Update: Alaska Acquires Wakeforest Cager Williams

The last thing that was heard about the Alaska Aces run for a return in the Finals was that their first choice of an import, forward Eddie Basden, was not allowed by the PBA because he was a fourth of an inch taller than the prescribed height for imports.

And it's good, even better probably, that they have prepared for option number 2. The Aces have "unofficially" acquired L.D. Williams, former Wakeforest guard as their import for the next conference.

Williams was one of the best players of Wakeforest in its history, having won multiple ACC All-Defensive Team awards, which includes 2009 and 2010. He graduated from the school ranking fifth all-time, and was known to be a top defender and a reliable scorer as well.

With things put in pieces, perhaps the next best step for Coach Tim Cone is to train and orient him in the basic offensive and defensive plays of the Aces, most particularly the way he will maneuver himself around the triangle that Cone uses for decades already.

Just for everyone to see how good exactly he is, here is a short video that has him owning Chris Paul , who now plays for the New Orleans Hornets.

News and pictures from pbaddicts.net.

Outmatched. Outmanned. Outhustled.

After a tough win over the Tropang Texters, it was assumed that the San Miguel Beermen can already gain an advantage in this pivotal game 5, having the momentum and the confidence to win against their finals opponent.

Sadly, that wasn't the case.

Trailing by eight after the first half, the fans in red expect that SMB will stage a big comeback that will have the Tropang Texters scurrying for crucial baskets in the dying seconds. Coach Ato Agustin have pt in his best men on the floor, which includes point guard Alex Cabagnot and forward Arwin Santos, who in the previous game nabbed the ball from the Tropang Texters to tie the series at two apiece. They tried to rotate the ball even more and find easy open shots, and when all else fails, try to jack up a three or hand it over to their relegated scorer, Jay Washington.

But then, the Tropang Texters were just too much.

Key runs in the middle of the third quarter got SMB as close as within four, 59-55 after key plays made by Arwind Santos and soon-to-be retiree Olsen Racela. But then, as soon as the Tropang Texters found space to relax and reset their game, they became virtually unstoppable. Continuous attempts during breaks brought them to the charity strike after several fouls called on the Beermen. The three-guard combination of Ryan Reyes, Jimmy Alapag, and Jason Castro hit key long-range shots, which gave their inside scorers like Ranidel de Ocampo some space to work in the paint. Meanwhile, when things go tough and the Beermen come storming on the offensive end, Harvey Carey, Ali Peek, and Kelly Williams would prevent Washington, Cabagnot, Santos, and Dorian Pena from making inside shots. In that segment of Game 5, the Tropang Texters became the elite team that they were destined to be.

And the Beermen didn't have anything to respond to that. There were several attempts to climb back by using their snipers and shooting threes. Apparently, there were only one or two that made it. Because the Beermen cannot penetrate, Arwind Santos and Sunday Salvacion kept jacking up missed threes which could have gotten the game closer than it was.

By the middle of the final canto, where there should have been a close fight, the Tropang Texters is already holding on to a safe 15-point lead. There could have been a chance for the Beermen to catch up, but Larry Fonacier came off the Tropang Texters bench and hit three straight triples, two over Beermen reserve Joseph Yeo, to extend the lead to more than 20. And by that time, those fans in red who hoped for an advantage went home wishing that Game 6 would produce better results.

In the end, it wasn't just enough. The Beermen who , as a team, have to bring it all out to win this series, were simply bullied all the way by the Tropang Texters, who had the right pieces to win a game, and even the series.

And perhaps what the Beermen could just do is wish that they will stretch this series and give them an opportunity to show that they can still win despite a huge disadvantage.

Talk N' Text 99 - De Ocampo 20, Castro 17, Alapag 16, Reyes 10, Dillinger 9, Fonacier 9, Peek 9, Williams 6, Carey 3, Yee 0, Aban 0, Alvarez 0, Lao 0.

San Miguel 77 - Santos 18, Washington 18, Hontiveros 14, Ildefonso 7, Miranda 5, Pena 4, Yeo 3, Salvacion 3,Cabagnot 2, Pennisi 2, Artadi 1, Racela 0.

Quarter Scores: 14-23, 52-44, 74-64, 99-77

Philstar.com for the pic, PBA.ph for the box score.

"The Black Mamba"

A Kobe movie that reminisces the Grindhouse series?

Can't wait for this one.

N.B.: Bruce Willis is freakin' there.

Thanks to Rick Olivarez.

Happy 5th Anniversary, 81 Points!

Forum Blue and Gold has put up a blog post which highlights the different comments of sports writers about the historic event that happened 5 years ago: the day when Kobe Bryant came out to play, scoring 81 points to grab the second highest scoring effort in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100.

And it is amazing to see how much have changed over 5 years. During those times, we saw Kobe Bryant in his peak, in his freshest and healthiest state a season after the "break-up" with Shaq. But then, we have seen a struggling Laker team that relied on Kobe and Phil's coaching NOT to win the finals, but to just make it into the playoffs. Five years after that, things have changed. While Kobe now has knees wrapped in ice and fingers with special splints, his team has carried the load for him, and as of now, they stand still at second place in the Western Conference rankings, still fighting for a third straight championship.

Just to let us remember and relish the moment, F Yeah Lakers came up with a wonderful blog post comparing Kobe's 81 point performance to Phil's 100, which says:


And quoting them:

Basketball is more than scoring, so I hasten to call either of these the greatest, true basketball performance ever, but they’re certainly the most impressive displays, and without question, the greatest offensive displays of basketball ever. So which is better?

There’s no easy vote, here.

A few things catch my eye.

1. 19 more points is a serious number. Advantage Chamberlain
2. Kobe shooting 61%, as a guard, including 19 jumpers, is astounding. Wilt was shooting layups the entire game, guarded by 6’6” Center, Dave Budd (27 mins), and 6’11’ Center, Darall Imhoff (20 mins). Serious advantage Kobe.
3. Wilt had no chance at shooting a 3-point shot, as they were not in existence, but he probably wouldn’t have taken one anyways. Advantage Kobe.
4. Wilt understandably took more free throw attempts, as a big man down-low playing predominantly amongst defenders, but making 88% of them? That might be the most impressive stat in his box score. Chamberlain was a career .511 FT shooter. Advantage Wilt.
5. Chamberlain played 6 more minutes, in a game that he admitted got wild at the end. The Knicks also gave up a ton of points that season to every team. Advantage Mamba.
6. Wilt, as a center, has the same amount of assists as Kobe the guard, and even though blocks weren’t recorded, I feel safe in assuming Wilt had more than Kobe’s singular rejection. Advantage Wilt.
7. 25 rebounds? Despite being the tallest player on the court, and sometimes by a good healthy margin, rebounding takes a toll on the body. Advantage Wilt.
8. With natural evolution, both of the game and the human body, scoring today is more challenging, with deeper benches and more young, talented, athletic defenders. Serious advantage, Kobe.

No matter how you vote, what’s important is that Kobe’s given us the chance to compare.

----------------------

This might not be a good comparison, because the rules of the game and the situation was altogether different. Perhaps the closest comparison we can make is Jordan's 69 points in an overtime game against Cleveland (but then, a lot of people do not want to make that because Jordan is doctrinally incomparable). But then, FYL's last line is important and noteworthy: it gave us the chance to compare.

The post-Jordan era has been on a run in the last years, and their finish line is to at least resemble Jordan's monster performance and henceforth bring back the glory days of the NBA, and nobody has done it and reached it closer than Kobe Bryant. Numerous records, multiple titles, and a continuously evolving game despite being hampered down by injuries, and that is what we call passion.

And once again, to remember this single event, here's the NBA video of the "Kobe counter," highlighting all the baskets that led to the performance of the decade:

Update: Kiefer Ravena Stays In Katipunan

Welcome home.

It's already final.

GMANews.tv reported that the UAAP juniors star decided to forego all existing offers from other NCAA and UAAP schools and instead continue his studies in the Ateneo, suiting up to play for the Blue Eagles for the next five years.

The news team received a text message from his father, Talk & Text Tropang Texters Assistant Manager Bong Ravena, telling them that Kiefer "is definitely staying with Ateneo." Likewise, Rick Olivarez interviewed Kiefer, who, in person, said something about his decision.



Surely, he will be part of Coach Norman Black's rotation of guards, holding the one and two, who can either play as a starter or a sub to Emman Monfort or Kirk Long. He is also set to play alongside fellow S74 rookies Mark Tallo, Jr., Gwynne Capacio, and Greg Slaughter.

More than that, there are bigger and better things to look forward to, which comes perhaps as a part of Kiefer's decision to stay. UST Tiger Cubs swingman Kevin Ferrer also decided to take his talents to Katipunan, albeit staying to play for Team Glory Be, as decided by his former team. A fellow RP Youth player, fellow Blue Eaglet Von Pessumal would most likely forego all offers made by UP and San Beda to also suit up for the Blue and White (whether he is going to demand for a slot in Team A or in Team B is still to be determined). Another rumor that circulates around is that former SSC-R Staglet Ginno Jumao-as is also willing to go to the Ateneo, as he was being constantly mentioned in the forums that he was suposedly the guy who took the ACET along with Ravena and Pessumal.

With those people who will be part of the Hail Mary Team in a year or two, it seems that it will be another year for Ateneo to vie for another trophy. However, this time, it seems that it might be easier and less stressful for the team, considering that the veterans will get tons of help from the upcoming newbies. With this team roster, will it be possible for Ateneo to finally get its first four-time championship in the UAAP? If everything gets together well, then consider it as a season done.

One Big Fight.

Thanks to CHF for the leak and bleachersbrew for the video

The 2010 Collegiate Basketball Awards

As if they weren't obvious enough.

Credits to Rick Olivarez

THE Viral Mark Tallo Video

Here's a video that showcases the sick dribbling skills of Cebu Eastern College cager Mark Tallo, Jr...

... who in turn will don the Blue and White come Season 74.

Thanks to the blue fans of the Gameface Forums