Thunder crush Grizzlies in their NBA Playoffs opening game
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 other Game 1 results of the Playoffs played on April 19 were:
- (4) Indiana Pacers defeated the (5) Milwaukee Bucks, 117–98, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
- (4) Denver Nuggets edged the (5) Los Angeles Clippers, 112–110, at Ball Arena
- (3) New York Knicks got the better of the (6) Detroit Pistons, at Madison Square Garden
- (6) Minnesota Timberwolves surprised the (3) Los Angeles Lakers, at Crypto.com Arena
Tomorrow, April 22, the Knicks and the Nuggets will try to take a 2–0 advantage in their series, while the Pistons and the Clippers will look to bounce back and tie theirs.
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San Miguel Beermen made a statement in Game 4 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals, against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 107-82, on Wednesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
CJ Perez spearheaded the charge with a near-complete performance, tallying 19 points, five rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block in almost 35 minutes of action. His energy sparked a game-changing 17-0 run in the fourth quarter that broke the game wide open for the Beermen.
Juami Tiongson added 14 points, while June Mar Fajardo turned in another monster game with 12 markers, a game-high 19 boards, three dimes, two deflections, and a rejection.
San Miguel’s well-balanced offense saw five players score in double figures, including Jericho Cruz and Rodney Brondial with 12 apiece, and Don Trollano who chipped in 11.
Game 5 is set for Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with both powerhouse squads looking to seize control of the series and inch closer to a Finals berth.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel bounced back in style, securing a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals series with a 100-90 win over the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
RJ Abarrientos came up huge with a near triple-double performance—24 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists—leading the Gin Kings back on top after dropping Game 2.
Jamie Malonzo added 20 points with four rebounds and two assists, while Japeth Aguilar chipped in 18 markers alongside seven boards, two dimes, three steals, and two blocks in a vintage two-way showing.
Ginebra also got key contributions from Scottie Thompson and Stephen Holt. Thompson tallied 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block, while Holt recorded 10 points, seven boards, and a deflection.
For San Miguel, Don Trollano kept them in the fight with 22 points and three rebounds. JuneMar Fajardo posted a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, along with three dimes and a block.
CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz added 11 points apiece, while Juami Tiongson rounded out the Beermen’s double-digit scorers with 10.
Ginebra edged SMB 23-20 in the opening quarter, but the Beermen fought back strong in the second to take a 50-46 halftime lead. That momentum didn't last, as Ginebra responded with a commanding 25-14 third period to retake control at 71-64, then sealed the win with a 29-26 finish in the final frame.
“I’m just real proud of the guys for steadying themselves,” said head coach Tim Cone. “We figured a couple of things out. I felt we played with a really good tempo, and then RJ played tremendous down the stretch to keep them at bay.”
Game 4 is set for Wednesday, July 2, at 5:00 PM at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters broke through in their best-of-seven semi-finals series in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup, taking Game 3 in dominant fashion with a 107-86 win over TNT Tropang 5G on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Anton Asistio powered the Elasto Painters with a personal playoff-high 24 points off the bench. He also tallied six assists and a rebound in just under 29 minutes of action, going 7-of-9 from the field, 4-of-5 from three-point range, and 2-of-3 from the four-point arc.
Caelan Tiongson added 16 markers, four rebounds, one assist, and a block, while Keith Datu delivered a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double performance to go with two assists and a rejection.
Leonard Santillan contributed 12 points and eight rebounds, while Andrei Caracut chipped in 10 points, four assists, and four steals, helping Rain or Shine build early momentum and keep control through most of the game.
TNT, on the other hand, struggled without RR Pogoy, Jayson Castro, and Rey Nambatac. Calvin Oftana led the Tropa with 16 points and eight rebounds but registered a -22 plus-minus while shooting just 1-of-6 from deep. Simon Enciso and Glenn Khobuntin added 12 points each.