DANNY Ildefonso just reminded everybody about his rich championship experience.

Ildefonso hit two big shots down the stretch, including his first-ever buzzer-beater, to lift Petron Blaze to an 89-88 win over heavily-favored Talk N Text Sunday at the start of their PBA Governors Cup title duel at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Sunday Salvacion scored a game-high 19 points and Anthony Grundy notched a first PBA career triple-double, but it was Ildefonso’s late-game heroics that helped the Boosters steal the opener of the best-of-seven series.

Ildefonso turned a steal into a fastbreak layup and, following an undergoal stab by Ryan Reyes, scored on a high-arcing baseline jumper that spelled the game difference.

“God na nag-shoot noon,” said the 34-year-old of his game-winner, his first in a league-most 16 finals with the team formerly known as San Miguel Beer which he won seven titles with in a career that started in 1998.

“Nagamit niya ang kanyang experience,” noted Petron coach Ato Agustin of Ildefonso. “He was
our leader inside the court at ipinakita niya iyon.”

The loss was a bitter one to swallow for Talk N Text, which led by as many as 15 points in the second period and had an 85-76 lead, going to the last 3:13 of the game.

Despite the win, however, Agustin maintained the Tropang Texters remain as the favorites going to Game 2 at the Mindanao Civic Center Gym in Tubod, Lanao de Norte.

“Underdog pa rin, kasi undermanned kami,” said Agustin. “Pero I think nakatulong kasi lahat nag-step up.”

The fact his charges did not give up despite the odds and the game deficits give Agustin something to look forward to, however.

“Almost everybody in-expect na 4-0 ang Talk N Text at parang pinagbigyan kami,” he said. “I hope they will continue na pagbigyan kami.”

Jimmy Alapag scored 18 points and had seven assists to lead Talk N Text, which has not lost
back-to-back games since Games 3 and 4 of the season-opening Philippine Cup finals to the same team.

Larry Fonacier came off the bench to add 16 points while the comebacking Ranidel de Ocampo chipped in 13 and Kelly Williams 10 and nine rebounds. But sorely missed was Scottie Reynolds’ usual production.

Reynolds was held down to only four points, a far cry from his five-game average of 21.4 ppg. He went 1-for-10 from the floor and he went to the stripe only off a baseline drive and Paolo Hubalde’s hard foul.

Grundy finished with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists and also had five steals.

The biggest steal of the game, however, belonged to Arwind Santos, whose double-team with Ildefonso on Fonacier led to the latter’s fastbreak layup and gave Petron the 87-86 edge, 17.4 ticks left.

The last play was not even designed with Ildefonso as the first option, but Grundy found him with a bounce pass after Ali Peek helped Jason Castro double the import.

In all, Talk N Text played a more organized game for the most part, but could not fully shake off Petron and went into the final period with a 74-67 spread, which proved to be too flimsy indeed.

Ildefonso himself started Petron’s final fightback by completing a three-point play and Santos made up for his struggles that limited him to just 12 points with a triple that made it 81-85 before Grundy strung up four free throws to make it an 85-86 game going to the last 22.7 seconds.

De Ocampo, who missed the entire semifinal round due to a broken nose suffered in practice, seemed to be making up for lost time by scattering 11 points and helping TNT take a 55-51 lead at the half.

Fonacier and Alapag also chipped in 10 points apiece, but the Texters still failed to capitalize on a five-minute Petron drought in the second period that had them leading by as much as 52-36.

Grundy was the spark and Salvacion the gunner during the Boosters’ comeback, with the former pulling off two of his four steals in the quarter and issuing two of his four assists and the latter scoring eight points during a 15-2 counter that had them pull within 51-53.

Helping to ease some of the tension gripping the fans was TNT’s Mark Yee, who saw action for only a minute in the second period and was promptly whistled for a foul after giving Grundy an impromptu prostate check.

The scores:

PETRON 89 - Salvacion 19, Grundy 17, Ildefonso 13, Santos 12, Miranda 12, Cabagnot 9, Pennisi 5, Duncil 2, Baclao 0, Hubalde 0.

TALK N' TEXT 88 - Alapag 18, Fonacier 16, De Ocampo 13, Williams 10, Reyes 8, Castro 7, Carey 6, Peek 6, Reynolds 4, Yee 0, Dillinger 0, Aban 0.

Quarters: 32-40, 51-55, 67-74, 89-88

source: PBA

With the NBA and its players mired in a bitter labor dispute, basketball superstars have begun looking overseas for opportunities during the lockout.

On Saturday, the idea of the world’s best basketball players competing outside the United States took a step closer to reality after FIBA announced that it was giving clearance for NBA players to sign with overseas teams during the lockout.

New Jersey Nets all-star point guard Deron Williams already signed a deal with Turkish team Besiktas, which is also trying to woo NBA superstar Kobe Bryant. And with Bryant and a bunch of other NBA superstars strutting their wares before SRO crowds in Manila two weeks ago, would it be possible for some of them to find themselves playing professionally in Philippine shores?

Patrick Gregorio, the Talk ‘N Text representative to the PBA Board of Governors, welcomes the idea of NBA players suiting up as imports in Asia’s oldest professional league.

“Think global, basketball is global, so we’re welcoming the idea of having NBA players as imports,”  Gregorio told InterAKTV.

Chot Reyes, the head coach of the Tropang Texters, didn’t close the door on the possibility of tapping marquee NBA players, especially if management gets behind the idea. The four-time PBA Coach of the Year was instrumental in putting together the event that brought Bryant, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and other NBA stars to Manila.

“A lot of people thought this is not going to happen and then we made it happen,” said Reyes of the event, dubbed the Ultimate All-Star Weekend. “So having some of them playing as imports isn’t impossible after all.”

“But having some of these players playing as PBA imports will cost a lot of money, definitely.”

Reyes earlier denied a report by SI.com, Sports Illustrated’s official website, that Bryant, Durant, and Rose were paid $400,000 each to play in the two-game series in Manila, although he was earlier quoted as saying that the cost of the event was “between expensive and very expensive.”

For other teams that don’t have pockets as deep as Talk ‘N Text, money is the number one issue when it comes to the possibility of bringing in star players from the NBA.

“Hindi natin kaya ‘yan,” said Rain or Shine board representative Mamerto Mondragon when asked about the idea.

Powerade board representative JB Baylon shared similar sentiments.

“I think the issue is not about them playing here, but whether we can afford them or not,” he said.

PBA commissioner Chito Salud said having NBA players as imports would mean revising current league rules.

“We have to change the salary cap rule for imports, and the height limit,” he said.

Currently, reinforcements playing in the league are paid about $14,000 a month, which would be way below the asking price of basketball’s top stars. The league also institutes a height limit on imports to keep the local competitive.

Salud also said that there might not be a consensus among PBA board members about changing the rules to allow NBA stars, as it would put the league’s less wealthy teams at a disadvantage.

“Not all teams would agree on that because of financial matters,” he said.

But while he has his doubts about NBA stars seeing action as imports in the PBA, he’s eager to host another exhibition match featuring the world’s best hoopsters in the Philippines.

“One thing that’s definite: NBA stars playing here is a big hit and we’re more than willing to stage another kind of event in the future,” said Salud. “Sana maulit ito.”

source: Reynaldo Belen -InterAKTV

MANILA—Talk N’ Text broke away early from Barangay Ginebra and grabbed the first Finals slot of the PBA Governors’ Cup with a 102-90 victory Sunday night at the Araneta Coliseum while muddling up the standings in the process.

“We hold our destiny in our hands and none of these teams have that right now,” Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes said after the victory that left four teams with a chance of challenging his Tropang Texters in the best-of-seven title series.

“Before the game, I just told my players to take advantage of that opportunity and not let it go,” added Reyes, who turns 48 today. “And the players responded in a huge way.”

Scottie Reynolds scattered 25 points, Kelly Williams had 17 and four others chipped in 10 or more as the Grand Slam-seeking Texters opened leads of as many as 20 points on the way to an unreachable 9-3 record.

“We’re relieved to be in the Finals, but our job isn’t done yet,” he said. “This is 50 percent of the work, now the real work begins. It’s going to be an interesting week. Our first priority is to rest, recover and then go back and do the work in practice.”

The Texters dealt a fifth loss in 12 games to the Gin Kings, who dropped into a tie with Alaska, which scored a 105-86 decision of B-Meg earlier in the night.

Rain or Shine and Petron Blaze also moved into the title playoff picture as both can still reach eight wins.

The Elasto Painters and Petron both have two remaining games. Rain or Shine has Alaska and Ginebra as its last foes, while the Boosters have the ousted Llamados and the Texters as their last rivals.

In the event of an Alaska win on Wednesday, the Aces will be the first team to reach eight wins and it would make the Petron-Talk ‘N Text game at the close of the semifinals on Friday a must-win game for the Boosters granting they beat the Llamados on Wednesday.

Ginebra can pop into the playoff picture if it beats Rain or Shine on Friday. In the event of a tie for the second Finals berth, the conference quotient will be applied, meaning all the games in the tournament will be considered.

source: Musong R. Castillo -Philippine Daily Inquirer

Businessman-sportsman Manny V. Pangilinan, fresh from a successful hosting of once-in-a-lifetime hoop extravaganza, is now plotting yet another major event—this time in boxing.

The Smart/PLDT chief wants to host a Manny Pacquiao title fight here.

“This is something the people will really like,” said Pangilinan.

Pangilinan recently staged the Smart Ultimate All-Star Weekend featuring Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and other NBA standouts playing against a PBA selection and the Smart Gilas Pilipinas national team last Saturday and Sunday.

It was, perhaps, the grandest hoop bash ever in the country and the goodwill and public appreciation it generated may have convinced the telecommunications tycoon to pursue another major sporting endeavor.

Pangilinan told the Inquirer on Sunday that his immediate goal is to stage a title defense by the Filipino ring icon against a worthy opponent sometime next year.

Pangilinan said he broached the idea to Pacquiao when the world’s acknowledged pound-for-pound king dropped by in the last quarter of the NBA selection vs Smart Gilas match, adding Pacquiao’s response was positive.

“I talked about this with Manny and he was very receptive,” he said.

Pangilinan added he was thinking of a possible blockbuster title showdown against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Although with “Pretty Boy” constantly dodging Pacquiao, Pangilinan would be willing to go with other possible opponents, provided they would be competitive.

Among those mentioned was undefeated WBC/WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, who has a record of 27-0 with 11 knockouts.

Even the name of current WBA and newly crowned IBF light welterweight champion Amir Khan cropped up, but Khan has said he won’t fight Pacquiao, his friend and training partner.

“I’m sure Mr. Pangilinan can pay the money but is he going to be able to recoup it? Besides, it’s very doubtful whether Mayweather will agree to fight Manny in Manila although I guess there’s still a chance,” said Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser .

Pangilinan also mentioned there was an offer for another group of NBA players who are scheduled to visit China in August to play in the Philippines.

The world-renowned Real Madrid football team, led by Portuguese sensation Cristiano Ronaldo and midfield superstar Kaka, had also expressed interest in playing in the Philippines.

source: Ronnie Nathanielsz, inquirer.net