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Ange Kouame will have a share in Justin Brownlee’s responsibility as Gilas naturalized player in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers on November 21 and 25 to be held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Kouame has been included in the Gilas Pilipinas 15-man pool after the Samahan ng Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) confirmed it.

According to SBP executive director Erika Dy, Kouame will also participate in the Gilas camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba City, Laguna starting November 15.

The former Ateneo big man’s presence can ease the load out of Brownlee who has been playing non-stop basketball since the February window.

Now that Kouame is in the line-up, Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone will have the option to rest Brownlee in one of the two qualifiers. 

Under the rules of FIBA, the national team must choose between the two naturalized players on who will play in each of the two games of the current window.

Dy also said that having multiple naturalized players in the first pool submitted to FIBA is allowed, until the eve of the game where a technical meeting will be held to finalize the roster.

“The night before [a game], there’s a technical meeting. You have to have only one naturalized [player],” Dy said.

Aside from Brownlee and Kouame, the other players completing the pool are June Mar Fajardo, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome, Japeth Aguilar, Mason Amos, Aj Edu, Calvin Oftana, CJ Perez, Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo, and Scottie Thompson.

Meanwhile, Kai Sotto is also certain to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the November 21 and 25 window, despite suffering an ankle sprain in the previous game.

According to Gilas team manager Richard Del Rosario, Sotto will also be part of the Gilas training camp.

“Yes, he will join Gilas. His injury a couple of days ago was just a minor sprain,” Del Rosario said in Filipino.

Right now, Gilas Pilipinas is currently tied on top of Group B together with New Zealand which they will face on the 21st. Then, they will close the window on the 24th against Hong Kong.

'The Blur' has emerged as the Season 49 PBA Governors' Cup Finals MVP.

Jayson Castro played like a youngster once again in the Finals as he averaged 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in the series to win the award, and lead the TNT Tropang Giga to its 10th championship of the franchise.

The 38-year-old Castro's leadership was very evident in Game 6 where they finished Barangay Ginebra to capture the season-opening title. He was the one responsible in executing plays that always killed the rally of the Gin Kings, not only in the championship-clinching game but all throughout the series.

Castro's consistency made him the unanimous choice for the award handed out by the PBA Press Corps and presented by Honda, beating out teammates Calvin Oftana and Roger Pogoy.

He became the oldest player to win the coveted individual honor, surpassing Barangay Ginebra guard and close pal LA Tenorio, who was 36 years of age when he was named Finals MVP during the 2020 Philippine Cup bubble in Clark, Pampanga.

"Sobrang na-appreciate ko ito. Sa age kong ganito," said Asia's two-time best point guard about the plum that he received.

This marked the third Finals MVP for Castro, but first in 13 years or since winning the same honor during the 2010-11 Philippine Cup and 2011 Commissioner's Cup title series.

According to league chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III, Castro is the seventh player to win Finals MVP at least three times along with former MVPs Eric Menk and Danny Ildefonso.

There were also players who won the award four times. They were eighth-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, two-time MVP James Yap, Danny Siegel, and Tenorio.

It only takes three wins away for National University to complete an elimination sweep after edging reigning champion University of Santo Tomas, 76-70, in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, November 6, at SM Mall of Asia Arena.

With this victory, the Lady Bulldogs are now guaranteed of at least a playoff berth for a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four.

“Just glad that we pulled through in this one because we had a rough start, but I’m happy of how our players responded even though [UST] jumped at us early,” NU coach Aris Dimaunahan said.

“We did not lose that focus we should be having for 40 minutes and part of which, that’s why we came back early because CC got some baskets early on,” he added.

Karylle Sierba momentarily gave the Growling Tigresses hope in the third quarter after sinking a triple, 59-57. However, NU retaliated with a 13-0 blast after Cielo Pagdulagan’s inside shot in the final frame that propelled Lady Bulldogs to an 11-point advantage, 70-59, with less than 7:30 remaining.

A layup by Tacky Tacatac diminished UST’s deficit to seven, 74-67, but Angel Surada responded with layups, as well as a crucial turnover courtesy of Brigette Santos concluded Lady Bulldogs’ victory.

“I think that’s part of the challenge of how we should play the game from start to finish. Syempre, hindi perfect, but the challenge really is how well we could bounce back if there are adversities and lapses that happen, especially on the defensive side,” Dimaunahan remarked.

Camille Clarin top scored for the Lady Bulldogs with 21 points with 18 coming from the first half, to go along with seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block, while Pagdulagan scored 17 markers built from six boards, two dimes, and one rejection.

Ann Pingol contributed 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two blocks while Surada tallied eight markers, six boards, one dime, and one rejection. 

NU’s aims to inch closer to an elimination round sweep when they clash against Adamson University on Sunday, November 10, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Tacatac led the charge for the Growling Tigresses with 21 points, three assists, and two steals, while UAAP Season 86 Athlete of the Year Kent Pastrana added 14 markers, six boards, five dimes, one deflection, and one rejection.

UST looks to bounce back when they go up against University of the East on Saturday, November 9, at the same venue.

The Scores:

NU 76 – Clarin 21, Pagdulagan 17, Pingol 11, Surada 8, Canuto 6, Betanio 5, Fabruada 4, Cayabyab 4, Konateh 0, Villanueva 0, Solis 0, Alterado 0.

UST 70 – Tacatac 21, Pastrana 14, Maglupay 10, Santos 8, Sierba 8, Bron 4, Ambos 2, Serrano 2, N. Danganan 1, Soriano 0, Pescador 0, Relliquette 0.

The best is yet to come for the TNT Tropang Giga, because it’s one more win to go from repeating as champions of the PBA Governors’ Cup, after dominating Barangay Ginebra on Wednesday night, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, 99-72, in Game 5 of their best-of-seven Finals series.

Barangay Ginebra were shocked with the masterful performance on defense and offense by the TNT, which now have a 3-2 lead in the series. Coach Chot Reyes said that they just didn't panic and went back to their main strength in terms of their defense.

"I think that the most important thing was for us not to panic and keep our heads around us so that we could make good decisions. I think that's number one," said Reyes.

"Number two was just our focus on our strength all-tournament-long, and that was our defense," he added.

The Tropang Giga recovered from their back-to-back loss during Games 3 and 4 of the series, and now they have a chance to wrap it up in Game 6 this Friday, also at the Big Dome or perhaps in Game 7 if necessary on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. 

TNT boosted to a 23-point lead at the half highlighted by a 30-13 second quarter surge. 

Also, coach Reyes looked past Kelly Williams’ struggles and started the veteran big man for the first time in the Finals. Williams scored the first seven points in Game 5 for the defending champions and finished with 11 points and 3 rebounds to help TNT get the pivotal win.

“Kelly’s contribution to us is his defensive ability and his energy. He does a lot for us defensively that’s very important in our scheme of things. We hope he can sustain it some more for the rest of the series,” said Reyes.

“All I can say is, it’s the team, it’s the coach, it’s coach Chot. They know I’ve been struggling on and off the court. They just really rallied around me. They basically told me they believe in me and that gave me a lot of confidence and fuel to make sure I come in and focus and do whatever the team needs me to do to get a win,” said Williams.

The scores:

TNT 99 – Hollis-Jefferson 16, Pogoy 16, Oftana 15, Williams 11, Castro 10, Nambatac 7, Erram 7, Exciminiano 6, Khobuntin 4, Heruela 3, Galinato 2, Aurin 2, Payawal 0, Ebona 0, Varilla 0.

Barangay Ginebra 72 – Tenorio 13, Thompson 13, Holt 10, Brownlee 8, Abarrientos 7, J. Aguilar 6, R. Aguilar 5, Cu 5, Pessumal 4, Ahanmisi 1, Adamos 0, Pinto 0.

Quarters: 26-20; 56-33; 79-48; 99-72.

Dallas Mavericks star Klay Thompson set another historic NBA milestone on Friday night against the Houston Rockets when he made his 2,500th career three-pointer.

It happened at 3:59 in the 4th quarter of the game.

Thompson might have only converted on two of his nine 3-point attempts, but one of those helped him reach a historic milestone in his career.

Although the Mavericks fell short, 102-108, loss to the Rockets, dropping their record to 3-2 on the young season, and Thompson scored only 12 points in the game, he was still happy with the achievement in his NBA career.

In the loss, Thompson became also the sixth NBA player to make the most 3-pointers in league history.

Meanwhile, Stephen Curry led the way with the most 3-pointers made with 3,758, followed by Ray Allen with 2,973, James Harden was third with 2,950, Damian Lillard was fourth with 2,619 and Reggie Miller was fifth with 2,560.

Thompson was also part of the Golden State Warriors for thirteen years and won four championships, before moving to the Dallas Mavericks this NBA off-season.

The Mavs will get a couple of days' worth of rest before they host the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers in a back-to-back in the American Airlines Center.

Darius Garland scored a season-high 39 points (22 in the first half) together with eight assists to steer the Cleveland Cavaliers to match their best season start with eight straight victories.

The Cavaliers have defeated the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks, 116-114, at home. It was their second victory over the Bucks in the past three days.

It was a roller coaster in the end game as Milwaukee trailed by 19 points once during the game but after a 108 deadlock, Damian Lillard gave the Bucks a three-point lead with 1:18 seconds remaining in the game.

But Garland responded with five straight points including a 25-foot step-back triple to bring back the lead to Cavaliers, 113-111.

Then, he found his cutting teammate Jarret Allen who made his layup and gave Cleveland a four-point cushion, 115-111.

After that, Allen also contributed on the defensive end when he blocked an attempt from Lillard, and sealed the deal for the Cavaliers.

Evan Mobley produced 17 markers, while Allen had a double-double of 14 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists.

Donovan Mitchell, who hit the game-winning triple in their first encounter in Milwaukee a day ago, had 14. 

Meanwhile, Lillard paced the Bucks with 36 points, while Bobby Portis contributed 21 points and 18 boards, and AJ Green got his career high 21 markers built on seven threes but their efforts were put to naught.

It was the sixth straight loss of Milwaukee this season and they now have the worst record in the East at 1-6. 

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the game due to a right adductor strain. The former two-time league's MVP and one-time Finals MVP is averaging 31 points per game through Milwaukee's first six contests alongside averaging 12.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists.

The Cavaliers will face the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, November 7 (PHT), as they go for a 9-0 start, while the 1-6 Bucks will take on the 0-6 Utah Jazz on Friday, November 8 (PHT).

Far Eastern University remained hopeful as their hunt for the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball spot in the Final 4 continues with a slim 57-51 victory against University of the East on Sunday, November 3, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. 

With four games left in their Season 87 campaign, the Lady Tamaraws improved their record to 3-8 despite their 54-70 loss to defending champions UST Growling Tigresses the previous week. 

"I told them, whoever is willing to fight for the team, that's who we will use and that's who will play inside the court. In these crucial moments, these are the ones we need to really step up," Lady Tamaraws head coach Raiza Palmera-Dy said.

FEU broke away from a struggling UE side with a dominant 16-7 performance in the third quarter. It turned a slim two-point halftime lead into an 11-point cushion at 47-36 heading into the final period.

In the third quarter, FEU’s commanding 16-7 performance helped them break away from a struggling UE team. It turned a narrow two-point halftime advantage into an 11-point lead going into the final period, 47-36.

The Lady Warriors, however, were determined not to lose easily. At 49-47 with 2:08 remaining, the combined efforts of Jearzy Ganade and Malienne center Kamba Kone reduced a five-point deficit to just two.

FEU replicated their 62-56 first-round victory over UE on September 18 with a late three-pointer by Erica Lopez, a and-one floater by MJ Manguiat, and an inside basket by Maria Paras to secure their third win in ten games.

“To be honest, we are grateful that we won, but I'm not happy with the performance of our team because we set a record this season, 31 turnovers. They maximized our turnovers, but a win is a win, we will move on to our next game which is La Salle. We have to address our turnovers," Palmera-Dy added.

In addition to Lopez’s impressive all-around statline of eight points, four rebounds, four assists, and one steal, while Manguiat scored 22 markers, five boards, two deflections, and one dime.

Despite only delivering seven points, Shane Salvi still managed to record a game-high 10 rebounds, five assists, and one block.

Max Dela Torre contributed six markers, four boards, two dimes, and one deflection.

The Lady Tamaraws aim to bounce back from their first round loss against De La Salle University on Wednesday, November 6, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. 

Rachel Lacayanga led the charge with 15 points, two rebounds, two steals, and one assist as the Lady Warriors lost its 10th game in 11 matches. 

Kone, on the other hand, came close to tallying a double-double with 12 markers, nine boards, and one deflection.

Ganade finished with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists, and five steals, contributing to the overall statline. Ronquillo contributed four rebounds, four assists, seven points, and one steal.

The Lady Warriors will attempt to snap a seven-game losing streak when they face the Growling Tigresses on Saturday, November 9, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Scores:

FEU (57) – Manguiat 22, Lopez 8, Salvani 7, Dela Torre 6, Nagma 5, Villanueva 4, Paras 4, Pasilang 1, Ong 0.

UE (49) – Lacayanga 15, Kone 12, Ganade 10, Ronquillo 7, Vacalares 5, Cruz 2, Buscar 0, Yanez 0, Dalguntas 0, Lumibao 0.

Quarter Scores: 15-18, 31-29, 47-36, 57-51

Before the Game 4 of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup Finals started, the league had given two individual awards to the players who top the show in the conference.

June Mar Fajardo of the San Miguel Beemen was named the Best Player of the Conference, while TNT Tropang Giga’s reinforcement Rondae Hollis-Jefferson received the Best Import of the Conference award.

Fajardo, collected a total of 980 points to win his 11th BIC plum and make him as the player who has the most number of citations of the award in the league’s history.

The eight-time MVP got 465 statistical points, and garnered 476 media votes and 48 player votes to surpass teammate CJ Perez, Ginebra stars Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson, Northport’s Arvin Tolentino and NLEX’s Robert Bolick.

Fajardo said that he didn't expect that he would win another recognition such as this but he's thankful that he received one more and he considered it as a blessing.

"I didn't expect this. I was in Cebu. I'm happy that I got this award. This is a blessing. I'm thankful to everyone - my teammates, coaches, fellow players. Thank you to all of them, I got this award," said Fajardo in Filipino.

The Pinamungajan, Cebu native was also appreciated by fans and looked up to by many because he remained humble in spite of being successful in almost all aspects of life.

"In my mind, I haven't achieved anything yet. That's why I always push myself to strive. It has never occurred to me to think about the awards. I keep them, I cherish them but all of those achievements never crossed my mind," he added.

Meanwhile, Hollis-Jefferson won his second Best Import citation in the same conference.

RHJ led the statistical race with 1,221 total points (663 SPs, 491 media votes, and 67 player votes).

It’s now down to virtually best-of-three.

Barangay Ginebra outshined the TNT Tropang Giga, 106-92, last night, November 3, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to tie their best-of-seven finals series at 2-2.

Justin Brownlee steered his team with 34 points. He set the tone early for Ginebra as he poured 15 markers in the first quarter of the play.

Brownlee also found his groove at the three-point arc as he sank his first triple of the Finals, and finished with three. He also added two four-pointers in the game.

“Justin is usually a very good starter, especially in big games. He knows how important he is to set the tempo and to give confidence to his teammates," said Cone of Brownlee.

Stephen Holt, who was under the weather in their first two games, finally found his rhythm by producing 18 points, three rebounds, two assists, and five steals to get the player of the game honors. He also tightly guarded TNT’s import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

“In terms of our offense, we just kept making big shots when we needed to. We’ve been doing that pretty much all conference long. It seems like when the team started to make a run at us, somebody hits a big shot. Stephen was the one making those big shots, Maverick hit that big four, Justin had one. We’ve been fortunate that we’ve been hitting the big shots when it counts,” Cone said about the all-around effort of his team.

Japeth Aguilar, Maverick Ahanmisi and Scottie Thompson all scored in double digits to help the Gin Kings get their second straight series win after being down 0-2.

Aguilar finished with 18 markers and was brilliant with his power slams, while Ahanmisi scored the same number of points and was on fire from beyond the two arcs.

Thompson performed well again by contributing 12 points while getting rebounds empathically to wow the more than 16,000 crowd in attendance. He also made a milestone when he grabbed his first board of the game as his 2,000th career defensive rebounds.

Meanwhile, Hollis-Jefferson paced the Tropang Giga with 28 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He was earlier awarded his second Best Import of the Conference plum, while San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo added Best Player of the Conference in his collection as he won his 11th.

Calvin Otana and Rey Nambatac helped carry the load from their hardworking import RHJ to keep themselves in the game within striking distance.

Oftana tallied a total of 26 — 20 in the first half — but his touches were limited in the second half of play. He also grabbed six rebounds and recorded one assist, one steal, and a block.

Nambatac, the Tropang Giga’s hero in Game 1, who struggled in Games 2 and 3, got back on track by scoring 15 markers, grabbing five boards and dishing off two dimes.

The two teams will break the tie in Game 5 on Wednesday, November 6, still at the Big Dome.

The Scores:

GINEBRA 106 – Brownlee 34, Ahanmisi 18, J.Aguilar 18, Holt 18, Thompson 12, Abarrientos 5, Devance 1, Tenorio 0, Cu 0, Pinto 0.

TNT 92 – Hollis-Jefferson 28, Oftana 26, Nambatac 15, Castro 9, Pogoy 9, Erram 3, Aurin 2, Heruela 0, Khobuntin 0, Williams 0.

Quarter Scores: 30-25, 54-42, 85-77, 106-92.

National University defeated University of the Philippines, 64-59, after a thrilling comeback spearheaded by Camille Clarin, who nailed a clutch three-pointer in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Basketball Tournament, Sunday night, November 3, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Despite having just three points going into the fourth quarter, Clarin scored 13 points in the last quarter including draining four three-pointers and a free throw to overcome the Lady Bulldogs from a 44-48 deficit.

The veteran guard produced 16 points to go along with five assists and four rebounds for an all-around performance.

“It was a timely hit by CC late in the fourth. Credit to her because she made four three-point shots in the game. Her first seven attempts failed, but she didn’t lose focus or confidence to take the shot when it mattered the most,” said NU head coach Aris Dimaunahan.

Clarin coordinated a 16-2 run with teammates Maymay Canuto, Tin Cayabyab, Angel Surada, and Jainaba Konateh to put the Lady Bulldogs ahead, 60-50, with 5:41 remaining.

However, the Fighting Maroons did not falter as Kaye Pesquera of UP answered with a 9-0 blast on her own to inch within one, 59-60.

After a series of missed baskets, Clarin drained another three-pointer of the quarter to propel NU to a 63-59 advantage. 

The Lady Bulldogs will aim to keep their record flawless as they face UAAP Season 86 defending champion University of Santo Tomas on Wednesday, November 6, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Ann Pingol also supplemented 14 markers, while Cielo Pagdulagan and Surada contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Lady Bulldogs.

Pesquera was the lone Fighting Maroon in double digits with 16 markers as UP dropped their record to 3-8, in a risk of missing a spot in the Final 4.

The Fighting Maroons will attempt to keep their slim hopes alive when they get to play against De La Salle University on Sunday, November 10, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Scores: 

NU 64 – Clarin 16, Pingol 14, Pagdulagan 11, Surada 10, Cayabyab 7, Konateh 4, Canuto 1, Betanio 1, Fabruada 0, Solis 0, Villanueva 0.

UP 59 – Pesquera 16, Ozar 9, Bariquit 6, Maw 6, Tapawan 4, Sauz 4, Nolasco 4, Vingno 3, Jimenez 3, Solitario 2, Lozada 2, Quinquinio 0, Barba 0.

Quarter Scores: 8-17, 25-29, 44-48, 64-59.

The University of the Philippines has dominated their Katipunan rival, Ateneo de Manila University, by 28 points to sweep their Season 87 match-up, 74-47, on Wednesday, October 30, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Francis Lopez led the Fighting Maroons with 20 points coming off the bench. He shot an efficient 7-of-9 from the field, to go along with five rebounds.

Nine of Lopez' points came from the third period when UP had a 15-0 run to take a 54-28 lead and kept Ateneo scoreless until the 4:28 mark of the period.

Quentin Millora-Brown produced another double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, leading the State U in winning the battle of the boards too, 51 to 42.

Meanwhile, no one from Ateneo scored in double-figures, with Chris Koon leading their pack with nine markers.

The blowout victory by the Fighting Maroons set the biggest losing margin of the Blue Eagles under coach Tab Baldwin's seven-year tenure.

UP improved its record to 9-1 slate after winning three straight wins, while Ateneo fell down to 3-8, losing back-to-back games and in the brink of losing their postseason chances.

The Scores:

UP 75 – Lopez 20, Millora-Brown 11, Bayla 8, Stevens 7, Torres 7, Abadiano 6, Fortea 5, Belmonte 5, Alarcon 4, Cagulangan 2, Felicilda 0, Briones 0, Torculas 0, Ududo 0, Alter 0, Walker 0.

ATENEO 47 – Koon 9, Tuano 8, Bongo 7, Bahay 6, Porter 4, Balogun 4, Espina 3, Lazaro 2, Espinosa 2, Dela Cruz 2, Quitevis 0, Reyes 0, Gamber 0, Asoro 0, Edu 0.

Quarters: 17-15, 39-28, 66-40, 75-47.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson fired a career-high six three-pointers in his total 37 points to lead TNT to a 2-0 advantage in their best-of-seven Finals series against Barangay Ginebra.

Hollis-Jefferson also grabbed 13 rebounds, dished-off seven assists, stole the ball once and registered one shot block to steer the Tropang Giga into a 96-84 win at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

RHJ might have given his all-around effort in their Game 2 win but he was not alone in carrying the load for TNT as he had a lot of help from his teammates.

Calvin Oftana produced double-double numbers of 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Glenn Khobuntin put up 13 markers on 4-of-4 shooting from the field. Both players also shot three 3-pointers each.

Jayson Castro showed his veteran smarts once again in the big stage, making nine markers and seven dimes. RR Pogoy also put up nine points and five boards for the Tropang Giga.

Game 1 heroes Rey Nambatac and Poy Erram only rack up six and four points, respectively, but already enough to support the effort of their prized import Hollis-Jefferson, who’s also leading in the Best Import of the Conference race.

TNT also made 14 threes in the contest making the three-ball their main weapon in dominating the Gin Kings in both games.

“That’s our game. We take what the opportunities are in front of us. If they play us a certain way, then we take the penetration and drive. If they cover that, we make sure that we take the next best open shot,” TNT coach Chot Reyes said.

Ginebra, on the other hand, had a better performance from their 88-104 setback in the series opener. They even took the lead a couple of times in the game before the Tropang Giga took care of business in the final period when they had an 18-10 run including RHJ’s sixth triple of the ballgame to open a 91-81 lead, and never looked back from there on until the final buzzer.

Justin Brownlee had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Gin Kings, but missed all his three outside attempts including two from downtown.

Scottie Thompson had 18 markers and nine boards, while Stephen Holt and Japeth Aguilar had 11 points each.

The Scores:

TNT 96 – Hollis-Jefferson 37, Oftana 13, Khobuntin 13, Castro 9, Pogoy 9, Nambatac 6, Erram 4, Williams 3, Aurin 2.

Barangay Ginebra 84 – Brownlee 19, Thompson 18, Holt 11, J. Aguilar 11, Abarrientos 7, Ahanmisi 7, Cu 7, Pinto 4.

Quarters: 19-23; 49-41; 72-71; 96-84.

Kelly Williams achieved another milestone when he grabbed his 5,000th career rebounds in TNT's 104-88 victory over Ginebra in Game 1 of their PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup Finals series.

Williams became the 13th player in PBA history to achieve the feat when he collected his first rebound early in the first quarter of the game. The former MVP added three more along the way to have a total of 5,003 career boards.

The 42-year-old forward is currently chasing his ninth championship of the league. He won his first championship with Sta. Lucia Realtors, while the other seven was with TNT, which he's part of for more than a decade now.

In their Finals battle, "Machine Gun" Kelly's role was to ease the load from big man Poy Erram and import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

During Game 1, he played 13 minutes of play and only shooting 1-of-2 from the field but tried to slow down the duo of Justin Brownlee and Japeth Aguilar.

Tonight, Williams and the Tropang Giga will try to have a 2-0 advantage over the Gin Kings when they face-off at 7:30 p.m. at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The defending Western Conference champions Dallas Mavericks overcame their last season's rival in the said conference Minnesota Timberwolves, 120-114, on Tuesday night, October 29, in Minneapolis.

Kyrie Irving led the Mavs with 35 points (16 in the third quarter) to go along with five assists, four rebounds, and a steal, while Luka Doncic also produced impressive numbers of 24 markers, nine dimes, and eight rebounds for Dallas, and PJ Washington put up another solid performance as he contributed 17 points and eight rebounds.

Irving went 6 for 8 from 3-point territory, including a basket with 2:31 left when Randle tightly guarded him at the top of the key after the Timberwolves pulled within 109-107.

The Mavericks continued to let their offense flow until the final buzzer to get their third win in four games.

Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards had 37 points for the Wolves, including 24 in the first quarter alone to set a Target center, and 7 for 13 from the 3-point range.

Edwards put up five-plus 3-pointers in all of their four games this season, the longest streak in team history.

Julius Randle added 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Timberwolves.

The Mavericks will host Houston Rockets on Thursday night, October 31, while the Timberwolves will still be in Minnesota on Friday, November 1, to face the Denver Nuggets.

The Scores:

DALLAS 120 - Irving 35, Dončić 24, Washington 17, Gafford 14, Grimes, 9, Thompson 7, Lively II 5, Marshall 4, Dinwiddie 3, Hardy 2.

MINNESOTA 114 - Edwards 37, Randle 20, Reid 14, McDaniels 13, Alexander-Walker 11, Conley 9, Gobert 7, DiVincenzo 3, Ingles 0.

The Mavericks defeated Utah Jazz, 110-102, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas in their October 29 game.

Kyrie Irving put up 23 points while Klay Thompson added 18 to lead Dallas to victory, on a night that Mavericks star Luka Doncic had an off night. Doncic still managed to score 15 markers, along with nine rebounds and eight assists.

Irving remained scoreless until hitting two triples in the final 40 seconds of the first period and he finished shooting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Thompson fired 4-of-11 from downtown, while Doncic was just 5-of-22 from the field and hit his only 3-pointer in nine tries with 2:34 remaining in the game.

The win gave the defending Western Conference champions their second victory of the season in three games.

Meanwhile, Collin Sexton led Utah with 23 points and Lauri Markkanen and Keonte George added 17 each for the Jazz, who have lost their first three games for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Both teams will be back on the hardcourt tomorrow, October 30, when Utah hosts the Sacramento Kings, while the Mavericks visit the Timberwolves in Minnesota.