Jayson Castro scored 16 points and made an immediate impact in his first game of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup.

Castro added three steals and two assists in his return to help TNT Tropang Giga get the 109-93 victory over the Blackwater Bossing on Thursday night, December 19, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The nine-time PBA champion missed TNT's first three games due to hamstring issues.

TNT's all-around import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson supported Castro with his 22 points, nine rebounds, five dimes, five deflections, and a block.

Four more Tropang Giga scored in double digits to get their second straight victory of the tourney. Rey Nambatac contributed 19, Calvin Oftana provided 18, RR Pogoy put up 12, and Glenn Khobuntin added 10.

Meanwhile, Blackwater high-scoring import George King, who averaged 39 points per game, was only limited to a conference-low 28 markers on 10-of-22.

The Bossing also don't have their prized rookie Sedrick Barefield due to injury.

With King being handcuffed and Barefield not in the lineup, RK Ilagan stepped up and poured out 19 points highlighted by 3-of-3 shooting from the arc.

The game was the last of the year for both teams.

TNT will be back in action on January 7 against Meralco Bolts, while Blackwater will come back on January 8 to face Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

Sweet-shooting guard Jordan Heading and import Cheick Diallo poured out 21 points each to lead Converge in their victory over the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 116-105, on Thursday night, December 19, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The win marked the first time that the FiberXers won back-to-back games in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup and improved their record to 4-2.

Besides Heading and Diallo, four more Converge players scored in double digits. Schonny Winston and Bryan Santos contributed 16 apiece, while Alec Stockton and BJ Andrade added 14 and 11, respectively.

Their twin towers, ace center Justin Arana and top pick rookie Justine Baltazar both came out with six markers.

"We give credit to our guys," said FiberXers acting head coach Franco Atienza, who admitted that he was anxious when Phoenix made a good start that led to a 20-2 lead.

"We just stuck on, we didn't panic. We returned to how we want to run our system, how to run our offense, our defense," Atienza added.

Converge will have a chance to extend their win streak when they face Barangay Ginebra on Saturday, December 21, in Batangas City, and against Meralco Bolts on Christmas day at the Big Dome.

Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell led Phoenix with 30 points and 18 rebounds. He was supported by RJ Jazul's 20, Tyler Tio's 13, and Ricci Rivero's 11. 

The Fuel Masters now have a 1-5 win-loss record after dropping their final game of the year.

The Scores:

CONVERGE 116 - Heading 21, Diallo 21, Winston 16, Santos 16, Stockton 14, Andrade 11, Arana 6, Baltazar 6, Racal 5, Delos Santos 0, Caralipio 0.

PHOENIX 105 - Smith 30, Jazul 20, Tio 13, Perkins 12, Rivero 11, Tuffin 8, Verano 4, Garcia 3, Soyud 2, Manganti 2, Salado 0, Alejandro 0, Muyang 0, Ular 0, Daves 0.

Quarter Scores: 15-30, 48-54, 87-80, 116-105.

San Miguel failed to earn its breakthrough win in the 2024-25 East Asia Super League (EASL) after bowing to Hong Kong Eastern, 62-71, at Southorn Stadium in Hong Kong, on Wednesday, December 18.

Kobey Lam spearheaded the pivotal comeback, registering 19 points, which gave the Hong Kong squad its first victory in the EASL game. 

Notwithstanding the efforts of June Mar Fajardo and recently signed import Torren Jones for San Miguel, Eastern maintained their lead.

After a difficult turn-around shot by Fajardo, the Beermen were able to cut the margin to just two points at 58-60 in the fourth quarter.

However, just when it appeared that San Miguel had the advantage, Lam blazed through when he scored five of Eastern’s 9-0 run.

Lam also posted three rebounds and one assist for the Hong Kong-based squad, with Chris McLaughlin tallying a double-double of 16 markers and 17 boards, while Glenn Yang contributed 11 for the home team. 

Fajardo and Jones led the charge for the Beermen with 19 points each, but their efforts were for naught as they failed to keep the team from suffering a third straight loss and dropping to the bottom of Group A.

The loss was the first in three games for Leo Austria since taking over as coach last week in place of Jorge Gallent.

San Miguel will aim to finally grab their first win in the EASL as they face the Hiroshima Dragonflies on January 8 at the Hiroshima Sun Plaza in Japan.

The Scores:

Hong Kong 71 – Lam 19, McLaughlin 16, Yang 11, Blankley 7, Xu 5, Leung 5, Chan 4, Zhu 4, Cheung 0, Pok 0, Guinchard 0. 

San Miguel 62 – Fajardo 19, Jones 19, Perez 8, Miller 5, Trollano 3, Tautuaa 3, Cahilig 3, Rosales 2, Ross 0, Lassiter 0. 

Quarter Scores: 28-14, 48-34, 60-48, 71-62. 

Busan KCC Egis captured their first win at the East Asia Super League (EASL) after defeating the Meralco Bolts, 72-68, thanks to the late-game heroics of Heo Ung on Wednesday night, December 18, at the Sajik Gymnasium in Busan, South Korea.

Busan led a spectacular comeback, winning the game by a commanding 19–2 run in the final four minutes of the game. 

Ung led the charge after sinking four straight triples, converting a 13-point deficit into their first win of the EASL season. 

The Bolts had the opportunity to turn the game around, but a series of missed opportunities and defensive errors allowed Busan to stage a rally.

Ung finished with a game-high 31 points, including his game-winning layup with 12 seconds left on the clock which propelled Busan ahead, 69-68, completing the comeback. 

Deonte Burton also added 26 markers, 14 rebounds, and five assists in the win.

DJ Kennedy led the charge for the Bolts with 23 points and nine rebounds, while Akil Mitchell contributed a double-double of 17 points and 18 rebounds that put Meralco in a 2-2 win-loss record. 

The Meralco Bolts will face the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the next EASL game on January 22. 

Busan, on the other hand, will try to claim their second straight win when they go against the Macau Black Bears on January 15.

The Scores:

Busan KCC 72 – Heo 31, Burton 26, Choi 5, Williams 4, Lee 4, Lee G. 2, Epistola 0, Jung 0.

Meralco 68 – Kennedy 23, Mitchell 17, Kouame 8, Newsome 5, Hodge 3, Quinto 3, Caram 3, Black 2, Bates 2, Caram 2.

Quarter Scores: 13-12, 31-31, 51-50, 72-68.

Barangay Ginebra got back on track after defeating Terrafirma Dyip, 114-98, in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioners’ Cup held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium last Wednesday night, December 18.

Justin Brownlee led Ginebra’s with 49 points, while RJ Abarrientos contributed 18 points, six assists and two steals, and Troy Rosario added 17 markers and five rebounds.

“We just wanted to bounce back and have a better outing. Tonight, I just found myself open a lot, so I just took advantage of that,” Brownlee said.

Ginebra improved to 3-1 in the standings as Terrafirma remained winless through six games.

The win was also a big challenge for the Gin Kings due to the absence of Japeth Aguilar and Stephen Holt, both of whom were injured last Sunday when they faced Hong Kong Eastern.

“We haven’t been able to assess as deeply as we want to assess, but neither of them were really to play tonight,” said coach Tim Cone. 

“It was a good win for us because we are missing two starters, two really important starters that have been contributing big time for us in Japeth and Stephen. There was a little bit of anxiety coming into this basketball game, wondering if we could match-up,” Cone added.

Meanwhile, Terrafirma’s import Brandon Edwards, scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Vic Manuel’s 19 points did not work for the Dyip.

Stanley Pringle’s 11 markers, nine dimes, and three steals went for naught in the first time that he faced his former team.

The scores:

Ginebra 114 - Brownlee 49, Abarrientos 18, Rosario 17, Thompson 8, Adamos 7, Pessumal 6, Mariano 5, Ahanmisi 4, Cu 0, Tenorio 0, Pinto 0.

Terrafirma 98 - Edwards 27, Manuel 19, Pringle 11, Hernandez 10, Ferrer 9, Paraiso 8, Ramos 5, Melecio 5, Sangalang 2, Catapusan 2, Olivario 0, Hanapi 0.

Quarter Scores: 26-20, 52-43, 85-69, 114-98.

Rain or Shine survived and continued their winning streak to three after defeating Magnolia, 102-100, in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup last Wednesday night, December 18, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

The Elasto Painters improved their standings to 3-1 and sent the Hotshots to their fourth straight loss, putting them to a 1-4 win-loss record.

RoS Import Deon Thompson led the way, hitting 18 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and three steals, while Santi Santillan had 17 points, and Andrei Caracut had 15 points, three assists and two rebounds.

“For most of the first half and third quarter, we had the game under control, actually. It’s just that the momentum we had lost towards the end of the third quarter went to them,” said coach Yeng Guiao.

Guiao was also referring to the 13-point lead they built, 79-66, at 3:56 of the third period that Magnolia erased to take a 98-86 advantage in the fourth quarter. But the Elasto Painters went on a 12-2 run to regain the lead at 102-100 with 3:26 left.

“The good thing about this (win) is that it was great when we came back. We got it back. Usually, if you were in our old team, when you collapse like that, you can’t come back,” said Guiao.

Meanwhile, Hotshots’ import Ricardo Ratliffe picked up his sixth and final foul at 2:46 left and coach Chito Victolero’s team couldn’t score again.

Paul Lee was forced to pass the ball to rookie Jerom Lastimosa who missed a four-point shot attempt at the final buzzer. Ratliffe’s 27 markers were wasted, while Ian Sangalang and Mark Barroca 21 and 18 points, respectively.

Magnolia will next face the NLEX Road Warriors on Friday, December 20, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, while the Elasto Painters will again try to steal another win against the winless Terrafirma Dyip on Sunday, December 22, in the same venue.

The Scores :

RAIN OR SHINE 102 - Thompson 18, Santillan 17, Caracut 15, Tiongson 11, Nocum 10, Belga 7, Calrito 6, Datu 6, Lemetti 5, Malonzo 4, Asistio 2, Ildefonso 1.

MAGNOLIA 100 - Ratliffe 27, Sangalang 21, Barroca 18, Lucero 11, Abueva 8, Lee 4, Dionisio 4, Ahanmisi 4, Dela Rosa 2, Lastimosa 1, Laput 0.

Quarter Scores: 31-23, 50-47, 81-78, 102-100.

Cheick Diallo led the Converge FiberXers to a 102-91 victory over the NLEX Road Warriors in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup last Tuesday night, December 17, held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Diallo exploded for 37 points and 18 rebounds as Converge recorded a 3-2 win-loss record.

The FiberXers import dropped 12 in the fourth quarter of the game and spearheaded an 18-9 salvo that restored an 11-point cushion and extinguished the threat after the Road Warriors rallied to within two.

Converge coach Franco Atienza was pleased and happy with the result of the game and the resurgence of the 28-year-old former NBA player.

”We’re coming off a loss, so we just wanted to go back to where we were going. When you come off a loss, it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth so we wanted to go back to what we’re doing right and see where you can improve. And tonight, we’re able to play together defensively and run our system on offense,” said Atienza. 

“We have five guys almost in double digits, and a good bounce-back game for [Diallo.] He proved himself right here.  We’re least bit worried about having his numbers because this is a great league, and sometimes you get scouted, and teams plan for you. Right now it just so happened that we’re getting him, we’re seeing him, and guys are feeding off his strength,” he added.

Alec Stockton converted 14 points and 11 assists while Jordan Heading had 14 points and 11 assists.

Meanwhile, the win also marked the first for top rookie pick Justine Baltazar, who had only four points, four assists and seven rebounds in 22:51 minutes of gameplay, after losing in his debut game against Northport last week.

The loss was NLEX’s second straight, which has left them with three wins and three losses, despite getting 36 points and 23 rebounds from import Mike Watkins and 26 markers from Robert Bolick.

The Scores:

Converge 102 – Diallo 37, Stockton 16, Heading 14, Caralipio 10, Winston 8, Racal 6, Baltazar 4, Arana 4, Santos 3, Delos Santos 0, Cabagnot 0, Nieto 0.

NLEX 91 – Watkins 36, Bolick 26, Semerad 8, Alas 7, Amer 4, Torres 4, Valdez 2, Rodger 2, Herndon 2, Bahio 0, Policarpio 0.

Quarter Scores:  28-18, 52-44, 77-72, 102-91.

Phoenix ended their winless streak and handed NorthPort their first loss 115-109 in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup last Tuesday night, December 17, at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Phoenix’ win was led by import Donovan Smith who scored 32 points and 14 rebounds, while Jason Perkins was also admirable, posting 24 markers, four boards, three steals, and two assists, Kenneth Tuffin had 15 points and RJ Azul produced 14.

RJ Jazul was hailed as the Best Player of the Game with 14 points and five assists.

”Hindi naman sa amin scoring yung priority. We just needed leadership and composure kasi nung mga nakaraan, third and fourth quarter kami nawawala. Ngayon, we finally learned our lesson,” said Jazul. 

Phoenix’s coach Jamike Jarin thanked his players for recording their first win after four losses.

“I just like to commend all players. They deserve this, so we just have to give credit to our veterans, especially RJ Jazul. This is big, we were 0-4, so we really needed to climb up,” coach Jarin said.

Import Kadeem Jack’s 28 points and Arvin Tolentino’s 23 were not enough, while Joshua Munzon, Evan Nelle and Sidney Onwubere each had 11 markers for the Batang Pier. 

NorthPort still sits at the top of the team standings with a 5-1 record.

The Scores:

Phoenix 115 – Smith 32, Perkins 24, Tuffin 15, Jazul 14, Manganti 9, Soyud 7, Tio 5, Salado 4, Rivero 3, Verano 2, Daves 0, Ular 0, Alejandro 0, Garcia 0.

NorthPort 109 – Jack 28, Tolentino 23, Munzon 18, Nelle 15, Onwubere 11, Bulanadi 7, Navarro 3, Flores 2, Miranda 2, Yu 0, Cuntapay 0.

Quarter Scores: 29-21, 54-45, 84-76, 115-109.

The red-hot NorthPort Batang Pier will try to list the longest winning streak in their franchise history when they face the Phoenix Fuel Masters in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup, tonight, 7:30 p.m, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Malate, Manila.

NorthPort is coming off a 5-0 record, while the Phoenix remains ​​winless in their four games.

In the Batang Pier’s 108-101 rout of the FiberXers in their last game, Fil-Am guard Joshua Munzon scored a career-high 30 points, while Import Kadeem Jack also had 32 markers and 15 rebounds.

The other teams they defeated were NLEX with 3-2 standing, Terrafirma (0-5), Magnolia (1-3) and TNT with 1-2 win-loss record.

Meanwhile, the Fuel Masters will try to get into the win column after losing to guest team Eastern (4-1), Meralco (3-1), defending San Miguel (3-2) and Barangay Ginebra (2-0).

Suwon KT will have another import to contend in the EASL.

Ismael Romero will replace Jordan Morgan who suffered a hamstring injury in the Korean Basketball League in October.

Suwon KT signed Romero but has not played for the Sonic Boom since joining the team, and now KT is expected to finish the 2024-25 season with him alongside Rayshaun Hammonds, a 6-foot-9 forward acquired earlier this year. Hammonds averaged 22.8 points and 10.5 rebounds in EASL play.

Romero is from Cuba and became a naturalized citizen of Puerto Rico in 2021, and played under the Puerto Rican flag in the recent Paris Olympics, where he scored 12 points in a loss to the United States.

Throughout Romero's career, he has played for Puerto Rico and Mexico since going undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft. He was also a two-time BSN (Puerto Rico) champion (2020, 2022). In the 2015-16 season, the 6-foot-9 center also played for Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League, an affiliate organization of the Denver Nuggets.

Although KT Swon already owns Romero, he is expected to show off his skills in the EASL when the Sonic Boom next plays against Hong Kong Eastern on January 7, 2025.

The San Miguel won back-to-back games after defeating Blackwater Bossing in their encounter on Sunday night, December 15, in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City, 115-102.

Although George King led Blackwater with 40 points on 10-of-21 shooting, their local players still struggled. Sedrick Barefield made 7-of-16 for 17 points, and Christian David added 10 points.

Meanwhile, for the Beermen, eight-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo collected 27 points, 22 rebounds and six assists as SMB’s back-to-back wins gave them a 3-2 win-loss standing. SMB import Torren Jones, meanwhile, had 29 points and 14 rebounds.

The Beermen also had the opportunity to gain a big advantage because of their rebounding and their 28 offensive rebounds led to 28 second-chance points, where the Beermen continued to increase their advantage, which eventually reached 15 points, 113-98, on Fajardo's free throw.

According to Fajardo, they really wanted to win so they put in the 'collective effort of their team to get the win.

"Kailangang i-push ko 'yung sarili, dig deep kasi gusto naming manalo kasi pag natalo kami mahirap na. Collective effort ito ng team - players,coaching staff - kaya nakuha namin itong panalo," Fajardo said.

With the return of former SMB team consultant Leo Austria as SMB's head coach, he expressed that they were not happy with their win in the game against Bossing because of the high turnovers they made especially in the first half.

 "We're not so happy kasi 'yung turnovers namin mataas (17) and we're a little scrappy in the first half. Pero kahit ano pang sama ng laro, panalo. Kahit one point yan, a win is a win, what higit pa kung higit sa 10 puntos?" Austria said.

The Scores:

San Miguel 115 - Jones 29, Fajardo 27, Perez 15, Cruz 14, Trollano 11, Cahilig 8, Lassiter 5, Ross 4, Rosales 2, Tautuaa 0, Enciso 0, Brondial 0.

Blackwater 102 - King 40, Barefield 17, David 10, Ilagan 9, Chua 6, Ponferrada 6, Luck 5, Kwekuteye 5, Guinto 4, Casio 0, Scott 0, Hill 0.

Quarter Scores: 18-26, 55-48, 85-77, 115-102.

Hong Kong Eastern overcame the fierce defense and offense of Barangay Ginebra to claim a narrow victory in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup on Sunday night, December 15,  at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City, 93-90.

Hayden Blankley's clutch free throws helped them escape defeat and secure a narrow victory.

Blankley led Eastern with 25 points, while Christopher McLaughlin had a whopping 20 points, 21 rebounds, six assists and two blocks.

Before the end of the fourth quarter, Blankley also saved the team with a layup to make it 91-86, but the Gin Kings quickly responded with four free throws to make it 91-90 with four seconds left.

With the win, Eastern now has a 5-1 win-loss record.

According to Hong Kong Eastern head coach, Mensur Bajramovic, it was a big deal for them to get the win against Ginebra and they were happy with the result of their game because they trusted in their plan prepared for the Gin Kings.

“We made a plan knowing that Ginebra is a good team. They have individual players and they have a good style offensively and defensively. We tried in the past few days to make a plan on how to play against them. I’m happy the players believed and trust in the plan,” said coach Bajramovic. 

For the Gin Kings, Japeth Aguilar led Ginebra with 26 points on a solid 9-of-13 clip, but he limped back to the bench before the final buzzer, while Justin Brownlee was held back, making just six of his 23 field goals for 18 points and 12 rebounds.

On Friday, December 20, Eastern will try to snap Northport's four-straight win streak, while Barangay Ginebra will travel to the Batangas City Coliseum to take on the Converge FiberXers on Saturday, December 21.

The scores:

Eastern 93 - Blankley 25, McLaughlin 20, Cao 14, Yang 11, Lam 8, Chan 6, Guinchard 5, Leung 3, Xu 1, Zhu 0.

Barangay Ginebra 90 - J. Aguilar 26, Brownlee 18, Holt 14, Abarrientos 12, Rosario 12, Thompson 8, Cu 0, Adamos 0, Ahanmisi 0.

Quarter Scores: 26-25, 54-44, 73-67, 93-90.

Returning head coach Leo Austria will be looking forward to leading the San Miguel Beermen to their second straight win.

San Miguel will be facing the Blackwater Bossing, also seeking their second straight victory at 5:00 PM at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

The Beermen won their last game against Terrfirma, after Austria returned to coaching, while also parading new import Torren Jones.

SMB won a come-from-behind victory against Phoenix in their opening game of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup but dropped the next two against NLEX and Rain or Shine, forcing the management to tap Austria once again to do the coaching chores.

Meanwhile, Blackwater have already found their groove after dropping their first three games of the mid-season conference.

The Northport Batang Pier clinched their fifth win over the Converge FiberXers, 108-101, on Thursday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Joshua Munzon proved his aggressiveness on offense and defense after carrying the team and recording 30 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals, including two clutch three-pointers to lead the team to their victory. 

Kadeem Jack led the Batang Pier with 32 points and 15 rebounds, while Arvin Tolentino had 21 markers, 13 boards.

Munzon couldn't help but be happy with the consecutive wins in this conference.

"It was a back and forth game, but at the end of the day, we just ended up making more shots. More than anything else, I'm happy that we're 5 and 0," said Munzon.

In an unexpected turn of events, the debut game of Converge's No. 1 pick Justine Baltazar was derailed. 

Northport Batang head coach Bonnie Tan said the entire team agreed that they would not leave today's match against Converge to the rookies. They were also aware of the 6-foot-8 Baltazar, the no. 1 overall pick in the last draft and two-time MVP in MPBL, will be playing his first PBA game against them.

“We just discussed na huwag naming ibibigay sa isang rookie (in his first game) yung magandang ginagawa natin sa first four games,” said Tan

“At least nag step up yung players natin to get that fifth win. Kumbaga yung run that was done ny team ay masisira lang ng isang rookie player. So na-challenge siguro sila sa ganun and na-realize ng mga players na masasayang nga yung 4-0 start nila.” he added.

The scores:

Northport (108) -- Jack 32, Munzon 30, Tolentino 21, Nelle 13, Yu 6, Navarro 4, Onwubere 2, Flores 0, Tratter 0, Bulanadi 0, Cuntapay 0, Miranda 0.

Converge (101) -- Heading 30, Stockton 16, Winston 15, Diallo 13, Arana 8, Racal 7, Baltazar 5, Santos 4, Andrade 3, Delos Santos 0, Nieto 0, Javillonar 0, Caralipio 0.

Quarter Scores: 24-33; 54-57; 75-76; 108-101.

The Blackwater Bossing grabbed their first win of the conference against the Meralco Bolts, 114-98, in the continuation of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Thursday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

In the same match, Meralco tasted their first defeat even though they held the advantage in the first three quarters.

However, entering the fourth quarter, Blackwater put up consecutive points that resulted in victory.

Sedrick Barefield led the Bossings in victory with 33 points and nine dimes, while George King had a 32-point, 14-rebound double-double to lead the way for the Bossing.

Blackwater finally got on the board after dropping its first three assignments of the conference, while the Bolts fell to 3-1.

“It’s a good win for us. We didn’t start the conference how we wanted, but coach told me this morning ‘don’t let the past linger. He told me he has confidence in me. I took that to heart and got me prepared for the day,” Barefield said.

Meanwhile, Chris Newsome's 22 points and Bong Quinto's 19 for the Bolts were wasted, as was Cliff Hodge's 13-point, 10-rebound double-double.

The Meralco Bolts will have a chance to bounce back on December 25 against Converge, while Blackwater will pick up its sixth win against the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday, December 15.

The Scores:

BLACKWATER 114 – Barefield 33, King 32, David 17, Kwekuteye 10, Ilagan 6, Suerte 6, Casio 4, Chua 4, Montalbo 2, Jopia 0, Escoto 0, Hill 0, Guinto 0.

MERALCO 98 – Newsome 22, Quinto 19, Hodge 13, Black 12, Jose 8, Reyson 7, Rios 5, Torres 5, Caram 4, Pasaol 3, Pascual 0.

QUARTERS :  28-21, 48-49, 83-79, 114-98.

The TNT Tropang Giga did not let Magnolia get a chance to steal a win, 103-100, in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup, on Wednesday night, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Calvin Oftana led the team to its first win, scoring 42 points on 15-of-23 shooting from the field, including nine three-pointers.

Aside from Oftana, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 41 points and 13 rebounds.

TNT coach Chot Reyes was also satisfied with the result of their match against Magnolia. He also said that the key to their win was their team effort and they focused on last night's match to get the victory.

"Our only focus for this game was effort. That was written on big letters on our board because I was very, very upset with the effort that we showed in the first two games. It's good to come out with a W but, you know... we don't want to win that way," coach Reyes said.

"Even before looking at the technical aspects of the game, not having Jayson (Castro) and Kelly (Williams) and Poy (Erram) as well in the first two games was a big blow for us. But still there's no excuse for not exerting our best effort," the 10-time champion mentor added.

"That was why I was very upset with the way we finished the game. We gave up eight points in the last 40 seconds and that goes against everything that we believed in and everything that we stand for as a team," added the multi-titled tactician.

Ricardo Ratliffe's 27 points were not enough to carry the Hotshots, while Calvin Abueva, Mark Barroca and Jerom Lastimosa each had 18 points each.

Meanwhile, on December 18, Wednesday, Magnolia will face coach Yeng Guiao's team at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, while Tropang Giga will target another win against Blackwater Bossing on Thursday, December 19, at the same venue.

The scores:

TNT 103 – Oftana 42, Hollis-Jefferson 41, Pogoy 6, Erram 6, Heruela 4, Nambatac 4, Razon 0, Galinato 0, Khobuntin 0, Varilla 0, Aurin 0.

Magnolia 100 – Ratliffe 27, Barroca 18, Abueva 18, Lastimosa 18, Sangalang 9, Eriobu 5, Dionisio 3, Mendoza 2, Dela Rosa 0, Ahanmisi 0, Balanza 0.

Quarters: 33-25; 52-48; 83-75; 103-100.

The Barangay Ginebra Kings won their first game against the NLEX Road Warriors on Wednesday night, December 11, in the continuation of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup, 109-100.

Stephen Holt led the way with 26 points, followed by Justin Brownlee with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Japeth Aguilar added 15.

Troy Rosario, in his debut for the Gin Kings, contributed nine markers and seven boards, although he shot just 4-for-11 from the field.

“We weren’t as tight as we would like to have been, but we had a good shooting night. That makes up a lot of execution mistakes when you can shoot the ball well,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.

"He gets everybody back to comfortable positions. Troy coming in and playing the 4 and 3 positions allows Justin (Brownlee) on the opposite side and takes off some of the load in rebounding," Cone added.

Meanwhile, Mike Griffin-Watkins, who led NLEX with 27 points and 21 rebounds, was wasted, as were Robert Bolick’s 18 points, Kevin Alas’ 14 points and Enoch Valdez’ 11 points.

The Scores :

GINEBRA 109 – Holt 26, Brownlee 24, J.Aguilar 15, Ahanmisi 13, Rosario 9, Thompson 8, Abarrientos 6, Cu 6, Adamos 2, Pinto 0

NLEX 100 – Watkins 27, Bolick 18, Alas 14, Policarpio 13, Valdez 11, Torres 5, Semerad 4, Herndon 4, Rodger 2, Bahio 2, Mocon 0

QUARTERS :  20-22, 42-43, 78-66, 109-100

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters got their second straight win of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup after overcoming the defending champions San Miguel Beermen in their Tuesday night clash, December 10,  at the Filoil EcoOil Arena in San Juan City.

Import Deon Thompon posted 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three blocks to lead the charge for RoS even though he was only limited to 31 minutes of play because of foul trouble.

Young guns took charge in the fourth quarter to supplement the game of their import.

Adrian Nocum led the youngsters with his 15 markers, to go along with four boards, five dimes, and four deflections, while Caelan Tiongson added 14 points, three rebounds and two assists.

Felix Pangilinan-Lemetti was also impressive with his 12 points, three rebounds, five assists and one steal, while Keith Datu provided 12 markers, two boards, and a block.

Another young but tough E-Painters was Jhonard Clarito who also played a solid game by racking up a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Meanwhile, June Mar Fajardo paced the defending champion SMB with his 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Quincy Miller, who played his last game of the conference as San Miguel's reinforcement, produced 12 markers and 10 boards.

Torren Jones will replace Miller for the mid-season conference and will serve as Quincy's partner in the EASL.

The scores:

Rain or Shine 107 - Thompson 18, Nocum 15, Tiongson 14, Datu 12, Lemetti 12, Clarito 10, Santillan 9, Caracut 8, Asistio 4, Norwood 3, Ildefonso 2, Belga 0, Demusis 0.

San Miguel 93 - Fajardo 20, Tiongson 16, Miller 12, Tautuaa 10, Perez 9, Trollano 7, Cruz 7, Teng 5, Lassiter 3, Ross 3, Cahilig 1.

Quarter Scores: 19-25, 47-42, 70-72, 107-93.

Chris McLaughlin was impressive in his debut game as the new import of the Hong Kong Eastern in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup.

McLaughlin posted 32 points, 23 rebounds, and three assists to lead Eastern to a 84-75 victory against the Blackwater Bossing on Tuesday night, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The win gave the Hong-Kong based squad their fourth victory in the five games they played in the league.

The 6-foot-10 McLaughlin replaced Cameron Clark who was sidelined by a hip flexor muscle injury.

Clark led Eastern in their three wins of the conference, including the 105-84 drubbed against the Governor's Cup champion, TNT Tropang Giga.

In the first half, HK Eastern looked like it was missing the services of Clark as Blackwater erected a 10-point lead before the break.

But the Hong Kong squad had an impressive 27-9 third quarter surge to grab the lead and maintained it until the final buzzer.

The Canadian reinforcement of Eastern said that he wanted to keep the game simple, pound the paint and play defense.

"Coming to the game, I wanted to keep it simple - take care of the paint, rebound, play defense and the rest of the game will come to me naturally," said McLaughlin.

"I've been here in Manila training with the team every practice and preparing for the moment in case I was called up to play so I stayed ready the whole time," he added.

HK Eastern mainstays Glen Yang and Kobey Lam added 14 and 10, respectively, helping McLaughlin in getting the win.

The victory lifted Eastern to solo third place behind unbeaten NorthPort (4-0) and Meralco (3-0).

On the other hand, Blackwater import George King exploded for 41 points. He scored 31 in the first half but was held to four in the third canto and six in the final period.

Blackwater dropped their third straight game to remain winless in the conference.

The Scores:

EASTERN 84 - McLaughlin 32, Yang 14, Lam 10, Guinchard 8, Xu 7, Cheung 5, Cao 4, Blankley 2, Pok 2, Chan 0, Zhu 0.

BLACKWATER 75 - King 41, Barefield 9, Suerte 9, Chua 4, Kwekuteye 4, David 4, Ilagan 3, Ponferrada 1, Casio 0, Hill 0, Guinto 0, Escoto 0.

Quarter Scores: 23-21, 39-49, 66-58, 84-75.

Rain or Shine will try to win their second straight game in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup against the San Miguel Beermen.

Their match-up will be held at 7:30 PM tonight at the FilOil Eco Oil Centre in San Juan City.

The Elasto Painters got their first win last Wednesday, December 4, against the Hong Kong Eastern to split their first two games of the conference. 

Meanwhile, San Miguel (1-1) blew a 16-point lead and dropped their game against NLEX (3-1) last Sunday, December 8.

RoS will once again rely on their import Deon Thompson who helped them in their win against the Hong Kong-based squad. Thompson scored 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in his PBA debut.

“He changes the che­mistry for the better. Mas ma­ganda ‘yung ikot ng bo­la, tapos ang galing niyang du­mipensa,” said Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao.

“He’s got the inside game and the outside game. Kapag lumabas tunay na laro, mas magiging problema siya ng ibang team,” he added.

Rain or Shine will once again depend on Beau Belga, Andrei Caracut, Adrian Nocum, Leonard Santillan, and Keith Datu, while SMB will bank on their reinforcement Quincy Miller, eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, Mo Tautuaa, and new weapon Juami Tiongsion.

Mapua finally won another NCAA title in men’s basketball after 33 years of waiting.

The Cardinals overcame the College of St. Benilde Blazers, 94-82, in Game 2 of their best-of-three finals series to win their first championship since 1991.

The victory was a fitting gift for the university, which will mark its 100th year anniversary in January 2025.

In the first quarter, Benilde started the game with a 7-0 run, but their turnovers started to pile up resulting in a one-point advantage for Mapua after the period.

During the second quarter, Mapua had a 21-14 advantage as they took a 12-point lead before halftime.

The Cardinals poured 8-of-16 from the rainbow country in the second half to establish their authority and finally grabbed the championship after the final buzzer sounded.

As the tears flowed on the court, Mapua coach Randy Alcantara, said: "Siyempre, walang kasing sarap. After three tries, yung minimithi namin, finally nakuha namin."

Alcantara was named Coach of the Year, while Mapua main man Clint Escamis was the Finals MVP after averaging 24.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 4.0 steals.

Cy Cuenco top-scored for Mapua with 19 points on 3-of-7 shooting from the arch, while Lawrence Mangubat added 17, and the season’s top rookie, Chris Hubillia shared 15 and eight rebounds.

Meanwhile, Justine Sanchez poured in 24 points, nine boards, five assists and three steals in a losing effort for the Blazers. Tony Ynot also added 17, as Season MVP Allen Liwag had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The scores:

MAPUA 94 - Cuenco 19, Escamis 18, Mangubat 17, Hubilla 15, Recto 9, Igliane 8, Bancale 6, Garcia 2, Concepcion 0, Fermin 0.

BENILDE 82 - Sanchez 24, Ynot 17, Liwag 14, Sangco 7, Oli 7, Torres 5, Ancheta 4, Ondoa 2, Eusebio 2, Cometa 0, Cajucom 0.

Quarter Scores: 24-23; 45-37; 66-56; 94-82.

The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards are serious about getting back on top of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

NERV already starts their journey for the next season by signing players who can help them with their goal to reach the championship once again and win it all just like what they did in 2022.

They just recently signed the Marcelino twins.

Nueva Ecija believes that former MVP Jaycee Marcelino and his twin brother Jayvee will bring their explosiveness relentlessly while wearing the Rice Vanguards jersey.

The team also signed Dexter Maiquez, who can help mainstay Will McAloney in the paint.

Maiquez is a powerhouse inside with a sweet touch at the perimeter.

They also signed another former Zamboanga player in Ralph "Toci" Tansingco and University of Santo Tomas standout Christian Manaytay, who's a 6'5" lefty long-range shooter.

The new members of the Rice Vanguards will join the team's old reliable McAloney, Byron Villarias, Jonathan Uyloan, and the rest of the team.

Now that Nueva Ecija has a stronger lineup, they are now almost ready to get back to the Promised Land.

The rematch between De La Salle University and University of the Philippine in the UAAP Season 87 Men's Basketball Finals will bring lots of excitement.

In their Season 86 battle, the Green Archers captured the title in three games against the Fighting Maroons.

This year, DLSU will try to defend the crown under the leadership of coach Topex Robinson who steered the squad in their championship quest last year.

Robinson and La Salle will also once again rely on the heroics of the soon-to-be crowned back-to-back MVP Kevin Quiambao.

On the other hand, UP's coach Goldwin Monteverde and his wards would be eyeing to get revenge and bring back the title that they last won in Season 84 when they still have Carl Tamayo and Malick Diouf in their line-up.

Robinson had a 5-2 edge against Monteverde in their head-to-head battle.

The Finals will begin on Sunday, December 8, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, while Game 2 will be on Wednesday, December 11, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

If the championship series goes the distance, Game 3 will be played next Sunday, December 15 at the Big Dome.

Defending champion University of Santo Tomas excelled over the Adamson University Lady Falcons, 71-59, in the knockout step-ladder semifinal of the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, December 4, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The Growling Tigresses renewed its rematch against the unbeaten National University Lady Bulldogs for the second straight year. 

Kent Pastrana paced the victory for the black-and-gold highlighted by a double-double exhibition of 23 points and 16 rebounds to go along with eight assists, two steals, and one block. 

"Because we relaxed in the second quarter. We decided not to give confidence to the opponent because, of course, Adamson will fight to the end and they will not let their team lose," said Pastrana, who will be part of the mythical team for the third time. 

"We came back in the second half, we regrouped what we needed to adjust and our mistakes. We started with defense,” she added.

As the Growling Tigresses lost steam after a scorching 21-4 start, the Lady Falcons gained momentum before the end of the first quarter, which resulted in a 37-35 lead at the half. 

Midway through the third quarter, behind 39-43, Pastrana started to blaze through for the UST, putting up six points in a row to spark a 17-3 run that culminated with a short stab from CJ Maglupay for a 56-46 lead in the closing seconds of the quarter.

Adamson trimmed the deficit down to six after Kat Agojo sank a basket underneath, 60-54. With 3:45 remaining, however, Tacky Tacatac made a key corner triple to help UST hold off its opponent, 67-65.

With 1:41 remaining, Pastrana found Nicole Danganan free underneath on two straight possessions to seal the victory with a 71-57 edge.

CJ Maglupay’s performance was also pivotal for the Tigresses, finishing with a double-double of 13 markers and 11 boards along with six deflections. 

Tacatac and Bridgette Santos delivered 10 points apiece, with the latter adding a game-high seven steals.

“Credit also to Adamson, coach Ryan and the girls, they really gave us a hard time. Salute to them. It's all total team effort and at the end of the day our defense dictated in the second half against Adamson,” said UST coach Haydee Ong.

The Scores:

UST 71 – Pastrana 23, Maglupay 13, Santos 10, Tacatac 10, Ambos 7, Danganan 4, Sierba 4, Soriano 0, Bron 0, Amatong 0, Pescador 0, Relliquette 0.

Adamson 59 – Etang 12, Adeshina 12, A. Alaba 9, Apag 7, Agojo 6, Bajo 4, Limbago 4, Padilla 3, Manlimos 2, Meniano 0, Ornopia 0, E. Alaba 0, Mazo 0.

Quarter Scores: 21-12, 35-37, 56-48, 71-59