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

Just barely two days after being shipped to Red Bull, Rommel Adducul finds himself in the land of the Giants. Nelson Beltran of the Philippine Star reports that Red Bull and Purefoods have already reached an agreement to swap the Cagayan-native with seldom-used forward Don Camaso. Red Bull acquired Adducul earlier from San Miguel in a direct trade that netted the Beermen up and coming superstar Enrico Villanueva. Adducul's entry into the Purefoods lineup finally gives the Giants a legitimate big man it long covets. He will give the Giants the interior presence they desperately need. He is, I think, the perfect complement to Kerby's game because he plays back-to-the-basket (in contrast to Kerby who prefers the face-up game), does not demand the ball in the low post, and plays within the team system.

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More pics from the Nike event at Serendra last week:

Ren Ren Ritualo

Philippine Team

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After months of negotiation, an agreement has been finally reached between Red Bull and San Miguel. Nelson Beltran of Philippine Star reports that the Red Bull Barakos have already consummated a deal with San Miguel for the transfer of Enrico Villanueva for disgruntled center Rommel Adducul. It was a one-on-one trade and at hindsight looks to be terribly one-sided in favor of San Miguel. Could it be there was a "cash" involved? Hmm.

Adducul now has a chance to play in the spotlight, away from the shadows of Danny Ildefonso and Dorian Pena, and look to finally live up to his billing as RP basketball's next important big man. He has been a big disappointment in his 4-year stint in the league thus far. He requested for a trade as he was not getting the playing time he expected when he was dealt from Ginebra.

If there is one coach who can help Adducul realize his goals, it is Yeng Guiao. Guiao is responsible for the ascension of Villanueva to one of pro league's elite big men and he is doing the same to Carlo Sharma.

Villanueva will now be reunited with his ex-Ateneo teammates at San Miguel: LA Tenorio and Wesley Gonzales. Olsen Racela is also an Ateneo alum, just as head coach Chot Reyes. Expect Larry Fonacier, Rich Alvarez and Paolo Bugia to follow suit (if the price is right). It looks like the Beermen are building their own Ateneo line up. With a high draft pick in the 2007 draft, the Beermen are said to be eyeing another Ateneo alum JC Intal.

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Click below to see the behind the scenes making of the video..

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Amongst the many things needed for the Utah Jazz to beat the San Antonio Spurs (ahead in their series by 2 games), they needed to do any of the following:

1. Get Andrei Kirilenko to Produce
2. Stop Tim Duncan
3. Stop Tony Parker
4. If you can't stop either, at least limit everyone else
5. Someone from the Jazz has to step up

Of these, 3 out of 5 were achieved, which was good enough for them to not only beat, but bury the Spurs, 105 - 83 at home.

Firstly, Duncan found himself with three fouls 5 minutes into the second quarter, severely limiting his effectivity and putting him on the bench most of the time. He returned to commit another two fouls in the 2nd half, and although he was effective against anyone defending him, his foul issues forced him to play conservative, ending up with only 16 points and 8 rebounds.

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Zoom Kobe II

Zoom Kobe II

Basketball Exchange is proud to have been amongst those invited to a Nike event held last May 22 at the Nike Park Flagship Store at Bonifacio High Street, The Fort, entitled 'Gloria Team Pilipinas'. This is a campaign that 'pays homage to the winning spirit of Team Pilipinas, in an effort to rally Filipinos behind the nation's basketball heroes'. The unveiling was held at the Nike Store at The Fort and simultaneously displayed at a billboard along Edsa - Guadalupe in Makati, North Luzon Expressway, Cebu City and Davao City.

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Although this may be one of the ugliest games in the Playoffs so far, the Pistons - Cavaliers 2nd game proved to be a thriller, with Rasheed Wallace providing some D and even crucial points with a heart pounding three point shot in the 7th minute of the 4th quarter from a Chauncey Billups pass, and finally, providing the only field goal in the last 2:34 via a Jordan like fadeaway from the right flank over the outstretched arms of LeBron James.

In a game that ended with the exact same score as their Game 1 encounter, an incredible 33 total turnovers were committed (Pistons 15, Cavaliers 18), with Billups and LeBron James leading the way with 5 and 6 apiece.

James played a game that seems to lack energy for the Playoffs, at one time getting solidly blocked in a one on one play against Antonio McDyess, and at the final parts passed up a chance for a layup, instead giving it to an ill prepared Aleksander Pavlovic who traveled and turned it over. At the final few seconds with the Pistons ahead by 1, James was covered by Richard Hamilton and his layup bounced off the rim, and off Wallace's hands to Larry Hughes, who failed to connect with a seven foot uncontested jumpshot.

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What is it about the Boston Celtics that has to do with luck? Well, a lot for this particular team.

You cannot look any more dejected than that.

In the Red Auerbach era, the Boston Celtics luck in the draft is the stuff of, just like Auerbach, legends. Drawing from a hat, they managed to pick up legend Bob Cousy in the dispersal draft from the then bankrupt Chicago Stags. Auerbach also managed to get Bill Russel by promising the owner of the Rocester Royals a trade, of all things, a visit by the Ice Capades.

The streak did not stop there. Larry Bird was drafted by the Celtics a year before any team did so, taking a risk that obviously paid off. Even current Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge, who played with them from 1981 to 1989, was a lucky move, drafted when he was still wondering if he'd rather play baseball.

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After three games, the RP team is still winless in the 18th FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Tehran, Iran. All loses have been lopsided and it was easy to pinpoint the national team’s waterloo – they couldn’t defend against the opposing teams’ big men. In their first game, the RP team failed to contain 7-2 315-lb man-mountain Garth Joseph. Joseph, who played 4 forgettable games in the NBA, rattled in 39 points against the meek defense of Asi Taulava and Mick Pennisi and made it look like it was as easy as picking grapes in a vineyard. Against a Syrian team powered by the towering Bernard Jons and ex-PBA import Julius Nwosu, the team was helpless as the duo exploded for a combined 40 points and 19 rebounds. Taulava was a non-factor with a measly 7 points while the 6-9 Pennisi laid a big fat egg. Sure, the opposing teams have imports but how could you expect them to fare better against China’s NBA caliber big men of the 7-6 Yao Ming, 7-1 Wang Zhizhi, 6-11 Bateer Menk and draft hopeful 7-0 Yi Jian Lin if you can’t at least lay a hand on these journeymen bigs?

If the RP team plans to make some headway in the Asian Games, and other international competitions, they need to be able to defend the interior. Do we need a reinforcement? A superman of sorts? FIBA rules allow each team one naturalized player. If we can get at least one big who can defend and block shots inside the lane, that would be much better but if we can’t, we need to maximize our strengths and take away the opposition’s size advantage over us. Easier said than done ey?

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News around the league have the Red Bull Barakos franchise player Enrico Villanueva on the trading block. Villanueva has been struggling this season for Red Bull, and the emergence of former Shell benchwarmer Carlo Sharma have made him somewhat expendable.

According to reports, Villanueva and sophomore guard Larry Fonacier are headed to San Miguel for Rommel Adducul and Brandon Lee Cablay. A third team, Purefoods is also looking to make it three-way in the hopes of addressing their woes in the frontcourt. The Giants are reportedly dangling sophomore Jondan Salvador and a future draft pick or Jun Simon to land their coveted big man.

It is still unclear how this deal works out. Both the SMC and Photokina franchise have been mum on the issue and have not made any confirmation regarding the proposed deal. According to league insiders, San Miguel is hellbent on making this deal work, the hitch being the provisions of the Restricted Trading List (RTL) which prevents Villanueva from being dealt to another team in exchange for non-RTL players. If they intend to make this deal go down, the Beermen would have to part ways with Danny Seigle, and Purefoods with 2005-06 MVP James Yap or Kerby Raymundo. I don't think both clubs would consent to this kind of deal and would probably ask the Commissioner, instead, to replace Villanueva with either Junthy Valenzuela or Mick Pennisi in the RTL.

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It has to be asked.

Dirk Nowitzki powered the Dallas Mavericks to a 6th best regular season record and franchise best 67 games for season 2006 - 2007 assuring for themselves the 1st seed and homecourt advantage in the Playoffs.

However, as everyone knows by now, the 8th seed Golden State Warriors had other plans and did not allow the Mavs to progress from their matchup, along the way making a record of their own as only the 3rd 8th seeded team in the league ever to eliminate the 1st seed in the opening round.

The Mavs, highly favored not only at the Playoffs but even at the start of the Season as a Championship contender, now have to contend with a heartbreaking early exit, to the shock and dismay of Mav fans and most ordinary NBA fans alike.

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Should Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and the rest of the gang come back from the 90's, then the Chicago Bulls might still have a chance. But since this is not going to happen, the Detroit Pistons look very well on their way to sweep their second round assignment and face whoever will win in the Cavaliers / Nets series (currently standing at Cle 2, NJN 0).

The Bulls squandered a 19 point lead in the 3rd quarter by getting outrebounded and producing only 8 of 22 (33.7%) from the field. But most of all, credit goes to Chauncey Billups, whose timely 3 point shots (3 of 8), and general heads up play in the 2nd half kept his team in the game, producing 21 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds. Rasheed Wallace, whose 3 point shot rang true in the dying seconds of the 3rd quarter brought the score to 61-60, also contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Tayshaun Prince topscored for the game with 23 points and also 11 rebounds.

The Bulls looked good on paper, with 4 of their starts shooting and rebounding in the double figures, but just couldn't shoot the ball in the 2nd half. Their average for the game: 33.7%, is nearly the same as that of their first two games: 33.6%.

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Sun's Reserve center Kurt Thomas provided the little things on defense as well guarded Tim Duncan well one on one, allowing the Phoenix Suns other players to concentrate on their defensive assignments eventually blowing out the San Antonio Spurs in their 2nd game, 101 - 81.

Amare Stoudemire, previously having difficulty guarding against Tim Duncan, was relieved of having to defend him by Thomas' outstanding play, allowing him to erupt for 27 points, 21 of which was scored in the 2nd half. Duncan topscored for the game with 29, but was hampered with foul trouble. Both he and Stoudemire scored 15 in the 3rd period in a classic matchup of brute power and smooth, studied moves from the two All Star big men, but Duncan's four fouls hampered his time on the floor. Steve Nash, playing with a bandage on his nose from a head on collision with Tony Parker in the 1st game, scored 20 points and dished of 13 assists in yet another classic point guard performance, executing pick and roll after pick and roll, or punishing the defense with long 3s, some with Duncan guarding him, or getting free for layups.

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In what could be one of the best examples of perfect basketball ever in this year's Playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the Phoenix Suns 111 - 106, but only likely due to Sun's star Steve Nash having to sit out the final parts of the game due to an ugly gash at the bridge of his nose.

In the first game of these two team's 2nd round of the Playoffs, Tim Duncan aka 'The Big Fundamentals' unleashed smooth move after smooth for a game high 33 points and 16 rebounds. His counterpart Amare Stoudemire could do no less, scoring 20 points and hauling down 18, 13 at the defensive end, both terrific players performances signalling the start of what could possibly be one of the more exciting games in the Playoffs.

Spurs guard Tony Parker was unstoppable, shooting jumper after jumper for 32 points and 8 assists. Nash on the other hand, was just starting to control the game when an unfortunate head on collision between the two saw Parker laying on the ground for a full minute with a huge welt on his forehead, while Nash, although looking like he wasn't very hurt, couldn't keep the area between his eyes from bleeding, at times some of it trickling into his left eye.

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In 'the biggest game of Tracy McGrady's life', the proverbial nightmare ending ensued. With only a few seconds left to go and the Utah Jazz ahead by three points, Tracy McGrady and Shane Battier were both an arms length away from guard Deron Williams, when for some unexplainable reason they did not foul him, instead allowing him to pass the ball around as the time ticked away for the eventual Jazz win, 103 - 99.

Carlos Boozer erupted for 35 points and 14 rebounds in 41 minutes, with Mehmet Okur going 2 of 5 from the 3 point line, one in the crucial last few minutes, for a total of 16 points. Deron Williams had 20, while Andrei Kirilenko is yet to awaken from his season long slumber producing only 8 points, 2 rebounds and one 3 point shot made and attempted in 32 minutes of play.

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Richard Jefferson of the New Jersey Nets bust out a can of whoopass and single handedly beat the Toronto Raptors with a stunning one against two twisting layup after a 180 degree turn, scoring to put the Nets ahead 97 - 98.

With 8.3 seconds to go, he then performed another miracle play on the defensive side, intercepting the entry pass from Toronto guard Jose Calderon to Raptors superstar center Chris Bosh, then quickly passing it to superstar teammate Jason Kidd who dribbled the time away.

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But don't let me tell you about it. Here's the little man with a song for all you die - hard Maverick fans:

Here's the official video of Dirk's 12 point performance in the last 3 minutes. Lyrics for the singalong fanatics after the jump:

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