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JJ Redick confirmed as new Lakers coach

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Former NBA player JJ Redick  (Getty Images via AFP)

LOS ANGELES – Former NBA player-turned-pundit J.J. Redick says he is ready for the challenge of taking the Los Angeles Lakers back to the pinnacle of the NBA after being confirmed as the new head coach of the 17-time champions.

Redick, who spent 15 years in the NBA as a player before joining ESPN in 2021 as an analyst, was formally unveiled on Monday as the successor to Darvin Ham, who was fired following the Lakers’ first-round playoff defeat to Denver.

Redick’s appointment to such a high-profile position, which was first reported last week, has raised eyebrows across the NBA given his lack of coaching experience.

The 40-year-old analyst acknowledged those concerns in remarks to reporters on Monday, admitting his emergence as a contender for the Lakers job had been “surreal.”

“This process has been surreal to say the least,” Redick said, before thanking the Lakers for “entrusting me in this position.”

“I take this responsibility very seriously,” Redick said. “I have never coached in the NBA before. I don’t know if you guys have heard that.”

The Lakers finished the regular season with a 47-35 record but were unable to threaten Denver in the opening round of the playoffs.

Redick said he was under no illusions about the scale of the rebuilding task before him.

“I know what the expectations are,” Redick said. “Lakers fans have some of the most passionate fans around the world. And the expectation is a championship.

“So that’s my job. It’s our staff’s job … It’s on all of us to to deliver a championship-caliber team.”

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said Redick had been appointed after a “thoughtful and thorough search process.”

“J.J. is a fierce competitor and has an extraordinary basketball IQ and understanding of the modern game that will energize players and excite fans,” Pelinka said.

“He brings an intense dedication to innovation, advancing the game and staying at the forefront of an ever-evolving league…this is an exciting time for Lakers basketball.”

Media reports say Redick has been appointed on a four-year deal.

It came after the Lakers were rejected by highly rated University of Connecticut coach Dan Hurley, who opted to remain in college basketball.

Redick has a close relationship with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, with whom he co-hosts a podcast, and the Lakers are clearly hoping that bond will help turn the team back into title contenders.



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During his NBA playing career, Redick averaged 12.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists a game over 940 contests from 2006-2021 with Orlando, Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia and New Orleans.

In winning NCAA MVP, Mondoñedo blazes a rare statistical trail

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St. Benilde Blazers star Cloanne Mondoñedo during Collegiate Press Coprs Awards. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Everybody in the NCAA knew that Cloanne Mondoñedo deserved to win the women’s volleyball MVP award.

Except, maybe, St. Benilde’s ace playmaker herself.

“I had to convince myself that maybe this one’s really for me because I really worked hard ever since I joined NCAA,” Mondoñedo said on late Monday evening after being hailed by the Collegiate Press Corps as the finest women’s volleyball athlete of the country’s oldest varsity competition.

Aside from the fact that Mondoñedo believes so many talented players also deserve to be named MVP, there is that one little fact that contributed heavily to her disbelief: Setters rarely win the highest individual award, and Mondoñedo knew her victory was a statistical rarity.

“To be honest, I was surprised. I didn’t expect it,” she said. “Because all I [was expecting] is the [best] setter award as a bonus to winning the championship.”

“I really thought about it. At first, I said, “how?” I asked a lot of questions.” she said, laughing. “Why me? Why me? How did that happen? And then, I was surprised when I accepted the award from NCAA. They told me that it’s very rare to get the MVP and setter.”

In the collegiate ranks, individual awards are purely stats-based, with no votes getting in the way of the process.

And for setters, that’s an obstacle.

Traditionally, the statistical points that count toward the MVP race include points, attacks, blocks, serves, digs, sets and receptions.

Spikers and blockers hog a lot of those statistical points, especially on points and attacks. At most, playmakers draw their points from sets, serves and sometimes—because of their general proximity to the net—blocks. Digs may be scattered among team members but often, opposing squads have a specific target with their services, lessening the chances for setters to earn points off receptions.

Long-time beat reporters of the NCAA explained that it took a confluence of events to open up a path for Mondoñedo toward the MVP award.

First, a majority of the statistical points, especially the bonuses for won games, were sucked in by St. Benilde. And the Lady Blazers’ production was well spread out across its talented roster.

Then, there was the fact that there was no dominant performer in the NCAA the way the UAAP had. No Bella Belen, Angge Poyos, Angel Canino or Casiey Dongallo coming up with monster 20-plus points a game the way former San Sebastian star Grethcel Soltones did before.

Crucially, perhaps, the MVP candidates of the NCAA were culled from the four teams that survived the elimination round.

Unless those factors combine in a season again, setters—who get the team offense going and open up opportunities for their spikers and blockers to score—may not be in the mix of MVP contenders.

It was quite telling during the CPC Awards Night that Mondoñedo’s feat was described as something that “hasn’t happened in recent memory”—which is shorthand for “we can’t recall if this has happened at all.” In the UAAP, at least since the 1996-97 season, no setter has won the MVP award.



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Perhaps it is time to adjust the process for selecting the best individual athlete in a tournament? INQ

Gilas kicks off OQT preparations with much-needed difficulty

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Dwight Ramos leads Gilas Pilipinas past Taiwan Mustangs in a tune-up game. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Gilas Pilipinas scored a decisive win over visiting Taiwan Mustangs on Monday pocketing a big win to kick off a series of friendlies that will help prime the Nationals for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia.

The Nationals, despite missing several key players, took home a wire-to-wire 74-64 victory fashioned before a rowdy crowd at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, but coach Tim Cone wasn’t particularly concerned with how the scoreboard read.

“Well you know, we weren’t concerned about winning or losing a basketball game, we wanted to play a certain style. And I think they did a really good job of throwing a lot of jump defense at us—things that we haven’t been prepared for because we’re only been practicing for three days,” he told reporters in the din of celebration at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas beats Taiwan Mustangs in tune-up before OQT

“But we worked hard on the defensive side. (Sam) Deguara, the big guy, was a load for everybody. Took a lot of space offensively and defensively and caused us some problems, but that’s what exactly we needed,” he added.

“We didn’t want it to be easy. If it was easy, then it’s not gonna help us. This is what’s hard and we were happy it was hard.”

Gilas, despite not having trailed in the contest, actually had to fend off the Mustang’s spirited tries at a comeback. Led by the hulking 7-foot-6 Deguara and nine-time PBA champion Alex Cabagnot, the visitors even trimmed the lead to just two, 34-32.

But Dwight Ramos and Justin Brownlee picked up where they left off, starring yet again for Gilas months removed from their last tour.

Ramos had 19 points built on a 4-of-5 shooting from deep to lead the way for the Nationals. Brownlee, fresh from a stint in Indonesia, chipped in 12 points and 15 rebounds.

“Obviously, I mean, for this day, it wasn’t pretty,” Cone pointed out. “We gotta be better. But that’s why we have these games. We’re not where we want to be yet, but we have to be better.”

Two more friendlies

Gilas is set to fly for Turkiye on Tuesday, 9 p.m. where they will play its national team for yet another tuneup match in preparation for the OQT in Latvia.

The Nationals are also scheduled to play the Polish national team before plunging into action in Riga where they will try to take down two higher-ranked nations in World No. 6 Latvia and No. 23 Georgia for a chance to advance in the knockout stage of the short meet that will complete the field of the Summer Olympic Games that will be held in Paris, France.

June Mar Fajardo had eight points after being reduced to a spectator in the last Gilas tour. Japeth Aguilar reprised his role and added six points off the bench. Mason Amos, who was tapped as a reserve back in April, chipped in three in the effort.

But there was no denying that Cone truly missed the injured Scottie Thompson, who had been central in his many campaigns with Barangay Ginebra in the PBA. “I do really, really miss Scottie. You all know how much I rely on Scottie. He’s such an infectious player. He infects the guys around him. He does all the things that don’t show up on the scorecard,” he said.



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“It’s not that we can’t find a replacement for him, it’s just that we’re missing him. Anybody we’d get is not gonna replace Scottie. That’s just a fact of life. But we don’t feel shorthanded. We talked to the 11 guys. They’re 11 strong.” INQ

Senate OKays Palaro bill on second reading

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FILE PHOTO: Facade of the Senate building, GSIS Complex, Pasay City. INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

The government is making sure that identifying future sports heroes won’t be hit-or-miss, approving Senate Bill No. 2514, or the Philippine National Games (PNG) bill, on second reading following the proposed inclusion of significant amendments as it moves a step closer to being passed into law.

“This is very important in our quest to consistently discover more Filipino athletes capable of qualifying to the Olympics,’’ said Sen. Bong Go, the principal sponsor and author of the measure.

“Since the PNG serves as a national mini-Olympics, potential athletes from far-flung areas will now have a platform to showcase their talents on a regular basis in their bid to compete for the national team,’’ added the Senate committee chair for sports and health.

Unpredictable

The hosting of the PNG, which is usually bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) in collaboration with the national sports associations under the Philippine Olympic Committee, has become unpredictable in previous years.

The PSC finally staged the PNG, featuring the majority of the 30 Olympic sports, last year at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and at PhilSports in Pasig City, five years after being stored in the freezer following the 2018 edition in Cebu City.

Once the national games become law, it will be held consistently every two years just in time before every Olympic qualification cycle with a budget of its own from the national government through the PSC.

The proposed bill includes the PNG’s role as one of the country’s national sports competitions apart from the annual Palarong Pambansa, the national sports fest for elementary and high school student-athletes, under the Department of Education.

The PNG is open to all aspiring national team wannabes. INQ



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Set for No. 2 pick, Capital1 also parades Russian spiker

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Capital1 Solar Spikers Mandy Romero during the first ever PVL Draft Lottery. –PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines —Capital1 will be parading its upcoming draft pick along with Russian outside spiker Marina Tushova as its foreign guest player in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference in July.

The Solar Spikers are set to pick second in the first-ever PVL Rookie Draft on July 8 and they will be complementing the new incoming talent with a “young” import who has experience in playing professionally in Russia, France and Switzerland.

“We’re proud to have signed Ms. Marina Tushova who’s an incredibly young and talented player from Russia. She has already arrived in the Philippines and so far, she’s been experiencing Filipino hospitality and warmth,” Capital1 team owner Mandy Romero told the reporters on Monday during Rookie Draft Lottery at TV5 Media Center.

READ: ZUS Coffee gets top pick for inaugural PVL Rookie Draft

“She has the Filipino fighting spirit that we’re all looking for that we hope could excite fans,” Romero said.

Filipino-American setter Iris Tolenada, who played in South Korea last year, has also signed on with Capital1 according to Romero.

Tolenada and Tushova will boost the rebuilding roster with Jorelle Singh, Patty Orendain, Des Clemente, Jannine Navarro, and Heather Guino-o

In their debut conference, the Solar Spikers only won one out of their 11 games, landing a 30 percent chance in the lottery.

READ: PVL: Gorayeb wants Capital1 to seize on newfound chance

“Our management and myself, we already have a list of players that are top of mind. We can’t reveal what we’re thinking about and what we’re looking for, but really someone to balance our team and to bring the heat, bring that starpower to our team,” said Romero.

“We’re happy to get to know our fans too and to know what the fans are thinking of on who we should pick,” she added.

With their experience from the All-Filipino and longer preparation, Romero is more confident of their team in the Reinforced Conference with also

“We put up a team in less than a month. I don’t know how many times that’s been done before but really, it’s a challenge. It was also an adventure that we were ready for,” said the Capital1 owner.

“Lots of new learnings from that initial run that we had and the year is just getting started. We still have two more conferences for this season and we’re really looking forward to what more we can offer.”

“I’m very confident in our management also, Coach Roger’s ability to shape young players and bring out the best skills that they have,” he added.



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Capital1 will pick second after ZUS Coffee in the Rookie Draft on July 8 at Novotel.

Rankings don’t faze Justin Brownlee, Gilas in Latvia OQT

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Justin Brownlee and Gilas Pilipinas during a tune-up game against Taiwan Mustangs ahead of the Fiba OQT. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Rankings are not even in Gilas Pilipinas’ minds heading into the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

At least that’s how Justin Brownlee views it.

After Gilas’ runaway 74-64 win over the Taiwan Mustangs at Philsports Arena on Monday, Brownlee admitted that he and the squad are well aware of the beasts they’ll have to face in less than two weeks over in Latvia.

That, though, isn’t posing a problem for the National team as they’re trusting the process under coach Tim Cone.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas beats Taiwan Mustangs in tune-up before OQT

“No matter if they’re ranked higher than us, they put on their shoes like we put on our shoes and we’ll come in to represent the country in the right way, in the best way we can,” said Brownlee.

“It’s going to be tough, really tough for us but that’s why we’re here. We’re going to play against the best in the world and of course, if you want to be Olympians and qualify, you have to play with the best in the world.”

Brownlee played his role as a guard/forward to perfection on Monday’s win with the absence of star guard, Scottie Thompson.

READ: Gilas won’t win all the time but team will make PH proud, says Tim Cone

With Gilas’ general playmaker out, Brownlee took over and dropped 15 assists with 12 points and five rebounds to match.

Brownlee’s unselfishness on the playing court allowed the Gilas swingmen to all score, not leaving anyone without points at the final buzzer.

But ball movement has always been one of the memos for Gilas under coach Tim Cone along with fundamentals that the Nationals shouldn’t rush the process en route to the OQT.

“You know Coach Tim told us that we definitely can’t rush the process, we’re taking it just one day at a time trying to get to a point where we’re about 10 days or so? Where we want to be playing at a high level so we can’t jump and get there right away.”

“The next 10 days, we’re gonna get as close as we can and I think we’ll be playing really well.”



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Before Gilas flies to Latvia next month, they will be competing in more friendlies over in Europe against Turkey and Poland.

Home crowd powers Dwight Ramos in Gilas’ trouncing of Mustangs

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Dwight Ramos leads Gilas Pilipinas past Taiwan Mustangs in a tune-up game. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—The home crowd inside the Philsports Arena fueled Dwight Ramos to help Gilas Pilipinas fend off a pesky Taiwan Mustangs in their tune-up game en route to the Fiba 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

With a capacity crowd cheering the Nationals in Pasig on Monday, Ramos showcased his talents for Gilas and powered the Philippines to a  74-64 win over the Mustangs.

“It’s always been great every time the game is in the Philippines,” said the Japan B.League Filipino import. “It always gets packed out and it’s always so fun to play here.”

READ: Gilas Pilipinas beats Taiwan Mustangs in tune-up before OQT

With the crowd solely behind Ramos and Gilas, the Ateneo product led the game in scoring with 19 points plus four steals and three rebounds to match in 26 minutes of action.

Ramos also flaunted his offensive prowess, sinking seven of his 11 tries from the field for a blistering 63 percent shooting clip.

The latest win is only just the beginning for Gilas Pilipinas and Ramos, who are looking to make a good account of themselves in the OQT.

READ: Dwight Ramos likes current ‘bigger’ Gilas team

“I think the next two tune-up games will be a bigger test for us. This was still a good test for us, especially having a big dude and a lot of good imports.”

“Every game is good practice for us.”



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Before Gilas’ quest in Latvia syart July 3, it is set set for two more tune-up games as preparation.

Coach Tim Cone and company fly to Europe on Tuesday for a two-game stretch against Turkey and Poland, respectively.

Meralco Bolts’ six steps to PBA immortality

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Meralco Bolts celebrate their first franchise PBA championship. – PBA Images

MANILA, Philippines—In order to make a masterpiece of a film, a movie needs six things.

Meralco showed how it made its magnum opus with coach Luigi Trillo and active consultant Nenad Vucinic behind the camera, commanding the Bolts in making a historic film; winning their first-ever PBA Philippine Cup.

Inquirer Sports breaks down how the Bolts achieved history in the most fascinating and cinematic way possible while doing it in six steps—or games.

STEP 1: STUNNING EXPOSITION

Meralco Bolts' Cliff Hodge, Allein Maliksi and Raymond Almazan during Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against San Miguel Beermen

Meralco Bolts’ Cliff Hodge, Allein Maliksi and Raymond Almazan during Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against San Miguel Beermen. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Meet the heroes.

In order to make a sound movie, it has to give an introduction to its main protagonists. In this case, the Bolts.

After finishing as the third-seed in the elimination round of the All-Filipino Conference, Meralco was set up to face the top-seeded San Miguel Beermen, who finished with a 10-1 record.

On paper, it was obvious that the season-ending best-of-seven series was set to be a David and Goliath affair.

READ: Meralco wins first PBA title, survives San Miguel in Game 6

Trillo, obviously, wasn’t reading the same paper.

“San Miguel, we have a lot of respect for them but we can match up with them,” said the top coach just days before Game 1 of the Finals.

That same confidence, of course, bore amazing results.

After all, the Finals is a completely different beast compared to the elimination round. So the Bolts channeled their inner Jay-Z and said, “allow us to reintroduce ourselves.”

And reintroduce themselves, they did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXMcgXSA6ME

In Game 1 of the Philippine Cup’s finalè, Meralco reintroduced itself in a stunning way, shocking the fans who thought the Beermen would have an easy go-around against the Bolts.

Those expectations of a San Miguel domination turned out to be a 93-86 win for Meralco to take the upper-hand.

However, one win in a series opener means nothing. Just ask Trillo, who made it clear that this movie’s just starting. Meralco needed to embark on an adventure in the coming games with hopes of solving the mighty Beermen’s puzzle.

READ: PBA: Aaron Black fulfills championship dream in unexpected way

“We need to prepare,” said a dazed Trillo.

“The more we zone in and lock in on those [plans], the better chance—50-50 chance—we have of beating this team. Then again, we know they’ll come in with adjustments. We need to see the same mistakes we did here,” said the top tactician.”

And what do you do once you introduce your valiant main characters?

STEP 2: ENTER CONFLICT

San Miguel's June Mar Fajardo PBA Finals

San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo during the PBA Philippine Cup Finals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

There’s a reason why San Miguel posed to be one of the best antagonists in recent PBA history.

Imagine Thanos having the Infinity Gauntlet to help with his already brute physique.

Now imagine having June Mar Fajardo and giving him reinforcements like Marcio Lassiter, CJ Perez, Jericho Cruz and Chris Ross to name a few. Just how would you approach that mammoth of a team?

Well, like Thanos, San Miguel activated one of their stones to take down the emerging hero of this story.

READ: PBA: Unable to stop June Mar, Meralco still finds way to win

Enter “Super Marcio.”

Marcio Lassiter, who had a habit of hitting clutch shots for the Beermen, showed up big to avoid Meralco from snatching a 2-0 advantage.

The Bolts held a slim 94-92 lead over San Miguel when CJ Perez ran the length of the floor and found a ready and waiting Lassiter in the left corner of the hardwood.

“I just knew if I can get to my spot, read the defense and pump fake, I can be open. I got a good look at the basket and that’s all I really need,” said the San Miguel sniper.

“Anytime I can get a good look and see the rim, I really feel like I can make it. A few times before, I was able to stay poised and when given an opportunity, I took it,” he added.

Lassiter’s heroics gave the Beermen a 95-94 victory, further making this film of a series more exciting.

STEP 3: RISE IN ACTION

Chris Newsome PBA Finals MVP Meralco Bolts

Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Revenge is a dish best served cold… or just a day before a heartbreaking loss.

When Chris Newsome watched Lassiter step back and sink the dagger in the heart of his beloved team, he had 48 hours to respond.

When the Bolts faithful thought about how Meralco would answer from a tragic loss, Newsome had the answer in the 34-second mark of Game 3’s fourth quarter.

In almost the exact spot where Lassiter pummeled Meralco’s heart into bits in Game 2, the Gilas Pilipinas guard waited patiently while Chris Banchero set up a play.

The Beermen led, 89-88, until Newsome found breathing room—yes, in the same left corner of the Big Dome’s court—and hit a triple in front of well-renowned defender Mo Tautuaa to give San Miguel a taste of its own medicine.

After all, what’s more cinematic than seeing parallels?

“To be honest, I wasn’t thinking. I was just being in the moment,” said Newsome after their 93-89 dub that put them up the series, 2-1.

“It felt good that my shot did fall but at the end of the day, you can’t let your guard down until it [the clock] says 0:00.”

However, if you know the Beermen as well as any PBA fans do, you know they’re brewing up a vengeance and they had three days to draw it up.

STEP 4: ABSORB THE CLIMAX

A climax is the most intense, exciting, or important point of something; a culmination or an apex.

And in this All-Filipino Conference, the apex was Fajardo, the most dominant player in PBA history with a league-best seven MVP awards.

In this part of the film, he was crowned as the Best Player of the Conference, his 10th overall. Seeing Fajardo hailed for his dominance was nothing new. For the Bolts, though, it was a concerning sight.

The Bolts defeated this mammoth of a man three days ago and just when he had enough motivation from a harrowing defeat, he was given another trophy to add to his already packed cabinet of hardwares?

Cue Darth Vader’s theme song, because that was the most fitting sound seeing Fajardo raise up the BPC award; it’s awe-inspiring, breathtaking and borderline terrifying—if you’re his opposition.

And the Bolts were, indeed, his opposition.

As expected, the rested and undisputed GOAT of the PBA toyed with Meralco from start to finish, showing fans what they haven’t seen for the past three games of the series; clear-cut dominance.

Meralco never led in the entire game. Fajardo, meanwhile, turned in a monster performance to the tune of 28 points and 13 rebounds. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he also missed just five of his 14 shots for a waxing-hot 64 percent field goal clip.

In Fajardo’s explanation, the trophy wasn’t really the main motivation for his in-game rampage. No, you can thank the Bolts for provoking him with a win three days ago.

The BPC plum? Well, that’s just the cherry on top.

“I’m motivated because we were down by one game in this series. The BPC [award] is just a bonus,” said Fajardo in Filipino.

“I’m happy to get the BPC but [I give] credits to my teammates because I wouldn’t get that if it wasn’t for them.”

With the series pushed back to square one at 2-2, leaving the question: Which team would fall into a dangerous 2-3 disadvantage.

STEP 5: LET ‘EM FALL

Meralco Bolts guard Chris Banchero

Meralco Bolts guard Chris Banchero. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

That team was not the Meralco Bolts.

Trillo’s wards took what was predicted to be an easy go-around for the Beermen and that has been the theme thus far into the series, hasn’t it?

Every time Meralco would score a goal, spectators would move the goalpost even farther. The Bolts would reach that goalpost anyway, showing how truly valiant a protagonist could be.

But this win felt different from other Meralco victories in the back-and-forth series. Instead of moving just one win away from history, the Bolts had little to no smile after the buzzer sounded on their 92-88 victory over San Miguel.

“What’s there to be happy about?” asked Maliksi post-game.

“We don’t think about the future, we’ll stay in the moment and prepare for Sunday’s game,” added the Meralco sniper after finishing with 22 points to topple the Beermen down to a twice-to-win disadvantage.

Despite moving a step closer to finishing what has been a glorious story, the Bolts are well-aware not to close the book and celebrate right away.

Just ask Chris Banchero, who can quite literally be the lead actor of this adventurous flick.

“We know they’ll come out and give it their all and we’ll do the same. We know we’re in no position to do anything because we haven’t done anything,” said the floor general, fresh off a 12-point outing.

Things were looking fine and dandy for this movie’s protagonists but there still was Sunday.

STEP 6: ELECTRIFYING RESOLUTION

Meralco Bolts PBA Finals championship

Meralco Bolts win their first-ever PBA title after beating San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Meralco, as its team name suggests, has Bolts, who are capable of electrifying the crowd and even the history books.

That’s exactly what they did on Sunday, June 16, inside the Big Dome.

With just one win from finishing what has been a tremendous story, Trillo, Vucinic and the entire Meralco squad buckled up for an impending Beermen effort.

“We had to pivot and work through things. There were times when we were down but our staff members helped each other out, challenged the guys, we challenged the players and they responded to get out of holes,” Trillo said after exorcising Meralco’s demons of never winning a title with an 80-78 thriller.

But he wouldn’t have done it without the help of his right-hand man, the mentor out of Serbia and New Zealand.

“For coach Nenad and me, it’s not just about one or two games, looking at him and what he does, he puts pressure on guys and I’m glad the guys stepped up.”

Despite the antagonists’ best efforts highlighted by another double-double performance by Fajardo with 21 points and 12 rebounds, Meralco hung on until the end, repulsing any possibilities for a do-or-die Game 7.

In the ending scene of a remarkable movie, Allein Maliksi left his stamp in the record books with 14 points and three rebounds

Of course, Newsome’s heroics weren’t left unacknowledged as he won the Finals MVP award, willing the Bolts to a masterpiece of a series with norms of 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists after six games.

At the end of it all when the credits rolled, the protagonists rose to the occasion against a franchise that’s almost synonymous with the word “dynasty.”



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The Beermen’s run to a 30th championship wasn’t to be. No, that story will probably be in production very soon with only a few months away from the next PBA season.

Tonight, this series and this conference belonged to one team and one team only. They didn’t just accomplish that feat historically, they also did it quite cinematically.

Gilas Pilipinas beats Taiwan Mustangs in tune-up before OQT

On: By: admin


Dwight Ramos leads Gilas Pilipinas past Taiwan Mustangs in a tune-up game ahead of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament for the Paris Games. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas rolled past Taiwan Mustangs on Monday night, 74-64, kicking off its build-up for the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament on a positive note.

Dwight Ramos had 19 points to lead the Nationals who are priming for the short meet that will complete the field in the Summer Olympic Games that will be held in Paris, France.

Justin Brownlee, fresh from plying his trade in Indonesia, delivered 12 points and 15 rebounds in a wire-to-wire victory fashioned before over 5,000 spectators at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

READ: Gilas loses Scottie to old injury, will fly with only 11 men to Latvia

“Well you know, we weren’t concerned about winning a basketball game, we wanted to play a certain style. And I think we did a really good job,” Gilas coach Tim Cone said shortly after the triumph over a visiting crew led by former PBA players Alex Cabagnot and Rashawn McCarthy.

“We got a lot of work to do but we have time. We got a lot of work to do ahead of us … We’ll just continue to get better and better as we move forward,” he went on.

Gilas will now set its sights on a pair of friendlies in Europe. The Filipinos fly to Turkey on Tuesday night where they will take on the host national team then move to Poland before plunging into action in the OQT in Riga where World No. 6 and host Latvia and No. 23 Georgia await.

Kai Sotto had nine points and nine rebounds, June Mar Fajardo chipped in eight points, while Carl Tamayo and skipper Japeth Aguilar combined for 13 in the scoring effort.

READ: Gilas plays tuneup matches before OQT

Gilas stuck with just 11 players as Roger Pogoy, a former national team gunner, joined the crowd as a spectator. He was with the team in its short closed-door camp at Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna a few days ago.

Cone said he will be sticking with that roster number with Fajardo finally activated and Amos completing the cast as a replacement.

Jamie Malonzo, AJ Edu and Scottie Thompson are all sidelined by injury.



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Oscar Lopez, who served the Cambodian national team during the Southeast Asian Games in the past, had 15 points, Cabagnot tossed in 13, while McCarthy 12 for the Mustangs who were coached by former Rain or Shine coach Chris Gavina.

ZUS Coffee gets top pick for inaugural PVL Rookie Draft

On: By: admin


The last three PVL MVPs, Brooke Van Sickle of Petro Gazz, Sisi Rondina of Choco Mucho, and Ces Molina of Cignal, will draw the draft pick order for ZUS Coffee, Capital1, Galeries Tower, and Farm Fresh.

MANILA, Philippines — The odds were in ZUS Coffee’s favor as it secured the first overall pick of the inaugural PVL Rookie Draft on July 8 at Novotel in Quezon City.

With a 40 percent chance of getting the top pick, the Thunderbelles were drawn by reigning All-Filipino Conference MVP Brooke Van Sickle of Petro Gazz as the No.1 overall pick in the lottery on Monday evening at TV5 Media Center.

ZUS Coffee, formerly Strong Group Athletics, lost all its 11 games in its debut in the All-Filipino Conference.

LIST: Applicants for the first ever PVL Rookie Draft

The next three picks were being drawn as of posting time in the league’s first-ever lottery, supervised by Commissioner Sherwin Malonzo and the Games and Amusement Board.

ZUS Coffee coach Jerry Yee will have the luxury of selecting the top prospect of the 47 Rookie Aspirants to build on his roster bannered by NCAA ‘three-peat’ champion College of Saint Benilde players Cloanne Mondoñedo, Gayle Pascual, Jade Gentapa, and Michelle Gamit.

“We’re very happy for ZUS Coffee because we were the first pick so we have a bigger chance or better chance kung sino yung pipiliin namin kasi since kami yung first, mas makakapili kami kung sino talaga yung best for the team,” said Farm Fresh assistant coach Justine Dorog, who spoke for sister team ZUS Coffee. “I hope na yung first pick namin, makatulong talaga siya sa team.”

Capital1, represented by tea, onwer Mandy Romero, earned the second overall pick as drawn by Choco Mucho star Sisi Rondina after having a 30 percent chance in the lottery.

The Solar Spikers, under veteran coach Roger Gorayeb, finished with one win in their debut.

Drawn by reigning Invitational Conference MVP Ces Molina of Cignal, the Galeries Tower(20% chance) and Farm Fresh (10%), who both finished with identical 3-8 records in the All-Filipino, will pick third and fourth, respectively.

READ: PVL draft quality takes hit but quantity is promising

Nxled holds the fifth pick, followed by Akari, Cignal, PLDT, Chery Tiggo, Petro Gazz, runner-up Choco Mucho, and All-Filipino Conference champion Creamline.

The 47 aspirants along with free agents will see action in a two-day combine on Tuesday and Wednesday at GameVille Ballpark in Sheridan, Mandaluyong.

Alas Pilipinas players Thea Gagate and Julia Coronel, fellow La Salle Lady Spikers Maicah Larroza and Leila Cruz applied for the draft, along with Adamson Lady Falcons AA Adolfo, Lucille Almonte, Nikka Yandoc, Angge Alcantara, Karen Verdeflor, and Sharya Ancheta.

Ateneo libero Roma Mae Doromal and Santo Tomas’ Pierre Abellana also threw their names in the pool with University of the Philippines’ Abi Goc, Jewel Encarnacion, and Stephanie Bustrillo. University of the East has three aspirants Dara Nieva (opposite spiker) and liberos Jenina Zeta and Dea Villamor.

NCAA players are also joining with Letran’s Daisy Melendres and Bay Anne de Leon; Arellano’s Dodee Batindaan, Robbie Mae Matawaran, Lorraine Pecana, Donnalyn Paralejas, and Charmina Dino; EAC’s Catherine Almanzan; Lyceum’s Camille Belaro; San Beda’s Maxinne Tayag and Lalaine Arizapa; San Sebastian’s Jewelle Bermillo; and Perpetual Help’s Razel Aldea and Sandra Dayao.



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The draft will also feature Filipinos born and/or raised abroad like Aleiah Torres of Brock University and Nathalie Ramacula of Red River College Polytechnic as well as other players nationwide, Lovely Zapf and Lian Macasiray from DLSU-Dasmarinas, Andrea Jardio of Lyceum-Alabang, Jamie Solina from Marinduque State, Danya Casino of Trinity, and Danivah Aying from USJ-R.

Training pool players from NU, CJ Evangelista, La Salle’s Caroline Santos, Ysabela Bakabak, and Giliana Torres, former UST Tigress Mary Grace Vernaiz, and former UE Lady Warrior Remcel Santos also entered the draft.

The second round will be based on their All-Filipino records having the same order as the first round since lottery teams landed on their respective spots.