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Buddy Hield exploded for 33 points, along with three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocks to power the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets, 103-89, in a do-or-die Game 7 on Monday, May 5 (Philippine time) at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

The sharpshooting guard was locked in all night, hitting 12 of his 15 attempts from the field, including a blistering 9-of-11 from downtown, providing the offensive spark the Warriors needed to close out the series.

Backed by Hield’s hot hand, Golden State came out with urgency and intensity, determined not to let their early 3-1 series lead slip away. Veterans Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler also rose to the occasion, delivering solid all-around performances to help secure the Warriors' place in the second round.

Curry tallied 22 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks — showcasing his leadership on both ends of the floor. Meanwhile, Butler brought his signature toughness and poise, contributing 20 markers, eight boards, seven dimes, and one deflection in the clutch.

Draymond Green, often the Warriors’ defensive anchor, made his presence felt on offense as well. He chipped in 16 markers while also collecting six boards, handing out five dimes, recording one deflection, and swatting away two shots — a complete effort that proved vital to the Warriors’ Game 7 success.

A Quiet Legend in the Making

As we continue our Player Profile series highlighting the icons of Philippine basketball, we now shine the spotlight on one of the league’s most underrated yet highly decorated players—Alfredo “Freddie” Hubalde, the 1977 PBA Most Valuable Player. Known as a silent operator, Hubalde built a legacy not through fanfare but through consistent excellence, smart plays, and championship-caliber performance across 16 seasons in the PBA.

Basic Information

• Full Name: Alfredo Hubalde
• Nickname: Freddie
• Date of Birth: September 14, 1953
• Height: 6’1”
• Position: Small Forward / Shooting Guard
• Jersey Number: 10

Career Timeline

• 1975–1984: Crispa Redmanizers
• 1985–1987: Tanduay Rhum Makers
• 1988: Purefoods Hotdogs
• 1988–1989: Formula Shell
• 1990: Añejo Rhum 65

Achievements & Honors

• PBA pioneer
• 1977 PBA Most Valuable Player
• 16 PBA Championships (13 with Crispa, 3 with Tanduay)
• 2× Grand Slam Champion (1976, 1983)
• 3× PBA Mythical First Team
• Named to the PBA’s 25, 40, and 50 Greatest Players lists
• 1973 NCAA Most Valuable Player (Mapúa Red Cardinals)
• 1974 Asian Youth Championship Gold Medalist (Philippines)

Before turning professional, Hubalde made waves as a standout for the Mapúa Red Cardinals, where he was named NCAA Most Valuable Player in 1973. The following year, he helped the national youth team capture gold in the 1974 Asian Youth Championship, signaling his potential on a bigger stage.

His professional career officially began in 1975 as one of the founding players of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), joining the powerhouse Crispa Redmanizers. He quickly proved himself as a reliable contributor on both ends of the floor. Though he played in the shadows of stars like Bogs Adornado and Atoy Co, Hubalde's quiet yet consistent presence made him indispensable to Crispa's success.

In 1977, following back-to-back MVP wins by Adornado, Hubalde stepped into the spotlight by capturing the league’s highest individual honor—the PBA Most Valuable Player award. That same year, he was also named to the Mythical First Team, affirming his place among the PBA’s elite.

The Indiana Pacers completed their first-round NBA playoff run against the Milwaukee Bucks with a thrilling 119–118 overtime win in Game 5 of their series on Wednesday, April 30 (Philippine time), at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Tyrese Haliburton led the charge for the Pacers with 26 points, including a game-winning lay-up with 1.3 seconds left in overtime. He also tallied five rebounds, nine assists, three steals, and three blocks in 42 minutes of play to cap off his heroic performance.

He was followed by Myles Turner, who added 21 markers and nine boards, and Aaron Nesmith, who registered a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds in over 40 minutes of action on the hardwood.

Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam chipped in 15 and 10 points, respectively, while T.J. McConnell provided a spark off the bench with 18 markers to help seal the win.

Milwaukee appeared dominant early, building a 30–13 lead by the end of the first quarter. But Indiana clawed back in the second and third canto to tie the score entering the final frame.

The fourth quarter turned into another deadlock, leading to overtime, where the Pacers edged the Bucks by one point just before the buzzer—clinching the series and setting up a second-round clash with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But the drama didn’t end there, as a commotion erupted during the postgame handshakes when Haliburton and his father got into a heated exchange with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

As we kick off our Player Profile series highlighting the pioneers and icons of Philippine basketball, we begin with a name synonymous with scoring brilliance and resilience—William “Bogs” Adornado.

• Name: William Adornado
• Nickname: Bogs
• Birthdate: May 26, 1951
• Hometown: Batad, Ilo-Ilo
• Height: 6’2”
• Jersey numbers: 
• Position: Small Forward
• Achievements:
  • 1x UAAP champion (UST and UE co-champions)
  • 1970 Asian Youth Basketball Championship (champion)
  • 1971 Asian Basketball Confederation (2nd place)
  • 5x MICAA Champion (1971-72 All-Filipino, 1974 MICAA Triple-crown, )
  • 1973 FIBA Asia Cup MVP (Formerly ABC Championship)
  • 1973 Basketball Player of the Year 
  • 1973 ABC Championships (Gold)
  • 1974 Dream Player of the Game (Now All-Star game MVP) PBA All-Star Game
  • 7x PBA Mythical First Team (1975–76, 1980–85)
  • 1x PBA Mythical First Team (1984)
  • 1975 PBA All-Star 'Dream Player of the Game' (now All-Star game MVP)
  • 5× PBA Scoring Champion: 1975 (26.96 ppg), 1976 (25.66 ppg), 1980 (24.00 ppg), 1981 (26.20 ppg), 1982 (27.40 ppg)
  • 10x PBA Champion (7 Crispa, 1 U/tex, 2 GTC)
  • 3x PBA Most Valuable Player (1975, 1976, 1981)
  • 2x PBA Sportmanship Awardee (1973, 1976)
  • Member: PBA 25/40/50 Greatest Players of All-time
  • Member: 5,000 and 10,000 point club (PBA)
  • Member: 1976 Crispa Grand Slam Team (PBA)
  • PBA Hall of Fame class of 2005

The Golden State Warriors took a commanding 3–1 lead in their first-round NBA Playoff series after edging the Houston Rockets, 109–106, on Tuesday, April 29 (Philippine time) at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California.

Jimmy Butler, who missed the previous game due to a hip contusion, returned with authority and led the Warriors with 27 points, five rebounds, six assists, and a block. He was perfect from the free throw line, going 12-of-12 — including the clutch final five that sealed the win for Golden State.

Brandin Podziemski stepped up with 26 markers, five boards, five dimes, two deflections, and one rejection to help power the Warriors to victory. Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield chipped in 17 and 15 points, respectively.

The Warriors’ sharp shooting from the charity stripe proved crucial, finishing 20-of-22 (90.9%). In contrast, the Rockets struggled from the line, converting only 19-of-31 (61.3%), despite Alperen Sengun going 7-of-10 en route to a game-high 31 points. Sengun also tallied 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals in a strong all-around performance.

Fred VanVleet was also on fire for Houston, dropping 25 markers behind an efficient 8-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc. He added two boards and six dimes in another solid outing.

It was a masterclass from the Cleveland Cavaliers as they completed a commanding sweep of the Miami Heat, 138–83, in Game 4 of their first-round series on Tuesday, April 29 (Philippine time) at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

From the opening tip, the Cavaliers left no doubt about their intentions. They raced off to a scorching 43–17 start in the first quarter, setting the tone early with stifling defense and efficient offense. Cleveland never looked back, stretching their lead to a dominant 72–33 cushion at halftime, completely smothering Miami’s chances of a comeback.

Leading the charge was Donovan Mitchell, who tallied 22 points and dished out five assists, orchestrating the Cavaliers' offense with pace and precision. Evan Mobley showcased his two-way prowess, delivering 17 markers and seven boards along with one assist, one steal, and two rejections that anchored Cleveland’s defense.

In the paint, Jarrett Allen dominated with a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds, while also handing out two dimes and recording an impressive six deflections that disrupted the Heat's offensive rhythm.

The Cavaliers’ second unit kept the energy high throughout the night. De’Andre Hunter sparked the bench mob with 18 points, while Ty Jerome followed closely with 17 points of his own. Javonte Green chipped in 11 points, ensuring that there was no drop-off whenever the starters rested.

Cleveland’s momentum continued into the third quarter, outscoring Miami 39–30 to build a commanding 48-point lead heading into the final frame. They finished strong with a 27–20 fourth-quarter performance, sealing the emphatic 55-point victory and eliminating the Heat from playoff contention.

The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves tightened their grip on their series, each securing crucial third wins in thrilling fashion! Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers flexed their dominance over the Milwaukee Bucks, and the defending champion Boston Celtics kept their crown defense alive with a strong victory against the Orlando Magic. All four teams now hold commanding 3-1 leads.

The Knicks edged out the Pistons, 94-93, in a nail-biter in Detroit. Jalen Brunson once again proved he’s built for the big stage, dropping 32 points, five rebounds, and 11 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns added muscle inside, posting 27 markers, nine boards, and one dime.

New York’s clutch victory spoiled Cade Cunningham’s heroic effort, as the Pistons star notched a monster triple-double — 25 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and four blocks — in 42 minutes of relentless action.

Over in Los Angeles, the Timberwolves erupted late, powering past the Lakers for a thrilling 116-113 win.

Anthony Edwards exploded for 43 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, delivering a superstar performance. Julius Randle backed him up with 25 markers, seven boards, and three dimes, while Jaden McDaniels added a key double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Minnesota’s clutch rally overshadowed big games from the Lakers' side: Luka Doncic tallied 38 points, LeBron James poured in 27 markers, 12 boards, and eight dimes, Rui Hachimura scored 23, and Austin Reaves contributed 17 in a strong but ultimately heartbreaking effort.

The Oklahoma City Thunder completed their first-round campaign of the 2024-25 NBA Playoffs, sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies 4-0 in their 1-vs-8 series.

It was a close Game 4 before the Thunder pulled off the 117-115 victory and completed the domination on April 27, Sunday (Philippine time) at the FedExForum in Memphis.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with his stellar performance of 38 points, five rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block. He also shot 54.2% from the field (13/24) and 84.6% from the stripe (11/13).

Jalen Williams contributed 23 markers, four boards, and five assists, while Isaiah Hartenstein had a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, on top of his three assists and four steals. Chet Holmgren also added 11 markers, two boards, one dime, two deflections, and four rejections.

With the win, OKC became the first team to reach the second round and will now await the victors of the Denver Nuggets–Los Angeles Clippers series for their Western Conference semi-finals match-up.

On the other side, the Grizzlies, who missed Ja Morant due to a left hip injury he suffered in Game 3, relied on Scottie Pippen Jr., Desmond Bane, and Santi Aldama to lead their team in their elimination game.

Pippen finished with 34 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists, while Bane and Aldama contributed 23 apiece. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Vince Williams Jr. helped with 12 and 11, respectively, in trying to carry their team to survival.

The East's top-seeded teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, got the better of their lower-ranked opponents—the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, respectively—to take 2-0 leads in their first-round matchups of the NBA Playoffs. Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets bounced back from their Game 1 home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, April 24 (Philippine time).

The Cavaliers earned a 121-112 victory behind the heroics of their starters—Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Max Strus.

Mitchell tallied 30 points, six rebounds, six assists, and one steal, while Garland added 21 markers, two boards, and nine dimes. Mobley chipped in 20 points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal, and Strus finished with 14 markers, one board, six dimes, and two deflections.

De’Andre Hunter also contributed off the bench with 12 points, three rebounds, and one steal.

The Cavaliers’ win overshadowed the strong performances from Heat stars Tyler Herro, who had a game-high 33 points along with six rebounds and five assists, and Bam Adebayo, who nearly notched a triple-double with 11 markers, 14 boards, and nine dimes.

Meanwhile, the defending champion Celtics pulled away in the third quarter and held their lead until the final buzzer, claiming a 109-100 win over the Magic.

Jaylen Brown led Boston with a monster performance of 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Kristaps Porzingis, who suffered a forehead cut after catching an elbow from Goga Bitadze, recorded a double-double with 20 markers and 10 boards, on top of his two steals and two blocks.

Derrick White and Jrue Holiday also scored in double figures with 17 and 11 points, respectively, while Payton Pritchard added 14 off the bench.

For the Magic, Paolo Banchero led the way with 32 points, nine rebounds, and seven steals. Franz Wagner followed with 25 markers, four boards, four dimes, and two deflections, while Wendell Carter Jr. added 16 points, eight rebounds, and one assist.

The Los Angeles Lakers shrugged off a late rally by the Minnesota Timberwolves to come away with a 94-85 victory, tying their NBA Playoffs Round 1 series at one game apiece on Wednesday, April 23, (Philippine time) at the Cypro.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Luka Doncic, nearly posted a triple-double finishing with 33 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, and one block, providing the offensive spark and playmaking Los Angeles needed to secure the much-needed win.

Veteran superstar LeBron James also delivered a well-rounded performance, contributing 21 markers, 11 boards, seven dimes, one steal, and a block.

The supporting cast stepped up as well. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura provided valuable contributions, scoring 16 and 11 points, respectively. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder once again played dominantly to take a 2-0 advantage in their Round 1 Playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies after securing a 118-99 Game 2 victory on April 23 (Philippine time) at the Paycom Center.

Thunder star and MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the West’s No. 1 seed with 27 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, while Jalen Williams added 24 markers, six boards, and four dimes to help Oklahoma grab their second straight win.

Chet Holmgren put up double-double numbers with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Alex Caruso—who didn’t attempt a single shot in Game 1—poured in 13 markers on 5-of-10 shooting from the field, grabbed four boards, issued three dimes, stole the ball thrice, and recorded one block.

Aaron Wiggins, their Game 1 hero, was limited to just eight points in seven minutes of playing time.

The Los Angeles Clippers evened their best-of-seven first-round series against the Denver Nuggets after escaping with a close 105-102 win at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Tuesday, April 22 (Philippine time).

It was a bounce-back win for the Clippers, who lost a tough Game 1 in overtime, 110-112.

Kawhi Leonard came up big for the Clippers. He scored a game-high 39 points on an efficient 15-of-19 shooting, including four three-pointers. He also added three rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block.

Leonard made the go-ahead basket and delivered a key defensive stop in the final seconds to seal the win.

James Harden also stepped up with 18 markers and four triples. He finished with three boards, seven dimes, one steal, and two blocks.

Ivica Zubac made a strong impact in the paint with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, along with four assists and one steal.

The Detroit Pistons bounced back from an 11-point loss in Game 1 with a gritty 100-94 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, April 22 (Philippine time), tying their first-round playoff series at 1-1.

More than just a bounce-back victory, the win also marked the end of a long drought—Detroit snapped a 15-game playoff losing streak dating back to 2008, finally breaking through with their first postseason win in 16 years.

Cade Cunningham delivered a commanding performance, finishing with 33 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 42 minutes. He set the tone early and helped the Pistons maintain control in the closing stretch.

Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren both posted double-doubles to support the Pistons' effort. Harris tallied 15 markers and 13 boards, while Duren added 12 points, 13 boards, two assists, one steal, and a game-high three blocks.

Dennis Schröder also provided a crucial lift off the bench, contributing 20 markers, two boards, and three dimes.

Detroit opened the game strong, leading 25-18 after the first quarter. The Knicks cut the deficit to six by halftime, but the Pistons answered in the third, building their largest lead at 68-53 with just over five minutes remaining. New York trimmed it to single digits entering the fourth but couldn’t complete the comeback.

The West No. 1 seed team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, opened their NBA Playoffs campaign with a bang, whipping the No. 8 seed Memphis Grizzlies, 131–80, on Easter Sunday, April 20 (Philippine time).

Aaron Wiggins led all scorers with 21 points off the bench. He also grabbed four rebounds and issued two assists.

Besides Wiggins, all of the OKC starters also put up double-digit scoring, led by Jalen Williams, who tallied 20 points, five rebounds, six assists, three steals, and a block. He was followed by Chet Holmgren, who had a double-double of 19 markers and 10 boards, along with one deflection and two rejections.

Thunder star and MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 15 points, three rebounds, five assists, and two blocks, while Isaiah Hartenstein put up 14 markers, eight boards, five dimes, and one steal. Luguentz Dort finished with a 12-3-2-3-1 line to complete the double-digit scoring cast.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies—who had just survived the Play-In Tournament, losing to the Golden State Warriors in their first outing and then defeating the Dallas Mavericks to enter the Playoffs—were led by star Ja Morant and off-the-bench player Marvin Bagley III, who had 17 apiece.

In the other matchups, the Eastern No. 2 seed team Boston Celtics also dominated the No. 7 seed Orlando Magic, 103–68, while the East No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers overpowered the No. 8 seed Miami Heat, 121–100.

The West No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors, on the other hand, earned a win away from home after defeating the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets, 95–85.

The Golden State Warriors secured the 7th seed in the Western Conference Playoffs after a hard-fought 121-116 win against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 16 (Philippine time).

Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry combined for 75 points to lead the Warriors to victory. 

Butler had a game-high 38 points along with seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Curry followed with 37 markers, knocking down 6-of-13 from beyond the arc—including two crucial treys in the closing minutes, one near the corner and another after a triple pump fake that thrilled the home crowd. He added eight rebounds, four assists, and one steal.

Gary Payton II and Quentin Post added 12 and 11 points, respectively. Draymond Green dished out a game-high 10 assists while also contributing four points, six rebounds, three steals, and a block before fouling out with 58.6 seconds left in the game.