 50-30 lead.

The Tigers averted the Giants from blowing the game apart, answering back with seven straight points to cut the deficit to 37-50. But coming off a timeout with 10 seconds left, Purefoods executed a perfect play for Simon, who drilled in a three-pointer on top of the free throw line at the buzzer to hike the lead to 53-37 at the turn.

Reigning league Most Valuable Player James Yap finished with 13 for the Giants while Paul Artadi had 12 on a perfect 5-of-5 field goal shooting.

The win came easy for the reigning All-Filipino champions that All-Star forward Kerby Raymundo didnt find any need to be active on offense and came through with only three points.

John Arigo led Coca-Cola with 22 points.

The scores:

Purefoods 114 Simon 32, Limpot 23, Yap J 13, Artadi 10, Evangelista 8, Yee 8, Salvador 6, Yap R 5, Pingris 4, Raymundo 3, Camaso 2, Castillo 0.

Coca-Cola 73 Arigo 22, Miranda 10, Yeo 8, Caceres 8, Peek 8, Antonio 8, Pacana 5, Ramos 2, Misolas 2, Salansang 0, Ferreria 0.

Quarterscores: 23-20; 53-37; 83-63; 114-73.
 
FIRST IMPRESSIONS ON THE ROOKIES(Jason Webb was Sta. Lucia's third overall pick in the 1997 PBA Draft behind Mobiline's Andy Seigle and Sunkist's Nic Belasco. The second of 10 second-generation players in PBA history so far, Jason saw action in six seasons in the league at the point guard spot like father, Freddie (Tanduay, 1976-7 8)
glasses.gif
ed. Since this is my first foray into this arena, I obviously had to wrack my brains out on what to write. But since this would be my rookie venture, what better to talk about than the current PBA rookies. Let's take a look at my top ten rookie performers so far:

#1 Sta. Lucia's KELLY WILLIAMS (16.4 pts, 10.7 rebs, 33% 3-pt FG, 1.7 asts, 1.3 stls)

An easy choice. Kelly had a lot of pressure bestowed on him after being hailed the best athlete coming out of the recent PBA Draft. Add to that, SLR dropped their homegrown tag to get him. Kelly Williams' response? He turns around the once dormant Sta. Lucia team into a title contender. The guy plays solid defense, can shoot threes, hit jumpers, rebound and by the wayhe also has the most exciting dunks in the league right now (Sorry KG). His intensity has rubbed off very well on his teammates. And if he can continue to impress, it means more wins for SLR. The best/worst part about it, we have to get used to seeing head coach Al Chua with his hair down!



#2 Air21's ARWIND SANTOS (13.6 pts, 9.1 rebs, 1.6 blks)

Days leading to the Draft coaches knew the talent of Arwind but they didn't know if that talent was enough to make an impact on the league. 16 games into the season, they now all know the answer. The prototypical player of the new millennium: long, athletic with a decent shot, he is averaging close to a double/double and his shotblocking is a thing to behold (Ask Asi). I definitely would want to see more minutes from Arwind, but Air21 has a farm of exact doubles of him. For this to happen, it seems they'll have to figure out who to keep.



#3 Welcoat's JAY-R REYES (11.8 pts, 9.9 rebs, 1.5 blks, 1.3 asts)

It seems he, Arwind and Kelly are stamping their class on this batch. The cornerstone of the Welcoat franchise, Jay-R is regarded as the Prince of Big Men. He has very good footwork, can shoot and is a battler. After having his first go around with the best PBA big men, he has proven he is not the type of guy to back down from a challenge. One thing you'd like to see him work on is his strength as he is still young and needs bulking up. People have compared him to "The Kid." With proper patience and coaching he could be "The Man."



#4 Welcoat's JUN-JUN CABATU (10.2 pts, 32% 3-pt FG, 5.5 rebs, 1.8 asts)

I love second generation players since it shows how far the league has gotten. With Jun-Jun, you get a little bit of everything. He is decent in all facets of the game but does not blow you away. Or you can say, there is no one part of his game that is a weakness. A lot faster than he looks, he poses a lot of match-up problems on the offensive side of the ball. His three-point shooting is getting to be more consistent (Thanks coach Alex!). Biggest positive, he seems to have a high basketball IQI knew those guys from Taft were smart!



#5 Coca-Cola's CHRIS PACANA by Coke, Chris was given a chance to play. And play he did! He got Best Player honors that game and has never looked back. With a style that is slow and deliberate, he has been able to adjust his game to what the defense has offered him. I've seen him post up, beat guys off the dribble and when the defense started to stay off him in a couple of games, he responded with a shooting clip of over 50% from threes. I kind of had a feeling that if there was going to be a steal of the Draft, Coke would have gotten himgiven the fact that they took four guys in the second round!



#6 San Miguel Beer's L.A. TENORIO (7.1 pts, 3.3 asts, 2.2 rebs)

The best situation after Draft day! He comes into a team that has hungered for a backup to Olsen for years. He plays for fellow Ateneo alumnus, Coach Chot Reyes. What else can you ask for! L.A. has had moments of brilliance but we have yet to scratch the surface with this guy. What he has to realize is that there is time to learn and that there is no need to press on his performance too much. I like his court presence and leadership qualities. This seems to be his team when Olsen leaves, only problem is, Olsen looks like he can play another ten years!



#7 Coca-Cola's JOSEPH YEO s to pick up his game and tallies back-to-back career scoring highs. He has begun to understand the PBA brand of basketball and is starting to finish better. The problem is his inconsistency. One thing I do like is that it doesn't matter who's guarding him, he can easily beat that guy off the dribble. Joseph is so elusive it seems that no one can stop him when he wants to reach the basket. One thing he has to learn to avoid though, the Raging Bulls.



#8 Sta. Lucia's MARK ISIP (5.3 pts, 54% FG, 3.6 rebs)

Mark has been the right answer to the new Santa Lucia gameplan of not having Marlou and Dennis play at the same time. Mark is an effective defender but you would like to see him grab more rebounds. He moves excellently without the ball and is a good finisher. Just like L.A., Mark is in a good situation since he has an opportunity to learn from Dennis and Marlou. Let's just hope he picks up the right things.



#9 Sta. Lucia's RONNIE BUGHAO (4.3 pts, 3.3 rebs., 2.9 asts)

With the re-arrival of Alex Cabagnot, it seemed it was a foregone conclusion that Ronnie would be riding the bench. But with a twist of fate, the SLR coaching staff decided to use Paolo predominantly as a two-guard. That opened up the opportunity for Ronnie." Although his numbers won't jump at you, it has been enough to earn him 15.3 minutes a game. Has a decent shot but is quite streaky. It might be hard to get more minutes as Cabagnot has been on a tear since his return. Is it safe to say he is the better Bughao? (Hi Derrick!)



#10 San Miguel Beer's GABBY ESPINASing to forget that San Miguel picked him up after LA. After playing decent minutes in the team's first five games, Gabby has gotten deeper and deeper in the depth chart (not his fault that Danny S is healthy plus Lordy and Romel arrived). We've seen he can challenge players both offensively and defensively but there seems to be long moments of lapses in his performance. Believe me the guy can play, but he better find a way to impress his coach real soon so he can steal some minutes from one of his teammates, or else, it's going to be a long year for him because that team is loaded!



Email me at 1.JasonWebb@g-mail.com for anything PBA.
 
damn thanks for that rookie update article, nice to see the young talent in the league
 
ALASKA IN COME-FROM-BEHIND WIN OVER AIR21
With assistant coaches at helm in 2nd half, Aces battle back from 16 points down
Friday, 15 December 2006

ANTIPOLO Upset with his teams effort in the first half, Alaska head coach Tim Cone relegated himself to a spectator in the second half and delegated the coaching chores to his assistants Jojo Lastimosa and Dicky Bachmann.

Whether the Alaska coach played psy-war with his players or not, the gambit paid off.

Led by the 24 points of Jeffrey Cariaso, the Aces rallied in the second half to erase a 16-point deficit and beat the Air 21 Express, 100-98, Friday night in the Talk N Text-PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center.

The turning point came in the last two minutes of the game when Willie Miller scored the go ahead lay-up which gave the Aces a 96-95 lead and Tony dela Cruz made a key steal off KG Canaleta. Dela Cruz's huge defensive effort led to another fastbreak lay-up by Cariaso and stymied Air21's bid to regain the lead.

After a two-point first half, Miller, the 2002 league MVP, eventually finished with 16 points and had seven assists while Dela Cruz turned in a double-double effort with 11 points and 11 boards for the Aces, who improved to a 6-10 (win-loss) record.

"I was so upset with the way we played in the first half. I felt the players were not responding (to my coaching). So when we returned for the second half I gave the rein to Jojo and Dicky. I'm glad the guys responded well to them," Cone said.

Alaska shot only 40 percent and committed 18 turnovers in the first half but improved to a 59.5% shooting in the second half and just five turnovers.

"With a 5-10 record we'll do whatever will work for us, said Cone whose team will likely need to sweep its three games in the wildcard phase of the eliminations to gain a playoff for a slot in the quarterfinals.

The Express came out smoking, building a double-digit lead just four minutes into the game as rookie Arwind Santos and Mark Telan waxed hot from the perimeter.

Air21 kept the momentum in the second quarter as Ranidel de Ocampo and Canaleta picked up their rhythm. By the end of the opening half, the Express led the Aces, 60-44.

But the Express slowly lost control in the second as their offense went sour. To make things worse, they played lousy defense which often enabled Miller and Cariaso to score on unmolested lay-ups.

Santos scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to show the way for the Express, who picked up their 10th loss in 17 games.

Five other Express scored in double digits but none of them delivered when the game was on the line.

Air21 missed on six tries at the basket in their final possession of the game, all potential game-winners or baskets which would have sent the game into OT.

Both Alaska and Air 21 have secured wildcard seats but their remaining games in the classification round are still important because they will carryover their results into the next round.

The scores:

Alaska 100 Cariaso 24, Miller 16, Belasco 14, dela Cruz 11, Thoss 10, Ferriols 9, Juinio 7, Bajar 5, Laure 4, Aban 0, Singson 0.

Air21 98 Santos 18, Canaleta 17, de Ocampo R. 15, David 12, Telan 12, Dimaunahan 11, Arboleda 5, Sotto 4, de Ocampo Y. 4.

Quarterscores: 24-33, 44-60, 73-80, 100-98.
 
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