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

Makes you wonder why I've gone biblical all of a sudden but no, sorry to disappoint. This is just an offshoot from the article of Yahoo! Sports columnist and Inside The NBA analyst Kenny Smith entitled "NBA not lacking for positive stories." (posted on October 29, 2007).

It is but evident that all we see in the newspaper's front pages today are nothing but something negative. Newspapers do not, more often than not, publish the brighter side of our everyday lives. The reason is because they don't sell.

Okay, enough of that, I can go all day blabbering and jabbering about the negativities shown. What bothers me a bit though is that how come NBA players can do some charity work (be it a basketball game, build hospitals for their hometowns, organize a "Rip Hamilton Weekend" where everybody is fed FOR FREE, among others) while in our own backyard, nobody seems to be doing something about it (except for the annual Bantay Bata 163 UAAP-NCAA All-Star Festivities, but that's just one piece of the puzzle). There are a lot of people here who need help.

This is not only a shoutout to the athletes of the PBA but also to those who have the means to help, in one way or another. If PBA players and other personalities were able to put up an event for Eugene Tejada, why can't they do the same for those people below the poverty line, with terminal illnesses, who can't help themselves for now, and those who under-educated? The government, I believe, can only do so much. If these famous and popular people can have all the time in the world play ball, sing in concerts, have fun and party at bars and clubs, why can't they devote time for those who are in need?

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Wonder how your NBA stars looked like when they were small? NBA.com profiled 30 players who went on to fulfill their dreams of playing in the big league. Some of their pictures are posted here. hahaha. this is hilarious!

Jason Kidd

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1. Purefoods (2-0, won over Sta. Lucia and Talk N Text)
The Giants eked out two very impressive victories over the new-look Sta. Lucia Realtors and the powerhouse Talk N Text team. That stretches their winning streak to seven games if you count the preseason games. Coach Ryan Gregorio is worried that his team is peaking too early. In both wins they were down by double digits but made a run in the second half to turn the game around. Will the Giants' luck continue to hold out? Are they for real? Answers will be known Friday when they face also an undefeated team in Magnolia.

2. Magnolia (2-0, won over Air21 and Sta. Lucia)
Magnolia won the inaugural game against the Gary David-less Air21 Express. Danny Seigle (28 pts), Enrico Villanueva (20 pts, 15 rebs, 2 blks) and Dondon Hontiveros (15 pts) negated the 32-point explosion by the Express' KG Canaleta to give the win to the Beverage Masters. Last Sunday, they won a close match against the Realtors. Magnolia, the pre-tournament favorite to win the Philippine Cup crown, has one assignment next week - Purefoods (yes, their pre-season tormentors), and if they successfully hurdle the Giants, they'll be on top of the heap.
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This is a review of 'My Game', an hour long documentary by director-producer tandem Carlo Ledesma and Mel Lozano that aims to highlight the roots of some of our basketball heroes, namely Nike talents Ren-Ren Ritualo, Don-Don Hontiveros, Arwind Santos, Jobe Nkemakolam, James Yap and Rico Maierhofer. Premiered last October 18, 2007 at the Powerplant Mall in Makati, it was a well - attended affair with a lot of prominent College and PBA stars in attendance, as well as numerous press and celebrities. Here are some reflections about the documentary. I will be writing about the players themselves in a future post.

First and foremost I'll go right out and say that it is a terrific piece of work. Carlo Ledesma and Mel Lozano obviously put in a great amount of time and effort in this, but the most important factor that they brought is the one thing that previous and current coverage of basketball in the Philippines consistently fails to deliver - and that is soul.

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WELCOAT DRAGONS

Joe Devance (3 pts 1-2 3FG, 1 asts, 4 minutes). A lot of hype surrounded the 6-7 230 lbs standout from University of Texas-El Paso even before he walked inside the PBA hardcourt. In the preseason, he was such a phenomenal scoring force that jaded observers gamely predicted he would contend not only for ROY honors but for the MVP plum as well. His first PBA game was forgettable. He limped off the court after just 4 minutes of playing time, scoring one triple before bowing out of the game. His absence was felt by the Dragons in the second half where his scoring ability could have given the Dragons a big lift over the resurging Tigers. They eventually lost the game after leading by as much as 19 points in the first half. Would the score have been the same if Devance was healthy during that game? Maybe. Production-wise, Devance would have a better output but Welcoat winning? They have to prove that first.

Ryan Araña (6 pts 1-3 3FG 1-4 2FG 1-2 FT, 3 rebs, 18 minutes). Araña did not log heavy minutes during his first game but you can see that he has great basketball skills - he can score, he can defend - in other words, he's a complete basketball player. Araña reminds me so much of former Purefoods guard Glenn Capacio, who was a many-time All-Defensive Team member. Araña has great basketball fundamentals and knows how to play the game. He can manufacture his own shot, and read plays instantly. Araña has great potential. He will be closely watched during the team's coming games.

Don Dulay (did not see action). Dulay did not play in the Dragons' inaugural game but there is a lot to be excited from this 5-6 dynamo. He has a quick first step, a very adept ballhandler, penetrates against the trees (well they call tall people trees), and has a nice jumper that you will have to respect. Watch out for this guy!
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Don't have ABC-5 on your TV screen? No problem. The future of basketball viewing is here. Inquirer reports that Netvision Inc. has bagged the rights to broadcast the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) games live on the world wide web, which means wherever you are, as long as you have Internet connection you will be able to watch the PBA "live" on the net.

Isn't this exciting? Even if you're in the office you can watch the game on your PC (not that you forget work, ok?). In the provinces where ABC-5's tv reception is poor, this would be a welcome development. Netvision showcases a pay-per view and a subscription service to its video and live streaming content. It claims it has the best in Filipino entertainment, including quality and hard-to-find Filipino movies, the best sports matches and the most compelling TV shows for an affordable price (yes' it's not free!)

Netvision started its operations just early this year. It is focused on providing Filipino on-demand movies, streaming video and music. To view video content, you need to register first at their website http://netvision.com.ph. PBA viewing is FREE from October 14 to November 30.

Aside from the PBA, Netvision is also negotiating with the Philippine Basketball League to stream their "live" games through its webTV service.

Netvision has partnered with Solar and Regal for more local content, mainly Filipino movies. Aside from ABC-5, Netvision has also started adding two streaming channels from RPN 9 and Living Asia.

Happy viewing!

After a 3-month hibernation, the PBA is back on air. The 33rd season of the PBA will be under wraps this afternoon at the Araneta Coliseum. Game time will be at 6:30 pm where the Magnolia Beverage Masters (formerly known as San Miguel Beer) will be pitting wits with the Express of Air21.

Hordes of celebrities have been invited to grace the opening tilt, including boxing hero Manny Pacquiao, reigning World Boxing Association super bantamweight champion Gerry Peñalosa and bowling legend Paeng Nepomuceno. Eat Bulaga's wacky duo of Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola will be the hosts of the affair while artist-singer Karylle will sing the national anthem. All eyes will be on a bevy of beauties expected to be paraded by the 10 participating teams, among which are young actress Kim Chiu of Purefoods, Iwa Moto of Brgy. Ginebra, and Angel Locsin of Magnolia Beverage Masters.

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In a showdown between the two of the nation's top collegiate leagues, the NCAA All-Stars avenged its loss against the UAAP All-Stars last year winning 83-78 in the 2007 UAAP-NCAA Bantay Bata 163 All-Star game. Last year, the UAAP All-Stars won over its NCAA counterparts, curiously with the same score 83-78.

Sam Ekwe (San Beda) was a big factor in the win, scoring the last six points for the NCAA, including the go-ahead 79-77 with 1:11 left on the clock after Mark Borboran's (UE) three-pointer tied the game earlier. He had a nice block on Borboran in the ensuing play and scored on a follow-up to pad the lead to four, 81-77 with 42.6 left. After Borboran hit one of two free throws, Ekwe canned in two charities with 4.1 seconds to provide the final count.
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The most compelling image I have of the game is that of Pocholo Villanueva with his hands on his knees, tears streaming from his cheeks, the pure ecstacy of victory shaking him like a leaf as he celebrated with his teammates.

And celebrate they should, as DLSU in my honest opinion, gave one of the most amazing, one of the most spectacular basketball performances I have ever seen, and I have seen quite a few.

I know I got it all wrong, predicting a UE win. But truth to tell, that's the least of my worries. First, because I don't think anyone could have possibly thought La Salle could pull it off, considering the level of ability of its opponent, the fact it was coming off a particularly draining set of games against ADMU, and finally that UE had weeks of idle time to prepare. That, along with the lack of ceiling (again), would be enough to make anyone with even a iota of basketball opinion in them to vote against them.

But hey, this is competitive sports after all. And the reason why we so enjoy observing it is its very unpredictability. DLSU shouldn't be winning, if we were to use facts and common sense to gauge our decisions. But Game 1 proved not only were they competitive, but that they could win. Game 2, well, not only proved they deserved to win Game 1, but also that they deserve to be called Champions.

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I predicted UE to take game 1 of the championship series but the De La Salle Green Archers simply had other things in mind and they prove they were the hungrier and the more composed team down the stretch. Game 1 is history and it belongs to the proud Green Archers of De La Salle to the tune of 64-63. So why did UE lost? I will give you ten reasons why.

10. Green Archers coach Franz Pumaren know Warriors coach Dindo Pumaren too well, every inch of the way, and the Warriors' game every centimeter of the way.

9. The UE Red Warriors relaxed, thinking that they're still in heaven after a 14-0 elim sweep. Now they're in danger of becoming the first team to sweep the elims but fail to win the title.

8. The 2-week respite left the Red Warriors rusty and couldn't get their game going. They committed a total of 31 turnovers in the game, their worst of the season. The Green Archers translated those errors into 25 big points. For the game, De La Salle committed only 15 errors.

7. The De La Salle defense limited UE to their lowest output of the season - 63 points. The underdog Green Archers controlled the tempo of the game and played with nothing to lose.

6. UE coach Dindo Pumaren is playing his first finals stint while the elder Franz Pumaren has a rich championship experience and a winning tradition with De La Salle. The Green Archers are looking for their sixth title in nine years. UE has not won a UAAP championship since 1985-86 when Allan Caidic and Jerry Codiñera still wore the team colors. An interesting fact. Do you know that UE has the longest championship run in UAAP history? The Red Warriors were Kings of the court from 1965 to 1971. They also had the longest streak of UAAP finals appearances—16 straight, which they did from 1957 to 1972.

5. The game plan of UE was to pound the ball inside against De La Salle but the Archers successfully countered the gimmick by taking out the rhythm in the Red Warriors' game leading to numerous turnovers which eventually cost the game for UE.

4. The backcourt troika of Pocholo Villanueva, JV Casio and TY Tang destroyed their UE counterparts. The awesome threesome combined for 40 points against UE's Marcy Arellano, James Martinez and Paul Lee's combined output of 24 points. During one crucial stretch of the game, TY Tang drilled in nine straight points to set up for the Maierhofer finish.

3. The frontcourt matchup between Rico Maierhofer and Mark Borboran came down to the last free thow shot in the closing seconds of the game. Maierhofer made the lone free throw to push the Green Archers ahead by one while Borboran missed his last three-point attempt that could have won the game for the Red Warriors. Borboran won the matchup statistically but Maierhofer had the last laugh.

2. The Red Warriors won the battle of the boards 60-31 but missed out on two crucial opportunities. One that allowed Rico Maierhofer to grab the offensive board with 14 ticks left, which resulted in one precious charity (and the game-winning point), and two that allowed Maierhofer (again) to grab the defensive board after a Marcy Arellano tip-in miss. Curiously, the De La Salle rebound total was the lowest for a winning team this season.

1. The Red Warriors may have the advantage talent-wise and man-for-man match-up but the Green Archers negated those advantages with their experience, court savvy and showed everyone else that they have the much bigger heart and an even greater will to win.

Can UE come back or will DLSU bury them down the pits? The answer will be known this Sunday.

I may not want to vote for him, but by golly, he serves to make every Pinoy, wherever they may be or whatever situation they're in, proud!

Mabuhay ka Manny! Matalo o manalo, maaasaham mo ang suporta namin, ang mga nagmamahal mong tagahanga.

Note: Video provided by Nike Phils.

[TEN] Red is the stronger color. Red symbolizes heat and fire, which has characterized UE's campaign this year. Green, well is tamer.

[NINE] No Ilad. De La Salle bruiser Bryan Ilad has been meted with a 5-game suspension, ending his short stint in the UAAP. Prior to strutting his stuff for the Green Archers, Ilad played four years for the Philippine College of Criminology, which meant he only had one year of eligibility left for the Green Archers. Ilad has gained a rough houser's reputation in the UAAP. Last May, Ilad was suspended twice during the Fr. Martin Cup. He punched Jervy Cruz in a game against University of Sto. Tomas and was involved in a skirmish against Lyceum. Last Sept 13, he sucker punched UE forward Mark Fampulme that nearly triggered a free-for-all. Ilad has averaged only 4.2 ppg and 4.6 rpg but it is his defensive tenacity which will be missed by the Green Archers when they try to contain Kelvin Gregorio, Mark Borboran and Fampulme.

[EIGHT] JV Casio's boo-boo. Casio could have put a dent to UE's record with his two free throw attempts in the waning seconds [regulation] of their Sep 13 game. Casio had a chance to win the game for the Green Archers but uncharacteristically missed one free throw to allow UE to win it in OT. UE hopes that the Casio miss is a portent of things to come. They hope that Casio will struggle throughout the championship game.

[SEVEN] Mark Fampulme. After getting hit by Ilad, Fampulme rose to the ocassion and scored the clutch basket during UE's final elim game against the De La Salle Green Archers. Fampulme, a transferee from Lyceum, could be the "secret weapon" of the Warriors and if he is able to put up a decent game, the Green Archers will be in trouble. He is wide-bodied and can shoot from mid-range.

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