2nd Round- September 19 @ 1215AM and 3AM
Semifinals- September 20 @ 1230AM and 3AM3rd Place- September 21 @ 1230AM

Finals- September 21 @ 315AM

BTV

2nd Round- September 19 @ 1215AM and 3AM
Semifinals- September 20 @ 1230AM and 3AM
3rd Place- September 21 @ 1230AM
Finals- September 21 @ 315AM

BTV

2nd Round- September 19 @ 1215AM and 3AM
Semifinals- September 20 @ 1230AM and 3AM
3rd Place- September 21 @ 1230AM
Finals- September 21 @ 315AM

BTV

ESPN
Sky Cable 31
Destiny 82

NCAA first round basketball schedule after the jump:

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If there is no such a word as hoarsed (take note: with a "d" because I think it is past tense of hoarse), please correct me.

You got that right, my voice has not been normal for two straight days. Here's why.

Last Friday, I attended (and enjoyed) the Pep Rally in my Alma Mater, San Beda College. The Pep Rally is the preparation and honoring our athletes for the coming collegiate season, in our case, the NCAA. In my five years of stay in San Beda, I have never witnessed such grandeur of a Pep Rally until last Friday. It was a blast! It wasn't just an ordinary Pep Rally affair. From start to finish, it was spectacular. Jikkie Lee, 2004 Miss Teen Philippines, Bianca King, commercial model, and some Bedan guy hosted the event. Jikkie and Bianca are both Bedans; Jikkie taking up Legal Management while Bianca studied in San Beda-Alabang during her Grade School and High School years.

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I wrote on my blog before how frustrated I was on how things were going so badly with my beloved New York Knicks (Basketball Exchange wasn't around then yet for me to post it here). Today, news has arrived that things have finally come to a head.

The Knicks have finally fired Brown, and put General Manager Isiah Thomas in his place.

Several issues here:

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The last four games were absolutely a thrill to watch, with no small thanks to your Finals MVP, Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. Gary wrote yesterday that "DWade is the type of spectacular phenomenon who’s probably going to retire with 10 championships". You know what? I most definitely agree.

If you didn't know already, D-Wade jersey sales have topped the list this year (see article), edging Iverson's and King James' jerseys. More cool Dwyane Wade stuff can be found at his sleek official website.

I can't imagine how good it feels right now for Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, Antoine Walker and yes, Shandon Anderson. These are the guys who've come close to winning it in the past, and now they finally have it. Shaq, of course, makes it four for him. And DWade is the type of spectacular phenomenon who's probably going to retire with 10 championships.

But the story for me is Zo. As I write this, the boxscores haven't loaded yet, and I can see the stage being prepared on the Mavs homecourt for the awarding ceremony. Shaq is being interviewed, and there is just pure raw happiness all around the team. It must be especially wonderful to win in on your opponent's court. The arena is stunned silent, and the Mavs fans can't get to the parking lot fast enough.

Finally I saw Zo. He was crying, but what did I expect? He played the game of his life. He absolutely positively brought game today, and quieted down any and all critics imho. I was writing down notes throughout the game for this blogpost, and at some point it was mentioned that the Heat had 10 shotblocks, and I think he has half of them (those boxscores haven't come in yet). That is just amazing. Far and away the story of the game in my mind.

Here's the rest of what I wrote:

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Breaking news:

Dallas’ Stackhouse Suspended One Game

NEW YORK, June 16, 2006 – Jerry Stackhouse of the Dallas Mavericks has been suspended one game without pay for making unnecessary and excessive contact with Shaquille O’Neal of the Miami Heat during Game 4 of the 2006 NBA Finals, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Senior Vice President Basketball Operations.

“The contact by Jerry Stackhouse was clearly excessive and warrants a suspension,” Jackson said.

The foul, which was upgraded to a Flagrant Foul Penalty Two, occurred with 6:29 remaining in the third quarter of the Mavericks’ 98-74 loss to the Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena on June 15.

Here're his stats from the last Game:
J. Stackhouse
Minutes: 30:00
Field goals made / attempts: 6-18
3 point shots made / attempts: 1-5
Free throws made / attempts: 3-3
Off. Reb.:3
Def. Reb.:1
Assists: 4
Fouls:1
Turnovers: 0
Pts.:16

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Game 1 was forgettable. Game 2 was even worse. In Game 3, Dallas was on its way, then suddenly decided to stop short of the end and let them through. Gary Payton made the game-winning shot. Gary Payton. I'd been crying for weeks watching every mistake he made and the Mavs let Gary Payton take the winning shot? Dang.

But Game 4 today was different.

The reason I love basketball is that the impossible can happen. No, rather it's meant to happen. The purity of basketball lies in the fact that it is a team sport, and as a team, any group of five people can do anything. Absolutely anything.

Game 4 saw Miami start playing like that. Game 4 was five people doing everything they can to win. Not just DWade highlight reels. Not just Shaq pounding the ball down the hoop. Not just Antoine or Posey or Williams. But all five of them, so much so that you forget that Dwade can do highlights. You forget that Shaq can pound the ball down the hoop. You forget that each were particularly good at anything. When a team plays like a team, everything becomes a blur, and the only thing that's clear is that they get the lead. With Miami it was an 8 point lead. Then 10. Then 12. Then 15. At one point 20 points ahead.

Dallas of course, wouldn't take that lying down. Sure they shot terribly, but I'm sure they've already started allowing themselves to think that they're already Champs. How do I know that? Because when you know you're the Champ, you don't just let that get away from you. You punch and you kick and you let everyone know you're not going to give up being Champ. That's why Terry dunked on Shaq after he was blocked. That's why Nowtizki tried to dunk after getting blocked by Mourning. That's why there were so many fights, punctuated by kicks and elbows and wayward arms to the face.

Whew.

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Now I know the past posts have been Mavs related, and I know it's gonna look like I'm biased, but I've been scouring Youtube for interesting Miami Heat vids and aside from the boring highlight reel stuff, I got zero, zilch, nothing.

Instead, we got interesting Mavs vids, and so far, nothing beats this:

What can I say? Except Go MAVS!

Technorati Tags: dallas mavericks, brady bunch, avery johnson, miami heat, nba finals 2006

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"drivin down the lane and guess who you'll see? Mr. D-I-O-P!!" you gotta love it. you just gotta.

Technorati Tags: desagana diop, dallas mavericks

But I hate him more than I admire him. Upon the very first time I heard him do TV commentaries for the NBA Finals during the Michael Jordan era, it somehow caught my attention about how he, and his usual partner Andy Jao, is such a blabbermouth.

Don’t get me wrong, TV commentators are there to talk about the game but please, side-details should be done every once in awhile. There was this one time back in the Utah-Chicago Finals series, he and Mr. Jao were talking about stuff not related to the game that is happening. Sure, they can talk about having lunch with Karl Malone and his Pinay wife but let’s leave it to that, the "Did You Know?" parts. We don’t need any other details except you guys having such with the Malones. Besides, who cares about that? This is not show business, this is basketball.

Have you ever heard the names of Johnny Stockton, Timmy Duncan, and Stevie Kerr? Only one man (they are actually two) was able to name such players. And that is Mr. Henson (and Mr. Jao). They kept saying those names (except Duncan’s) back in the Jordan era. Oh yeah, don’t forget Scotty Burrell, that Red Bull import last year who was a part of the 96-97 Chicago Bulls championship squad. Enough of the wisecracks! Duncan, a dominant big man, all of a sudden became a puny idiot with that name. He doesn’t even sound like a basketball player and they are not musicians anyway as well.

And the exaggerations…how could I forget. I used to dislike Anthony Suntay’s exaggeration with regard to his color commentary during the New Jersey-Los Angeles finals in 2002 but I figured, it’s how he gets the viewers going. At least, he was able to drop it a notch because the more you do it, the more you get the viewers irritated. It is okay to get Americanized with how you speak on TV while the game is on but the talent of color commentary is au naturel. But Mr. Henson’s is way over the edge. Somebody give him a diazepam to calm him down.

On the flipside, if there’s one thing I admire about Mr. Henson, it is how he gets the facts straight and tells it to the viewers and readers (of his Phil. Star columns). He is persistent, makes sure he is able to squeeze every single drop of juicy stuff. That is the way how journalists should be. Such a talent and love for journalism is what I envy in the guy. Other than that is how much I like to shut his mouth when he talks in an exaggerated manner, trying to make the moment exciting as if it is such. I almost forgot, how he was screaming during the Morales-Pacquiao II match had one of my eyebrows raised in wonder. That is like the first time I heard a TV commentator scream while saying “He! Is! THE MAN!!!”. His voice, by the way, sounded like he’s gargling after waking up from a good night’s sleep.

Talent is what TV broadcasters have and I admire them for that, not being camera-shy or being jittery or not stuttering in the boob tube. The likes of Ed Picson and Sev Sarmenta (even though he always say “Tenorio says ‘I’ll take it to the hole this time’”, among others) are more deserving to cover the NBA Finals or any big event in the world of sports. They show class and the way they do their thing is classic. No exaggerations (except Sev’s style in some ways), just plain color commentary. These guys deserve some props and they should be in the forefront of all the commentators.

Mr. Henson, no offense meant, but you should take a cue from the two guys mentioned in the paragraph above.

Look, I know you wanna look cool and all, but Dirk needs help. And besides, no self-respecting fan of the Dallas Mavericks shouldn't be without the Knight Rider gear. I mean, if it works for Dirk Nowitzki, then who are we to argue?!

And so we here at Basketball Exchange have scoured the 'net far and wide to provide you with the absolute, cannot-do-without essentials for the discriminating Maverick fans. Next page. (more...)

This is one of those times where I wish I didn't keep my mouth shut, and told the whole world (via posting before Game 1), that I thought Dallas will win the finals on the strength of their guards. That's right, the vote for "Dallas wins 4-2" to your right? That's me, or at least one of them.

I knew I was going to hate not saying so, because now I don't get to say "I told you so", plainly because I didn't tell anyone. But trust me, that's exactly how I felt, and true enough, Jason Terry torches the Heat with 32 points on 4-7 three point shooting and 13-18 field goals made.

Truth is, I've never really trusted Jason Terry. He's a terrific player, but not a very good point guard, and a very excitable one at that (hence the missed all alone layup in the third). However, he's definitely grown every year, and he has one of the most reliable jumpshots I've ever seen in the series. He loves moving to his right, where he suddenly pops straight up for a J which usually swishes the net. It works for 3 point shots from the corner too.

It's a classic quick-release, and he's so confident with it it's become automatic, which accounts for why they still go in even if he's too excitable for his own good. A true example of good constant practice right there. Anyone can develop a reliable shot like that, something you can depend on whenever things get too hot on the court. Need to score? Go to the jumpshot you know you've practiced a thousand times over and over in the gym. In Terry's case, he goes to his right, then straight up or fades away. The Heat defense will definitely (if they hadn't tried already), adjust for that in the next game.

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Here are the schedules for the NBA Finals:

Coming soon, UAAP, NCAA and (yawn :) ) PBA scheds!!

From here on, any and all schedules will be posted on our new Schedules Page, featuring downloadable scheds and soon, downloadable .vcal format so you can synch it into your PDA, Outlook, Yahoo! or Google Calendar, etc.

What's that I hear? You love the Basketball Exchange? Aww, we love you too!

Technorati Tags: philippine basketball association, pba, uaap, ncaa, schedules, pba schedules, uaap schedules, ncaa schedules, vcal format, downloadable schedules

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The next stage in the road to the PBA championship begins later this day as four teams slug it out in the Quarterfinals.

The Barangay Ginebra Kings take on the Red Bull Barako, while the Coca-Cola Tigers battle the Alaska Aces. The winners of these two best-of-five series will advance to the Semis, where the seeded Purefoods Chunkee Giants and the San Miguel Beermen await their next opponents.

Prior to this stage, the Talk N Text Phone Pals, the Air21 Express, and the Sta. Lucia Realtors dropped from contention; the Phone Pals' elimination concluded a particularly disappointing performance for a star-studded team loaded with firepower. Purefoods and San Miguel finished first (12-4) and second (11-5), respectively, to earn the right to advance to the Semifinals outright (see Elimination Round standings).

Image borrowed from NBA.com

In recent years, I've taken a liking to these two teams. Though my fave squads (esp. the Bulls) fell by the wayside, this penultimate duel to cap off the season simply makes my heart race.

I prefer the Heat over the Mavs, but one look at Dirk Nowitzki's most recent performances and I'm led to think this year's going to be a Western Conference year. Well, according to NBA.com's poll, 36% of 189524 responses (as of presstime) pick Miami to win in six, while 24% say it's Dallas emerging the victor after six games. Our own poll here's tied for "Miami in six" and "Dallas in six", so don't forget to vote!

As always, NBA.com is a treasure trove for info on the Finals. To prime your mind for the Last Dance, read on the history of the Heat-Mavericks rivalry and the Finals by the numbers.

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Yeeha! I can already feel the excitement in the air. Season 69 of the UAAP is just around the corner, and though I've just graduated from university, I've still got that college fever!

The hostilities for the basketball tournament will start on July 8 at the Araneta Coliseum, with the UE Red Warriors and Adamson Falcons clashing in the opening game. No doubt, UE will try to begin the season on the right note in the hopes of barging into the Finals, a stage they've narrowly missed the past years. Adamson, too, will be looking to improve upon last season's dismal record. The Ateneo Blue Eagles and the NU Bulldogs rumble in the second match.

My school background aside (eherm), I pick the UP Fighting Maroons as a, not the, team to watch this season. UP has narrowly missed the Final Four in the last two seasons, and it's quite exciting to see how their souped-up team (with several high-school standouts as new recruits) can fare this year. Oh, and don't forget their new/old coach, Joe Lipa. Will his comeback equate to a trip to the Final Four for the State U?

Can't wait for the UAAP wars to begin!

Several posts ago I mentioned that I thought the Suns wouldn't last against the Mavs, and I gotta say, with the way almost all of my predictions have been going, and the way it got to 2-2, my confidence was on shaky ground.

However today, Dallas stamped its class, and the Suns looked... what's the word.. beat.

The reason I'm betting on the Mavs was because of the plain fact that lineup wise, I really don't think a team can go very far without a true center. Centers are just as essential as the rest of the positions, and even a team with guards as talented as Phoenix can only go so far.

Today, Dirk scored 50 points along with 12 rebounds, and scored a Phoenix demoralizing 3 point shot in boiler pressure level fashion in the fourth quarter when it mattered most. Sometime in the third quarter, in a verbal altercation with Tim Thomas (who happened to play great as well making 6 of 8 three point shots), Thomas blew him a kiss. That might have been the mistake of the night, because in the fourth quarter, Dirk blew them away.

Will Phoenix make it 3-3 again? Maybe. But after this post, I hope not, because for the first time in the series, I'm placing my bets on a team, and it's the Dallas Mavericks.

Out of topic, I found this terrific Youtube video of Dirk Nowitzki getting MTV punk'd, with Michael Finley as an accomplice of all people. Poor Michael Finley. I wonder if he's even watching this series. Anyway, check it out:

Technorati Tags: dirk nowitzki, nba, dallas mavericks, michael finley, tim thomas, phoenix suns

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Right after Dallas' Game 4 humiliation at the hands of the Phoenix Suns, a lot of people were ready to write off the team that ousted the defending champs Spurs from contention. King Maverick Dirk Nowitzki even got bashed for his 11-point performance, causing Jim Reeves to write, "For all the good Dirk Nowitzki did the Mavs, he might as well have been in the stands Tuesday night."

But as they've shown all throughout the year, the Mavericks -- especially the 7-foot German -- are no patsies.

Earlier this day, Dallas took a 3-2 lead in their Western Finals showdown with Phoenix with an emphatic 117-101 rout. Guess who led the charge? Dirk "The Blond Bomber" Nowitzki. (Nickname coined by Art Garcia in his article.)

Nowitzki had an impressive 50-point outing, which is a franchise playoff record and ties Kobe Bryant's performance for the highest-scoring game of the 2006 Playoffs. Dirk's half-century feat is also his playoff career-high.

The Mavs now have a great chance to close out the series in the next two games, the last of which happens right smack on their home territory. If Dirk doesn't lose steam, Dallas would be very hard to beat. However, to shrug off the Suns would be an act of stupidity -- they're classy veterans of "brink of elimination" scenarios, so much so that Dan Bickley calls them "desperation addicts".

A month ago I thought it'd be Pistons-Spurs. Then a week ago I thought it'd be Suns - Pistons. Later on that changed to Pistons-Mavs. And now? All that is out the window.

I just turned off the tube a minute ago, and watched Detroit win one against the Heat (78-91). Sure they were drubbed by 13, but I remain more impressed with the Heat and how they won in the games before that. Detroit looked beat and drained as their players could only look on as the fantastic Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal rained on their parade.

It wasn't anything specific the Heat did, it was just how the whole team played. They played fresh, and they had energy, while the Pistons, terrific as they are, sputtered and merely reacted to what the Heat did, and most noticably, failed to make shots that they'd normally sink.

Defense was still fantastic, which is normal for Detroit, but the problem is it was with the Heat too. They trapped, they prevented curls to the basket, the kept the guy who'd make screens from getting into position, and anticipated plays before they happened. It was exciting, and if anything, educational, and to basketball purists, awe-inspiring. And yes, more so because both teams played it, and not just the defending champs.

As for the Suns? Boris Diaw are the two key words there. You got Boris rebounding. You got Boris defending. You got Boris slamming with two hands over Dirk Nowitzki. You got Boris looking like he belongs to the NBA's best, and it's got Steve Nash jumping in the air and pumping his fists with excitement. And if you're the Mavs, you don't want to see the league MVP get excited. It only means bad things for you.

Suns vs. Heat.

Let those words sink in a bit. It'll be exciting regardless who plays the finals, but the important thing to remember here is: no one expected that. Absolutely not a single soul could've guessed it'd turn out that way.

Technorati Tags: basketball, phoenix suns, miami heat, nba playoffs, dwayne wade, steve nash, shaquille o'neal

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