Tag: tennis betting

Forcing OT vs Georgia wasn’t an option for Gilas, says Tim Cone

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Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone’ after the Philippines’ loss to Georgia in the Fiba OQT group phase. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone said he didn’t want to risk going overtime against Georgia to try and salvage a win even with the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) semifinal berth secured.

When Gilas trailed Georgia, 93-96, with 14 seconds remaining, Cone called a timeout and decided with his coaching staff not to force extra regulation. The Filipinos then milked the clock before Chris Newsome drew a foul from Giorgi Ochkhikidze with 2.8 ticks left.

Newsome made his first shot but missed the second with Goga Bitadze even attempting to score off the putback in a bizarre move. Georgia won over Gilas, 96-94, but didn’t qualify for the next round, failing to win by 19 points.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT semifinals 2024

“We couldn’t go into overtime. We had an opportunity to shoot a three at the end to try and get us into overtime and play,” Cone said after the loss. “We just felt we didn’t want to give them an opportunity to try to extend the lead in overtime.” 

Cone, however, took the blame for Bitadze’s final attempt to force overtime.

“He missed a dunk follow-up, that was a bad coaching decision on my part. I should’ve had Newsome hold the ball and not even shoot that second free throw and get a violation,” Cone said. “That would’ve been a smart move. I blanked out and did not think about it. We were lucky we didn’t go into overtime.”

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

Despite losing and finishing Group A with a 1-1 record, Cone is grateful to make it to the semifinal against Brazil on Saturday, inching two wins closer to the Paris Olympics.

“It’s the first time I felt good about losing and I just want to compliment our guys… they went down 20 and it could have been an easy panic time and they worked their way back into the game,” said Cone lauding his wards’ comeback from a sluggish first half.

“One little streak here or there, we could’ve been down by 30 and we’re going home, using those [flight] tickets we have for tomorrow. But they really showed their resilience.”



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Buddy Hield traded to Warriors from 76ers

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FILE – Philadelphia 76ers guard Buddy Hield (17) drives past Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden during the first half of an NBA basketball game March 24, 2024, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

PHILADELPHIA— Buddy Hield played in 632 regular-season games and established himself as one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA before he finally played a postseason game. He can thank the Philadelphia 76ers for ending his dubious distinction of most NBA games without a playoff appearance by an active player.

If he wants to get there again, he’s going to have to try again in California — alongside Stephen Curry, no less.

The 76ers continued one of the busiest offseasons of any team in the league — thanks in large part to salary-cap space to spare — and orchestrated a sign-and-trade deal on Thursday that sends Hield to the Golden State Warriors for a 2031 second-round pick it received from the Dallas Mavericks, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press. ESPN reported that Hield was set to sign a two-year, $21 million contract with the Warriors.

READ: NBA playoffs finally beckon for 76ers’ Buddy Hield after 632 games

The Warriors were in the market for another dependable perimeter threat following the loss of Klay Thompson, who agreed to join the Mavericks as part of a sign-and-trade of a three-year, $50 million contract involving the Warriors, Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets. The 76ers are essentially getting a free second pick for helping facilitate that deal.

The Hield trade will become official after the league’s moratorium on signings is lifted on Saturday, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal cannot be announced by NBA rule until that time.

The 76ers on Thursday also announced they signed first-round draft pick Jared McCain. The Duke product is scheduled to participate in July in both the Salt Lake City Summer League and the NBA 2K25 Summer League 2024 in Las Vegas. McCain was selected by Philadelphia with the No. 16 overall pick in last month’s draft.

READ: Klay Thompson heading to Mavericks in NBA free agency

Golden State has continued adding to its roster in an offseason that general manager Mike Dunleavy has said will be important to rebuild the team after missing the playoffs. The Warriors and free agent forward Kyle Anderson were working to complete a three-year, $27 million contract, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations told the AP earlier in the week.

The 2022 NBA champion Warriors are trying to get back into the title hunt after missing the playoffs this past season.

The 76ers want to advance past the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Paul George and the Sixers agreed to a $212 million, four-year free agent contract on Monday and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey agreed in principle to a $204 million, five-year extension with the team.

READ; NBA: Kyle Anderson, Warriors completing $27 million, 3-year deal

The 34-year-old George spurned the Los Angeles Clippers and declined a 2024-2025 player option in his contract with them to join a Sixers team that has been a perennial underachiever, even as Joel Embiid blossomed into one of the top players in the NBA.

The 76ers know that star shooters aren’t necessarily guaranteed to have success in Philadelphia.

Hield was acquired at last season’s trade deadline from Indiana for Marcus Morris Jr., Furkan Korkmaz and three second-round draft picks.

Hield had been one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA for years in both volume and makes. He hit at least 260 in four straight seasons with the Sacramento Kings and made a career-high 288 in 2022-203 with the Pacers. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season.

He never found his groove in Philly. After Hield missed a total of four 3-point attempts in the first three games in the playoffs against the New York Knicks, coach Nick Nurse benched him in Games 4 and 5. Hield returned to the lineup for a Game 6 loss and shot 6 of 9 from 3-point range for 20 points.

It would be his last game with the Sixers.



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The 31-year-old Hield played in 57 games with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016-17 and in 385 games for the Kings. He played in 158 games with the Pacers and 32 games with the Sixers before he made the postseason debut. Because of the trade, Hield actually played in 84 games last season. He also played for the Pacers in the In-Season Tournament title game in December, Game No. 85, which didn’t count toward the official total. Game No. 86 — the 76ers’ play-in win over Miami — pushed him into the playoffs.

Luka Doncic, Slovenia face Giannis, Greece in semis

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Luka Doncic and Slovenia advance to the knockout phase of the Fiba OQT in Piraeus, Greece. –FIBA PHOTO

Luka Doncic and Slovenia still have Olympic hopes. And so does the Philippines, much to its own surprise.

Doncic had 36 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and Slovenia beat New Zealand 104-78 on Thursday to clinch a semifinal spot in the Fiba OQT at Piraeus, Greece. Slovenia needed to win by at least 10 points to make the semifinals.

READ: Fiba OQT: Greece opens strong; Doncic, Slovenia still have chance

Slovenia’s opponent on Saturday is Greece, meaning it’ll be Luka Doncic and fellow NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo leading their squads — with the winner advancing to Sunday’s final with a berth in the Paris Olympics at stake, and the loser eliminated.

Josh Nebo had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Slovenia. Shea Ili led New Zealand with 28 points.

Fiba OQT semifinal matchups

The matchups for Saturday’s semifinals are taking shape.

At Valencia, Spain — Finland vs. Spain; Bahamas vs. Lebanon.

At Piraeus, Greece — Slovenia vs. Greece; Croatia vs. Dominican Republic.

At Riga, Latvia — Brazil vs. Philippines; Cameroon vs. Latvia.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT semifinals 2024

At San Juan, Puerto Rico — Lithuania vs. Italy or Puerto Rico; Italy or Puerto Rico vs. Mexico.

The finals at all four sites are Sunday, and those four winners go to the Paris Olympics.

Georgia 96, Philippines 94

Gilas Pilipinas Fiba OQT semifinals

Gilas Pilipinas headed to the Fiba OQT semifinals. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas lost but advanced to Saturday’s semifinals of their tournament in Riga, Latvia, anyway. That created a bit of an issue; the team had flights home scheduled for Friday.

“I guess we’re going to have to move them back a little bit,” Philippines coach Tim Cone said. “That’s how surprised we are to be here and talking to you guys. It’s the first time I’ve felt good about losing.”

HIGHLIGHTS: Gilas Pilipinas vs Georgia Fiba OQT July 4

Georgia needed to win by at least 19 points to have any chance of advancing.

Sandro Mamukelashvili led Georgia with 26 points and Goga Bitadze finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Justin Brownlee led all scorers with 28 points for the Philippines, adding eight rebounds and eight assists as well.

Finland 89, Poland 88

Down by 12 early in the fourth, Finland finished the game on a 25-12 run to keep its Olympic hopes alive and reach the semifinals.

Mikael Jantunen scored 20 for Finland, which got 18 from Alexander Madsen; those two players combined to shoot 12 for 13 from the floor.

A.J. Slaughter had 21 points and Jeremy Sochan added 20 for Poland, which was eliminated.

Greece 93, Egypt 71

At Piraeus, Antetokounmpo got the day off and Greece rolled into the semifinals anyway.

Konstantinos Mitoglou and Georgios Papagiannis each had 16 points for Greece, which got 15 from Kostas Popanikolaou.

Ahmed Metwaly scored 22 for Egypt, which was eliminated.

Cameroon 77, Brazil 74

Cameroon celebrates a win over Brazil in the Fiba OQT in Riga, Brazil.

Cameroon celebrates a win over Brazil in the Fiba OQT in Riga, Brazil. –FIBA PHOTO

At Riga, Cameroon won and advanced, Brazil lost and won its group anyway, and Montenegro really lost without even playing.

Jeremiah Hill led Cameroon with 22 points. Cameroon needed to win to advance to Saturday’s semifinals in Latvia; had it lost, Montenegro would have reached the semifinals.

Leo Meindl topped Brazil with 19 points. All Brazil had to do to win the group was win the game or lose by no more than six points; had Brazil lost by 15 or more, it would have been eliminated and Montenegro would have advanced.

Lebanon 74, Angola 70

Omari Spellman scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Lebanon moved into the semifinals of the qualifier at Valencia, Spain.

Karim Zeinoun added 15 for the winners, including a personal 7-0 run early in the fourth quarter when he turned a game that was tied at 49 into one in which Lebanon led 56-49 — and it wouldn’t trail again.

Gerson Goncalves scored 13 and Bruno Fernando added 12 for Angola, which was eliminated.

Mexico 92, Ivory Coast 81

At San Juan, Puerto Rico, Paul Stoll scored 23 points and added 11 assists, and Mexico erased a nine-point deficit in the second half to earn a semifinal spot.

Joshua Ibarra scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Mexico, which outscored Ivory Coast 24-12 in the fourth quarter to pull away.



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Nisre Zouzoua and Vafessa Fofana each scored 16 for Ivory Coast.

Burgos fancied to repeat in 5150 Bohol

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Erika Nicole Burgos at the Sun Life 5150 Triathlon in Bohol.

Erika Burgos returns to the site of one of her greatest victories next Sunday, looking to repeat as the Sun Life 5150 Bohol triathlon champion as she battles a crack women’s field littered with international bets at Bellevue Resort on Panglao Island.

After winning a memorable duel with Leyann Ramo last year and clocking two hours, 24:28 for the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-km bike and 10-km run event, Burgos is listed as the solid favorite to win again because of her great finishing kick, which she used to great effect in winning the run stage by almost seven minutes.

John Chicano, the multi-gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games, is the defending men’s champion. He clocked 2:00:04 in beating Satar Salem.

Registration for the event is still ongoing, with details available at Ironman 5150 Bohol. Fans can also follow the event on social media platforms under Sun Life 5150 Bohol on Facebook and 5150bohol on Instagram.

The race has already attracted a diverse group of international participants, including 10 from South Korea, eight from the US and six from Great Britain.



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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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Greece opens strong; Doncic, Slovenia still have chance

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Giannis Antetokounmpo in Greece’s Fiba OQT game against Dominican Republic in Piraeus, Greece. –FIBA BASKETBALL PHOTO

Giannis Antetokounmpo looked like a player intent on leading Greece to its first Olympic berth since 2008.

Antetokounmpo had 32 points in 19 minutes, going 11 of 11 from the field, as Greece rolled to a 109-82 win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday in Group B of the Piraeus, Greece Fiba OQT.

Thomas Walkup added 17 points for Greece, which led by as many as 27 and can advance to the semifinal round with a victory over Egypt on Thursday.

READ: Fiba OQT: Bahamas tops Finland in opener, Slovenia falls to Croatia

“Giannis loves to be here. He loves to represent his country,” Greece coach Vassilis Spanoulis said. “He’s very humble. He’s part of the team. For a superstar you don’t find this easy. … He’s about winning.”

The tournament in Greece is one of four that opened Tuesday to settle the final four spots in the field for the Paris Olympics. Other tournaments are ongoing in Latvia, Puerto Rico and Spain.

Group play at all four sites continues through Thursday, with semifinal games Saturday and the title games Sunday.

READ: Doncic, Antetokounmpo shoot for last shot at Paris Olympics in the Fiba OQT

An appearance in the Olympics is one of the few things Antetokounmpo has yet to accomplish in his career.

On Wednesday, he didn’t seem to be bothered at all by the strained left calf that caused him to sit out the Milwaukee Bucks’ playoff run in April. He got to the rim at will, went 9 of 13 from the free-throw line and knocked down his lone 3-point attempt.

New Zealand 90, Croatia 86

Croatia advanced in its bid to earn one of the final Olympic berths, but not with the kind of momentum it had hoped.

New Zealand beat Croatia 90-86 in Group A in Piraeus. Corey Webster had 21 points and Shea Ili added 18, including a go-ahead layup in the final minute to help New Zealand rally.

“I think it’s just a gutsy win from our team,” New Zealand captain Reuben Te Rangi said.

Ivica Zubac had 29 points and 16 rebounds, Dario Saric added 19 points and eight rebounds and Mario Hezonja had 16 points for Croatia, which was able to secure a place in the semifinals with the four-point differential. The loss, however, kept NBA star Luka Doncic and Slovenia in contention.

Slovenia can make it out of Group A and into the semifinals if it beats New Zealand by 21 points when the teams meet Thursday. If not, New Zealand will advance.

Croatia won its opener 108-92 over Slovenia on Tuesday.

“It was a tough spot playing after an emotional win over Slovenia,” Saric said of the loss Wednesday. “We were hoping we’d be on a level and push the game in our direction. But today wasn’t the case.”

Montenegro 70, Cameroon 66

In Riga, Latvia, Montenegro survived a sluggish start to keep its semifinal hopes alive with a 70-66 win over Cameroon.

Marko Simonovic had 18 points, six rebounds and went 9 of 9 from the free-throw line to lead five Montenegro players in double figures. Nikola Vucevic finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Cameroon needs to beat Brazil when the teams meet Thursday to advance to the semifinals out of Group B. Otherwise, the second spot would go to Montenegro.

Cameroon led 32-29 at the half. But Montenegro opened the third quarter with a 15-2 run to take a 44-34 lead and never trailed again. Montenegro connected on 7 of 9 free throws in the final period and 20 for 24 for the game.

Fabien Quentin Philibert Ateba and Jordan Bayehe each had 14 points apiece to lead Cameroon.

Bahamas 90, Poland 81

Valdez Edgecombe Jr. scored 21 points, Deandre Ayton added 18 points and nine rebounds, and the Bahamas advanced to the knockout round with its win over Poland in Valencia, Spain.

The Bahamas led by as many as 19 in the fourth quarter, knocking down 13 3-pointers and assisting on 24 of its 31 field goals for the game. Buddy Hield finished with 17 points and 10 assists to help his team finish 2-0 in Group B.

Poland and Finland play Thursday to decide which will join the Bahamas from the group in the semifinals.

Philippines 89, Latvia 80

Justin Brownlee Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid schedule

Justin Brownlee soars for a slam in Gilas Pilipinas’ Fiba OQT win against Latvia. –FIBA BASKETBALL

Justin Brownlee had 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to help the Philippines hold off a late charge and beat Latvia 89-80 in Group A of the Latvia tournament.

Kai Sotto added 18 points and eight rebounds.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid

Latvia trailed by 26 points and cut what was a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to 10 with 1:21 remaining. But the Philippines settled down and was able to close it out.

Rodions Kurucs led Latvia with 18 points.

The Philippines is in the driver’s seat to win the group and advance to the knockout stage when it plays Georgia on Thursday. Latvia beat Georgia 83-55 on Tuesday.

Spain 89, Angola 81

Santiago Aldama had 24 points and Spain beat Angola 89-81 to win Group A and advance to the semifinals of the Liga, Spain, tournament.

Willy Hernangomez added 22 points and 10 rebounds. The winner of Lebanon and Angola on Thursday will join Spain in the knockout round.

Spain carried a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter and Angola never got closer than six the rest of the way.

Jilson Bango led Angola with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Lithuania 97, Ivory Coast 93

Domantas Sabonis had 22 points to help Lithuania beat Ivory Coast 97-93 and advance to the knockout round of the San Juan, Puerto Rico tournament.

Marius Grigonis added 18 points and Lukas Lekavicius finished with 13, including 3 with under a minute to play to put his team ahead for good. Sabonis also had nine rebounds to help Lithuania finish 2-0 in Group A.

Deon Thompson had 18 points to lead Ivory Coast, which needs to beat Mexico Thursday to earn a semifinal berth.

Ivory Coast took a 72-65 lead into the fourth.

Lithuania twice got within a point before Lekavicius made a floater for a 92-90 lead. Ivory Coast nudged back in front with a minute to play on a 3 by Jean Philippe Dally.

Lekavicius answered with a 3 to make it 95-93 with 41 seconds left.

Puerto Rico 90, Bahrain 56

Stephen Thompson Jr. scored 20 points and Puerto Rico powered past Bahrain 99-56 on home soil to secure a spot in the semifinal round.

George Conditt IV added 17 points and eight rebounds for Puerto Rico, which will face Italy on Thursday to determine the winner of Group B. Italy also advanced to the knockout stage, having beaten Bahrain 114-53 on Tuesday.

Puerto Rico controlled the game throughout, building a 39-19 halftime lead that grew to more than 40 early in the fourth quarter.



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Zee Hamoda led Bahrain with 15 points.

Gilas Pilipinas vs Georgia Fiba OQT July 4

On: By: admin


Gilas Pilipinas Fiba OQT group phase schedule July 4

Riga, Latvia

8:30pm– Philippines-Gilas Pilipinas vs Georgia

FULL FIBA OQT RIGA SCHEDULE HERE.

Gilas win over Latvia puts spotlight on Tim Cone’s triangle offense

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. FULL STORY

Jordan Clarkson reacts to Gilas’ big win in Fiba OTQ

Gilas Pilipinas player Jordan Clarkson from the Utah Jazz in the NBA reacted to the Philippines’ win over Latvia on Thursday. Clarkson was Gilas’ naturalized player for the Fiba World Cup last year.

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

Gilas Pilipinas tim cone latvia Philippines Fiba OQT schedule

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

MANILA, Philippines — Even Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone was shocked with how his team pulled off a massive upset against world No.6 Latvia in the opener of their Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) campaign.

Gilas Pilipinas, led by Justin Brownlee and big men June Mar Fajardo and Kai Sotto, never wavered against one of the world’s best teams as it stunned Latvia with a wire-to-wire 89-80 win in front of the massive home crowd on Thursday (Manila Time) in Riga. FULL STORY

Gilas’ Justin Brownlee ‘Michael Jordan of PH basketball,’ says Kai Sotto

Justin Brownlee Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid schedule

Justin Brownlee leads Gilas Pilipinas’ rout of host Latvia to open the Filipinos’ Fiba OQT campaign. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Kai Sotto was all praise for Justin Brownlee, who once again played the hero for Gilas Pilipinas in its 89-80 shocker of world No. 6 and host Latvia in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) on Thursday.

Sotto even went on to say that his naturalized teammate is the “Michael Jordan of Philippine basketball.”

Brownlee, also the hero in the Gilas’ historic gold medal run in the Asian Games last year, scored six straight points highlighted with a four-point play to give the visitors an 85-71 with over three minutes left. FULL STORY

Philippines wakes up to result of Gilas’ first OQT game

Justin Brownlee Gilas Pilipinas Fiba OQT Paris Olympics basketball

Justin Brownlee leads Gilas Pilipinas’ rout of host Latvia to open the Filipinos’ Fiba OQT campaign. –FIBA PHOTO

National coach Tim Cone has made one thing clear months before the tall order Gilas Pilipinas needs to hurdle in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia.

“I’m a big believer that there are always really hard things to do. But nothing’s impossible,” he had told the Inquirer.

The architect behind last year’s golden romp in the Asian Games in China put that mantra to the test once again on Thursday morning in Manila, when the Philippines wakes up to the result of its National squad opening its OQT stint against Latvia and its home crowd at Arena Riga. FULL STORY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqxnLs35-30

Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid

Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid

Justin Brownlee leads Gilas Pilipinas’ rout of host Latvia to open the Filipinos’ Fiba OQT campaign. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas pounced on Latvia’s early shooting woes and played with steely nerves down the stretch to topple World No. 6 and host Latvia, 89-80, in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) on Thursday.

The No. 37-ranked Filipinos, overwhelming underdogs in the short meet at Arena Riga that will send a winner to the Paris Olympics, raced to an 8-0 start and built a sizable cushion that they never yielded until the final horn.

“I’m totally shocked to be sitting in front of you guys after winning this basketball game. This is not something we thought we were gonna do, I’ll be honest with you,” said Gilas coach Tim Cone after the game. FULL STORY



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Gilas win over Latvia ‘means a lot to fans back home’

On: By: admin


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

MANILA, Philippines — Even Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone was shocked with how his team pulled off a massive upset against world No.6 Latvia in the opener of their Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) campaign.

Gilas Pilipinas, led by Justin Brownlee and big men June Mar Fajardo and Kai Sotto, never wavered against one of the world’s best teams as it stunned Latvia with a wire-to-wire 89-80 win in front of the massive home crowd on Thursday (Manila Time) in Riga.

It was the country’s first against a European team since beating Spain in the 1960 Rome Olympics. And Cone was in awe of how the Filipinos overcame the daunting task, pouncing on the absence of Latvia star Arturs Zagars and limiting the home team to 27-of-72 shooting through their steady defense and masterful run of the triangle offense.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

“I’m totally shocked to be sitting here in front of you guys after winning this basketball game,” Cone said in the postgame press conference.

“This is not something we thought we were gonna do, I’ll be honest with you, we wanted to come in and compete and really put on a good show. We got started early. We made shots early. Then, thankfully, Latvia missed shots and also Zagars didn’t play.”

Cone lauded the defense of his squad, which helped them pull off the stunner including the big shots of Brownlee down the stretch, limiting NBA player Davis Bertans to just 10 points on 2-of-8 shooting.

“Got to credit our guys and their defense. We were doing our best trying to defend everybody,” said the Gilas coach. “We were obviously very, very conscious of him (Bertans). We played him with a smaller guy who can be quicker. You look at our line-up, our big guy had to go out and guard (Rodion)Kurucs. We put our big guy on Kurucs and kept a smaller guy on Bertans.”

READ: Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid

“But the guy (Bertans) still makes some incredible shots… Watching him in Georgia, and then we were going through all the videos, we were preparing for him. The shots he makes are just phenomenal. You just have to hold your breath and hope he misses. We try to slide into him and then hope and pray that he would miss. And tonight, he missed, went in our favor,” he added.

Cone attributed their big win to the Filipino fans back home, who stayed late which the game starting at midnight Thursday in Philippine time, to show their support by watching their first OQT game.

‘Basically Filipino’

Gilas Pilipinas looks to thr crowd after beating world No. 6 and home team Latvia in a Fiba OQT game in Riga.

Tim Cone-led Gilas Pilipinas looks to the crowd after beating world No. 6 and home team Latvia in a Fiba OQT game in Riga. –FIBA PHOTO

“How many times you can get to the international arena and have success? That’s a huge feather in your cap, not just for me but for all the players and all the people back home,” said the Barangay Ginebra coach.

“I grew up in the Philippines. I’ve been there my whole life. I went there when I was nine years old. And people know that about me and they know that I’m basically a Filipino although I have blonde hair and green eyes. It’s a feather in the cap for everyone.”

READ: Tim Cone dismisses notion that Gilas not big, fast, strong enough

“For us to have success on the world stage really means a lot to what’s going on back home. This is what we always wanted so this is a big huge step for us to be able to play Latvia at home and go at them face-to-face and come out with a win. It’s amazing for us.”

Despite their impressive start in the OQT, Cone stressed that the Filipinos didn’t come to win just one game but to “move on and get to the next round and have a chance to play in the final” as they battle World No. 23 Georgia on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. (Manila time).



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“We really wanna try and get to the final and see what will happen if we get to the finals. That’s really the goal,” he said. “ Whenever you win a game the expectations go up so then you have to keep chasing the expectations and hopefully we won’t feel that and hopefully we can get that communicated to our team that we can’t play the expectations, we just play the way that we can play.”

“We have to turn around and play Georgia and our gonna country is gonna expect us, especially after this win tonight, to win tomorrow and it’s really gonna be a tough job for us to beat Georgia.”

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese lead WNBA team vs US Olympic squad

On: By: admin


Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky reacts after fouling Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever during the second half of a WNBA game Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 16, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP

NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will team up on the WNBA All-Star team to play against the U.S. Olympic team led by A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.

The pair of remarkable rookies were selected Tuesday by a combination of votes from the media, players and fans as well as the league’s 12 coaches to play in the game in Phoenix on July 20. It’s the 20th All-Star Game in the league’s history.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been her teammate before, even at USA Basketball. I know people will be really excited about it, but I hope it doesn’t take away from everyone else,” Clark said. “This is a huge accomplishment for everybody on Team USA and everyone on Team WNBA. They all deserve the same praise. I don’t want it to take away from any of that and be the focal point of All-Star weekend because that’s not fair to them.”

READ: Caitlin Clark left off Team USA roster for Paris Olympics

Clark was the leading vote-getter from the fans, receiving 700,735 with her Indiana teammate Aliyah Boston finishing second 72,000 votes behind. Reese was fifth with 381,518 votes. Wilson and Stewart were third and fourth. Wilson garnered 607,300 votes and Stewart had 424,135.

Clark and Reese have been a boon for the WNBA in ratings, merchandise sales and attendance. They are also playing well on the court with Clark third in assists with 6.9 and Reese leading the WNBA in rebounds at 11.4.

“They just told me I’m an All-Star. I’m just so happy,” an emotional Reese said after her Sky beat the Atlanta Dream. “I know the work I’ve put in. Coming into this league so many people doubted me and didn’t think my game would translate and I wouldn’t be the player I was in college, or better, or would be worse, or wouldn’t be where I am right now. But I trust the process and I’m thankful I dropped to No. 7 (pick in the draft) and was able to come to Chicago.”

READ: WNBA: Angel Reese says foul on Caitlin Clark a basketball play

It’s the eighth time that two rookies have been on the team. The last was Shoni Schimmel and Chiney Ogwumike in 2014.

Joining the rookies on the WNBA team were DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones of Connecticut, Allisha Gray of Atlanta, Dearica Hamby of Los Angeles, Jonquel Jones of New York, Kayla McBride of Minnesota, Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana, Nneka Ogwumike of Seattle and Arike Ogunbowale of Dallas.

Ogunbowale was the MVP of the 2021 All-Star game which featured the same format of the U.S. team playing a league All-Star team. The WNBA team won that game.

“She’s had an incredible season to this point,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said of McBride. “She’s doing everything for us, so deserving of this All-Star nod.”

The U.S. team, which will be going for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Paris later this month, also features Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi. The pair of Phoenix players will get a chance to play in front of their home crowd in the exhibition game. Taurasi will be vying for a record sixth Olympic gold medal.

Three of Wilson’s Las Vegas teammates — Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young — are on the U.S. team. Gray was on the Tokyo Olympic squad while Plum and Young both helped the Americans win the inaugural 3-on-3 gold medal.

Other returners from the Tokyo Games include Napheesa Collier and Jewell Loyd. Several first-time Olympians will join the team with Alyssa Thomas, Sabrina Ionescu and Kahleah Copper. All three played on the American team that won the World Cup in Australia in 2022.

Every player chosen for either the U.S. team or the WNBA squad is considered an All-Star making this Taurasi’s 11th time in the game. She’s now alone in second behind Sue Bird for most all time. Bird was a 13-time All-Star.



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The league will have a 3-point challenge and skill contest the night before the All-Star game.

Philippines wakes up to result of Gilas’ first OQT game

On: By: admin


Justin Brownlee leads Gilas Pilipinas’ rout of host Latvia to open the Filipinos’ Fiba OQT campaign. –FIBA PHOTO

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

National coach Tim Cone has made one thing clear months before the tall order Gilas Pilipinas needs to hurdle in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia.

“I’m a big believer that there are always really hard things to do. But nothing’s impossible,” he had told the Inquirer.

The architect behind last year’s golden romp in the Asian Games in China put that mantra to the test once again on Thursday morning in Manila, when the Philippines wakes up to the result of its National squad opening its OQT stint against Latvia and its home crowd at Arena Riga.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid

Against overwhelming odds, Cone had already asked his crew—led by the indefatigable Justin Brownlee, the World Cup-tested duo of June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar, and young cornerstones Kai Sotto and Dwight Ramos—to have the immediate goal of making the knockout crossover, where they have a better chance of tabbing an Olympic berth.

“We’re not here to win a game. We’re here to win a tournament. We’re here to win the whole thing,” he was quoted saying during practice in a story published by the PBA website.

“Losing to [Latvia] does not get us knocked out. But losing—if we allow that first one to affect us in the second one (against Georgia), then we’re gonna be knocked out,” he added.

READ: Tim Cone dismisses notion that Gilas not big, fast, strong enough

Cone’s outlook may be the only logical step for the No. 37-ranked Philippines to take, considering how high Latvia is in the global basketball leaderboard.

The hosts are ranked sixth on the planet and lived up to that lofty billing with an 83-55 whipping of world No. 23 Georgia in Group A.

So hapless were the Jvarosnebi that national coach Aleksandar Dzikic and Duda Sanadze had very little to say about their performance.

Latvians flex might

“We didn’t respond well enough and long enough to their physicality and this result in the end is actually quite embarrassing, to be honest,” said Dzikic.

“[W]e’re very disappointed. The score is not what we are and what we worked [for]. We worked hard these past days and some weeks, but this score’s not us. From the bottom of our hearts, I just want to say sorry for our efforts—to our fans and families—because this is not really us,” Sanadze said.

Cone and his charges were witnesses to the merciless Latvian display. And so Gilas also knows how deflated the Georgians are.

And that could spell trouble for the Filipinos, too, as that means the Jvarosnebi will be dead-set on redeeming themselves in their clash set 8:30 p.m. on Thursday (Manila time).

“If we can beat one of those two teams (Latvia or Georgia), that means we can compete in the crossover, [and] you never know from there,” Cone said.



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The Philippines will need at least a win over Georgia to improve its chances of making the next phase, where they could either play Cameroon, Montenegro, or Brazil.