P&G Game 7: vs. Sacramento Kings

Winning in fashion over the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers rode their momentum heading into the next game, and they took advantage of DeMarcus Cousins' absence (who is suspended for two games because of a confrontation with Spurs TV analyst Sean Eliott) by abusing them with a Howard-Gasol combo. After a close opening canto, the Lakers blew the game wide open in the second half, and eventually finished with a 103-90 win. Interim head coach Bernie Bickerstaff led the Lakers to its second straight win, moving the team an inch closer to the .500 mark.

Yay of the Game:

23-18: Dwight Howard's points and rebounds, respectively. The Superman made mincemeat of all the Kings' frontmen as he accounted for almost forty percent of the team's 50 rebounds. It was the first time that Howard was really dominant, with the offense of the Lakers hinged on him. It would be interesting if he puts up the same figures against a team that has an equally dominant big man as he is.

Nay of the Game:

18: Jimmer Fredette's markers in only 11 minutes of play. The guy can be dangerous when he hit his shots, and if the bench won't do anything to defend him during crucial possessions, then things might take a different course in the Lakers-Kings meeting (but of course, this isn't a real nay, is it?)

Play of the game:

Who says Steve Blake can't play the point? In this particular sequence, he quickly found Dwight Howard for the big jam.


The Lakers Are Now At:

3-4 (3rd Pacific, 11th West). The Purple & Gold will face their first real challenge in the post-Brown era, the San Antonio Spurs. Will the Superman stand his ground against Tim Duncan? Bernie will remain coaching the team in this game, as new head coach Mike D'Antoni (you read it right) is yet to travel to Los Angeles after a knee-replacement surgery.

Highlights:

P&G Game 6: vs. Golden State Warriors

After a 1-4 start, the Lakers management decided that things have to take a different course when they relieved Mike Brown of head coaching duties and had Bernie Bickerstaff as interim head coach while General Manager Mitch Kupchack is on a "worldwide hunt" for the next Lakers head coach (although they already have contacted former head coach and 11-time NBA champion Phil Jackson and "gauged his interest" to coach the Lakers for one more season). However, business in the court was taken care of by Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and a (limited) Dwight Howard, who barraged through the Golden State Warriors in fashion as they claimed their second victory of the season, 101-77.

Yay of the Game:

27-9-7: MVP numbers came in from the Black Mamba, sensing the urgency to get a win now that Mike Brown has been out and changes are soon to take effect. After a close first quarter, Bryant played both scorer and playmaker as he destroyed the Warriors defense not just with high-percentage baskets and pinpoint passing.

Nay of the Game:

24: The number of minutes that the foul-plagued Dwight Howard played. The Superman garnered only 6 points, 8 boards, and two big swats in this game. Fortunately, the Lakers did not demand much of him as Pau Gasol (with a 14-16 night) and Jordan Hill (14 points, 5 of 5 field goals) took care of the paint and hit big baskets.

Play of the Game:

Classic Mamba goes for the steal and a not-so-easy lay-up.

The Lakers Are Now At:

2-4 (5th Pacific, 15th West). The Lakers will next have Pacific Division rivals Sacramento Kings. Two questions: (a) with Mike Brown out, what will happen to the team on both ends? and (b) will this be Phil Jackson's first game as a returning head coach?

Highlights:

P&G Game 5: vs. Utah Jazz

Just when we thought that the Lakers will have things going after a 29-point victory against the Pistons, they fell short against the Jazz on their second road game of the season, 95-86. Kobe Bryant's supersquad did not even take a slim lead against Utah, performing awfully on both sides of the floor.

Yay of the Game:

12 rebounds did reserve C Jordan Hill haul in this game, 7 of which were on the offensive end. The Lakers got 48 boards compared to Utah's 37 (15 against 9 on the O). With  everything not going too well for the Lakers, at least they are able to grab those boards; however, what are they if all of them cannot convert?

Nay of the Game:

7 of 17 went Kobe Bryant from the field, with none of his four treys swished. After a "playmaking" performance against Detroit, the Black Mamba took the reins and tried to bring his team back into the game to no avail. Although he shot had 15 of 17 shots from the charity stripe, they were not enough as the Jazz have countered every attempt the Lakers had to bring the game closer.

Play of the Game:

At abot 1:20, the Lakers kept on crashing the boards until Superman gets an and-1.

The Lakers Are Now At:

1-4 (5th Pacific, 15th West). The Lakers will face the Golden State Warriors next, and perhaps we should replace the question: "How many losses will the Lakers tally?" with "How many losses will the Lakers tally before they decide to #FireMikeBrown ?"

P&G Game 4: vs. Detroit Pistons

Just when the Lakers have built perhaps the most powerful squad this decade, they have lost three straight games against possible playoff contenders and therefore got to their worst season start since 1978. Fortunately, they got their act together against potential cellar dwellers Detroit, as the Purple & Gold cruised towards a 29-point victory, a Schrodinger-like victory which both matters and does not matter at the same time.

Yay of the Game: 

1-3. Over and above all the statistical feats accomplished in this game (Kobe Bryant only had 15 points on 5 out of 10 shooting, but has 7 boards and 8 dimes, while Superman had 28 points, 7 boards, and 3 blocks) is the win. before this, the Lakers are 0-11 since the preseason games, and it's a nice feeling for the Kobe and the guys to finally notch a W on the standings.

Nay of the Game:

15 turnovers did the Lakers have in this game, which is a slight improvement compared to last game's 20 against the Clippers. Is it because of the Princeton offense? If that is the case, then apparently, it takes not only much practice and mastery, but more effort for the backcourt to work together as one sub-unit, or for Metta World Peace to stop mindlessly shooting the ball. The Lakers have to remember that the point of the Princeton offense is to make way for open shots and high-percentage baskets. 

Take a look at this video (from 1:15 onwards):

Best Play of the Game:

Darius Morris receives the Metta long pass and alley-oops it to Dwight Howard. Hope this happens more than once this season.

The Lakers Are Now At:

1-3 (4th Pacific, 13th West). The Purple & Gold will face the Utah Jazz, a team that beat the pulp out of all of them during the preseason. Will the Lakers keep things up, or will they return to their old turnover-prone ways?

The Road To Fivefold Glory Part 1: Rivalry Renewed

UAAP Season 75 Final Four
Semifinals
Ateneo 66, De La Salle 63
Blue Eagles Advanced To Season 75 Finals

They say that it is in facing adversity that fuels us, but who would want to face do-or-die situations that can make or break you?

The Blue Eagles have faced a radical sort of adversity before they entered the Final Four. A two week lay-off has given them the opportunity to polish their plays and improve their skills for the big games to come; however, this lay-off has also been marred by one big controversy that the school has faced. Manuel V. Pangilinan, the top sponsor not just of the Blue Eagles but also of the University as a whole, decided to cut ties with the school and the Jesuits. Coach Norman Black, as MVP's employee, offered to step down as a sign of professionalism, but fortunately was allowed to coach the team until the end of the UAAP season. This quick turn of events have somehow left the team confused and disoriented for their next game, not knowing what to do if ever their coach of eight years and now gunning for his fifth title would leave.

Fortunately, MVP decided to stick with the team until the end of the UAAP season, but the problems are far from over, because these Blue Eagles will have to face a streaking Green Archers team, set to return to the Final Four after defeating the Far Eastern University Tamaraws twice, sending the Green and Gold home before they can even vie for a shot at a third Finals appearance. Now that the Green Archers are back in the Final Four following a dismal Season 74 which in turn ushered changes in the coaching staff, each one of the Gang Green would want to get back at the Blue and White for winning 10 of their past 11 matches, a kind of revenge that pushes their rivals to the limit.

And such hunger drove them to play a close game against the Blue Eagles, one that did not start with big Blue Eagle runs that practically defined and determined the first and second rounds during the eliminations. The first quarter ended with 14-12, in favor of the Blue Eagles, with players trading baskets and quickly responding to each other. This went on even until the second round, and before the halftime buzzer, Kiefer Ravena, who has always played big against La Salle, scored six straight points to turn a 3-point deficit into a 5-point lead.

The third quarter has been a golden moment for the Blue Eagles during the past five years, for this is the time when they usually leave their opponents behind en route to a big win; however, this has not been the case against this invigorated La Salle team. By the end of the quarter, the Green Archers threatened the Blue Eagles with a 21-7 run, sending a message saying that they might see each other for one last time this season as they enter the final canto with a 47-38 lead over the defending champions.

Things got worse for the Blue Eagles as the lead stretched to double figures, as the La Salle lead ballooned to 13; however, this moment of adversity served as an opportunity for the Blue Eagles to show what they are really made of and how far they have come since winning their first championship way back in 2008. Coach Norman Black made adjustments to the lineup, reinserting Ryan Buenafe after a long rest and giving Kiefer Ravena the go-signal to dominate and make the game his.

Normally, it's a risky move to put one player in charge of everything during the final minutes, knowing that the opponent can make various adjustments to stop this one player from leading the charge; however, with the Phenom as "that one," the Blue Eagles were able to incredibly claw back into the game. With a 22-6 run that chipped away that Green Archers lead, the noise at the green side of the Coliseum died down, only to be taken over by "Fight!" and "Get that ball!" And just like that, the Blue Eagles are ready to send the De La Salle community home to their Razon Sports Complex to practice for Season 76, all thanks to Kiefer Ravena who, in that run, scored 16 of his own and assisted on the remaining baskets.

Facing a four-point La Salle deficit, Almond Vosotros sparked hope for the green and white after scoring five unanswered points and grabbing the lead during the last two minutes of play. However, the man of the moment, the guy who would always frustrate La Salle as long as he plays for the Blue Eagles would hit another one of his big baskets in his legendary basketball career. Ryan Buenafe, returning to the Final Four after hitting perhaps his biggest three in his career two years ago, hit another corner three to put the Blue Eagles up by two with only a few seconds to go in the game.

The game all the more got interesting when Kiefer Ravena was slapped with an unsportsmanlike foul after an attempt to stop Jeron Teng from getting a quick basket. The Rookie of the Year, with the game on the line and a 60 percent free throw percentage, unfortunately split his charities, followed by a turnover when the ball slipped out of his hands as he was driving towards an open lane. Ryan Buenafe calmly sunk in his freebies and punched the Blue Eagles' ticket to the Season 75 UAAP Finals, where the Growling Tigers await them.

The Blue Eagles swept their season and playoff series against La Salle this season, but with the way the Green Archers overhauled the whole team with promising pieces, it seems that the local basketball scene should be ready for another storm between the Green and Blue.

The scores: 

Ateneo 66 – Ravena 28, Salva 12, Buenafe 10, Tiongson 5, Slaughter 4, Chua 4, Sumalinog 3, Pessumal 0, Gonzaga 0, Elorde 0, Golla 0

De La Salle 63 – Andrada 17, Vosotros 14, Teng 12, N. Torres 6, T. Torres 5, Tampus 4, Van Opstal 3, Mendoza 2

Quarter scoring: 14-12, 31-26, 38-47, 66-63

Credits to Fabilioh for the image.

6 Points: AdMU vs. AdU (Round 2)

Ateneo 79, Adamson U 72

-Since 2008, the Blue Eagles have always won after a game in which they would lose, usually coming out big and showing that they are still the most dominant team in the UAAP. In Ateneo's twelfth game of the elimination, the Adamson Soaring Falcons seem to break the four-peat champions' record, using all means to separate themselves and consequently deal another second-round loss to the Blue Eagles. However, late baskets coming from the Blue Eagles in the closing minutes of the game enabled them to separate themselves from the feisty  Falcons and secured their 10th win of the season and 11th straight Final Four appearance since 2002.

-The Soaring Falcons' early lead, which they sustained most of the game came mainly from Eric Camson who shot the ball like frenzy both from the inside and the outside. However, in the dying minutes of the game, it was Nico Salva's turn to hit those big shots that gave the Blue Eagles the lead until the final buzzer. After struggling for much of the second round, Salva shot his way to 24 big points, with most coming from the long-two area where he is at home. If the former SBC Red Cub, now in his last year as a Blue Eagle, continues this splendid performance on both ends until the Final Four, he might just grab his second Finals MVP plum.

-Nico Elorde finally emerged out of the shadows of beneficial intangibles and made himself visible in the stat sheet. Elorde, who snapped his arrows for a pair of wings, became the fourth Blue Eagle to score in double digits off a few short stabs and long jumpers, proving to be an effective replacement to Juami Tiongson, who at that time was struggling on the defensive end which greatly affected his offense. With Elorde around, it seems that the future of the Blue and White at the one spot would be safe, as his toughness and ability to get past defenders (which brings him close to being an Emman Monfort) would be the greatest asset of the Blue Eagles in the near future, insofar as the backcourt department is concerned.

-What everyone witnessed in this game is not so much about the skills and talents of the players involved, but more importantly, the coaching war that occurred. Adamson's Coach Leo Austria knows Coach Norman Black and his Ateneo team very well, and he has every weapon for everything that the Blue and White throws at him. He came up with a quick lineup to provide double, triple teams to Slaughter in the low post, devised a way of clogging up the lanes which lessened the chances of Kiefer Ravena and Ryan Buenafe to drive in the lane, and when it's the Blue Eagles' turn to clog Adamson's lanes, he brought out the snipers and hit big threes to keep themselves afloat. However, the closing minutes of the game belonged to Coach Norman Black, as he tightened the clamps on defense, put more pressure on the red-hot Camson while letting guards run past picks and keep their men intact, and let his own players create their own offense.

-Eric Camson definitely had the license to shoot, finishing with 26 points thanks to six big triples that kept the Soaring Falcons afloat most of the game.  However, his struggles to get past the defense of the Blue Eagles just to score cost him in the final minutes, as fatigue crept up on him and hindered him from scoring big in the final stretch. Worse, other Falcons who were supposed to play second fiddle to him and back him up were seemingly missing. Roider Cabrera hit his threes early, but he cannot find his own position in the final minutes of the game. Rookie Jericho Cruz seemingly lost his ability to finish inside the basket, and Jansen Rios and Ryan Monteclaro failed to put the clamps down on Ravena as soon as he was barraging his way inside for quick layups.

-This win earned the Blue Eagles their Final Four spot for this season, their 11th straight since winning the championship in 2002, the most recent Ateneo championship before the historic 4-peat. They will be facing the streaking National U Bulldogs next. However, they will have to face their remaining UAAP games without the services of their backup center JP Erram, who tore his ACL after going for a rebound late in the third quarter. Erram will be out for the rest of the season for therapy, leaving Justin Chua and Frank Golla to man the four and five spots for the reserve unit.

The Scores:


Ateneo 79 – Salva 24, Slaughter 16, Ravena 15, Elorde 10, Chua 6, Tiongson 3, Buenafe 3, Sumalinog 1, Erram 1, Gonzaga 0, Golla 0

Adamson 72 – Camson 26, Cruz 14, Cabrera 10, Brondial 8, Monteclaro 8, Rios 4, Etrone 2, Trollano 0, Petilos 0, Agustin 0

Quarter scoring: 21-25, 38-38, 55-59, 79-72

3-in-1: vs. UP, FEU, DLSU (Round 2)

Once the UAAP Season 75 Schedule was released, followers of the Blue and White were quite puzzled (some even enraged) as to why the Blue Eagles will have to play 3 games in 8 days, with the last 2 of that stretch against teams that will most likely enter the Final Four and will pose legitimate threats to their championship run. However, instead of being seen as a hindrance, the team took it as a challenge, and within these 8 days, big adjustments have been made, coupled with results that even until now surprises everyone.

Ateneo 73, State U 66

The Blue Eagles started the second round with a match against a team that has all the potential to stage the biggest upsets this season. Coming off from a win against the UE Red Warriors, the Fighting Maroons brought out their best against the Blue Eagles, with big man Raul Soyud and gunner Mike Silungan leading the way to keep the score close and even take the lead at the half. However, once the third quarter kicks in, star sophomore Kiefer Ravena took charge and made up for the woes that Greg Slaughter and Nico Salva experienced early on. The Fighting Maroons threatened to snatch a win by coming in as close as four points in the final minutes of the game, but misses by rookie Henry Asilum and Silungan from beyond the arc allowed the Blue Eagles breathing room at the end.

Ateneo 77, Far Eastern U 64

Four days after that close win against UP, the Blue Eagles prepared for one of the biggest second round matches where winning is not an option but a necessity, knowing that any complacency on the Blue Eagles' part would cost them the number one spot and even the twice-to-beat advantage that they have held onto since Season 71.

As usual, the battle against the Tamaraws on the court was not an easy one. Punches and elbos came in the way of the Blue Eagles, as they shot charities after two unsportsmanlike fouls called on FEU. Afterwards, Ryan Buenafe was likewise called for an unsportsmanlike foul against Anthony Hargrove, and was then sent out of the playing court after being confronted by Mac Belo, from which Buenafe defended himself.

The Blue Eagles started with a huge 11-point lead, only to be relinquished and made into a 2-point deficit by the Tamaraws during the half. However, the third and fourth quarters proved to be crucial, as Juami Tiongson and Kiefer Ravena made up for Buenafe's absence by a barrage of wing triples that gave the Blue Eagles the lead for good. Another altercation happened in the final canto, when Arvie Bringas spit on the face of Justin Chua as the latter tried to stop the former from getting back at Greg Slaughter, who silently delivered an elbow at the back of Bringas before heading to the bench during timeout. As a result, Bringas was sent out of the court and later on was given a two-game suspension (one from the UAAP board and another from the FEU athletic committee).

What could perhaps go down as one of the dirtiest games between Ateneo and FEU ended up with a 13-point win for the Blue and White, who never gave up the lead once they were able to grab hold of it. However, the big win came at a cost as backup center JP Erram was suspended for the next game as he was retroactively slapped with his 2nd unsportsmanlike foul.

Ateneo 77, De La Salle 67

Everyone thought that JP Erram's absence would make things harder for the Blue and White to face their rivals, who in turn did not have top point guard L.A. Revilla at their disposal due to his nagging ankle injury. But then, Ryan Buenafe assured the Katipunan squad that everything would turn out just as fine for Ateneo.

Buenafe led a 26-10 first quarter run that silenced the sea of green in Araneta, as the returning forward hit a barrage of threes (Buenafe ended the game with 5, three short of all the 3-point field goals made he made last Season 73) that puzzled everyone at the Araneta. He also was able to defend top rookie Jeron Teng, who worked double to earn his 22 points as he struggled from the perimeter with Buenafe guarding him. The Green Archers tried to stage a comeback led by Almond Vosotros, who hit threes of his own. The Gang Green even came close to within 2 points early in the third, but Buenafe and Ravena led another charge that cushioned the lead and gave the Blue Eagles an 11-point lead by the end of the third, which, once again, they maintained despite being in the penalty early in the fourth.

At the expense of Greg Slaughter's measly 4-point production (the big man, however, grabbed 11 points, 4 assists, and 5 blocks), four Blue Eagles scored in double figures (Buenafe, Ravena, a lethargic Nico Salva, and Juami Tiongson) as they swept the Green Archers in the elimination round, a team which they would most likely face in the Final Four Semis.

These three wins gave them a strong grip of the number one spot, at a distance from FEU, UST, and DLSU who still have to establish their spots in the Final Four. And at this point, it will only take them two more wins (the next games against UE and Adamson, respectively) to seal their 11th straight Final Four spot and fifth straight twice-to-beat card.

The Scores:

Ateneo 73 – Ravena 21, Salva 10, Gonzaga 10, Slaughter 9, Erram 9, Tiongson 6, Chua 3, Buenafe 2, Elorde 2, SUmalinog 0, Pessumal 0, Golla 0

UP 66 – Soyud 14, Silungan 13, Asilum 10, Lopez 8, Padilla 6, Gamboa 6, Gallarza 5, Montecastro 2, Hipolito 2, Mbah 0, Wierzba 0, Romero 0, Manuel 0

Quarter scoring: 17-17, 32-34, 53-46, 73-66

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Ateneo 77 - Tiongson 16, Salva 15, Ravena 12, Slaughter 10, Erram 8, Chua 8, Pessumal 4, Elorde 4, Gonzaga 0, Capacio 0, Golla 0, Capacio 0, Buenafe 0

FEU 64 - Garcia 14, Romeo 13, Hargrove 10, A Bringas 7, Mendoza 6, Escoto 5, Cruz 3, M Bringas 2, Inigo 2, Pogoy 2, Sentchu 0, Jose 0, Belo 0, Guerrero 0

Quarter scoring: 15-13, 32-34, 49-43, 77-64

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Ateneo 77 - Buenafe 24, Ravena 18, Salva 12, Tiongson 10, Slaughter 4, Chua 4, Sumalinog 3, Gonzaga 2, Golla 0, Elorde 0

La Salle 67 - Teng 22, Vosotros 20, Van Opstal 8, Tampus 8, N Torres 4, Manguera 3, Mendoza 2, Andrada 0, Paredes 0, T Torres 0, Tallo 0, Webb 0

Quarter scoring: 26-10, 35-29, 57-46, 77-67

Credits to GMA Sports for the box, Fabilioh.com for the pics.