Blackwater Bossing let two of its prized players explode into double-double performances to pick up a much-needed second win against Phoenix Super LPG in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup.

George King led a regal performance of 44 points, while Sedrick Barefield added 32 more markers to give Blackwater the dub Tuesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

After delivering a 33-point, 19-rebound performance in his PBA debut against Barangay Ginebra last Frida, King made another impactful game as he exploded for his second double-double scoring 44 and grabbing 13 boards for the Bossing, which lead as much as 19.

The local unit of Blackwater was led again by their top rookie Sedrick Barefield who hit a three-pointer at the final 1:10 mark of the game to seal the win for the Bossing, and marked the victory with another ‘night night’ gesture.

RK Ilagan and Troy Rosario helped out also in the offensive end, scoring 14 and 12 respectively. Ilagan also added five boards and the same number of dimes to his name.

"We knew that their new import was gonna come in and give them some life, give them some motivation, the same way George did for us. So we were expecting them to be ready and be good and they were," said Blackwater coach Jeffrey Cariaso.

"I think what happened there was, also George King," Cariaso pointed out. "You know, him stepping up and matching not just the points and all the numbers that Francis brought, but he matched the energy, he matched the defending and all the things we talked about at practice as part of our team."

On the Phoenix side, debuting import Brandone Francis made an impact immediately for the team as he registered 45 points, together with 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Jason Perkins led the Fuel Masters locals with his conference-best 29 points on top of eight boards but there were no other players from the team who scored white than eight points.

The University of the Philippines will be left with a significant hole when the UAAP Season 87 begins with one of their top guns set to miss out the entire women’s basketball tournament.

Reigning Rookie of the Year Favour Onoh will sit out her supposed sophomore season as she continues to recover from injuries to both knees. 

The UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development confirmed the development on Tuesday, September 3, signifying that they are keeping an eye on Onoh’s complete recovery instead of constraining her to join the team in pursuit to end a four-decade title drought.

The Fighting Maroons hoped Onoh’s return would have been possible even in the later schedule, but their camp ultimately decided to do what’s best for the young hooper’s career.

“We don’t want to insist on putting her in the line up, then if she is not at full-strength, her one playing year would only be wasted,” said head coach Paul Ramos.

Last season, the 6-foot-4 Nigerian center displayed an outstanding debut tallying impressive per-game statistics of 11 points, 14.9 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 assists per game. 

The Diliman-based female hoopers will now look to key players like Achrissa Maw and Shanina Tapawan to hold down the fort with Kaye Pesquera, Christie Bariquit, and Filipino-Australian Alex Mendoza also joining in the roster. 

On the other hand, Gilas Women Camille Nolasco and Louna Ozar have been cleared from their national duties and will be ready for action right away.

With Onoh sidelined, the Fighting Maroons are determined to replicate their Season 86 magic without their top anchor and are dead set on making another breakthrough in the UAAP. 

Phoenix Fuel Masters tapped the services of the dead-shot wingman from the Dominican Republic Brandone Francis to be their replacement import in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup.

Francis will begin his PBA journey when Phoenix faces the George King and the Blackwater Bossing on September 3 in the first game of the doubleheader at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The longtime import for Prawira Harum Bandung in the Indonesia Basketball League or IBL who helped the team win a title last year, will replace Jayveous McKinnis as the Fuel Masters reinforcement.

Supposedly, Le’Bryan Nash will be the one to replace McKinnis but he was ruled ineligible as he went over the 6-foot-6 height limit. He was measured 6’6” ⅜ by the league.

Francis in town was listed 6-foot-4 in the IBL, the reason why Phoenix team is confident that he will make the cut even though he will just be measured at the PBA office a few hours before their 5:00 pm game.

The new import might be familiar with some of the PBA’s current young guns as the now 29-year-old Dominican guard played against Gilas Pilipinas in the 2021 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Serbia.

Now, the Dominican Republic men’s team stalwart is joining a Fuel Masters side hoping to get its first win of the conference as it is currently 0-3 in Group B.

Meralco Bolts bank on a huge third-quarter tear to rip NorthPort Batang Pier, 109-99, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Sunday night, September 1.

Import Allen Durham hulked a near triple-double performance spiked by his 19 of his game-high 34 points in the third quarter where the Bolts pulled away from the Batang Pier for good. He added 15 rebounds and nine assists to lead Meralco in a joint Group A lead with TNT Tropang Texters at 3-1.

Chris Banchero put up 23, Bong Quinto chipped in 18, including a team-leading 14 in the first half, while Anjo Caram contributed 10, all in the third canto.

On the defensive end, the Bolts limited Arvin Tolentino to 21 after exploding for a career-high 51 in their last game in a follow-up to a near triple double in a previous outing.

The Bolts also did a good job on NorthPort import Venky Jois whom they bounded to just six points, five rebounds and three assists with two turnovers.

William Navarro and Joshua Munzon contributed 18 and 16, respectively for the Batang Pier who fell to an even 2-2 record as their two-game winning run was snapped.

Jerrick Ahanmisi scored a career-best 24 points to lead the Magnolia Hotshots’ overwhelming win over Terrafirma Dyip, 124-104, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Magnolia went back to their identity as a defensive team and even led as much as 60-22 in the second quarter.

Ahanmisi's career game was highlighted by his four 4-pointers and two 3-pointers, where his 10 of 24 markers in the second period fueled their breakaway to erect a 63-32 lead at the half.

Before Ahanmisi’s explosion, Hotshots import Glenn Robinson III made his presence felt early in the game and finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds despite dealing with food poisoning on the eve of the match.

Zavier Lucero, Ian Sangalang, Paul Lee and Joseph Eriobu each finished with at least 12 markers to back up Ahanmi’s impressive performance.

The performance pleased Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero even though the Hotshots seemed to relax in the second half where they allowed the Dyip to score more than 30 per quarter.

"I told them before, in our preparations, that all our failures, 'our setbacks, what is important is on how we bounce back," said Victolero.

We did very well. We started very strong, we played on our pace and I think we got to dictate our defense right away and it impacted the whole team," he added.

"Maybe we just relaxed a little bit that’s that's why they scored more than 30 points per quarter in the second half," Victolero ended.

On the other hand, Stanley Pringle scored 23 markers for Terrafirma while fellow former Barangay Ginebra player Christian Standhardinger had his best game for his new team producing 22 points and 12 rebounds.

Unfortunately for the Dyip, Juami Tiongson, Kemark Carino and Antonio Hester suffered injuries that kept them out of action in the entire second half.

Rookie Paolo Hernandez tried to fill the slack for the three as he recorded his own career-high 18 points anchored on a 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc, but not enough to match the balance attack of the Hotshots.

The Scores :

MAGNOLIA 124 - Ahanmisi 24, Robinson III 20, Lucero 15, Sangalang 14, Lee 13, Eriobu 12, Balanza 7, Barroca 6, Laput 6, Dionisio 4, Abueva 3, Mendoza 0, Reavis 0, Dela Rosa 0, Alfaro 0.

TERRAFIRMA 103 - Pringle 23, Standhardinger 22, Hernandez 18, Sangalang 9, Ramos 9, Ferrer 7, Hanapi 7, Cahilig 6, Hester 2, Tiongson 0, Olivario 0, Carino 0.

QUARTERS: 34-13, 63-32, 86-64, 124-103.

NLEX dug deep and drew extra mileage from its support crew to beat San Miguel in overtime, 122-108, at the Aquilino Pimentel International Convention Center in Cagayan De Oro City on Saturday night, August 31.

The Road Warriors claimed their third win in four outings after relying on clutch plays from their shock troopers together with their import Myke Henry and top star Robert Bolick.

Henry still delivered his usual numbers by producing 33 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks while Bolick added 20 markers including two crucial free throws that led to a four-point cushion to the last 13.8 seconds of the extra period.

But the shock troopers provided the big difference in NLEX bounce back win after succumbing to Rain or Shine, 105-124, in their last outing. The Road Warriors now improved to 3-1 in the standings.

Mike Miranda, more known as an enforcer, contributed 17 points and showcased his long-range shooting skills especially in the fourth quarter when hit a pair of three-pointers, including a four-ball that gave the Road Warriors a 96-93 cushion, with 2:16 left in the fourth.

Jonnel Policarpo added 12 points, while Jhan Nermal produced 10 and started the OT with a clutch three-point play off a foul from Marcio Lassiter.

Richie Rodger only had six points but he made his last two field goals in overtime where he had a couple of getaway layups, while Robbie Herdon chipped in 10 including a triple that led to a 110-106 advantage with 28.2 seconds remaining in the game.

SMB pulled back to within two on June Mar Fajardo's undergoal stab but Bolick brought back up to four from the stripe.

The Beermen tried to send it to a second OT but back-to-back misses from the four-point arc by CJ Perez and Chris Ross in the final 13.8 ticks enabled NLEX to complete what it failed to do back in regulation.

The Beermen, who got 36 from Jordan Adams, 29 from Perez and 19 from Fajardo, fell to back-to-back losses after a 2-0 start.

In a battle of two teams with contrasting playstyles, TNT Tropang Giga prevailed against Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, 88-82 on Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

TNT emerged victorious behind the near triple-double performance of import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who contributed 32 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists.

Hollis-Jefferson's performance was highlighted by his three-pointer and a breakaway dunk from a steal in the homestretch of the game to help TNT bounce back from their sorry loss from their last game against Converge and regained the lead in Group A with a 3-1 record.

Jayson Castro and Poy Erram joined RHJ in a 10-0 run that pushed the Tropang Giga to an 88-80 lead, after finding themselves trailing by two points going to the final four minutes of play.

Using TNT’s signature threes to its advantage, Rondae knocked down one from beyond the arc to recapture the lead, 81-80, then stole Magnolia’s defensive identity when he closed the game with a winning fast break slam after deflecting the pass of Glenn Robinson III with 31.4 seconds remaining.

Arvin Tolentino scored his career-high 51 points in a romp made by NorthPort Batang Pier against Converge FiberXers, 135-109, on Thursday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Tolentino’s career-best broke the previous franchise record 50 points established by NorthPort’s former gunner Stanley Pringle during the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup.

It was also the last 51-point production in the league since Asi Taulava had the same score back in 2004 where TNT won over Purefoods, 131-105 during the Fiesta Cup.

According to PBA statistics chief Fidel Mangonon, Allan Caidic and Rudy Distrito were the last two homegrown players to hit more than 50 points. Caidic recorded a league-high 79 points on November 21, 1991 while Distrito scored 54 in Tivoli’s 162-149 over Ginebra.

Adding flavor to Tolentino’s career game was his 15-of-27 shooting from the field - 10-of-14 from two-point range and 5-of-10 from beyond the arc while nailing a perfect 16-of-16 from the stripes.

The First Mythical Team Member for the 48th Season breached the 50-point barrier with 2:01 left in the fourth on a jumper from the left wing, and was replaced shortly thereafter, receiving high fives from NorthPort coaches and players.

“I felt na maganda ang tinatakbo ng team especially on transition and on defense,” a teary-eyed Tolentino told reporters. Siguro na-suwerte lang na dumarating sa akin yung bola at nasu-shoot ko naman.”

The Season 48 Mythical Team member and former FEU star also credited his teammates for the feat, "It's a total team effort for us. Yeah, I scored 51 points but I also gave credit to my teammates who gave their best today. I think they deserved the spotlight also."

True enough, two of his teammates backed him up in offense and defense as Joshua Munzon tallied 19 points and five steals, while Jio Jalalon added 13 markers and two deflections.

Tolentino's hot shooting powered the Batang Pier to their second straight win for a 2-1 record in Group A.

Coach Bonnie Tan also noted how Tolentino's game has evolved since coming to the league in 2020.

"I'm happy with Arvin's career. For the past two games, he's not much of a scoring, but yung defense niya,yung assist department nag-i step up na si Arvin. Nag-e-evolve and nagma-mature na rin yung game niya," said Tan.

On the other hand, Scotty Hopson, who nailed a game-winning four against TNT last Tuesday, led the FiberXers with 24 points while Alec Stockton put up 19.

The scores:

NORTHPORT 135 – Tolentino 51, Munzon 19, Jalalon 13, Cuntapay 11, Navarro 10, Yu 6, Jois 6, Bulanadi 6, Nelle 5, Amores 4, Onwubere 2, Taha 2, Flores 0, Tratter 0.

CONVERGE 109 – Hopson 24, Stockton 19, Arana 16, Winston 16, Santos 12, Racal 8, Delos Santos 6, Nieto 4, Maagdenberg 2, Melecio 2, Cabagnot 0, Caralipio 0, Vigan-Fleming 0, Ambohot 0, Andrade 0.

Quarters: 38-24; 68-50; 100-77; 135-109.

Meralco Bolts regained its winning ways by giving Terrafirma Dyip their third straight loss of the PBA 49th Season Governors’ Cup, 107-91, on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Allen Durham led the way for the Bolts as he scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds while Bong Quinto added 22 to help the team have a 2-1 record in the conference while putting the Dyip to a 0-3 hole in the Group A standings.

Chris Banchero also contributed 17 markers while 16 for the rookie CJ Cansino and 12 for the veteran Allein Maliksi.

Meralco played without their team captain Chris Newsome, Aaron Black and Raymond Alamazan due to injuries.

Newsome was advised not to play yet in the game as he suffered an ankle injury last Sunday against TNT where Poy Erram accidentally fell on his feet.

Stanley Pringle led the Terrafirma in scoring with 19 points while Antonio Hester, who might have played his last game for the Dyip added 19.

Reports are rife Brandon Lee Edwards, who injured his knee before the season started last Aug. 18, is fit enough to see action for Terrafirma in its next game against Magnolia on Sunday.

The Bolts will also play their next assignment on Sunday as they face Converge FiberXers at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The Scores:

MERALCO 107 - Durham 23, Quinto 22, Bancgero 17, Cansino 16, Maliksi 12, Mendoza 5, Hodge 4, Caram 4, Torres 2, Pascual 2, Bates 0, Pasaol 0, Rios 0.

TERRAFIRMA 91 - Pringle 19, Hester 18, Hernandez 15, Tiongson 9, Standhardinger 9, Sangalang 7, Carino 7, Carino 4, Ferrer 4, Cahilig 3, Hanapi 3, Olivario 0.

QUARTERS: 31-19, 56-43, 79-67, 107-91

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters wiped out an early 21-point deficit to pummel the NLEX Road Warriors, 124-105, on Wednesday night and became the lone undefeated team in the PBA 49th Season Governors’ Cup.

The Elasto Painters fell behind early, 45-24, but managed to still take the lead at the half 58-54 on their way to a 19-point victory at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

Rain or Shine fell behind, 40-24, at the end of the first quarter and went on an 18-0 run at one point in the second quarter to turn it around and finished the game with a convincing victory.

“Nagpasensya lang kami,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao. “We just tried to recover from the shock - 40-point quarter, they were making all of their threes. Medyo nakakabigla ‘yung first quarter, pero sabi namin, let’s just weather our storm and play our game.”

Season 48 Most Improved Player Jhonard Clarito led the Elasto Painters with 24 points on 9-of-9 shooting from the field. He also had three rebounds, four assists and five steals.

Gian Mamuyac added 22 markers and six dimes for ROS while import Aaron Fuller still showed his dominance in the paint by scoring 21 points and grabbing 20 rebounds.

Two more ROS players tallied double figures in scoring: Andrei Caracut scored 17 together with his four rebounds and seven assists, while 10 markers were chipped in by rookie Caelan Tiongson, who also defended the Road Warriors import Mark Henry to his lowest output of the tournament of 21 points and forced him to be in foul trouble.

"Maganda ang start ni (NLEX import Myke) Henry, buti na foul-trouble. And Caelan Tiongson did a good job shutting him down, the same way that he did against Justin Brownlee," said Guiao on the play of his prized rookie.

“We were also able to contain Bolick although marami pa rin siya ginawa but he was not as dominant as he usually will be,” Guiao added.

Robert Bolick had 22 points, four rebounds, and seven assists while Richie Rodger added 16 points for NLEX.

 

The scores:

Rain or Shine 124 – Clarito 24, Mamuyac 22, Fuller 21, Caracut 17, Tiongson 10, Lemetti 9, Datu 6, Santillan 3, Nocum 3, Asistio 3, Escandor 3, Ildefonso 2, Norwood 1, Villegas 0, Belga 0.

NLEX 105 – Bolick 22, Henry 21, Rodger 16, Miranda 15, Policarpio 13, Fajardo 9, Amer 6, Nieto 3, Valdez 0, Semerad 0, Marcelo 0, Herndon 0.

Quarters: 24-40; 58-54; 91-83; 124-105.

Scotty Hopson became “too hotty” in the game as he hit the first ever 4-point game winner in the PBA to cap off his 32-point game performance.

Hopson knocked down the 4-pointer with 4.8 seconds remaining in the game to lift Converge FiberXers to a 96-95 squeaker against TNT Tropang Giga after trailing as much as 16 points in the game.

The Converge import completed his heroics in the defensive end as he blocked the driving Rondae Hollis-Jefferson just before the final buzzer went off.

Converge improved to 2-1 as they dealt TNT their first loss of the conference after three matches.

The FiberXers were still down by three, 95-92, after Hollis-Jefferson knocked down the game’s last four free throws, including a pair with only 9.6 seconds left in the contest.

Converge interim head coach Franco Atienza said that they intended to take the four-point shot in their final possession as they have someone who can shoot from that distance.

True enough, Hopson made the historic game-winning shot after he got enough space to launch a shot off the screen given by Bryan Santos against Glenn Khobuntin.

Hopson, who also grabbed 10 rebounds and four assists said that, "In situations like that, I get real calm and let my instincts take over. I've made shots like that my whole career, in terms of game-winners. This was just another one that went in and... thank God I put all those hours in by myself on the court when nobody's watching."

Schonny Winston led the Converge locals with 14 markers, seven boards, two dimes and two deflections while Justin Arana added 13 points and seven rebounds.

On the TNT side, RHJ had 32 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blacks to lead the Tropang Giga while Calvin Oftana added 22 points and 10 rebounds.

The scores:

Converge 96 – Hopson 32, Winston 14, Arana 13, Racal 12, Cabagnot 10, Stockton 8, Santos 5, Delos Santos 2, Caralipio 0, Nieto 0, Andrade 0, Ambohot 0.

TNT 95 – Hollis-Jefferson 32, Oftana 22, Castro 8, Aurin 7, Khobuntin 7, Nambatac 6, Heruela 5, Erram 5, Pogoy 3, Payawal 0.

QUARTERS: 16-29, 40-53, 64-70, 96-95

Justin Brownlee may have erased doubters by setting a new career high in his stint with Asia’s first and oldest pay-for-play league.

The 36-year-old floor general erupted for 51 points to set his new career high in the PBA, leading Ginebra and snapping the resurgence of the San Miguel Beermen in the 49th Season Governors’ Cup, 108-102 on Tuesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Brownlee took over in the second half in the second half of play, especially in the fourth quarter where the Gin Kings outscored the Beermen 34-23 to have a better grasp of the victory.

The 3-time best import sealed the game with a win-sealing layup to give Ginebra its first win of the new season after dropping their first game against Rain or Shine in Candon, Ilocos Sur.

Brownlee also added 13 rebounds, six steals and five assists as he bounced back from his flat performance in their out-of-town game last Saturday.

Japeth Aguilar led the local unit in scoring as he dropped 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field while rookie RJ Abarrientos redeemed himself from his 1-of-15 shooting in his PBA debut game by scoring 13 points on 5-of-12 from the field to go with five assists.

SMB import Jordan Adams who scored 50 points in their last game, led the Beermen in scoring with 23 (15 in the 1st half). Four local players also scored in double-digit for San Miguel with June Mar Fajardo contributing 17, CJ Perez 14, Terrence Romeo 13 and Jeron Teng 12.

It was a close battle between the two teams as they closed the first quarter with 24-all, and closed the half with 46-all deadlock.

The Beermen took the lead at the end of the third period 79-74 behind Teng’s 12 points and Romeo adding seven while the whole team hit 66-percent from the field against the Gin Kings 47.4 percent.

But in the fourth and final period, Ginebra made their counter attack including the two consecutive baskets made by Aguilar to tie the game at 102, and added six more to finally seal the game.

The Scores:

GINEBRA 108 - Brownlee 51, J.Aguilar 21, Abarrientos 13, Thompson 7, Holt 5, Ahanmisi 4, Go 4, Tenorio 3, Cu 0, Adamos 0, Garcia 0.

SAN MIGUEL 102 - Adams 23, Fajardo 17, Perez 14, Romeo 13, Teng 12, Ross 5, Rosales 4, Trollano 4, Cruz 4, Manuel 4, Tautuaa 2, Lassiter 0.

QUARTERS: , 24-24, 46-46, 74-79, 108-102

San Miguel hopes to continue their hot start in the PBA 49th Season Governors’ Cup when they face the 0-1 Barangay Ginebra at the main game of the Tuesday double-header on August 27, 7:30 p.m. at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

SMB won their first two assignments - the first one was a toe-to-toe battle against Phoenix Fuel Masters which the Beermen won 111-107 off June Mar Fajardo’s 37 point-24 rebound performance. CJ Perez also added 21 including the four-point dagger with 56 seconds left in the game.

Then, the Beermen won a convincing 128-108 victory against Blackwater Bossing led by their import Jordan Adams who scored 50 points. The Bosing even had a seven-point lead entering the halftime break (63-56) before SMB outscored them in the third period, 38-20 to seize control of the game and end the quarter with 94-83 lead.

The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on the other hand will try to notch their first win of the conference after bowing down to Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 73-64 on the first PBA on Tour of the season held in at the Candon City Arena in Candon, Ilocos Sur last Saturday, August 24.

Japeth Aguilar led the Gin Kings with 20 markers while Justine Brownlee added 18. Debuting Gin Kings from the off-season trade, Stephen Holt has 13 points while No. 3 pick overall RJ Abarrientos netted only three points on 1-of-15 shooting from the field.

Having a rich history of ‘sibling rivalry’, the Beermen and Gin Kings collision at the Big Dome will be another treat for the PBA faithfuls.

TNT Tropang Giga will try to stay on top of Group A in the PBA 49th Season Governors’ Cup as they face Converge FiberXers on August 27, Tuesday, 5 p.m. at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The defending champions won their first two games of the conference behind the spectacular plays of last year’s best import of the conference, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who tallied 32 points, 10 rebounds, five assist, and four steals in their first game where they defeated the NorthPort Batang Pier 101.95

Hollis-Jefferson then followed it up with a nearly triple double performance as he tallied 25 markers (14 in the 3rd period), 12 boards, and eight dimes in a blowout game against Meralco Bolts, 93-73.

On the other hand, Converge will try to get back on track as they split their first two games.

The FiberXers won their opening game with a big win against Terrafirma, 127-95 behind import Scotty Hopson’s explosive game who scored 46 points, and also shot 3-of-3 from the four-point line. Alec Stockton also added 21.

Hopson was only limited to 26 points while Stockton to three when they bowed down to Magnolia Hotshots 105-93 in their second assignment.

Meanwhile, San Miguel Beermen will also try to have a 3-0 record when they battle the 0-1 Barangay Ginebra at 7:30 p.m.

PBA Champions San Miguel Beermen and Meralco Bolts will banner the Home-and-Away Season 2 of the EASL season opener on October 2 at the Mall of Asia arena.

Reigning PBA Commissioner’s Cup Champions San Miguel will be going against the Korean Basketball League (KBL) runner-up Suwon KT Sonicboom, while Philippine Cup champs Meralco will face the new team Macau Black Bears as the league opens its season on Philippines soil for the very first time.

The group stage is scheduled from October 2, 2024 to February 12, 2025. Then, the Final Four championship weekend will be from March 7-9, 2025. Three more playdates will be held in the country.

Another double header will be played on November 13 at the PhilSports Arena. It will feature the game between the Beermen against P.League+ runner up Taoyuan Pilots while the Bolts is scheduled to take on KBL’s champion, KCC Egis.

On January 15, 2025, SMB will face another new team in Hong Kong Eastern Dragons Arena while Meracl will meet the B. League runner up Ryuku Golden Kings on the 22nd in the same Pasig venue.

The EASL participants will be divided into two groups: Group A will be composed of Hiroshima Dragonflies, KT Sonicboom, Taoyuan Pilots, Hong Kong Eastern, and San Miguel Beermen while Group B will have the Ryuku Golden Kings, KCC Egis, New Taipei Kings, Macau Black Bears, and the Meralco Bolts.

Eight-time MVP, June Mar Fajardo scored 34 points and grabbed 24 rebounds to lead the way for San Miguel Beermen’s close victory against Phoenix Fuel Masters, 111-107 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday, August 21.

‘The Kraken’ might have had a monstrous game but the battle of the two teams was tough especially in the end game where the SMB needed a dagger four-point shot from CJ Perez to have enough cushion in claiming the victory.

Phoenix put up a gallant fight and pulled even at 99-all after RJ Jazul made a three-point basket entering the last two minutes of play.

Then, JMF grabbed three offensive boards against three Phoenix defenders to start a five-point swing.

After a few sequences, the Beermen’s lead was trimmed to one at 105-106 after the three free throws were sunk by Jason Perkins who finished the game with 18 points.

Then, Perez dagger 4-ball came into the picture to give SMB some breathing room as it gave them a two-possession lead.

At 107-110, the Fuel Masters still had a chance to steal the game when Ricci Rivero tried to score from the 27-foot-line but missed the target. Fajardo closed out the scoring with a split from the free throw line.

SMB import Jordan Adams scored 24 points and snared nine rebounds in his PBA debut while Phoenix reinforcement Jayveous McKinnis put up 13.

The Scores:

SAN MIGUEL 111- Fajardo 37, Adams 24, Perez 21, Romeo 7, Teng 6, Trollano 4, Ross 3, Manuel 3, Rosales 2, Tautuaa 2, Brondial 2, Cruz 0, Nava 0.

PHOENIX 107 - Perkins 18, Rivero 15, McKinnis 13, Alejandro 10, Tio 9, Salado 9, Jazul 6, Ballungay 5, Mocon 4, Soyud 4, Garcia 4, Tuffin 4, Verano 4, Daves 2, Muyang 0, Camacho 0.

QUARTERS: 27-17, 56-52, 86-77, 111-107

Scotty Hopson scored 46 points to lead Converge in defeating Terrafirma, 127-95 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday, August 21.

Hopson's 46-point explosion was highlighted by his 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc and an impressive 75-percent shooting from the field. He also added eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in his statline.

Alec Stockton also added 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field, while Schonny Winston scored 14 and Justin Arana put up 13 for the FiberXers who posted its largest win in team history.

Pringle and Standhardinger debut as Dyip

Terrafirma’s loss spoiled the arrival of Stanley Pringle and Christian Standhardinger to the team.

Even though the Dyip lost the game, the two “stans” still made immediate impact as Stanley led the team in scoring with 19 markers (including 2-of-3 from the four-point area) while Standhardinger added 17.

Dyip’s hefty import Antonio Hester and returning veteran Kevin Ferrer scored 18 a-piece while their star from last season, Juami Tiongson still tallied 10 markers despite playing through a sore left calf and missing his first seven shots.

The Scores:

CONVERGE 127 - Hopson 46, Stockton 21, Winston 14, Arana 13, Racal 9, Santos 5, Delos Santos 4, Melecio 4, Maagdenberg 3, Andrade 3, Fornilos 2, Nieto 2, Ambohot 0, Caralipio 0, Fleming 0.

TERRAFIRMA 95 - Pringle 19, Hester 18, Ferrer 18, Standhardinger 17, Tiongson 10, Ramos 5, Carino 4, Hanapi 2, Hernandez 2, Olivario 0, Cahilig 0.

QUARTERS: 34-25, 53-49, 100-67, 127-95

Defending Governors’ Champion TNT Tropang Giga started their title-defense campaign with a win when they defeated NorthPort Batang Pier 101-95 on August 19 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson tallied a double-double, scoring 32 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He even added his good game w0ith five assists, four steals and four blocks to lead the opening win of TNT in Group A.

Calvin Oftana led the Tropang Giga locals in scoring by tallying 15 including 2-of-2 from the four-point line. Oftana was the first player to make two four-point shots in a single game. Meralco’s Chris Banchero was the first one to hit the 27-footer followed by his teammate Jolo Mendoza, then Paul Lee of Magnolia and fourth belongs to Calvin Oftana.

TNT’s new acquisition from off-season trade, Rey Nambatac produced 13 points including two crucial free throws while Poy Erram, who returned from long layoff due to injury added eight markers.

On the other hand, NorthPort’s reinforcement Taylor Johns almost tallied a triple-double by scoring 36 points, grabbing 16 boards and dishing off nine assists.

Arvin Tolentino added 23 for the Batang Pier including the four-ball with 24.6 seconds left to push their team closer to TNT’s lead, 99-94.
A backcourt violation of the Tropang Giga gave the Batang Pier a chance to trim the lead even further. However, TNT forced Northport to a shot clock violation that sealed the game for the defending champions.

The Scores:

TNT 101 - Hollis-Jefferson 32, Oftana 15, Nambatac 13, Khobuntin 12, Heruela 9, Erram 8, Castro 7, Exciminiano 3, Aurin 2, Ebona 0, Payawal 0, Vosotros 0.

NORTHPORT 95 - Johns 36, Tolentino 23, Cuntapay 8, Munzon 7, Jalalon 6, Bulanadi 6, Navarro 4, Nelle 3, Flores 2, Tratter 0, Yu 0, Amores 0.

Aaron Fuller scored 24 points and grabbed 19 rebounds with +22 efficiency in his return to the PBA to lead the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters dominant win against the Blackwater Bossing, 110-97 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday, August 19.

Fuller made his presence felt early in the game by muscling his way inside the paint and consistently did it until the final minutes of the game.

The “balik-import” received enough help from the local crew especially by the debuting rookies that ROS picked in the first round of the recent draft.

Caelan Tiongson chipped in 15 markers (11 from the 2nd quarter), grabbed five rebounds and two assists in his very first PBA game while fellow rookie Felix Lemetti added 11 markers on 3-of-5 shooting from the three-point arc including three boards and two assists.

Leonard Santillan also helped in the Elasto Painters by scoring 12 points while Andrei Caracut dished off the game-high seven assists.

On the other hand, the No. 2 pick overall Sedrick Barefield made an impact right away and paced the Blackwater Bossing by putting up 18 points. He even made his first three attempts when he was inserted in the game in the first period.

Sophomore James Kwekuteye added 17 markers (5-of-6 from the rainbow country) to help the Bossing climb up from the 21-point lead erected by ROS and brought it down to 10. He also tallied four boards and two dish-offs.

Bradwyn Guinto, who made the first six points of the Bossing managed to finish the game with 15 points while the struggling Troy Rosario scored 10.

Another one who struggled from the game was Blackwater’s import Ricky Ledo who only scored 12 points off 4-of-23 shooting from the field. His first field goal only arrived in the early part of the third quarter.

The two teams will battle again on September 23 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The scores:

Rain or Shine 110 – Fuller 24, Tiongson 15, Santillan 12, Lemetti 11, Mamuyac 10, Asistio 9, Nocum 8, Clarito 8, Ildefonso 4, Villegas 4, Datu 3, Belga 2, Caracut 0, Norwood 0.

Blackwater 97 – Barefield 18, Kwekuteye 17, Guinto 15, Ledo 12, Rosario 10, David 7, Chua 6, Casio 5, Tungcab 3, Suerte 2, Jopia 2, Montalbo 0, Ponferrada 0, Hill 0, Mitchell 0.

Quarters: 30-26; 59-50; 83-62; 110-97.

Meralco Bolts has defeated the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, 99-94 in the opening game of the PBA’s 49th Season.

Returning import Allen Durham led the Bolts with a double-double scoring 20 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. 

Chris Banchero, who sank the first-ever four-pointer in PBA history, backed Durham with 14 points while Meralco’s captain Christ Newsome added 13 and energy-bunny Cliff Hodge chipped in 12 including nine rebounds and five assists.

Sophomore Jolo Mendoza also made an impact by scoring 13 including the second four-pointer of the game including 3-of-3 shooting from the arc. He even got an ovation from the fans when he was subbed out after giving quality minutes for his team.

On the other hand, Magnolia’s import Glenn Robinson III scored the game-high 29 points, including the first five points of the game highlighted by a three-point play. He added 11 rebounds in his debut in playing overseas.

Ian Sangalang led the Hotshots locals with 17 markers while Paul Lee added 14 including the lone four-point shot of the team when he made in the closing minutes of the game.

The Hotshots actually got off to a good start with a 5-0 run by Robinson himself until Meralco made a 9-0 counter run but countered again by Magnolia with 4-0.

Even though the two defense-oriented teams have runs of their own, they still have a low scoring first quarter with Meralco leading 16-12.

Another exchange of runs happened in the second quarter and Meralco still led at halftime, 43-39.

After the break, offense started clicking for both teams but Meralco did better and even pushed the lead to 11 point lead at the end of third, 74-63.

In the final period, the Bolts erected the largest lead of the game at 14 but the Hotshots made a comeback and cut down the lead to two off Glenn Robinson III three-point basket with less than a minute remaining.

The Hotshots then sent Chris Newsome to the free throw line. Newsome missed the first one and made his second attempt In the next play, Robinson took the potential first ever game-winning four-pointer in history over the outstretched arm of Newsome but he missed the shot.

Allen Durham grabbed the rebound and got fouled. He made the two charity stripes given him to seal the game at 99-94.

Meralco and Magnolia will take on one another again on September 7 at the Panabo Multi-Purpose Tourism, Cultural, and Sports Gymnasium in Davao.

The Scores:

Meralco 99 – Durham 20, Banchero 14, Newsome 13, Mendoza 13, Hodge 12, Quinto 9, Black 6, Rios 3, Pasaol 3, Cansino 2, Bates 2, Pascual 2, Caram 0, Torres 0.

Magnolia Chicken Timplados 94 – Robinson III 29, Sangalang 17, Lee 14, Barroca 9, Lucero 7, Ahanmisi 6, Dela Rosa 5, Laput 4, Mendoza 3, Abueva 0, Dionisio 0, Escoto 0.

The Philippine Basketball Association 49th season opened the ceremony by acknowledging athletes and giving entertainment.

When the curtains were raised at 5pm on Sunday, August 18 at the Araneta Coliseum.

TV5 sports news anchor Tito Mikee Reyes and radio-TV host Ana Ramsey set the mood for the PBA’s opening night as they hosted the event.

Then, the team muses together with the PBA board of governors came up on stage followed by the introduction of the team roster with their imports.

Team muses were composed of different personalities from sports including Olympinas, beauty queens and celebrities.

Singer-actress Julie Ann San Jose (who’s Magnolia muse last year) was the muse for the crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra, Olympian gymnast Aleah Finnegan for Meralco, volleyball star Jema Galanza for Phoenix, figure skater Charmaine Syke Chua for NorthPort, SEA games medalist in karate Jamie Lim for San Miguel (Jamie’s father Samboy was one of the SMB’s icon in the 90’s), Miss World Philippines 2024 Krishnah Gravidez for Blackwater, streamer-host-model Myrtle Sarrosa for Converge, actress and model Rere Madrid for Magnolia, host-beauty queen Inday Fatima for NLEX, beauty queen Sophia Bianca Santos for Rain or Shine, pageant icon Annabelle Mcdonnel, and Eat Bulaga host Atasha Mulach for TNT.

Olympic bronze medalists boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas also joined them on stage.

After teams were introduced and the Season 49 officially opened, PBA featured performances from actress Angeli Khang, rapper Hev Abi and singer-songwriter Arthur Nery.

Adding to the entertainment was the performance of “Parokya ni Kume” composed of Robert Bolick (vocals), Arvin Tolentino (vocals), Larry Muyang (vocals), Russel Escoto (guitars), Keith Datu (guitars) and Japeth Aguilar (drums). They rendered the song “Picha Pie” to the delight of the crowd.

One more surprise was the dance number of the “PBA TikTokerist” which Robert Bolick was part of again. He was joined by Matt Nieto, Scottie Thompson, Ralph Cu, Frederick Tungcab, Tyrus Hill, Mike Nieto, Aljun Melecio, Calvin Abueva, Jerrick Ahanmisi, Aaron Black, Brandon Bates, John Amores, Fran Yu, Adrian Nocum, Shaun Ildefonso, Ricci Rivero, Kent Salado, Marcia Lassiter, Kyt Jimenez, Juami Tiongson, Kevin Ferrer, Kim Aurin, and Calvin Oftana.

The group danced to several songs, including the “Salamin, Salamin” that made the crowd cheer louder as they got ready for the first game of the season.