Ginebra Loses Anew as Aces Pound on Slaughter’s Absence

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Alaska Uses a Big Third Quarter to Get Third Straight Win

Sometimes, having a bully on your team helps a lot especially when you’re up against the elite teams in the PBA such as the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. The bully on your team will do the dirty works against the opponents’ best player from mind tricks to small antics that will take the focus out of that specific and even, absorb some elbows along the way. Usually, the bully on your team is your team’s main muscle man. Fortunately for the Alaska Aces, they do have their own muscle man and that man is none other than Vic Manuel.

Greg Slaughter is nowhere on the court but on the bench. Joe Devance isn’t playing just yet. Both men were forced to watch as their team got dominated for the second time around, this time by the surging Alaska Aces, 97-83. The Aces of Alex Compton hiked their win number to 3 after starting the season with two consecutive losses. On the other hand, Ginebra has dropped its second straight game exactly 9 days after their stunning loss at the hands of the Blackwater Elites.

What happened in the game? Below are the numbers:

The absence of Gregzilla balanced things out

Greg Slaughter has played a vital role in Ginebra’s Governors’ Cup championship which earned him the Best Player of the Conference award. So it’s no surprise that Ginebra missed him during last night’s encounter against the Aces as Alaska took advantage of the situation. Offensively, the Aces shot 44% from the field which also includes a 43% shooting from the 2-point area. This is precisely because Slaughter wasn’t around to challenge the Aces’ slashers. It also enabled the biggies of Alaska to do their works as Sonny Thoss had 17 points, complimenting the efforts of Vic Manuel who led the Aces with 18 points. The Aces also won the rebounding battle, 45-43.

Vic Manuel’s Efforts

Over the last few years, Vic Manuel has established a reputation as a bruiser, someone you wouldn’t enjoy playing against because of the mere fact that he will find ways to knock the ball out of your hands or worse, to frustrate you and eventually, take away your focus in the game. And we all saw Vic Manuel’s efforts to the fullest last night as he led the Aces with his18 points- 14 of those points came in the 2nd half when the Aces ran havoc against the puzzled Gin Kings. He shot 6 for 15 from the field and made 6 of his 8 attempts from the free throw line. Manuel also added  6 rebounds while playing for 23 minutes.

Conclusion

The good news for the Gin Kings though, they have until Friday to prepare for their game against the Phoenix Fuel Masters. It should give them enough time to ponder on their mistakes. It should give Tim Cone to plan the needed adjustments should Greg Slaughter miss that game, again because despite the Fuel Masters’ 2-2 record, Phoenix has vastly improved. Will Ginebra finally break their losing streak? They better. Why? The league-leading San Miguel Beermen are next after Friday. 

Ginebra is Over the Stunning Loss to Blackwater- Tim Cone Hopes so

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

9 days should be enough for the Gin Kings to get over the trauma

Whenever the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings lose a game in the PBA whether it’s in the Finals or in the elimination rounds, almost the whole of the venue is quiet. Why? Ginebra is the crowd darlings that’s why it’s extremely painful and maddening for their fans to see their beloved Gin Kings go down. But perhaps, one guy on the Ginebra bench is absorbing all of the pain and disappointment every time his team loses a game and that guy is none other than Coach Tim Cone, winner of 20 PBA championships.

Against the Blackwater Elites who handed Ginebra their first defeat in three games, Tim Cone has all the reasons to be disappointed with the performance of his players. They were limited to 77 points including 14 points 16 points in the 2nd and 4th quarters respectively. They shot 36% from the field and 15% from the three-point territory. They had 21 turnovers and their bench got outscored by Blackwater’s bench, 34-13.

9 days after their horrible game, Tim Cone is hoping that the Gin Kings have already put the Blackwater game behind them as they are up against the Alaska Aces who are coming into this game, riding on their 2-game winning streak. They destroyed the Kia Picanto in their last game when they limited Kia to only 65 points including only 5 points in the third quarter.

While Alaska is leaning on the confidence of Jeron Teng plus the presence of Calvin Abueva, the Aces are still up for an uphill battle against the Gin Kings because we all know that Ginebra could only get meaner and tougher to play against coming off a defeat.

Conclusion

Despite their shakiness which can be associated with the fact that they were still intoxicated by their championship run during the Governors’ Cup, the Gin Kings are still among this conference’s title contenders.

Prediction: Ginebra will win. 

Jeron Teng Looks Forward to 1st Game against Ginebra

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

The son of Alvin Teng embraces confidence boost heading into battle against the giants

After winning their first two games to open the league’s 43rd season, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings looked like the team who is ready to take down the league’s best all-Filipino crew, the San Miguel Beermen. Then, they ran into the path of the Blackwater Elites who in turn, handed the Gin Kings their first taste of defeat this conference, 94-77. While the fans of the Gin Kings are hoping that their team will bounce back from this setback, they are heading into another anticipated battle and it’s not some mediocre team, folks. It’s the Alaska Aces who are now bannered by Calvin Abueva AND their prized rookie, Jeron Teng.

Facing the Gin Kings may be a daunting task but one player is looking forward to it and that player is Jeron Teng. In fact, the son of former PBA player, Alvin Teng, is the welcoming the confidence boost that he gained from breakaway third quarter against the Kia Picanto when outscored the entire Kia team, 13-5. Folks, that’s 13 of his 23 points in the win- Alaska’s 2nd straight.

Question: Can Ginebra defend Jeron Teng?

Realistically, Ginebra has no one on their current roster ASIDE from Joe Devance that can match-up the intensity of Jeron Teng on both ends of the court. As we saw in their previous game against Blackwater, Ginebra struggled to defend Mac Belo who scored 22 points despite making 6 of 17 shots. Aside from Belo, Ginebra also failed to limit Allein Maliksi who added 17 points for the win. 

Having said that, Ginebra will have their hands full on Jeron Teng aside from the Beast, Calvin Abueva. Sure, they can contain the Beast but defending Jeron Teng is another story all throughout. Tim Cone could send out Kevin Ferrer or even start Japeth Aguilar at the 3 spot to try to defend Teng. But then, we’re talking about Tim Cone, ladies and gentlemen, the winningest coach in the history of the PBA. One way or another, he’ll figure things out. But then again, we’re also talking about defending Jeron Teng. 

Prediction: Alaska will stun the Gin Kings in Sunday’s game, January 21.

Physicality is back in PBA: Coaches Pleased

Alex Compton and Norman Black laud PBA’s move to provide more leeway for physicalities

Over the course of the past few seasons, one of the usual grievances that are being voiced out by the players, coaches and even the fans is that referees back then were almost “trigger happy” when calling fouls on physical plays. And we cannot blame them for voicing out such grievances. Picture this, folks. Referees could whistle you for a foul for simply bumping the player whom you are defending. That’s really frustrating and could change the overall pace of the game because the more fouls that were called, the slower the game becomes. And slow games bore fans. They want faster games. They want more physicalities.

Fortunately, things are starting to get better as one of the changes that OIC Willie Marcial wants to implement this year is the reinstatement of the old “No Harm No Foul”  rule for the purpose of speeding up games and also to make the games themselves more exciting especially for the fans. Like it or not, the officiating has been horrible that fans were complaining about fouls that should haven’t been called and fouls that should have been called And the frequent call of fouls have taken away the physicality in the PBA.

Before 2018 came in, Willie Marcial has stated that the league has already started training its referees as they prepare for the reinstatement of the said rule.

Just last January 10, 2018, two coaches expressed that they were overall pleased with the higher amount of physicality that was allowed during their game. Those coaches are none other than Norman Black and Alex Compton- both coaches whose team are relying heavily on their physicality especially on the defensive end.

Norman Black, for one, despite losing to Compton’s Alaska Aces, 103-98, shared his observation that the game was being officiated a “little bit” differently and even took note that more contact between players was allowed on the court.

Alex Compton, for his part, has said that he’s liking the new direction that the PBA is taking when it comes to the officiating of the games. The American coach even said that allowing more physicality to come into play is good for the game.

Conclusion

The best thing about the reinstatement of the “No Harm No Foul” rule is that more coaches and players can do their defensive assignments better because they are now lesser worried about being called for a foul.The only side effect of this is that we’ll see more flopping players but then again, we just have to accept that flopping has been a part of the game, right? And so is physicality.  

Kia Still Winless in 4 Games, Loses by 37 to Alaska

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Kia absorbs 16th straight defeat- the third-longest losing streak in the PBA

Ugly. That’s probably the best adjective you can describe the early goings of the 43rd season of the PBA for the Kia Picanto. For starters, they threw away their future by trading the top pick who happened to be Christian Standhardinger. Then, just two defeats into the new season, Chris Gavina resigned which promoted Ricky Dandan as the new head coach. Unfortunately, that move didn’t do the Picanto any good as Kia dropped their first game under a new coach.

Things weren’t about to get better any time soon for the Kia Picanto as they sustained one of their worst losses in franchise history as they got blown out anew, this time by the Alaska Aces, 102-65. This, folks, is Kia’s 4th straight defeat and 16th consecutive since last season’s Commissioner’s Cup.  This is also Kia’s third consecutive blown-out loss and they were defeated by a margin of 35 points per game.

What were the things that doomed Kia anew? Below are those nasty things:

5 Points in the Third Quarter

To begin with, Kia was actually in the game after the first quarter as they held a 21-20 to end the quarter. They also managed to keep the score as close as possible despite being down, 49-34 at the halftime break. But when the third quarter came along, that’s when things went further south for Kia as they would have gone scoreless if not to Eric Camson, Rashawn McCarthy and Reden Celda who combined for all of Kia’s 5 points in the 3rd quarter. And that’s the reason why Alaska won the game.

Alaska’s Pressing Defense Worked to Perfection

Alaska has been feared despite their 2-2 record for their suffocating pressing defense and it worked to the max against the Picanto. The Aces only allowed Kia to make 32% of their attempts, 34% from the two-point area and 30% from the three-point territory. They also forced 29 turnovers from Kia which the Aces converted to 32 points on the other end.

Conclusion

Will Kia’s streak break Ginebra’s losing streak which reached 17 back in the 1995 Commissioner’s Cup? They will. Probably. Especially if they continue to play the way they have been playing in their last 3 games.

What Doomed Meralco against the Aces?

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Chris Newsome and company have lost two straight games

Over the course of the last two seasons, the Meralco Bolts have been dealing with their own inconsistencies. Sure, they have been to the Governors’ Cup Finals for two consecutive seasons but they haven’t cracked the code just yet they have lost twice in the Finals against the same team, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. And their inconsistencies have appeared to be holding them down again in the Philippine Cup.

After winning their first game to open the 43rd season of the PBA, the Bolts are now on a 2-game losing streak after losing to the lowly Alaska Aces, 103-98. That, by the way, was the Aces’ first win in 3 games. And frankly, it wasn’t an upset win either because Meralco wasn’t playing the same way they did in the Finals against Ginebra. Not even close.

So what exactly doomed the Bolts this time?

They got Murdered Inside

The Bolts got dominated from the inside as they allowed Calvin Abueva and company to outscore them 54-20 in points in the paint. Their shooting from the 2-point area also doomed the Bolts as they only 35% of their attempts from the 2-point territory. On the other hand, Alaska went 31 for 66 from the 2-point area, a 46% shooting. 

Defensive Lapses. And More

Meralco was known as a defensive-minded team over the two seasons but their defense against the Aces was simply acceptable. Sure, the Bolts were able to shut down Jeron Teng who was held to 8 points on 2 for 8 shooting from the field but for the rest of the Aces? Meralco’s defense just vanished. 

Another proof that Meralco’s defense wasn’t working at all was the fact that they got outscored in points off fast break opportunities: 14-4. The Aces were also the better team in terms of getting more points off their missed opportunities as they held an 11-9 edge in second-chance points.

Alaska’s Bench produced 50 Points

As mentioned above, Meralco did contain Jeron Teng but forgot about Calvin Abueva who led Alaska with 19 points on 7 for 10 shooting. Aside from that, the bench of Norman Black failed to match the intensity of the Aces’ bench troopers who combined for 50 of the Aces’ 103 points. Vic Manuel also had 19 points while coming off the bench.

Conclusion 

Norman Black is one of the league’s greatest coaches and it’s only a matter of time until he figures things out with his players. Having a 1-2 record this early doesn’t necessarily mean that Meralco is a bad team and so is Alaska. However, the Bolts need to speed their improvements soon because their schedule isn’t about to get easier. Why? the Talk N Text KaTropa are up next on the Bolts’ schedule. 

Jeron Teng: A Gem for the Aces

Alex Compton has nothing but praises for his prized rookie.

The name Jeron Teng isn’t new in basketball. The last name Teng isn’t either. Before Jeron and his older brother, Jeric came into the PBA, there was another Teng in the PBA whose career lasted for 14 years. So it’s no surprise that Jeron Teng is becoming one of the league’s popular players even though he is still a rookie.

And he’s not just an ordinary rookie. Not even close. You see, his own coach with the Alaska Aces, Alex Compton considers Jeron Teng as one of the few bright spots in the new season which saw the Aces failing to 0-2 to open the Philippine Cup.

As Alex Compton said it, Jeron Teng serves as the gem for the struggling Aces. After dropping 16 points on his first game against the Magnolia Hotshots, Jeron Teng exploded for 28 points against the Talk N Text KaTropa when he went 10 for 18 in the field and also grabbed 10 rebounds. He entered 2018 with 22 points and 6 rebounds per game averages- both are team-highs.

While he is definitely one of the promising young stars who will dominate the PBA in the future, you can say nothing negative about Jeron Teng’s work ethic and Alex Compton has been both a witness and a fan of it. According to the American coach, Teng is the team’s gym rat who would stay late in the gym, working on his game despite being told to go home. 

Another key feature of Jeron Teng that Alex Compton liked to point out is that Teng is humble and is always willing to learn unlike other rookies in the past who think of themselves as the bet there were just because they had a stellar collegiate career. 

Conclusion

Don’t be fooled by the Aces’ struggles and their 0-2 record. And don’t forget that the Aces still have Calvin Abueva and JVee Casio on board. Like it or not, it’s only a matter of time until they become a formidable team with Jeron Teng. After all, it has been expected that Jeron Teng will slug it out against Kiefer Ravena in the race for the Rookie of the Year. 

And who knows? Teng might be the missing piece for the Aces to make a return to their winning ways. 

TNT Hopes to Get Win #1 Against Alaska

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Jayson Castro and company look to get over their opening day loss.

Coming off a rather disappointing end to their Governors’ Cup campaign which resulted in another semifinal exit, many fans began to question the ability of the Talk N Text KaTropa to compete against the league’s elite teams. After all, they have the best point guard in Asia in Jayson Castro and another big man in Troy Rosario who continues to improve every single game. 

However, the KaTropa started the Philippine Cup the same way they ended the previous conference, in a defeat as they dropped their opening game against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 82-79. That is despite Jayson Castro’s near triple-double performance which included 18 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds. What happened? As Nash Racela said it, the KaTropa weren’t making their shots as they only made 30% out of their 102 ATTEMPTS. They were shooting horribly that they only made 8 out of their 38 shots from deep while only making 47% of their free throw attempts. Nash Racela admitted that Jayson Castro was the lone bright spot in that horrible defeat as he was the only one who was making the right decisions.

Heading into tonight’s game against the Alaska Aces who are also gunning for their first win in the Philippine Cup, the KaTropa only need to do one thing if they are to get their first win: MAKE MORE SHOTS. 

In addition to this, Nash Racela stated that the rest of his team should learn to make better decisions with the ball as they can’t always rely on the Blur to bail them out every single game. Jayson Castro may have shot 42% from the field against the Elasto Painters but the problem was, his teammates weren’t doing any better as Anthony Semerad was only one aside from Castro who shot above 40%.

Conclusion

Beating the Alaska Aces who have a talented rookie in Jeron Teng is no walk in the park for the KaTropa. Aside from Jeron Teng, Jayson Castro and company will also have to worry about the explosiveness of the Beast, Calvin Abueva. Fortunately for the Blur, he has teammates who are known scorers. They just need to score MORE than they did against Rain or Shine. 

Kiefer Ravena versus Jeron Teng: Who has the better debut game?

Rivalry Continues: Ravena vs Teng

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Yesterday’s games marked the beginning of the PBA careers of two of the top 5 picks from this year’s draft, Kiefer Ravena of the NLEX Road Warriors and, Jeron Teng of the Alaska Aces. Both young men have well-decorated collegiate careers in the UAAP  with both winning multiple championships for their respective teams plus MVPs and  Finals MVPs. So there’s no surprise at all that these two were included among the top prized rookies in this year’s draft. In fact, if Christian Stanhardinger wasn’t picked as the top pick, many pundits believed that either Ravena or Teng could have been the top pick. Either way, these two will go head-to-head for the Rookie of the Year award because Standhardinger will miss a big chunk of this season due to his ABL stint.

Question: Who got a better debut in their respective debuts?

Let’s start by comparing the numbers:

• Kiefer Ravena: 18 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds, 7 for 11 shooting
• Jeron Teng: 16 points, 0 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 for 9 shooting

Statistically, Manong Kiefer had a better debut, even better than his father, Bong Ravena who only had 2 points in his first PBA game. While the younger Ravena is already a proven scorer during his college days and even in the amateur ranks, his playmaking ability is what separates him from Standhardinger and Teng. He also had 2 steals and played for 29 minutes and helped to get the big W for the Road Warriors.  

Jeron Teng, on the other hand, is a talented player and only fools will think otherwise. He may not have won on his first game but we all know that he can get better as the season progresses. 

Conclusion

It’s only one game and one good game doesn’t mean a player is already the Rookie of the Year. But there’s no denying the fact that both Kiefer Ravena and Jeron Teng will be the future of the PBA and we are in for a show of this generation’s new breed of basketball stars. Christian Standhardinger may be the top pick but both Ravena and Teng will make the loudest of the noise among rookies not because of their names but because of what they can do with the ball in their hands.  

Who will win the ROY? Prediction: Kiefer Ravena

Lee Explodes for 30 Points in Magnolia’s Debut Win

Yep! The Lee-thal Weapon still has it

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

One team is entering the new season under a new team with the hopes of bringing something new to the league. The other team is hoping to begin anew as they were coming off one of their worst seasons in recent memory.

Despite missing key players to injury, the Magnolia Hotshots were able to rely on their defense to win their first game of the season against the Alaska Aces, 108-95.

Slow Start

The game started off slow for both teams as the Alaska Aces held a 6-5 edge with 3 minutes into the game.A few possessions and fouls later, the Magnolia Hotshots were already down 17-8 as Jvee Casio knocked down a three-pointer, forcing Chito Victolero to call a timeout with under 6 minutes left in the first quarter.

After a Mark Barroca basket. Jeron Teng completed a three-point play on the other end to give the Aces a 10-point lead. The Hotshots were visibly struggling as they were also dealing with the absences of their key players due to injury. Despite their sluggish start, Magnolia was able to stay close after Paul Lee drained a buzzer-beating trey to make it 26-21 at the end of the first quarter.

The Chickens Started Flying in the Second Quarter

After all, the Magnolia Hotshots are the “Pambansang Manok”, right? Just when the Aces were beginning to re-establish a double-digit lead, the Hotshots clamped down on D and went on a scoring run to make 35-30 with 9 minutes to play in the first half. Two consecutive inside baskets have finally enabled the Hotshots to take the lead, 36-35. 

Magnolia was able to slash into the sloppy defense of Alaska as their lead extended to 8 points, at 50-42 with under 3 minutes to play in the quarter. Kyle Pascual nailed a free throw later to give the Hotshots a 10-point lead as he added another lay-up to make it 56-44. The Hotshots walked into their locker with a 10-point advantage, at 57-47- thanks to their improved field goal shooting which was 55% for the first half and their defense which limited Alaska to only 2 for 10 shooting from the three-point line. 

The Beast got Unleashed Early in the Third. BUT

Calvin Abueva scored 8 points in the opening minutes of the second quarter to bring down the deficit to 6 points only for Magnolia to bring it back to 9 on a three-point shot. An offensive putback by Ian Sangalang put the Hotshots at 70-59 with under 7 minutes to play as the Aces were slowly fading anew.

As turnovers and defensive lapses began to pile up, the Aces saw themselves down by 14 points after Mark Barroca added another inside shot. Add Alaska’s inability to get the defensive rebounds to their woes plus an injury on the big man, Vic Manuel.  Paul Lee later drained a long bomb to put Magnolia by 15 points as PJ Simon added another trey to make it 87-671 heading into the final two minutes of the third quarter.  Both teams entered the final quarter with Magnolia holding an 87-74 lead.

The Aces Tried to Come Back. Tried

The Aces got within 11 points in the first 2 minutes of the 4th quarter thanks to their aggressiveness. Carl Cruz’s basket pushed the lead down to  9 only to watch Robert Herdon complete a 3-point play to stop the Hotshots’ bleeding. Another three, this time from Justin Melton brought the lead back up to 16, at 97-81.

The lead went down to as low as 8 points with under 4 minutes to play as Alaska forced Magnolia to difficult shots and took advantage of their opportunities on the break. That was before Paul Lee hit another three to make it a double-digit lead again. From that point on, Magnolia slowly wasted away the clock as Robert Herndon added another basket to put the game away.

The Numbers: The Good and the Ugly

Paul Lee scored 30 points off the bench to go along with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Riego Gamalinda added 15 points while Ian Sangalang chipped in 13. Magnolia shot better from the field all game long, making 51% of their shot attempts while limiting Alaska to only 46% field goal shooting. Magnolia also forced 22  turnovers.

Calvin Abueva had 20 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists for the Aces but also had 5 of the 22 turnovers of Alaska. Vic Manuel also had 20 points while Jeron Teng added 16 points in his debut. 

The scores:

MAGNOLIA 108 – Lee 30, Gamalinda 15, Sangalang 13, Dela Rosa 10, Simon 9, Herndon 9, K. Pascual 9, Barroca 6, Melton 3, Ramos 2, Brondial 2.

ALASKA 95 – Abueva 20, Manuel 20, Teng 16, Casio 10, R. Pascual 7, Enciso 5, Exciminiano 5, Banchero 4, Thoss 3, J. Pascual 2, Cruz 2, Magat 1, Racal 0.

Quarter Scores:

21-26, 57-47, 87-74, 108-95.

Will Chemistry Enable Magnolia to Challenge SMB’s Supremacy?

A Wheeler’s Opinion: The Hotshots’ intact core MIGHT help them get back to the Finals. MIGHT

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

If you have been watching the PBA over the course of the last few seasons, then you knew how the Magnolia Hotshots, formerly known as the Purefoods Star Hotshots, from a championship-contending team to a semifinal-consistent team especially during the 42nd season of the PBA. While there’s nothing wrong with consistently making into the semifinal round, when your team hasn’t moved on onto the next round for a very long, long time, then something is wrong with your team.

Then, came along the blockbuster trade that sent Paul Lee to the Hotshots in exchange for James Yap who was sent to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Statistically, the Hotshots would have benefited from that deal considering the fact that James Yap is slowly entering the last few years of his career and has been down for some time now due to injuries. Paul Lee, on the other hand, has a decent first season with the Hotshots only to end it with an injury that forced him to miss the rest of the semifinals of the Governors’ Cup where the Hotshots were swept by the Meralco Bolts.

Heading into their first game tomorrow against the Alaska Aces, Head Coach Chito Victolero is facing a big problem: Jio Jalalon, Rafi Reavis and Paul Lee are still recovering from their respective injuries while the team’s energetic bunny, Marc Pingris is still resting from the surgery which removed his kidney stones a few days back. The coach has already said that he has no choice but to play with the current team that he will have come tomorrow.

However, Victolero is also hopeful that the chemistry that his team has established last season will enable them to at least, challenge the supremacy of the San Miguel Beermen. in the Philippine Cup.

Question: will a good chemistry be enough to bring the Hotshots to the promised land?

Possibly. After all, some of these players were already together when Tim Cone led them to a Grand Slam when they were still known as the San Mig Coffee Mixers a few years ago, remember? The arrival of Jio Jalalon and Paul Lee to the team have added youth and speed to the team. So what’s preventing the Hotshots from booking a return trip to the Finals? Inconsistency on both ends of the court. 

Conclusion

Maybe a name change will help ignite the Hotshots who are still undermanned as we speak. But who knows? Chito Victolero might have something hiding under his sleeves. Will they beat the Aces tomorrow? Possibly. Challenge the Beermen? That’s a different story for another time. 

Why is Jeron Teng the Perfect Pick for the Aces?

The former King Archer scored 15 points against Rain or Shine

The Alaska Aces were used to be among the elite teams in the PBA during the past few seasons. This is the same franchise which Tim Cone led to multiple championships when he was still at the helm of the team. However, injuries to key players plus personal issues surrounding Calvin Abueva have struck the Aces during the last season as they ended Governors’ Cup near the bottom of the standings as they ended the closing conference with a 3-8 record. 

Alex Compton and the rest of the Alaska Aces may have missed the playoffs but we all know that Calvin Abueva and company are more than capable of achieving more than just a slot in the semifinals. All they need are two things: Consistency and Health.

When the Aces drafted Jeron Teng, a champion during his last season with the De La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP, there were a few basketball pundits who questioned this move by the Aces. Sure, Jeron Teng is a legitimate scorer as proven by his performances during his stint with the Archers but the Aces are already loaded with scorers and energetic players, to begin with. 

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However, the Aces are also faced with painful realities: Calvin Abueva can’t carry the team on his own. Jvee Casio isn’t the same player as he was during his early years. Vic Manuel, the team’s muscles, has fully recovered from his injury but given his age, he can try but he won’t be the same kind of player that he was once. These realities may require a complete overhaul from top to bottom but given the situation, an overhaul can wait. For now. 

Conclusion

The good news is: Jeron Teng is still young at the age of 23 years-old. He has shown glimpses of what he can do for the Aces during the pre-season games and even scored 15 points to compliment Calvin Abueva’s efforts- leading Alaska to a victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. If anything, Jeron Teng can definitely contribute more to Alaska given the opportunity. But then again, that’s if he’s consistent. And healthy. 

40-Year Old Dondon Hontiveros Signed to Play for Alab Pilipinas

Not Done, Dondon Hontiveros takes his talent to Alab Pilipinas

The 40-year veteran sharpshooter from Cebu, who last played for the Alaska Aces found the answer to a question that was posted during his last game with Alaska this conference.

Dondon Hontiveros mentioned that while his stats is not as pretty as it was when he was in his prime,  he mentioned that his body is still conditioned to play high-level basketball. Dondon may look like he is uncertain of his future and while his age is almost doubling, a majority of the current age in the PBA, he sounded like he is still not yet ready to end his basketball career.

Dondon’s career rebooted with Alab

Earlier today, we found out that Alab Pilipinas has signed the former 3x PBA champion and 13x PBA All-Star to a contract that will allow him to join players like Bobby Ray Parks Jr, Ivan Johnson and Rico Maierhofer who also recently joined the team.

Hontiveros who previously represented the Philippines many times and has captured a total of 2 silvers and 2 bronzes is once again going to be wearing the Philippine flag as he brings his championship experience to Alab Pilipinas.

We do not forsee Dondon contributing the way he was doing during his SMB playing days but he would certainly help attract followers and fans and occasionally hit big shots when his number is called.

Good luck Dondon Hontiveros!

3-Time PBA Champ Dondon Hontiveros Sounded Like he Still Wants to Play at 40

Dondon Hontiveros Plays his last game in the PBA

Tonight, the Cebuano Sharp Shooter was misfiring in his last game in the PBA. Scoring only 2 points in 21 mins in 1 of 8 shooting, Hontiveros’ hands may not be the same as it was but the 40 year old veteran who is playing his last game today with Alaska may not be so sure about calling it quits. 

Tonight they lost to Rain or Shine with the score of 112- 82, as they officially bid goodbye to the conference in a losing effort with a record of 3 wins and 8 losses.  They are one of the four teams which officially got eliminated and will take their vacations early. 

During the post game press conference, when he was asked what’s next it seems like he was a bit uncertain about his basketball career. 

” Statistically it’s not good pero physically” – implied by Dondon

Dondon played with a total of 5 teams in a span of 17 years in the PBA. He also spent spent a year in the now defunct MBA league were he was MBA All-Star MVP and MBA Discovery of the Year. Dondon spent five years in Alaska and won one championship with them. 

Marami ako natutunan, nag enjoy ako sa samahan,  Hindi ko makakalimutan yung championship – Dondon Hontiveros

Hontiveros was very thankful for another year with Alaska even though it wasn’t a successful one as Alaska has been on the losing end all year long. 

Hontiveros’ best year was 2008 with San Miguel in which he averaged 14.8 points in one season. He was one of the crowd favorites and was also a member of the national team, although he was not able to win any gold during that time. 

Here are some of the accolades of Dondon Hontiveros

3× PBA champion (2005 Fiesta, 2009 Fiesta, 2013 Commissioner’s)

13× PBA All-Star (2000, 2001, 2003–2011, 2015, 2017)

PBA All-Star Three-Point Shootout champion (2007)

PBA Mythical Second Team (2008-09)

PBA Sportsmanship Awardee (2004-05)

MBA All-Star MVP (1998)

MBA Discovery of the Year (1998)

Rain or Shine Dismantles Abueva-less Aces

Bounces back from a Sorry Loss to Ginebra

Gabe Norwood and Chris Tiu had 8 rebounds each in the win (Photo by PBA Media Bureau)

Coming off a defeat, the Rain or Shine knew exactly what they needed to do for them to avoid facing complication come playoff time and they did it right and they did it now. The Elasto Painters immediately returned to their winning form after dominating the Alaska Aces who was missing the services of Calvin Abueva, 112-82 at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.

Knowing that the importance of this game with regards to their playoffs positioning, the Elasto Painters went back to work after wasting an opportunity against the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. They continuously frustrated the offense of the Aces, a team who were hoping to finish an unforgettable conference on a high note. Rain or Shine, despite the struggles of import, J’Nathan Bullock during the early stages of the game, managed to hold a double-digit lead during the first half alone.

To give credit to the players of Alex Compton, the Aces were able to keep within striking distance during the first quarter and they even managed to take the lead before the Elasto Painters strengthened their defense and the Aces started to miss shots that they normally make. And true to form, the Elasto Painters’ defense limited the Aces to make only 36% of their shots in the first half alone while they made the most of their opportunity, shooting 46% in the field. Even as the Aces sliced up the lead to 16 points during the early stages of the 3rd quarter, Raymund Amazan, Jericho Cruz and the rest of the Elasto Painters continued to pound on the points to bring the lead up to 24 again with 6:43 left in the 3rd. That lead eventually ballooned to 31 points heading into the 4th quarter.

To sum it up, Rain or Shine did everything that Coach Caloy Garcia wanted them to do. In fact, Bullock didn’t have to produce big numbers in this particular game. Beau Belga for one, scored points off thebench. Chris Tiu played one of his best games this conference to finish with 9 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. For the Aces on the other hand, the absence of Abueva was proven to be too much to handle as LaDontae Henton led all scorers with 20 points on 8 of 17 shooting night including 1 out of 5 from the three-point line. Only Henton and Tony dela Cruz scored in double figures as the latter finished with 12 points. Bullock, for his part, led Rain or Shine with 14 points and 4 rebounds but had some reinforcements this time around.

Scores:

Rain or Shine
Bullock 14, Cruz 12, Belga 12, Trollano 11, Tiu 9, Robles 9, Borboran 9, Almazan 7, Yap 6, Ahanmisi 5, Matias 4, King 4, Daquioag 4, Norwood 3, Maiquez 3, Ponferada 0

Alaska
Henton 20, dela Cruz 12, Encisco 9, Manuel 9, Pascual 8, Casio 5, Exciminiano 5, Baclao 4, Galinguez 3, Cruz 3, Mendoza 2, Hontiveros 2, Abuev 0, Banchero 0, Thoss 0, Racal 0

Quarter scoring:

29-23, 63-41, 92-61, 112-82

Highlights: Blackwater Elite Broke a Team Record in a Win Against Suffering Alaska Aces

Blackwater Elite continues their streak to three wins against Alaska Aces

The Blackwater Elite is riding on a 3-game winning streak and it is the first time in franchise history that they have ever done the feat. On the other hand, Alaska Aces seemed to continue with their suffering after losing 13 games in a row dating back to the last conference.

“This victory is going to be somewhat special for us because it’s the first three-game winning streak for the franchise since entering the PBA,” said Leo Isaac”

The Elite and the Aces had a close battle against each other lead by their imports who both lead their respective teams. Henton with 31 for Alaska and Walker with 35 for Blackwater.

Both teams had a bad shooting night with 36% but Blackwater lorded over the rebound with 80 compared to 60 of Alaska. Blackwater also converted their second chance points to 26 against 12 of Alaska.

Both teams also went on a three point shooting battle at the later part of the game and Blackwater emerged victorious, Digregorio put the game away for good as Alaska was unable to answer after his dagger three.

The scores:

BLACKWATER 111 – Walker 35, DiGregorio 17, Gamalinda 15, Erram 13, Canaleta 9, Cruz 8, Pinto 6, Sumang 4, Sena 2, Miranda 2, Aguilar 0, K. Pascual 0.

ALASKA 106 – Henton 31, Casio 25, Enciso 11, Banchero 10, Thoss 10, Manuel 6, Baclao 6, Galliguez 3, Exciminiano 2, Mendoza 2, Hontiveros 0, Racal 0.

Quarterscores: 25-13, 44-40, 68-60, 91-91, 97-97, 111-106.

The Absence of the Beast: Did Calvin Abueva Carry His Personal Issues to FIBA Asia?

Calvin Abueva Struggles at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup

One of the players who we were expecting a lot from was Calvin Abueva. The main gunner of the Alaska Aces was a veteran Gilas Player. He has helped the team in all of its previous outings and has been known for his offensive and defensive tenacity.

What happened to Calvin Abueva?

Against South Korea, Calvin scored only 2 points in 1/ 4 shooting which is not beastly at all. It was the same scene every game for Calvin as he never found the right rhythm to at least contribute as expected. It was a very disappointing stint for him to say the least.

Calvin showed signs of things to come since the start of FIBA Asia Cup when he lost his cool and head butted a Chinese player in his very first game which led to his rejection in the first quarter.

Calvin Abueva, who was trying really hard on all of the games of Gilas, didn’t look good at all and often seemed worried and frustrated. If you’d remember, Calvin had been a no-show in Gilas practices and had to be given a warning if he continues to be missing. He said that he has personal issues and he had to settle them first before re-joining the team.

A chance to still salvage his game

Gilas Pilipinas still has games to play and although the team has lost its chance to win the tournament, Calvin still got some opportunity to bounce back from a horrific tournament performance so far.

Tell us what you think about Calvin Abueva’s Performance?

Performance is okay

Very dissapointing

He should have been removed in the first place

he is out of focus

I will support Calvin

Not enough playing time

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RR Pogoy and Jayson Castro: Perfect Gift to Talk and Text Before Leaving for FIBA Asia Cup

RR Pogoy’s hot hands and Jayson Castro’s excitement before the FIBA Asia Cup

Both RR Pogoy and Jayson Castro were supposed to play light minutes for Talk and Text but coach Nash Racela had no choice but to stretch their play time as both FIBA Asia Cup bound players were hot like pancakes.

Winless Alaska was playing really well and was really challenging Talk and Text throughout the game. It was a closely contested ball game that was won during the later part and with the heroics and clutch plays of both Jayson Castro and RR Pogoy.

After the game, Coach Nash Racela was very apologetic to Coach Chot as he wasn’t intending to play the two guards with heavy minutes but they wanted to win badly tonight especially after the loss with SMB.

25-year-old RR Pogoy scored 25 points on an 8 of 11 shooting including that dagger 3 late in the game while his partner Jayson Castro added 23 points on a 8 of 15 shooting. Castro also got 10 assists and 9 rebounds.

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After the game, the two players were also interviewed. RR Pogoy mentioned that the performance tonight has given him more confidence and was hoping that he can carry it to the FIBA Asia Cup. Jayson Castro, on the other hand, talked about trying to win the games before leaving and shared his excitement playing along with players from other teams and competing for the country.

Gilas Pilipinas’ players are scheduled to depart early morning tomorrow as they get set for the tournament which will take place on August 15.

Highlights: TNT Put Alaska Further Down the Abyss as They Suffered 12 Losses in a Row

Talk and Text with the Dagger straight to the heart of Alaska Aces 107-106 

TNT exploded in the fourth to escape with a hard earned win against the depressed Alaska Aces who now have lost 12 games in a row dating back since last conference. Alaska Aces started the game well and led the game up to the 3rd quarter with 9 points with the score of 80-71. 

All was working well for the Aces and it looks like they will finally get that elusive win tonight but faith has frowned on them again as TNT had some big breaks including three point shots by Roger Pogoy and Jason Castro who led the locals with a combined score of 48 points.  

After the game, Coach Nash Racela was visibly happy talking to the media as he praised his team in making the right plays during the last quarter. 

TNT shoots at 47 FG%  while Alaska is only at 40%. 

Alaska actually did put up a good job and was leading in the rebounding, block shots, points in the paint, bench points and points of turn over but TNT got the breaks late in the game. 

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The scores:

TNT 107 – Craig 28, Pogoy 25, Castro 23, Rosario 15, De Ocampo 7, Williams 4, Garcia 3, Tautuaa 2, Carey 0, Hernandez 0, Semerad 0.

ALASKA 106 – Henton 42, Abueva 19, Manuel 13, Banchero 12, Casio 6, Baclao 4, Enciso 4, Magat 2, Hontiveros 2, Racal 2, Exciminiano 0.

Quarterscores: 17-20, 38-47, 71-80, 107-106.

Young Import Malcolm Hill Took Over the Game and Carried Star Hotshots to Victory Against Winless Alaska

Alaska could not find the aces as they suffered another grievous defeat against the surging Star Hotshots.

Malcolm Hill, the 21 year old import from Illinois performed as expected and led the team in points and rebounds.

During the post game interview, he mentioned that he was told by the coaches that he needed to be aggressive and produce right away. The young player was confident in answering questions and even noted that he is the 3rd leading scorer when he was in college.

Hill got help from the locals including Paul Lee who scored 18 and Ian Sangalang who contributed 16 points. Star Hotshots was shooting at 50% while Alaska was shooting at 44%.  Star Hotshots also out rebounded Alaska 48 against 36. The Hotshots also shared the ball more with 20 team assists against 14 of the Aces.

Aces lost three games in a row this conference. Alaska Import Henton scored 34 points, Banchero got 21 points  and the rest of the Aces had single digit scores.

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NLEX Wins First Game Against Alaska but Coach Yeng is Not in the Mood to Celebrate Just Yet

Good Start from the Road Warriors!

Nothing to celebrate yet according to Coach Yeng Guiao, who was speaking at the post press conference after their first game win against Alaska. 

NLEX defeated Alaska with the score of 112- 104 led by import Fuller who scored 30 points and Kevin Alas with 20 points.

It was a steady game for the NLEX Road Warriors who got their first win in the 2017 PBA Governors Cup and their 3rd win in a row counting the last two games from the previous conference.

The Road Warriors had a bad conference and Coach Yeng Guiao wants nothing more than to improve from the horrific conference they had.

Alaska Aces had no luck in their first game with a horrible 37% FG while NLEX had 47%.  The Road Warriors also worked the board grabbing 20 more than Alaska.

The Aces did not get a decent number from their import who shot at 9/26 (34%). The locals did not help either with Abueva (27% FG), Casio (25% FG) and Banchero (36%)  all shooting poorly.

Larry Fonancier the newest Warriors was quiet with just 3 points on 17 minutes playing time.

Quarter Scoring:

           1st    2nd  3rd   4th   Final

ALA   24 31 24 25 104

NLX 23 33 27 29 112

NLEX 112-  Fuller 30, Alas 20, Tiongson 13, Quinahan 9, Rios 8, Taulava 8, Mallari 7, Al-Hussaini 6, Soyud 6, Fonacier 3, Lastimosa 2, Baracael 0, Monfort 0, Ighalo 0, J. Villanueva 0.

Alaska 104 – Henton 27, Enciso 21, Abueva 12, Banchero 11, Thoss 10, Manuel 9, Casio 7, Racal 5, Dela Cruz 2, Magat 0, Exciminiano 0, Mendoza 0, Baclao 0.

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Alaska:No More Aces in their Deck of Cards, Suffered 7th Loss in a Row, Astonishing Stats. Why?

After showing four Aces in their deck of cards in the first four games, it’s all bad draw for Alaska after as they plummeted to the ground and lost all games for the rest of the 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Elimination.  What happened and what went wrong?

The expectation was high for this great team as they have always shown toughness and grit in the PBA but when you lose seven in a row after winning the first four, then this could be really bad.

Last night, Alaska in their last game against Star Hotshots, one of the best teams this conference, they suffered another humiliating loss as the hottest team handed them one of their worst defeats in the conference.  The game was exciting from the start and it looked like Alaska will end the elimination on a high note but something went wrong again and they fell hard on their nose as they were not able to sustain the momentum. The score ended in overtime with the score of 102 -98.

The game perfectly summed up their conference as they looked very strong to start but then suddenly lost it.  What is wrong?

I looked at the team stats for the last five games and here is what I got from PBA.ph

The FG% is just hard to look at, is this for real?

The game with Star, their field goal percentage is at 36%, aha! These answers it, they can’t shoot.

Well, I hope it’s that simple but it ain’t. There are a lot of factors why a team would lose and while one of them is scoring there is always another side of the coin that needs to be addressed. Are they making the right play at the end? Are they motivated?

Alaska as a team has a tradition of winning. I have always looked up to their organization and I hate to see the team go down hard like this.

If they make the cut in the quarter-finals, they will face the two top teams and that could be Star again or either one from Ginebra and San Miguel Beermen. And while every team has a chance of winning, Alaska’s chance may dwindle down a bit more, not because they are less of a team but because the momentum is against them and this type of beating takes a lot from your heart and mind.

Highlights: TNT Shuts Off Alaska, Made a Comeback Victory After Being Down by 17 Points

TNT KaTropa escaped from a slow start in the first quarter, erasing an early huge 17-point deficit and beat Alaska Aces, 119-110, in the Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup Saturday in Legazpi, Albay.

New import Joshua Smith, tallied 23 points and 10 rebounds and helped KaTropa improve to a 7-3 standing.

Returning to TNT after playing for Gilas Pilipinas, Jayson Castro produced 20 points, five rebounds and seven assists in the match against the Aces. Ranidel De Ocampo chipped in 15 points while the other player like RR Garcia and RR Pogoy tallied 13 and 12 markers respectively.

It was the Aces who had a big advantage early in the match with a 17-point lead, courtesy of KaTropa’s miscue plays.

TNT’s Troy Rosario snatched the lead at 56 – 55 as he did a layup shot in the second quarter but  Chris Banchero quickly gave the lead back to Alaska with a buzzer-beating layup.

Vic Manuel however were forced to dismissed in the game after he injured his knee after a fast break layup in the start of second half.

Jefferson led Alaska with 29 points and seven rebounds but unfortunately not enough to stop the losing streak of the Aces.

(courtesy: youtube/sports5)

PBA Highlights: Ginebra Escapes with an Intense 103-102 Triumph Over Alaska to Extend Their Winning Streak to Five

The game-winning three-point play by Justin Brownlee led the Baranggay Ginebra San Miguel to its fifth straight victory after they fought hard over Alaska Aces at 103-102 in a thrilling Oppo PBA Commissioner’s Cup matchup Sunday at SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

With Ginebra down by two points, Brownlee attacked, scored and got the foul against Aces and brought his team to its remarkable win.

Brownlee ended the game with 37 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, three steals and four blocks in an all-around game for the Ginebra Kings. He delivered 16 of his scoring output in the start of second half where Ginebra pulled away.

The Aces had led the matchup in the last quarter at 101-95 with three minutes remaining but Ferrer and Devance scored consecutive points for Ginebra.

Without any timeout left, Ginebra had no choice but to play the remaining time in clock, with Brownlee continued his commendable play.

Alaska had a chance to steel the win, but Jvee Casio’s almost game-winning triple shot, fell short at the buzzer.

Scottie Thompson finished with an impressive double-double of 11 points, 11 rebounds. Joe Devance (12 points), LA Tenorio (11) and Mark Caguioa (10) also contributed.

Cory Jefferson from Alaska led his team and made 25 points and 18 rebounds. Alaska now bears their third straight lost in the conference. (4-3)

The scores:

GINEBRA 103 – Brownlee 37, Devance 12, Tenorio 11, Thompson 11, Caguioa 10, Ferrer 6, Mercado 6, Ellis 6, Marcelo 4, Cruz 0.

ALASKA 102 – Jefferson 25, Manuel 13, Casio 12, Thoss 9, Banchero 9, Hontiveros 9, Racal 8, Exciminiano 7, Enciso 6, Pascual 4, Andrada 0, Mendoza 0.

Quarterscores: 32-30, 57-56, 87-76, 103-102.
 

(courtesy: youtube/Sports5)

Alaska Ran Out of Aces Against Meralco, Amer and Chua Led the Charge

Baser Amer led the game with 19

Either Alaska forgot to drink their milk tonight or they ran out of luck against Meralco Bolts.

Alaska was one of the few undefeated teams coming into this game. It was expected that the game would be a close one as both teams are currently leading the conference with  Meralco at 4-1 and Alaska at 4-0.

However, the Aces was trailing all game long and just could not find the answer against the defense-minded Meralco Bolts. The first half was ugly as Alaska Aces was limited to only 35 points against 50 of the Bolts.

Meralco Bolts got a big boost in the first half from Justin Chua who scored 14 points and Baser Amer who played the most minutes in the game with 40:56 minutes and scoring 19 minutes and hauling 9 rebounds.

Cory Jefferson tried to lift the Aces scoring a game-high 32 points and making critical shots including three-pointers late in the game when they were trying to mount a comeback.

Calvin Abueva scored 11 points but was out of his game and was visibly upset with the referees. He fouled out.

After the game, coach Norman mentioned the contribution of Chua and Amer, as well as giving credit to the contribution of their import, saying that his presence in the middle is already a big factor for them.

Meralco will face Blackwater on April 16 while Alaska will have a longer rest until they face Phoenix on April 21. Both games will be played at the Araneta Coliseum.

Scores:

MERALCO 99 – Amer 19, Stepheson 17, Dillinger 15, Newsome 14, Chua 14, Hugnatan 8, Nabong 8, Yeo 4, Daquioag 0, Uyloan 0, Caram 0.

ALASKA 91 – Jefferson 32, Enciso 14, Abueva 11, Galliguez 9, Dela Cruz 8, Exciminiano 6, Casio 5, Thoss 4, Pascual 2, Racal 0, Andrada 0.

Quarterscores: 27-19, 50-35, 76-60, 99-91.