Rain or Shine gave Hong Kong Eastern their first loss in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup, 99-81, on Wednesday, December 4, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. 

The Elasto Painters were led by their import Deon Thompson who was impressive in his debut game producing 21 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks.

"We're happy with the way he performed. He was late coming in. Wala pa siyang isang linggo, but he changed our chemistry for the better. Mas maganda ang ikot ng bola namin sa kanya," said head coach Yeng Guiao about their reinforcement.

"He's got the inside game and the outside game. Medyo malas pa sa labas. Pag lumabas tunay na laro, mas magiging problema siya ng ibang team," he added.

The fiery mentor also pointed out that their defense holds the best three-point shooting team to only 7-of-12 from beyond the arc. He also added that while they're opponents were missing shots, they were making their own.

"Pumasok ang three-point shooting namin ngayon. Mas madaling manalo kung pumapasok ang three-point shooting," said Guiao.

Leonard Santillan helped RoS with his 18 markers, five boards, one dime, and a deflection, while Keith Datu and Caelan Tiongson added 10 apiece.

On the other hand, HK Eastern heavily relied on Cameron Clark who tallied 30 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

Sheik Muhammad Sulaiman and Yin Lung Cheung both scored 11 points to help Clark.

Hayden Blankley was not his usual self as he only had seven points in a poor 1-of-15 shooting from the field.

Kobe Lam's contributions were also deficient as he only gave six markers for the Hong Kong based team.

Glen Yang did not play as he was not with the team who flew in the country because of passport issues.

Eastern will try to bounce back when they face the TNT Tropang Giga on December 8 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, while the Elasto Painters will be seeking for their second straight victory against the San Miguel Beermen on December 10 at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.

The Scores:

RAIN OR SHINE 99 - Thompson 21, Santillan 18, Datu 10, Tiongson 10, Nocum 8, Ildefonso 8, Caracut 7, Belga 5, Clarito 4, Lemetti 3, Asistio 3, Demnusis 2.

EASTERN 81 - Clark 30, Cheung 11, Sulaiman 11, Cao 9, Blankley 7, Lam 6, Zhu 5, Guinchard 2, Chan 0, Leung 0, Pok 0, Xu 0.

Quarter Scores: 24-18, 43-34, 70-64, 99-81.

NorthPort won their first three assignments in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup to take the solo spot on top of the team standings.

The Batang Pier overcame the Magnolia Hotshots, 107-103, on Wednesday, December 4 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium to get their third straight win.

Joshua Munzon led their defensive unit to strike any Magnolia's attempt to steal the victory from them.

Munzon scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help them win, but his game-high five steals highlighted his contributions.

"If we defend at a high level, I think we'll give ourselves a good chance to win more games," said Munzon.

NorthPort stole the ball 15 times and forced the Hotshots to commit 24 turnovers. The Batang Pier also registered seven blocks.

Import Kareem Jack was also solid, producing 30 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Arvin Tolentino also played a key role in their success as he logged 27 points, four rebounds, one steal and a block.

NorthPort also relied on the running game as they had a 22-6 advantage in fastbreak points.

On the other hand, rookie Jerom Lastimosa took over the spot of the injured Paul Lee and played his breakout game wearing Magnolia jersey.

Lastimosa produced 27 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and two steals in a losing cause.

Rome Dela Rosa, Mark Barroca, and Aris Dionisio help their prized rookie with 16, 14, and 13, respectively.

The Hotshots did not get much from their hulking import Ricardo Ratliffe who's suffering from a nagging shoulder.

Ratliffe only had 10 markers and 13 boards - far from the usual numbers that he can produce in a game.

NorthPort will try to protect their clean slate on Sunday, December 8, against the TNT Tropang Giga at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, Magnolia will be back on the court on December 11, also against TNT at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Scores:

NORTHPORT 107 – Jack 30, Tolentino 27, Munzon 25, Yu 9, Nelle 5, Navarro 4, Flores 4, Onwubere 3, Bulanadi 0, Tratter 0, Miranda 0, Cuntapay 0.

MAGNOLIA 103 – Lastimosa 27, Dela Rosa 16, Barroca 14, Dionisio 13, Ratliffe 10, Eriobu 7, Sangalang 6, Lucero 4, Ahanmisi 3, Abueva 3, Mendoza 0.

Quarter Scores: 28-31; 59-52; 77-78; 107-103.

Hong Kong Eastern’s Cameron Clark displayed notable performances in the first week of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup to earn Reinforcement of the Week honors.

After the now-defunct Bay Area Dragons had a successful stint in the 2022-23 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, the league introduced Hong Kong Eastern as the fresh guest team with Clark as their import.

Clark performed admirably as he put up impressive numbers, recording averages of 32 points, 12 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 3.5 stocks (blocks+steals) on 59.6 true shooting percentage.

Having played for other teams in the past, Clark relied on his extensive knowledge in playing with the style in the PBA. He has been the ideal go-to guy for a young club that needs a veteran presence.

His ability to play bigger than his size, which enables him to dominate inside the paint on offense and hold his own against opposing bigs on defense, is the key to Clark's success in the PBA. 

Clark has the skills to succeed in this league, as evidenced by his well-honed mid-range game, which saw him make 58.7% of his shots in Eastern's two victories.

After being shackled by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their December 4 game to absorb their first loss of the conference, Clark and the HK Eastern will look to bounce back when they face the TNT Tropang Giga on Friday, December 6, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Terrafirma Dyip has decided to replace their PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup import Ryan Richards.

The decision was made after Richards just showed lackluster performances in their first three games of the conference resulting in no wins at all.

Richards just played one second in their game against the NorthPort because of some back issues and only 17 minutes in the first half against NLEX as he only logged in six points on 2-of-10 shooting.

Dyip already found a replacement for the 6'11" British-Jamaican, he's none other than Brandon Edwards, who's also familiar with the team's system as he already practiced with them in the last conference.

Edwards just suffered an ACL injury during the preseason that's why he was replaced by Antonio Hester.

According to Terrafirma head coach Raymond Tiongco, Richards can't cope up with the system they run that's why Edwards was once again tapped by the team.

“Regarding sa import, last game na niya. We decided na last game na niya, actually. Talagang hindi siya pabor sa sistemang tinatakbo namin. He is too slow. Siya naman, aminado naman siya na hindi siya makakasabay sa gusto naming mangyari,” said Tiongco.

The Dyip is expecting the 6-foot-6 Edwards to play on Friday, December 6, when they face the Meralco Bolts at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

“Biyernes, sana, nandito na 'yung import namin. Nasa Indonesia siya tapos he contacted us. 'Yung mga gusto sana namin, nasa US, kaso hindi aabot ng Friday. Hinabol ko siya today pero 'yung Indonesia team, medyo nalate 'yung release ng papers," Tiongco added.

“Bago siya umalis sa Indonesia, nagpapractice siya sa amin. Alam niya 'yung nira-run namin,” he ended.

Meralco’s Bong Quinto has been named the PBA Press Corps-Pilipinas Live Player of the Week for the period of November 27 to December 1.

Quinto became one of the key factors why the Bolts paraded a 2-0 start in the Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup. He stepped up despite having a persistent knee injury and a string of absences within Meralco’s roster.

“My mindset is to help the team as much as I can,” said Quinto.

Quinto averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists for the midseason conference which saw the Bolts prevail over the Phoenix Fuel Masters and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

In a thrilling 111-109 victory over Phoenix at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium last November 29, Quinto led Meralco by delivering 14 markers, while also pulling down five boards, and dishing out five dimes.

Two days later at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City, he recorded 20 points, four rebounds, and provided four assists in a 121-111 victory over Rain or Shine as import Akil Mitchell had to leave early because of a broken nose.

Fellow Bolts Chris Newsome and NorthPort Batang Pier’s Arvin Tolentino were also given strong consideration by members of the media who frequently covered the PBA beat.

Quinto has embraced his new role regardless of his nagging right knee as Meralco started the second conference without key players like Chris Banchero, Allein Maliksi, Brandon Bates, and rookie CJ Cansino.

“The first few games will dictate our conference,” the former Colegio de San Juan de Letran product said. “Our goal is to make the playoffs, and we’ll see what happens next.”

Meralco will look to log their third win against Terrafirma Dyip on Friday, December 6, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The San Miguel Beermen will open their PBA Commissioner’s Cup title defense against the Phoenix Fuel Masters on Tuesday, December 3, 7:30 PM at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

San Miguel will be parading returning-import Quincy Miller, who’s also their reinforcement in the East Asia Super League or EASL.

Miller already played in the league before when he suited up for Converge. Now playing for the powerhouse Beermen, he will continue to bring his versatility and scoring prowess.

Meanwhile, league’s eighth-time MVP June Mar Fajardo and reigning Finals MVP CJay Perez are going to lead the SMB’s local unit in their campaign to win the crown anew.

As they battle Phoenix tonight that’s searching for their first win of the conference, San Miguel will be depending on their championship pedigree to make a statement right away.

The combined forces of Miller and Beermen local unit will have a huge advantage if they start their campaign with a bang.

The Meralco Bolts defeated the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 121-111, in their virtually All-Filipino battle on Sunday night, December 1, at the Ynares Center, in Antipolo.

Chris Newsome put up a game-high 25 points, to go along with five rebounds, an assist, and a block to suffice the absence of Meralco import Akil Mitchell, who left the game just 11 seconds off the opening period because of a broken nose after being hit inadvertently by Keith Datu's elbow.

Despite losing Mitchel early, the Bolts managed to secure their second straight victory of the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup.

Meralco now joined Northport Batang Pier and guest team Hong Kong Eastern at the top of the standings with 2-0 slate after their physical match-up last night where 61 fouls combined were called.

Bong Quinto was named Best Player of the Game as he delivered 20 markers, shooting 50 percent from the field and nailing 10 of his 12 free throws. He also grabbed four boards.

Veterans Raymond Alamazan and Cliff Hodge registered double-double numbers. The former Letran standout produced 12 points and 16 rebounds, while Hodge got 11 markers and 11 boards.

Three more players scored in double digits for the Bolts. Jansen Rios, Norbert Torres, and Anjo Caram put up 16, 13, and 10 respectively.

Meanwhile, Rain or Shine also played without an import since their reinforcement Deon Thompson is still waiting for his papers to be cleared before he can finally suit up for the Elasto Painters.

Aside from Thompson, RoS also missed the services of Gian Mamuyac, who's out indefinitely after suffering a fractured right hand in a tune-up game against NorthPort last week.

Datu led the Elasto Painters in scoring with 17 points. He also added four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks to his numbers.

Jhonard Clarito registered a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, together with two assists, two steals, and a block in a losing effort.

Other RoS players who scored in double digits were Adrian Nocum (15), Leonard Santillan (14), Caelan Tiongson (12), and Andrei Carucat (12) who also dished off a game-high eight assists.

The Elasto Painters will try to bounce back against the Hong Kong Eastern on Wednesday, December 4, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, while the Bolts will be gunning for their third straight victory on Friday, December 6, also at NAS.

Both Magnolia and Converge are aiming to get their second win in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup when they face each other on Sunday, December 1, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

The Hotshots want to follow-up their 118-110 victory against the Blackwater Bossing last Wednesday, November 28, to have a 2-0 slate and have a share of the lead in the team standings.

Meanwhile, the FiberXers plan to get back on track after suffering a 106-117 loss in the hands of the guest team Hong Kong Eastern last Friday night, November 29, to have a 1-1 win-loss record.

According to Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero, the loss of Converge makes their opponent more dangerous especially since they are a young team.

"They are a dangerous team for us kasi ano 'yan, mga bata, eh," Victolero said.

"The way they played last night, very aggressive. Kumbaga 'yung sistema nila parang run-and-gun, eh. So I think we need to be more sharp on our execution sa depensa," added the 49-year-old mentor.

"Plus, we need to be more aggressive sa rebounds, especially 'yung import nila maraming nakukuhang offensive rebounds. And then their young guys, (Alec) Stockton, (Schonny) Winston, (Jordan) Heading, (Justin) Arana, very aggressive," Victolero explained.

"So I think it would also be a test nu'ng transition defense namin. 'Yung opensa naman namin, we need to keep executing lang para hindi kami matakbuhan. Naghihintay kasi sila ng transition points, fastbreak points."

The Hotshots might have a bigger advantage if Calvin Abueva is going to play as he can cope up with the running game of Converge but he will not be suiting up for Magnolia because of the neck injury he sustained in their last game.

"He's a big factor, pero there are other guys who can step up naman," said Victolero of Abueva. "The energy na ibinibigay ni Calvin, plus the fact na 'yung rebounding niya, hustle, 'yun 'yung mga ma-mi-miss namin. Pero I told the other guys na they need to step up, especially those na ka-posisyon niya."

Besides the local unit of the FiberXers, another weapon that the Hotshots need to silence is Converge import Cheick Diallo who scored 43 points and grabbed nine rebounds in their recent loss.

However, the one-time Coach of the Year believes that the Hotshots can overcome the obstacles they are facing specially that they have their ever-reliable reinforcement Ricardo Ratfliffe who answered the goal in their conference-opener with his 30 points and 18 rebounds.

Hong Kong Eastern started their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 49 Commissioner's Cup campaign with a victory against the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 102-87, on Wednesday, November 27, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

HK Eastern already showed poise from the start of the game until the very end to secure the victory in their first ever game in the first play-for-pay league in Asia.

At the half, the guest team just had a slim 49-45 lead but their hot shooting extended their lead to 77-65 at the end of the third quarter.

The Fuel Masters tried to trim down the lead but they couldn't get over the three-point barrier as the HK Eastern always had an answer to their run.

Eastern import Cameron Clark, who played for San Miguel and NLEX before, led the Hong Kong team with 25 points, 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.

Former Bay Area Dragons player Hayden Blankley put up 18 markers, eight rebounds, five assists, and three blocks to be named as the Player of the Game.

"We are happy to join the PBA. Actually, we are not the same [because] I saw some comments that we are like Bay Area 2.0. We are not. We are a really pure Hong Kong team with some additional power," according to Eastern coach Mensur Bajramovic.

"For us, it means a lot but of course, we need to adjust because this is our first experience here,” Bajramovic added.

Another former Dragons Glen Yang and Kobey Lam also contributed significant numbers in their win. Yang tallied 13 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and two steals, while Lam added eight markers, three boards, and three dimes.

Meanwhile, Phoenix only shot 2-of-13 from the three-point arc and also committed more turnovers (23) than assists (17).

Fuel Masters import Donovan Smith led the team with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and two steals in a losing effort, while Jason Perkins who had a lot of physical encounters with Clark added 22 markers, five boards, four assists, and two steals.

The Scores:

Eastern 102 – Clark 25, Blankley 18, Yang 13, Cheung 11, Lam 8, Cao 8, Xu 8, Guinchard 5, Leung 3, Chan 3, Sulaiman 0, Pok 0.

Phoenix 87 – Smith 33, Perkins 22, Rivero 10, Alejandro 8, Tuffin 4, Garcia 3, Ballungay 2, Manganti 2, Tio 2, Jazul 1, Camacho 0, Daves 0, Ular 0, Muyang 0, Verano 0.

Quarter Scores: 23-14, 49-45, 77-65, 102-87.

The Converge FiberXers dominated Terrafirma Dyip, 116-87, to start their PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup campaign with a convincing victory on Wednesday, November 27, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City

Converge relied heavily on their defense from the get go until the end of the game.

FiberXers frontcourt duo of mainstay Justin Arana and first-time PBA import Cheick Diallo led the charge in grabbing a 23-10 lead with 2:52 left in the opening frame.

They remained consistent in the second quarter where Schonny Winston showcased his rebound prowess to help Converge erect a 59-42 lead at the half.

The FiberXers held on to the lead in the third canto and never looked back until the final buzzer.

Diallo led the team with his all-around performance producing 25 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a block.

Arana also tallied a double-double of 16 markers and 12 boards, while Bryan Santos contributed 12.

Mike Nieto was named Best Player of the Game as he manufactured 11 points built on 3-of-4 shooting from the three-point area, to go along with two rebounds and a dime.

According to Converge head coach Franco Atienza, he's contended about the result of the game that they played.

“More than the win, we look at the process, we look at how we played today. It’s just a good overall game for us,” said Atienza.

The FiberXers will be going for back-to-back wins when they return to the hardcourt against Hong Kong Eastern for an early solo lead of the teams standings on Friday, November 29, 7:30 PM at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Scores:

Converge 116 – Diallo 25, Arana 16, Santos 12, Nieto 11, Heading 8, Winston 7, Stockton 7, Ambohot 6, Fleming 6, Andrade 5, Racal 5, Fornilos 3, Javillonar 3, Santos 2, Cabagnot 0.

Terrafirma 87– Catapusan 13, Sangalang 11, Pringle 11, Nonoy 11, Richards 10, Carino 8, Hernandez 6, Ramos 5, Melecio 4, Paraiso 3, Ferrer 3, Zaldivar 2, Hanapi 2.

Quarter Scores: 34-16, 59-42, 86-67, 116-87.

Jordan Heading’s debut was one of the highlights of the Philippine Basketball Association Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup opening.

The Converge FiberXers defeated the Terrafirma Dyip, 116-87, on Wednesday, November 27, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Heading finished the game with eight points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field, four rebounds, and six assists against three turnovers in 24 minutes, just enough to get a passing grade from Converge head coach Franco Atienza.

“So far, so good. We believe he played really well. He is slowly understanding what we want to do on both ends of the floor. I think for a first game, he exceeded our expectations,” said the FiberXers mentor about the 6-foot-2 sweet shooting guard.

The 28-year-old Filipino-Australian also shared his take about his team.

“I think as long as we keep moving in the right direction, in terms of our chemistry and in terms of playing for each other rather than playing for ourselves, I think the sky’s the limit for us,” Heading said.

“We got to build our chemistry out there. We got to figure out what each guy does well and carve out each other’s roles and be aware of that.”

Heading’s contribution in the game was also sufficient to supplement the all-around effort of Converge import Cheick Diallo who registered 25 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a block while only limiting his Terrafirma counterpart Ryan Richards to only 10 markers.

Justin Arana also produced double-double numbers for the FiberXers with 16 points, and 12 boards, with Bryan Santos adding 12 markers.

Mike Nieto was named Best Player of the Game as he contributed 11 points (nine coming from the rainbow country) on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, to go along with two rebounds and one dime.

Converge will be going for back-to-back wins when they face Hong Kong Eastern for the early solo lead of the teams standings on Friday, November 29, 7:30 PM at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Amiel Acido of the University of Santo Tomas has been named the Collegiate Press Corps (CPC) UAAP Player of the Week (POW) backed by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for the period of November 13 to 23.

Acido overcame Quentin Millora-Brown and Harold Alarcon of the University of the Philippines, along with teammate Mo Tounkara, and National University’s PJ Palacielo to earn the final POW award.

The 6-foot-4 rookie scored 14 points to go along with two rebounds, one assist, and one block in UST’s victory over the Adamson Soaring Falcons last week, steering the team to the semifinals for the first time in five years.

"I'm just thankful to those who guided me, especially the coaches, my teammates, and then the PTs. They are the reason why I am in this position. I am very thankful to them and I am also grateful for the blessings that have come to me and the opportunity given by Coach Pido," said Acido in Filipino.

"I am very happy not only for myself but also for the whole team. They have wanted to get back to the Final Four for a long time. My mindset from the very beginning is that when I'm given a chance, I'll do everything to contribute for them, and that's it, so that we can fulfill our goals as a team," he concluded.

Justin Brownlee, Kai Sotto, and Scottie Thompson showed brilliance in the Philippines 93-89 victory over New Zealand on Thursday night, November 21, at the Mall of Asia Arena, but Chris Newsome made the crucial plays and important stops in overcoming the Tall Blacks in their FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers encounter.

The six-foot-two Meralco star was key in limiting the New Zealand output as he played a major role in the defensive end.

Newsome made timely stops the whole game while also anchoring the offense together with Scottie Thompson.

And the most notable one was the dagger three he made in the crucial stage of the game to give the national team a seven-point lead.

The Philippine team was already up by four, 88-84, before the play happened.

With 6.1 seconds left in the shot clock, Thompson needed to find an open man during the inbound play, and Newsome was available to hit the triple and give Gilas the seven-point cushion with 1:09 remaining in the game.

The Season 48 Philippine Cup Finals MVP finished with 11 points, four rebounds, and two steals. He also had a +15 in his efficiency.

Newsome's sparkling performance reminded the Filipino community of the young Gabe Norwood, who also did the dirty work during his tenure with Gilas.

Just like what Norwood did while wearing the national colors, Newsome is set to make a major impact in Gilas Pilipinas’s future international competitions.

Eleven years ago, Gilas Pilipinas broke the curse of Korea at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Last night, the basketball national team broke another curse in the same venue when they defeated New Zealand for the very first time after losing their first four battles.

Gilas got the 83-79 victory behind the heroics of Justin Brownlee, Kai Sotto, Scottie Thompson, Chris Newsome, and Dwight Ramos.

Brownlee produced double-double numbers. He tallied game highs of 26 points and 11 rebounds, together with four assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Sotto also had a double-double of 19 markers and 10 boards, together with an impressive seven assists, one deflection, and two rejections, which included the one that sealed the game for Gilas.

Thompson showed brilliance in facilitating the offense of the team while also producing 11 points with four rebounds and six assists that included his inbound pass going to Newsome, who hit the dagger three and gave a seven-point lead for the national squad with 1:09 left remaining in the game.

Newsome finished with 11 markers, four boards, three assists, and two steals, while being the catalyst of Gilas defense.

Another important figure in Gilas's win is the composure of Dwight Ramos, who produced 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists without committing any turnovers.

On the other hand, Cory Webster led the Tall Blacks with 19 markers, while former Converge import Thomas Vodanich and Sam Waardenburg contributed 19 in a losing effort.

Gilas Pilipinas is now leading Group B of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers with a 3-0 slate. They can furthermore hold on to that group leadership if they beat Hong Kong on Sunday, November 24, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Scores:

Gilas Pilipinas (93) -- Brownlee 26, Sotto 19, Thompson 12, Newsome 11, Ramos 11, Fajardo 6, Perez 3, Oftana 3, Tamayo 2, Aguilar 0.

New Zealand (89) -- Webster 25, Vodanovich 19, Waardenburg 19, Britt 8, Le'afa 6, Brown 5, Harris 3, Cameron 2, Harrison 2.

Quarter Scores: 20-22; 45-45; 72-63; 93-89.

The North Division champions Pampanga Giant Lanterns will battle it out against the South Division titleist Quezon Huskers in the first-ever Finals to be held in Dubai, UAE.

Game 1 of the best-of-five Finals series will begin on December 1 at the Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdam Indoor in Dubai at 7:00 PM Gulf Standard Time (11:00 PM Philippine Time), while Game 2 will be on December 3, same tip-off time at the same venue.

Pampanga only finished second spot in the North Division after the elimination round but swept the playoffs before entering the National Finals, while Quezon finished the South Division as the top seed but had a little scare when they lost Game 2 of their division finals.

During the playoffs, Pampanga averaged 79.3 points, 55.5 rebounds, 21.8 assists, 7.5 steals, and 4.3 blocks in six games, while Quezon averaged 75.1 markers, 44.1 boards, 20.0 dimes, 7.6 deflections, and 2.9 rejections in seven games.

If the numbers are to be looked at, they almost produced the same outputs except that the Giant Lanterns dominated the rebounding department but they turned the ball over more than 14 times in a game which the Huskers could capitalize.

Beside the championship match-up, there will also be an exhibition game featuring MPBL Founder and CEO Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao’s team will face off against a local all-star lineup from Dubai.

Game 3 of the series will be on December 7, 7:00 PM at the Bren Z. Guiao Sports Complex and Convention Center in Pampanga.

If necessary, Game 4 will be held on December 10 at the Quezon Convention Center, while Game 5 will be on December 13, once again in Pampanga.

The Gilas Pilipinas announced on Wednesday night the 12-man roster that will compete in their Thursday encounter against New Zealand for the second window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Qualifiers.

Headlining the line-up is the eight-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo, together with the six-time champion Justin Brownlee, who will once again don the Philippine colors as the naturalized player.

Japan B.League's Kai Sotto who has given a go signal after undergoing concussion protocol will be suiting up against the Kiwis.

They will be joined by Ginebra's Scottie Thompson and Japeth Aguilar, and TNT stand out Calvin Oftana. The three will wear the Red, White, and Blue together after their six-game battle in the recently concluded Governors' Cup Finals.

Meralco's team captain Chris Newsome will be part of the 12-man team, alongside Fajardo's SMB teammate CJ Perez. The three will be together this time after their Philippine Cup encounter last season where Newsome was named Finals MVP.

Levanga Hokkaido's Filipino-import Dwight Ramos will also be part of the squad, together with the youngsters, UAAP Season 86 MVP Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, and Mason Amos to complete the list.

AJ Edu, Jamie Malonzo, and Ange Kouame are part of the 15-man pool, but injuries to the first two kept them out of the roster.

Meanwhile, Kouame is a naturalized player and can only take Brownlee’s spot in the team.

The same Final 12 will likely be utilized against the Hong Kong team on November 24.

At 7:30 p.m. tonight, Gilas begins their second window run against the Tall Blacks at the Mall of Asia Arena. 

Daniel Gafford showed brilliance on both sides of the floor to lead the Dallas Mavericks win over the San Antonio Spurs, 110-93, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

Gafford poured in a season-high 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting off the bench, together with seven rebounds including three crucial offensive boards, three blocks, an assist, and a steal to help the Mavs break a four-game losing skid.

After the win, Dallas improved its record to 6-7.

“It feels good from the shots that were previously falling whenever I get around the basket,” Gafford said. “The main thing is just whenever (the ball) gets in my hands, have patience and figure out ways that I can score or help somebody else score.”

Gafford only played 18 minutes but had a +13 when he's in the floor and explained that he simply wanted to add some physicality to his game against the Spurs.

“I feel like I haven’t been doing that these first few games. I felt like I’ve lacked in that area."

“So, being able to do something like that and just rebound a lot better is something that I’m trying to hold myself accountable for just to help the team out.”

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said that the performance by Gafford was great on both ends of the floor as it changed the pace of the game.

“I thought he was great on both ends — defense and offense,” Kidd said. “His ability to change high screens on the ball, and offensively we played through him in the post and he delivered. I thought he was really, really good.”

“I thought his energy, too, was high for us the whole game. Again, we need that, especially coming off the bench.”

During one stretch in the third quarter when the Mavs were separating themselves from the Spurs, Gafford scored eight consecutive points, including throwing down a power dunk over Zach Collins.

“He barely misses,” Luka Dončić said of Gafford. “He was everywhere on the court – offense, defense, on the glass. So, that’s what we need from him every game.”

Gafford pointed out that the Mavs went through him during several offensive sequences.

“I just feel like I can build on it,” he said. “Just really just having patience.”

“I appreciate them for having the faith in me and putting me in that position, and I feel like I actually got the job done there.”

Dallas will next face the New Orleans Pelicans at home on Tuesday, November 19.

San Miguel is considering Quincy Miller as one of their options to reinforce them in the upcoming PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.

Miller showed brilliance in the Beermen’s loss against Taoyuan Pilots in the continuation of the East Asia Super League (EASL) Home and Away Season 2 last Wednesday, November 13, at the Philsports Arena.

The Baylor University product produced 32 points in the loss on 3-of-5 shooting from downtown – a better output than his debut game last month against Suwon KT Sonicboom in the opening of the regional meet as he only chipped-in eight points on 2-of-12 shooting.

Their Wednesday game caught the attention of the SMB coaches but it was not an assurance that he will be picked by the ball club to be their import in the Commissioner's Cup.

"Maybe, maybe not," said SMB deputy Peter Martin of Miller’s status as the import of the squad in the upcoming conference.

“Compared to the first game, he (Miller) showed up and we found him,” added Martin.

Miller is already familiar with the PBA brand of play as he already reinforced teams before in the said conference. He was an import for Converge in 2022 and TNT in 2023.

However, SMB is still looking at all the options available before they decide as they can also maximize the conference innovation which now features reinforcements of unlimited height.

San Miguel is also thinking of bringing back their last year's reinforcement Bennie Boatwright once he fully gets healed from his Achilles surgery.

Boatwright led the Beermen to the Promised Land last year while averaging 30.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in the 13 games that he played.

National University avenged their last season loss over De La Salle University, 72-63, in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, November 13, at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The Lady Bulldog’s victory turned out to be sweeter than usual as they finally banished the ghost of their past, avenging their devastating defeat in the hands of the Lady Archers at the same UST venue on November 23, 2022.

Far Eastern University is the lone team standing in the way of NU’s elimination round sweep. 

If the Lady Bulldogs win, it will be their first since Season 82 in 2019, but it would be their seventh elimination round sweep in nine seasons.

"We're happy that what happened before didn't occur. Same venue, I just don't remember if it's the same jersey color, but I'm really happy because we weren't really making our shots from the outside," Lady Bulldogs head coach Aris Dimaunahan said.

"Every time we play here, we cannot find our mark in terms of shooting from beyond the arc, but there were times when we needed it the most, we shot," added the former Blackwater head coach as NU shot just 8-of -35 from deep.

San Miguel Beermen and Meralco Bolts will be returning to action when they face the visiting teams from Chinese Taipei and South Korea in the East Asia Super League (EASL) Season 2 tonight at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.

The Beermen will try to get their first win of the tournament and try to redeem themselves from their opening day loss when they battle the Taoyuan Pilots of the P.League+ at 6:10 p.m.

San Miguel will continue to parade the import tandem of EJ Anosike and Quincy Miller.

Anosike, who led SMB to the semi-final round of the recently concluded PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup but lost to Barangay Ginebra, will try to lead their team once again just like what he did in their opening match-up against Suwon KT Sonicboom where he scored a team-high 34 points.

Miller, on the other hand, will try to redeem himself as he only produced eight points on 16 percent shooting from the field.

It will be another big task for the Beermen reinforcements as they will be confronted by Pilot's 7-foot import Alec Brown, who was a second round pick of the Phoenix Suns during the 2015 NBA draft, and former Trevon Graham, who played for Charlotte, Brooklyn, Minnesota, and Atlanta.

Meanwhile, the Bolts will take on the reigning Korean Basketball League champion Busan KCC Egis at 8:10 p.m.

Meralco will also exhibit a new import in Akil Mitchell as replacement for the well-loved Allen Durham.

The 36-year-old Durham decided to retire from playing after the Bolts lost to his former team Ryukyu Golden Kings on the road, 77-74.

Durham led Meralco to a quarterfinal finish in the Governors' Cup but was swept by Ginebra. He also helped the Bolts win their first assignment against the Macau Black Bears in the EASL together with fellow import DJ Kennedy but lost their second match on the road.

Now that they are back at home, Meralco is expected to form a formidable frontcourt of the 6-foot-9 Mitchell and 6-foot-6 Kennedy, together with naturalized player Ange Kouame and veteran center Raymond Almazan.

The Bolts’ towers will be a tough fortress to deal with for the Busan team as they try to enter the win column in their second game of the season.

Former NBA player Deonte Burton reinforces the KBL champions along with Leon Williams.

The 2018 KBL Import MVP, Burton dropped 35 points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists in a 111-97 loss to the Black Bears in Macau last week.

Finally, Filipino-Australian sharpshooting guard Jordan Heading will bring his talent in the Philippine Basketball Association.

Heading will debut in the Season 49 Commissioner's Cup as he was acquired by Converge FiberXers via trade.

The 6-foot-2 guard was traded for Terrafirma Dyip's Aljun Melecio, Keith Zaldivar, and their future first round pick in PBA Season 51 Rookie Draft.

According to Converge assistant coach Charles Tiu, he's excited to reunite with Heading, who also became his player in international competition, including their SGA journey where they get the gold medal in the 43rd William Jones Cup.

“It feels great to be reunited with Jordan,” said Tiu in one interview.

“He’s been one of my go-to guys with Strong Group, especially during our campaigns in Dubai and the Jones Cup. Having him on the team brings a lot of confidence—he knows what it takes to win and how to make big plays when it matters,” Tiu added.

“After the Jones Cup, I was talking to him about how much I wanted to work with him again.”

“Big credit to our management and Gov. Archen Cayabyab for making the deal happen. They put in the work to bring Jordan here, and we’re all thrilled to have him join Converge,” Tiu ended.

Heading was the first overall pick of the Gilas special draft in 2020.

However, he chose to play overseas and became part of the T1 club Taiching Wagor in the 2021-22 season before coming into the B. League and later on at Nagasaki.

Meanwhile, Melecio was one of the players that former FiberXers Aldin Ayo acquired via trade and he played for Converge for two years. 

On the other hand, Zaldivar was acquired through free agency last year.

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.