Tag: sports betting

Jia De Guzman stresses on continuity for Alas Pilipinas

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Jia De Guzman and Alas Pilipinas during a game against Vietnam in the FIVB Challenger Cup in Manila.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Jia De Guzman emphasized the value of continuity for the Alas Pilipinas’ program after Vietnam reasserted its mastery of the Philippine squad in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup.

The new breed of national players couldn’t stop Vietnam as it ended the host’s world stint in just one game with a 25-14, 25-22, 25-21 win on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Losing eight in their last eight meetings just showed how the Vietnamese built a formidable team through its continuity and the commitment of its national team members. 

READ: Vietnam star T4 all praises for Jia De Guzman, Alas Pilipinas

And for De Guzman,  it’s what Alas needs to reach greater heights and match the level of Vietnam and other Southeast Asian rivals.

“We’re going against the teams who grew up together inside the national team. That’s also our goal, to grow old together in the national team. That’s how you build longevity, that’s how you build chemistry, that’s how you build a strong team, in the long run,” said the Alas team captain in Filipino. “We can’t expect that one loss or one adversity would lead to changes. Keep the same people, add new people, and reinforce the team. That’s how you make a team strong. Hopefully, we will be able to do that.”

Ahead of their road to the Volleyball Nations League qualifiers, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation added Alyssa Solomon, Bella Belen, Jema Galanza, and Tots Carlos. But only Galanza and Belen joined the squad with Solomon still recovering, while Carlos was ruled out of the tournament.

The Philippines put up a gallant stand against the SEA Games silver medalist and AVC Challenge Cup champion Vietnam but it wasn’t enough to extend its Challenger Cup campaign to the semifinal as the eight-time PVL Best Setter stressed the point of improvements for their squad.

“We still have a lot to improve individually and as a team. Coach has always told us many times to be patient with ourselves and with the team. With Vietnam and more experienced teams, we’ll go through this. It’s just they really stuck together all throughout these years so that’s what we need to do,” she said. 

READ: Alas Pilipinas loses to Vietnam, bows out of FIVB Challenger Cup

De Guzman, who led Alas to a historic bronze in the AVC Challenge Cup last May, remained proud of her team for standing their ground against the SEA powerhouse, led by Thi Bich Tuyen Nguyen’s 30-point explosion.

“I’m very proud of the girls because they fought for every point, and until the end. We gave our best and In terms of experience, we still lack but we know that eventually, we will reach that level,” said the Creamline Cool Smasher, who played in Japan V.League with the Denso AiryBees. “We have to take all the learnings from every game, win or lose.” 

“Everyone’s really communicating and adjusting in-game. So you can see the improvement in our chemistry. All we have to do is retain the team, keep playing together, and hopefully, next time we face Vietnam, we’ll play better.”



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De Guzman and the Filipino Spikers fly to Japan next week for a training camp before seeing action in the SEA V.League in August.

“In the SEA V.League, we will face the teams from SEA Games.  After today’s game, we go back to the drawing board, we go back to training, improve what we can from this game, individually and as a team,” she said.

Team USA arrives for camp in Las Vegas ahead of Paris Olympics

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FILE–Team USA head coach Steve Kerr, left, talks to his assistant coaches Erik Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue during the Fiba World Cup in Manila. Team USA is back together again, this time eyeing a fifth consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics later this month.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

LAS VEGAS — There’s something that Kobe Bryant once said that has stuck with U.S. men’s Olympic basketball coach Steve Kerr and seems especially important now.

It was about how other nations have made big strides in basketball, how the gap between the rest of the world and the U.S. is closing and how that’s been a great thing for the NBA. And Bryant’s response, paraphrased, was basically, “so what?”

His point: If everyone else is getting better, then the U.S. better find ways to do the same.

READ: LeBron, Steph Curry ‘excited’ to join forces for Paris Olympics

“Maybe we’ll show that one to the guys,” Kerr said. “I love that. And it has to be our attitude this summer.”

After months of planning, it’s time for the U.S. Olympic team — one that will go to the Paris Games later this month seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal — to take the floor. The first practice for the squad is Saturday, the start of a four-day training camp before its exhibition opener against Canada on Wednesday.

Players began arriving Thursday in Las Vegas; Stephen Curry was the first to check in for camp, perhaps underscoring how anxious he is for what will be his first Olympics. The 12 players have all known each other for years, but the task of becoming a team starts in earnest Saturday.

“I feel like it starts when it gets there, because that’s when you really see each other eye-to-eye,” said Bam Adebayo, who is seeking his second gold medal after winning one at the Tokyo Games three years ago. “You have those conversations, you have those many conversations within what we’re going through, what we’re trying to do. And that’s when it’s time to really be honest about what we want to do.”

That part is easy: Win gold.

The how-to-do-it part, that’s the key.

Last year brought another humbling World Cup experience for the U.S.; after finishing seventh in 2019, the Americans were fourth at Manila. But the argument — or justification, for lack of a better word — for those stumbles was that the U.S. wasn’t sending the best possible roster to those tournaments. Getting the big names like Kevin Durant and LeBron James for the Olympics, that’s one thing. Getting them for the World Cup and asking them to represent their country in back-to-back summers, that’s something else.

Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards were on that World Cup team last summer and were picked for this Olympic team as well.

“Obviously, last year we didn’t do what we wanted to do,” Haliburton said. “And that was frustrating because any time you get to represent USA Basketball, the expectation is to win. And we weren’t able to do that.”

READ: Wembanyama ‘can’t wait’ for France-USA showdown at Paris Olympics

This team was put together with a very different ending in mind. James is back on the Olympic team for the first time since 2012 and seeking a third gold, Durant is going for what would be a men’s Olympic record fourth basketball gold, and five other players — Adebayo, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis — each have one. The first-time Olympians are Haliburton, Edwards, Curry, Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid, someone who the U.S. convinced to play despite a strong push by France for the Philadelphia star to represent the host nation in Paris.

As far as choosing a starting lineup, good luck.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Kerr said. “I’m guessing that all 12 players on this roster will be in the Hall of Fame someday. So, how do you pick five out of 12? The idea is, you find combinations that click, and you find two-way lineups that can be effective at both ends. Our big job in Las Vegas is to find five-man combinations that fit and to just ask all 12 guys to fully commit to the goal of winning a gold medal no matter what it looks like, no matter who’s playing.”



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The Americans play their first exhibition against Canada in Las Vegas, then have games at Abu Dhabi (against Australia and Serbia) and London (against South Sudan and Germany) before the Paris Games start. The U.S. opens Olympic play July 28 against Serbia and will also have group games against South Sudan and the winner of Sunday’s qualifier in Puerto Rico — either Mexico, Lithuania, Italy or Puerto Rico.

“We’ve got 39 days or so to get locked in to go get this gold medal, 12 amazing, talented guys ready to come together for one goal,” Curry said when he arrived to check in for camp. “I’m hyped for it all.”

Tim Cone says Gilas star Justin Brownlee ‘should be in the NBA’

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Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee puts on another sensational game to help secure the Fiba OQT semifinals ticket. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone believes NBA teams missed an opportunity to have “a big moment guy and best teammate ever” in Justin Brownlee as Philippine basketball continues to gain from his storied career.

Brownlee is the biggest key to Gilas moving within just two wins away from entering the Paris Olympics after leading the team with an average of 27.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists to reach the semifinal of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga.

Cone isn’t surprised with the stellar showing of his longtime import for Barangay Ginebra but he reminds the world what the NBA is missing out on since the 36-year-old forward went undrafted in 2011.

HIGHLIGHTS: Gilas Pilipinas vs Georgia Fiba OQT July 4

Brownlee only played the G-League with the Maine Red Claws and NBA Summer League with the New York Knicks in 2012 before syiting up for their developmental affiliate, Erie Bayhawks.

“I’ve said this before: Somebody in the NBA missed out on this guy. They weren’t on the ball, they should have seen this guy he never should have been in the Philippines. He should be in the NBA,” said Cone in the press conference of Gilas’ 96-94 loss to Georgia on Thursday to cap the group stage with a 1-1 record.

“He is a big moment guy. He plays huge in big moments. And he has proven it over and over again. What he’s [been] doing in this tournament is no surprise to what we’ve seen throughout his career in the Philippines. He’s dominant there and he’s always engaged. When he’s aggressive, there’s just nobody better than him,” he added.

It wasn’t Cone who just praised Brownlee. Kai Sotto made a bold statement after their shocking 89-80 win over World No.6 Latvia that their naturalized forward is “Michael Jordan of Philippine basketball” while Dwight Ramos tagged him as the best teammate he has ever played with.

READ: Gilas’ Justin Brownlee ‘Michael Jordan of PH basketball’

Brownlee, who willed the Philippines back from 20 points down against Georgia with another near-triple-double performance of 28 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, was grateful to hear those kind words from his teammates.

“Man, I really appreciate the compliment from both guys but I really don’t know how to feel about that. I just try to the [get the] W. and I always [try to be] a really good teammate, try to jell with the guys, try to get guys going and try to play off of the guys as well as try to get them playing off me,” Brownlee said.

Gilas Pilipinas' Justin Brownlee puts on another sensational game to help the secure the Fiba OQT semifinals ticket.

Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee puts on another sensational game to help secure the Fiba OQT semifinals ticket. –FIBA PHOTO

“Being compared to Michael Jordan of the Philippines. I don’t even know what to say about that but I definitely appreciate the compliment.”

Brownlee, who also delivered the country’s first Asian Games basketball gold in 61 years, said that he is just applying what Cone has been teaching him since he joined Ginebra in 2016.

READ: Gilas win over Latvia puts spotlight on Tim Cone triangle offense

“I would be nothing without [my] teammates. A famous quote that coach Tim tells the Ginebra guys and on the Gilas team is, ‘One is too small of a number to achieve greatness,’” he said. “I just try to go by that and try to get the best out of the team and try to put my best for the team.”

Cone had no shortage of praises for his longtime player, who already delivered six PBA championships out of the 25 the legendary coach has earned.

And Brownlee c0ntinues to deliver for Cone, this time on the international level for Gilas Pilipinas.

“He’s absolutely the best teammate I’ve ever seen through all my coaching, he’s just a tremendous teammate,” the Gilas coach said. “He has that rare skill that every time he plays and any team he plays, he makes the players around him better, they play at a higher level.”



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“I used to think I was really a good coach because I had him all the time and then he goes to another team and still wins everywhere he goes. So obviously it’s not me, it’s really him because he just wins everywhere, any country he goes to, they win championships and it’s amazing because he knows how to make people better around him.”

The coach-player tandem of Cone and Brownlee tries to bring their magic to Gilas, which battles Brazil in the semifinal on Saturday for a chance to enter the final, where the lone ticket to Paris is on the line.

Wembanyama steals show for France in Paris Olympics warmup

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French basketball player Victor Wembanyama talks to the audience during a 5×5 France Olympics Basket Team Media Day in Paris, on June 27, 2024. (Photo by Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP)

PARIS— Victor Wembanyama stole the show with spectacular one-handed dunks as France opened preparations for its men’s basketball gold medal bid at the Paris Olympics.

In a promising sign of things to come, the NBA’s Rookie of the Year was all smiles after powerful dunks with both hands in a 96-46 rout of Turkey on Wednesday night. He looked slick as he scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed six rebounds in front of a sold-out crowd of around 5,500 in Rouen.

It was the first of six warmup matches for France, heading into the July 26-Aug. 11 Summer Games.

READ:  Victor Wembanyama ‘can’t wait’ for France-USA showdown at Paris Olympics

“Victor played a ‘Wemby game.’ He was imposing in defense and varied things in attack. It’s something we’ve never really known before in the France team,” captain Nicolas Batum said. “It’s a great asset for us, one we will be able to use in many situations.”

The 20-year-old San Antonio Spurs star also combined well with veteran Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in their first outing together for France. The 32-year-old Gobert was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for a record-tying fourth time, with Wembanyama second in the voting.

“There’s still work to be done,” Batum said, looking ahead to the Olympics. “But when you have two greats (Wembanyama and Gobert), it helps a lot.”

There were also some impressive defense from Washington Wizards rookie guard Bilal Coulibaly.

France lost 87-82 to the United States in the gold-medal game at the Tokyo Olympics but hopes are high that coach Vincent Collet’s side can win gold at home. France is considered among the strongest teams alongside the U.S, Canada, Serbia and world champion Germany.

Last week, Wembanyama was asked about the prospect of another France-USA final, against the likes of LeBron James and Stephen Curry.

“ I can’t wait to face them, it will be a very interesting matchup,” he said in Paris. “As a basketball player, it’s also a dream to play against Team USA and even against all those players, all those legends.”

READ: Chris Paul joining Wembanyana at Spurs as NBA free agency opens

France’s first Group B opponent at the Olympics will be the winner of the last qualifying tournament later this week. It then plays Japan and Germany in the 12-team field, held in the northern city of Lille.

French basketball is enjoying immense popularity on the back of Wembanyama’s meteoric rise and the emergence of new talents.

This year’s top two NBA draft picks are French — Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks) and Alexandre Sarr (Washington Wizards) — with Tidjane Salaün drafted No. 6 by the Charlotte Hornets.



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France joined the United States as the only countries with three players drafted in the top 10 picks of an NBA draft. Pacome Dadiet (New York Knicks) and Melvin Ajinca (Dallas Mavericks) made it five Frenchmen selected overall.

Bella Belen, Angel Canino relish first team-up at Alas Pilipinas

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Bella Belen and Angel Canino team up for Alas Pilipinas in the FIVB Challenger Cup. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — From UAAP rivals to national team teammates, Bella Belen and Angel Canino relished their first team-up despite Alas Pilipinas losing to Vietnam in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup on Friday evening at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Philippines witnessed the first team-up of the two UAAP rookie MVPs in their 14-25, 22-25, 21-25 loss to Vietnam in front of a soldout crowd.

Although Alas’ Volleyball Nations League (VNL) qualifier ended in just a game, the newly-formed duo showed a glimpse of what they can offer with Canino pouring in 12 points and Belen only scoring two on top of a steady floor defense in the first two sets.

“I am very happy because I am now with Angel in the national team. Before, we were opponents in the UAAP, but now we are teammates,” said National University’s two-time MVP Belen, who has been going up against Canino and La Salle for the past two seasons.

HIGHLIGHTS: Alas Pilipinas vs Vietnam FIVB Challenger Cup

Canino, who beat Belen and the Lady Bulldogs in the Season 85 finals last year, would rather have Belen as her teammate than a rival. 

 “I’m happy because I told them that I would rather choose Bella as my teammate because I’ve been wanting to team up with her again for a long time. I’m very happy that she’s my teammate now,” said the Season 85 MVP and Rookie of the Year.

Despite the one-and-done Challenger Cup stint, Canino and Belen look forward to more team-ups in the future as they seek to elevate the level of Philippine volleyball, playing in the SEA V.League next month. 

“I think our connection will become stronger with longer training. I believe we can bring out the best in each other,” Belen said.

READ: Alas Pilipinas hit with reality check ahead of Challenger Cup

Belen, who came from South Korea with NU, was pleased with their gallant stand against Vietnam but she needs more time for their build up. The Nationals train in Japan next week until July 25.

“I think we did our best, but maybe Vietnam has been training for a long time. For us, especially me, I just came from vacation. I think we can compete, we just need longer preparation,” said Belen. 

Canino also stayed positive despite the results choosing to look at the lessons from the Vietnamese, who also ruled the AVC Challenge Cup in Manila two weeks ago.

“We all gave our best, and while we’re sad about the result, we’re also happy because we learned something. You don’t go home a loser if you’ve learned something—you always gain knowledge. Especially now, facing Vietnam, we feel like we know where we stand and what we still need to improve as a team,” said the La Salle star.



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“We will continue preparing for the SEA V.League, and of course, we look forward to giving our best always and bringing our A-game. It’s another opportunity for us to learn and for the team to showcase our talents,” she added.

Czechia sweeps Argentina for semis berth

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Czechia celebrates a point against Argentina in the FIVB Challenger Cup knockout quarterfinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Czechia sent Argentina packing with a 25-15, 25-22, 25-16 sweep to advance to the FIVB Challenger Cup semifinal on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Michaela Mlejnkova led the charge for the Czechs with 14 points off 13 attacks and a block, while Gabriela Orvosova backstopped her with 12 points including two blocks.

“It’s great because this was the hardest game I think of the competition. It’s a really important game because if you win you stay, if you lose you go home. So for us, it’s really important and yeah, I’m so happy we won,” said the 27-year-old outside spiker.

LIVE UPDATES: Alas Pilipinas vs Vietnam FIVB Challenger Cup

Helena Havelkova and Magdalena Jehlarova chipped in 10 and eight points, respectively. Czechia battles the winner of the Alas Pilipinas-Vietnam quarterfinal match in the knockout semis on Saturday.

Czechia star Michaela Mlejnkova

Czechia star Michaela Mlejnkova. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

“If you want to qualify for the VNL, you have to beat everyone so actually it doesn’t matter for us,” said Mlejnkova. 

 Mlejnkova is looking forward to experiencing the Filipino culture during their stay.

READ: FIVB Challenger Cup: Puerto Rico ousts Kenya to advance to semis

“It’s really interesting to see how this country is working and I think it’s good to see the country. We didn’t have much time to see something because we are in the hotel but yeah, I think maybe we’ll have time on Monday,” she said.

After dominating the first set, the Czechs needed to stave off a tough second-frame duel against the Argentinians, breaking a tie at 22- all. Katerina Valkova’s 1-2 play put Czechia ahead, 23-22, before Orvosova’s back row hit and Silvie Pavlova’s ace to take a commanding two-set lead en route to a dominant third-frame performance.

Argentina ended its Challenger Cup stint with just a game with Candelaria Lucia Herrera being the lone double-digit scorer with 10 points.



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As deadline expires, Draft pool suddenly becomes ‘interesting’

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Converge coach Aldin Ayo

Converge coach Aldin Ayo admitted that the late addition of talented prospects have made the process of selecting the top overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft even tougher.

“The Draft has become interesting. It now has a deep pool,” Ayo told the Inquirer in Filipino as the deadline for applicants to submit their papers for the July 14 proceedings lapsed Thursday afternoon.

The PBA is set to release the full list of applicants on Friday, but interesting names cropped up before the league office closed at 5 p.m., with Filipino-American Sedrick Barefield and RJ Abarrientos announcing their entries.

That should require some soul-searching for Ayo and the FiberXers to pick the right man more than a week from now at Glorietta in Makati City, especially with names such as Justine Baltazar, Dave Ildefonso and Fil-Am Caelan Tiongson also part of the class.

Many see Baltazar as a sure first pick, given his talents and connections with the Converge franchise. But the entry of Barefield and Abarrientos could change that.

“They’ve been on our radar, but we will discuss with management on what our approach will be for the Draft,” Ayo added in Filipino.

The teams that will pick after Converge will then have a bevy of options, from Blackwater choosing second followed by Terrafirma, Phoenix and NorthPort, NLEX and Rain or Shine, which has the seventh overall acquired from the Bossing for the Rey Nambatac trade last February, and the eighth pick.

Highly touted prospect

Rounding out the first round are Magnolia, Barangay Ginebra, Philippine Cup champion Meralco and Commissioner’s Cup winner San Miguel Beer. The order was based on the teams’ positions during the two-conference Season 48, with 40 percent coming from the Commissioner’s Cup and 60 percent from the Philippine Cup.

Considered as a highly touted prospect, Barefield is taking his act to the PBA after coming off a campaign with the Taipei Fubon Braves, who competed in Taiwan’s domestic P.League+ and the East Asia Super League.

Barefield applied for the draft in 2022 and was projected to be among the top three picks, but encountered delays processing his Philippine passport.

Abarrientos, meanwhile, is set to follow the footsteps of his uncle, 1996 PBA MVP Johnny, after spending two seasons playing professionally in South Korea for the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus of the Korean Basketball League.



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He later on moved to Japan for the B.League’s Shinshu Brave Warriors, who later released Abarrientos after the end of the 2023-24 season.

Gilas books OQT semis spot despite close loss to Georgia

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Kai Sotto. Photo: FIBA

It took just eight months for Gilas Pilipinas to add another compelling chapter to this basketball-crazed country’s rich history.

In less than 24 hours, the team made sure to keep adding to the story.

The Philippines unearthed a semifinal spot in defeat after a 96-94 loss to Georgia late Thursday evening extended its run in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia.

After winning the Asian Games gold for the first time in six decades last October, Gilas Pilipinas notched a milestone with an 89-80 victory over world No. 6 and host Latvia in a Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) early Thursday morning, marking the first time the country defeated a European squad in 64 years. But as national coach Tim Cone insisted, the Philippines is in Riga, the Latvian capital, not just for the footnotes.

“[W]e’re not here to just win one game,” he said after the win over Latvia.

The Filipinos, indeed, nearly made it two-in-a-row against European countries. They battled back from a 20-point deficit and took leads late in the game before yielding to the No. 23-ranked country in the Fiba ladder. Still, the world No. 37 shut the door on Georgia as it carried—and eventually protected—a plus-18 quotient that ushered the Philippines to the semifinals and within two wins of a spot in the Paris Olympics.

“We really want to try and get to the finals and see what would happen if we get to the finals. That’s really the goal,” Cone said. The Philippines hasn’t played Olympic basketball since the Munich edition of the Summer Games in 1972. Twelve years before that last appearance, the Filipinos scored an 84-82 victory over Spain in the preliminary round of basketball competitions in the Rome Olympiad.

Brownlee shines anew

The Philippines had not beaten a European team since then, until Thursday’s wire-to-wire conquest of the Latvians. And Cone said his charges were hell-bent on making sure that win won’t be the highlight of this tournament.

Justin Brownlee had 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead Gilas again against Georgia at Arena Riga.

Dwight Ramos and CJ Perez chipped in 16 and 14 points, respectively.

The Georgians, anchored by NBA big men Sandro Mamukelashvili and Goga Bitadze, looked on track for a final four berth thanks to a blistering start built on pinpoint shooting.

But they fumbled their chance in the third period when they had little answers against cutthroat fightback led by Perez and youngster Carl Tamayo, who chipped in seven in the surge. Gilas managed to do well despite not having Kai Sotto, who hurt his right rib in the first half, and will now move to face either Brazil or Cameroon in the semifinals. Sotto was crucial in that huge upset of Latvia, scoring 18 points.



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Georgia found itself in a bind even before the clash against the Philippines, needing to beat Gilas by 19 or more following an 83-55 massacre at the hands of Latvia two days ago.

Cha Cruz-Behag returns to PVL as Petro Gazz assistant coach

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FILE–Cha Cruz-Behag. PVL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Cha Cruz-Behag is returning to the PVL but this time, she will be embracing a new role as an assistant coach for the Petro Gazz Angels in their “three-peat” bid in the Reinforced Conference, which opens on July 16 at Philsports Arena.

A year after her return to the PVL but followed by F2 Logistics’ disbandment last December, Behag has found her way back to the pros with a new team but in a different capacity.

“A new Angel on the sideline that will help the team reach new heights. Welcome, Assistant Coach Cha Cruz-Behag,” Petro Gazz announced on Tuesday.

Behag, dubbed as “Miss Everything” with her do-it-all talent as a spiker for La Salle and previous club stints, will be helping Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara on his mission to deliver the Angels’ third straight Reinforced Conference crown.

The veteran outside spiker came out of a five-year hiatus in last year’s first All-Filipino Conference but sat out in the next two tournaments, announcing her second pregnancy.

READ: PVL: Cha Cruz-Behag, back after four years, savors triumphant return

The 36-year-old Behag, whose mother club F2 Logistics bid farewell to the pro volleyball scene last December, is joining a team close to her family as her sister Cienne Cruz played as libero from 2018 to last year, while Camille served as team manager in the past PVL seasons.

Behag will be handling reigning All-Filipino MVP Brooke Van Sickle, Jonah Sabete, Nicole Tiamzon, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Djanel Cheng, MJ Phillips, and Remy Palma as well as her ex-La Salle teammate Chie Saet and fellow former Cargo Movers Myla Pablo, Mich Morente, Joy Dacoron, and Ethan Arce.

Petro Gazz has yet to announce its import but it won the last two Reinforced Conferences in 2019 with Wilma Salas and the late Janisa Johnson before successfully defending its throne two years ago with Lindsey Vander-Weide, beating Cignal in the finals.

The Angels, who finished with a bronze medal in the All-Filipino Conference, are grouped in Pool B with Choco Mucho, Cignal, Akari, Capital1, and ZUS Coffee.

Petro Gazz opens its ‘three-peat’ campaign against ZUS Coffee, which will pick Thea Gagate at No.1 in the Rookie Draft and bring Japanese spiker Asaka Tamaru, on July 18 at Philsports Arena.



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Gilas win over Latvia puts spotlight on Tim Cone triangle offense

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Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone during a Fiba OQT Riga game against world No. 6 Latvia. –FIBA BASKETBALL

MANILA, Philippines — In an era where the three-point has become one of the major weapons in basketball, Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone continues to prove that triangle offense can still work even on the world stage, which is now dominated by fast-paced plays.

Cone’s signature offensive scheme worked wonders to stun World No.6 and host Latvia, 89-80, to open Gilas’ Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) campaign with high hopes on early Thursday morning (Manila time) in Riga. 

Some may call the triangle offense outdated in today’s era of basketball reliant on sprawlball — a term coined by NBA analyst Kirk Goldsberry for the current dominance of the three-point shot — the 66-year-old Cone said he will live and die with the system innovated by Tex Winter and popularized by NBA multi-titled coach Phil Jackson with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

“I guess I’m still a dinosaur at heart playing the triangle. I’ve been playing the triangle for 30-plus years I was mentored by Tex Winter. I just enjoyed living on his legacy and keeping it going. It’s an offense I believe in,” said Cone in the postgame press conference of the country’s first win against a European team since beating Spain in the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Even the longtime PBA coach admitted that at some point in his career, he doubted the system that helped him win multiple titles with the Alaska Aces, San Mig Coffee (Magnolia franchise), and Barangay Ginebra. 

“There’s a lot of critics especially when it went to the New York Knicks, people started doubting it. And even I left it for a couple of years because I was like everybody must be right, if everybody’s saying it’s a bad offense, they must be right. But I did as much as I could for two years without it,” said Cone. “And then I went back to it. It’s been my best friend ever since.”

Living and dying by the triangle

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Gilas Pilipinas ahead of its game against Latvia in the Fiba OQT in Riga. –FIBA BASKETBALL

Missing a couple of key players ahead of the OQT, the 25-time PBA champion coach stood firm in applying his bread-and-butter in their quest to chase a ticket for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“When I came into camp with my players, I told them this is what I know best, this is what I can teach best and so we’re gonna live and die with this,” Cone said. “People aren’t as familiar with it now since when Chicago and LA were, 10 years ago,” he said. “I’m enjoying running it and I’ve always enjoyed running it and I’m just proud that we’re able to do something with it.”

READ: Tim Cone says Gilas win over Latvia ‘means a lot to fans back home’

The triangle works for Cone in a way that makes his defensive system easier with Gilas limiting Latvia to a 27-of-72 shooting clip and its NBA player Davis Bertans scoring just 10 points on a 2-of-8 shooting clip.

“It’s an offense, if I may say, that plays at a tempo in which you can play defense and that’s why I love it so much and I’m kind of famous for the triangle. But I really feel like I’m more of a defensive-oriented coach and that offense just helps me run the defense,” Cone said.

Latvia coach Luca Banchi believes that Cone’s triangle offense wasn’t just the key to the Filipinos’ triumph but also their height and defense. 

“They have an efficient offensive system. It’s not simple. Let’s say not only in Europe but in general, it’s not common to have teams who run such a T system,” said Banchi, who steered Latvia to a fifth-place finish in last year’s Fiba World Cup in Manila.

“It takes time. I know that the coach has a long time coaching and, let’s say, sharing these basketball ideas around the country. That affects the players’ style and that allowed the team to have a very clear identity on the court but I believe that also defensively, this is a team that you have to attack with better poise and focus, which we didn’t do tonight.”

Gilas continues its chase for an Olympic berth against Georgia on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. (Manila time). 

Cone’s triangle has been immortalized in the PBA as one of the most successful systems in league history and even in Philippine basketball after it delivered the team’s first Asian Games gold since 1962 in the 19th edition in China last year.



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