Mavericks defeat Jazz at home to get second win of the season
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.
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Import Donovan Smith powered the Phoenix Fuel Masters as they registered their second win over Terrafirma, 122-108, in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Tuesday, January 7, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Smith spearheaded the scoring column of Phoenix after unloading a game-high 37 points on top of seven rebounds, five blocks, and three assists, spoiling the comeback attempt of the hapless Dyip.
“This is a new year and it's a fresh start,” Smith said during the post-game press conference.
“We can't worry about the last six games that already passed because it's in the past, so now we just have to focus on the next games coming ahead and just put our best foot forward and continue to build on this win that we have today,” he added.
Smith, however, made sure to give his teammates credit for their defensive efforts in addition to their scoring contributions as well as how their enhanced communication both on and off the court fueled them to climb up to 2-5 in the team standings.
“I was a lot more vocal on both ends of the floor, so I think that's what really contributed to us winning. Just holding guys accountable and having guys hold me accountable as well on both sides of the floor,” said Smith. “I feel like that's the biggest reason why we won today because we played together for 48 minutes.”
In addition to Smith’s valiant efforts, Jason Perkins tallied 16 markers, including 10 in the fourth period, helping the Fuel Masters overcome an 84-88 deficit.
Ricci Rivero registered 14 points and five assists, with 10 of his points delivered in the closing minutes.
With 10:49 remaining, Perkins and Rivero led a crucial rally that put Phoenix ahead 93-86. The Fuel Masters continued to dominate until the final buzzer thanks to Smith's pivotal defensive plays to close out the game.
Terrafirma import Brandon Walton-Edwards had a double-double of 25 markers and 10 boards, while Louie Sangalang chipped in 22 in the loss.
Kenmark Carino returned to the Dyip with 11 points and seven rebounds after battling a knee injury to begin the conference.
The Scores:
PHOENIX 122 – Smith 37, Perkins 16, Rivero 14, Tio 10, Ballungay 10, Tuffin 8, Muyang 7, Jazul 4, Alejandro 4, Manganti 3, Daves 3, Garcia 2, Salado 2, Verano 2, Ular 0
TERRAFIRMA 108 – Walton-Edwards 25, Sangalang 22, Paraiso 16, Nonoy 12, Carino 11, Hernandez 7, Manuel 6, Melecio 5, Pringle 2, Ramos 2, Catapusan 0
Quarter Scores: 29-36, 60-49, 88-84, 122-108
Calvin Oftana helped the TNT Tropang Giga defeat the Meralco Bolts, 101-99, in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Tuesday, January 7, at the Philsports Arena.
Oftana matched Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s output by posting 24 points, hitting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, while adding four rebounds and two assists, earning him Player of the Game honors.
"Those breaks, we don't take it as a break. We are also conditioning ourselves since the conference is still ongoing. That's our job and we're happy that we won today because it's our first game and our minds are still very much on the cloud. At least now, December is over," Oftana said during the post-game press conference.
TNT head coach Chot Reyes praised the team’s flexibility, especially in the second half as Meralco tightened their defense against Oftana.
"In the second half, they [Meralco] never left Calvin. That's why we needed Roger [Pogoy] to step up and Jayson [Castro] hit that big three," said Reyes.
"That's how our game is, we empower our players to make plays and the key really is their selflessness and their awareness. They just have to be aware of what the situation is and then they have to be very willing," he added.
Meralco rallied to tie the game 99-all in the closing seconds after TNT, fresh off a 19-day break, took a commanding 23-point advantage early on.
The two teams kept trading baskets until Cliff Hodge fouled Hollis-Jefferson. RHJ’s free throws with ten seconds remaining in the game gave the Tropang Giga the victory.
In a solid all-around performance, the TNT’s super import finished with 24 markers, 13 boards, and five dimes, with Rey Nambatac contributing 15 points in the win.
Import Akil Mitchell topped Meralco’s scoring column with 24 markers, 18 rebounds, and seven assists, while Chris Newsome chipped in 19 points and eight dimes in the losing cause.
TNT is set to battle Converge on Saturday, January 11, while Meralco will try to claw back when they go against NLEX on Friday, January 10.
The Scores:
TNT 101 – Hollis-Jefferson 24, Oftana 24, Nambatac 15, Pogoy 12, Castro 7, Erram 6, Galinato 5, Aurin 5, Khobuntin 3, Razon 0, Varilla 0.
MERALCO 99 – Mitchell 24, Newsome 19, Banchero 14, Quinto 12, Black 8, Hodge 6, Rios 5, Bates 4, Almazan 4, Cansino 3, Caram 0.
Quarter Scores: 27-17, 52-35, 79-68, 101-99.
Barangay Ginebra emerged victorious as they eked out a 95-92 win against the Magnolia Hotshots in their Christmas Clasico duel in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday, December 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Scottie Thompson spearheaded the thrilling victory after firing a game-winning triple at the left corner as the fourth quarter buzzer sounded to complete the Gin Kings’ 22-point comeback, improving their record to 4-2.
RJ Abarrientos was named Player of the Game, finishing with 20 points and five assists. His valiant efforts helped the team escape its deep rut and cleared the path for Thompson.
“They were designed for RJ to make a decision,” coach Tim Cone said of the final moments of the contest. “We put the game in RJ’s hands and he delivered with a great pass to Scottie.”
Ginebra cut its deficit in half to 67-78 as Abarrientos scored three consecutive three-pointers to conclude the third period. Then, in the decider round, Abarrientos sank eight more points before setting up Thompson for the shot that sent more than 12,000 fans into a frenzy.
It was also a noteworthy night for Thompson as he became the 32nd player in the league to reach the historic milestone of 2,000 assists.
Import Justin Brownlee registered a game-high 28 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists, while Thompson posted 14 markers, five boards and six dimes.
The Hotshots, on the other hand, dropped to 2-5 slate.
Magnolia Import Ricardo Ratliffe led the Hotshots with 17 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists. Mark Barroca tallied 13, while Paul Lee and Ian Sangalang chipped in 11 apiece.
The Scores:
GINEBRA 95 – Brownlee 28, Abarrientos 20, Rosario 15, Thompson 14, J.Aguilar 8, Holt 5, M. Ahanmisi 5, Tenorio 0, Cu 0, Mariano 0.
MAGNOLIA 92 – Ratliffe 17, Barroca 13, Lee 11, Sangalang 11, Lucero 8, Balanza 8, Dela Rosa 7, Dionisio 6, Lastimosa 6, Abueva 5, J. Ahanmisi 0.
Quarter Scores: 24-30, 41-55, 67-78, 95-92.