Philippine Asian News Today Vol 20 No 21 | Page 28

SPORTS
28
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY November 1 - 15, 2018
PBA Governors’ Cup semis off to a
rousing start
By EDDIE G. ALINEA
The PBA Governors’ Cup
semifinal round is on with two teams
owned by one business conglomerate
– Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia
Hotshots – one belonging to its arch-
rival in Meralco and another, Alaska,
not affiliated with the two, making it
to the Final Four to determine which
among them will dispute the title
being defended by the Kings.
The Kings and the Hotshots, of
course, are playing under the food
and beverage giant, among others,
San Miguel Corp., the Bolts under the
MVP Group, while the Aces under the
banner not named SMC or MVP.
The presence of Ginebra and
Magnolia, which, incidentally, are
squaring off in the Final Four, assures
the Ramon S. Ang-owned teams of
a seat in the gold medal play. Alaska
and Meralco are contesting the other
berth in other half the quarters.
Except to a very few uninitiated,
both SMC and the MVP Group own
three teams each in the
country’s and Asia’s first pro-hoop
league – San MIguel Beer for the RSA-
owned companies and Talk ‘N Text for
MVP firms. Both flagship clubs failed
to survive the elimination round.
Having met in the Finals of the two
previous Governors’ Cup conferences,
the Tim Cone-coached Kings and the
Norman Black-mentored Bolts are
seen to continue their rivalry in the
2k19 edition of the PBA 43rd season-
ending tournament.
Ginebra, of course, is favored to
repeat over Meralco and complete a
three-peat.
But wait. It looks like he Hotshots
of coach Chito Victolero have a
different idea. Romeo Travis and Paul
Lee and company, combined talents
all game-long, particularly in the
pivotal final period in exacting a 106-
98 win on Saturday.
With the Gin Kings almost wiping
out a comeback 13-points deficit, Lee,
popularly known as the “Angas ng
Tondo,” having earned his basketball
spurs in Barrio Obrero that part of
the capital city, scored the Hotshots’
last nine points including the three-
point play that sealed the win with 56
seconds remaining.
Lee’s dazzling performance came
with 27 points, four rebounds, three
assists, and four steals.
“Don’t panic and stay composed,”
was how Lee, a former University of the
East Warrior, described the winning
formula he and company employed in
emerging triumphant over the crowd
favorite defending champs.
“We weathered the storm lang
naman, yun lang ang magagawa mo
dun,” said Lee. “We held each other.
Si coach Chito (Victolero) naka-
relax lang siya, so lahat nag-start sa
coaching staff. We just played through
it.
“Ganun ang kailangan niyong
gawin to beat a team like Ginebra,”
he said as he paid tribute to assistant
coach Johnny Abarrientos, who, he
added successfully scouted the Kings’
style of plays which he relayed to the
team.”
The Pambansang Manok were
eyeing a 2-0 lead in their series with
the Kings on Monday back at the
Araneta Coliseum.
Where Ginebra failed, Meralco,
back-to-back losing finalist, succeed
picking up from where it left off, scoring
its seventh straight win coming back
to the elims, beating Alaska, 97-92,
also at the Ynares Center in Antipolo
City.
Allen Durham and Chris
Newsome, again carried the torch for
the streaking Bolts, who had to win
six straight do-or-die games to reach
the semifinals, are now two wins
away from a third successive finals
appearance in this conference.
The Bolts, who entered the
playoffs as seventh seed, will go for
a 2-0 lead against the third-seeded
Aces on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia
Arena.
**************
Pacquiao and Broner press conference scheduled
for Monday, Tuesday
Eight division world champion
Manny “Pac-man” Pacquiao recently
took a trip to speak at world-renowned
Oxford and Cambridge universities in
London, however the next two stops
of his trip are more business-related.
Facing Adrien Broner in the very
near future, Monday November 19th
By Julian Ray Fortaleza
sees the first time the combatants will with Broner, a former 4 division world
appear face to face.
champion, surely doing most of the
In New York City, Manny Pacquiao work.
and Adrien Broner will be announced
A second press conference is
to the world as the next step in the scheduled for Tuesday, which will take
career of the Hall of famer and the place in Los Angeles.
product from Cincinnati. Verbal jabs
The event will be under the
will be exchanged between the two, Premiere
Boxing
Champions
promotion of Al Haymon, and is
rumoured to be a pay-per-view event
on Fox. While PBC has yet to hold a
pay-per-view event, they signed a deal
this past September to expand their
coverage with the Fox networks, which
includes a number of PPV events.
20 cop MOS award in PSL National Championships
Twenty tankers took home
a Most Outstanding Swimmer
(MOS) plum in the 147th Philippine
Swimming League (PSL) National
Championships held at the Dipolog
City Sports Complex in Olingan,
Dipolog City.
Heading the list were Marc
Bryan Dula of Masville Elementary
School-Parañaque, Kiara Eroy of
Dipolog Blue Marlins and Aishel
Cid Evangelista of West Manila
Christian School who dominated
their respective age-bands after two
days of competition.
Dula collected 137 points to top
the boys’ 11-year division while Eroy
reigned supreme in the girls’ 13-year
event after earning 140 points.
Evangelista took the top honors
in the boys’ 8-year class after earning
120 points in the event supported The Most Outstanding Swimmer awardees display their trophies during the awarding ceremony at the Dipolog City Sports
by The Manila Times, MX3, Dipolog Complex in Olingan, Dipolog City. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Mayor Dexter Uy, and Dipolog Aqua
Chanty Nacaytuna (girls’ 6-under, (9), and Romeo Tiu (9), Jehu Alguno through good character and attitude,”
Warriors coaches Ted Quijano and
Kiara Acierto (8), Lia Pabellon (9), (12), Reu Rome Tiu (13) and John said PSL President Susan Papa.
Cora Quijano.
The PSL National Series resumes
The other MOS awardees were Mary Maika Montecillo (10), Saira Alexander Talosig (14).
Pabellon
(11),
Nicole
Rojo
(14),
Kelsie
“Our
young
PSL
swimmers
are
on
November
24 at the Diliman
Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh (girls’ 12-
Jaudian
(15-over),
Jibril
Talosig
(6-
getting
better
and
better
as
they
have
Preparatory
School
in Quezon
year), Izyndro Warain (boys’ 10-year),
Cyrryl Vallar (boys’ 15-over), Ione under), Josef Tiu (7), Myel Lisondra learned how to be great swimmers City.(TMT)
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