PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Week 3 Game Results

It's only three weeks in at the competition for PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup trophy and the action has been intense as ever. If you'd missed the games over the past few game dates, make sure to see the results below:

Feb 15, 2013 

Global Port (89) def. Brgy. Ginebra (80)
Talk N Text (86) def. Air 21 Express (83)

Feb 16, 2013

Rain or Shine (91) def. Meralco Bolts (82)

Feb 17, 2013

Petron Blaze (105) def. Brgy. Ginebra (90)
Alaska Aces (77) def. Barako Bull (73)

Feb 20, 2013

Petron Blaze (88) def. Meralco Bolts (86)
Talk N Text (99) def. Global Port (79)

Feb 22, 2013

Rain or Shine (93) def. San Mig Coffee Mixers (65)
Barako Bull (91) def. Air 21 Express (86)

Feb 23, 2013

Alaska Aces (84) def. Brgy. Ginebra (69)

Feb 24, 2013

Meralco Bolts (90) def. Global Port Batang Pier (89)
San Mig Coffee (90) def. Talk N Text (82) 


Updated Standings (as of February 24, 2013):

Alaska Aces - 4-0
Petron Blaze Boosters - 3 - 1
Barako Bull Energy - 3 - 1
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 2 - 1
Talk 'N Text - 2 - 2
Meralco Bolts - 2 - 3
GlobalPort Batang Pier - 2 - 3
Air21 Express - 1 - 2
San Mig Coffee Mixers  - 1 - 3
Brgy. Ginebra  - 0 - 4

PBA 2013 All Star Poll Open, New Updates

The recent 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend held in Houston, Texas was a major treat for basketball fans all over the world. NBA fans were treated to a spectacle of talents from the rookies and sophomore players via the Rising Star Challenge, then on Saturday the individual skills competition took center stage. And the end culminated with the biggest showcase of all - the battle between East and West in the 2013 All Star Game. Chris Paul ended up taking the MVP trophy after the West prevailed in a 143-138 contest that treated fans to exciting hoops action!

While that is over and done with, basketball fans in the Philippines are just looking forward to PBA's own all-star festivities. Commissioner Salud has already announced late last year that the All-Star games will be brought south in Digos City, Davao del Sur. This annual spectacle will be taking place in Digos for the first time.

There are lots of exciting things that can fans can look forward to in this year's PBA All-Star Weekend. The league officials has previously confirmed that they will do a repeat of the Rookies-Sophomores-Juniors matchup with the Veterans. Also, you can expect to see some of the legends get to court. But here's one new feature to look forward to in the 2013 PBA All-Stars: the league wants to feature SMART Gilas Pilipinas in the festivities to not only have fun, but also to help the national team get more exposure to fans.

National team head coach Chot Reyes applauded this move, saying "We want to expose the team and we want to tell everyone [the fans] that this is our Philippine team."

The 2013 PBA All-Star Weekend is scheduled to take place on May 1 to 6, 2013. Meanwhile, voting has already begun for the All-Star selection. To place your vote, you can visit this link. You can vote once per day. Here is your chance to send your favorite PBA player to the All-Star games.

NBA 2013 All-Star Game: West Beats East

Image: sbnation

The battle between East vs West closes out a fun-filled weekend featuring some of the best talents in the NBA this season. This game is the most anticipated event out of the NBA 2013 All-Star Weekend and the superstars surely did not disappoint their fans who were expecting to witness a showcase of hoops and slams. However intense the battle may be, only one can emerge as the winner and it is the West that outshone the East superstars via a 143-138 victory.

Chris Paul was named as the NBA 2013 All-Star MVP after he scored 20 points and dished out 15 assists. It was his connection with teammate Blake Griffin that brought the house down as the twosome delivered several exciting plays. This helped Griffin establish his own 19 points into the game. Seems like Lob City found its way to Houston!

Aside from Chris Paul, Kevin Durant also had an impressive showing for the West courtesy of his 30-point performance. What is more impressive than his scoring is the 13-of-24 shooting percentage!

The East team also had a few stellar performances such as Dwayne Wade with 21 points and went 10-of-13 on the field, which makes him the best All-Star performer out of the three Heat players that were on the lineup. Meanwhile, Kevin Garnett has previously expressed that this might be his final All-Star Weekend appearance so he gave the floor to the younger guys and played only for 6 minutes.

Check out highlights from this spectacular game below:

Who were you rooting for in the NBA 2013 All-Star Game?

NBA 2013 All-Star Weekend: Individual Skills Competition

The 2013 NBA All-Stars, like any other all-star event, is a chance to showcase the individual skills of the top players in the league. Below are some of the highlights and winners from the major events during the weekend activities:

Shooting Stars Competition

As the first event on Saturday night, the Shooting Stars competition set the stage for what is going to be a fun night of wild competition and exciting fun for fans.Team Bosch ended up winning it all. Check out the video below to see how the Shooting Stars Competition turned out.

Slam Dunk Contest

Terrence Ross of Toronto Raptors followed in Vince Carter's footsteps and won the Slam Dunk contest trophy in a thrilling contest. On Saturday night, he showcased major athleticism and dunking skills to dethrone defending champion Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz. He becomes the first rookie since Josh Smith in 2005 to have won the slam dunk competition at the NBA All-Stars.

You can view the entire Slam Dunk competition below:

Three Point Contest

All cylinders are on fire at the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest for this year's NBA All-Star Weekend. Matt Bonner of the San Antonio Spurs represented the West in the finals round versus Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Irving ended up on top as he was on fire, scoring 23 points versus Bonner's 20 points. Among the other NBA all-stars he beat out in the three point contest are Stephen Curry, Ryan Anderson, and Steve Novak.

Skills Challenge

Rookie Damian Lillard has shown off his skills and further supporting the argument of him as the top contender for the Rookie of the Year honors. The TrailBlazer guard was blazing through the competition after beating Sixers Jrue Holiday at the final round of competition at the 2013 NBA All Star Skills Competition. San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker  the favorite to win the competition this year but he ended up performing the worst out of the bunch.

What was your favorite event during the NBA 2013 All-Star Weekend?

NBA 2013 All-Star Weekend: Rising Stars Challenge

Image: CBS Sports

The 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend is being staged as one of the most exciting event in the league for this season and rightfully so with a showcase of individual talents lined up over the weekend's activities. The first part of the weekend basketball showcase kicked off last Friday via the Rising Stars Challenge featuring rookie and sophomore players. This year features the battle between Team Chuck and Team Shaq once again and here is a breakdown of the players that make up the roster:

Team Chuck:

Tristan Thompson
Anthony Davis
Kenneth Faried
Kawhi Leonard
Bradley Beal
Ricky Rubio
Nikola Vucevic
Brandon Knight
Isaiah Thomas
Alexey Shved 

Team Shaq:

Kemba Walker
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Damian Lillard
Kyrie Irving
Andrew Nicholson
Klay Thompson
Harrison Barnes
Chandler Parsons
Dion Waiters
Tyler Zeller

Team Chuck vs Team Shaq (source: sneakernews.com)

This is the second time that the Rising Stars challenge in the NBA All-Stars consisted of a mix of rookie and sophomore players. And it helped to bring forth exciting action on the court as fans were treated to several highlight plays, dunks, and all things in between.  

Kyrie Irving was the MVP from last year's Rising Star Challenge and he registered 32 points along with 23 points from his Cavaliers teammate Dion Waiters, who is also part of Team Shaq. As if it were any sign of how exciting this game would be, Spurs' Kawhi Leonard slammed the ball to the hoop via an alley-oop pass from Anthony Davis within 20 seconds since the game kicked off.

However, Team Chuck was on fire leading to halftime wherein they were firing from all cylinders. They have landed several 3-point shots and dunks that were virtually uncontested. In fact, all of the players fielded in for Team Chuck had converted a 3-point shot but Tristan Thompson. But in order to make up for that, he has four dunks under his name.

Ricky Rubio, who has had a pretty strong return this season from Minnesota Timberwolves after suffering an injury, and made 10 assists. Later in the game, though, Brandon Knight and Kyrie Irving stole the show after their short individual duel. But the real star of the 2013 Rising Stars Challenge was Kenneth Faried who bagged 40 points and 10 rebounds. His shots drew some of the loudest cheers from the fans on the bleacher. 

In the end, Team Chuck won over Tem Shaq via a 163-135 victory.  

Barako Bull on an Energized Start for PBA 2012-13 Commissioner's Cup

Image: PBA on AKTV Official Facebook Fan Page

The PBA 2012-13 Commissioner's Cup has kicked off last Friday, February 8, 2013, and in a span of three game days, fans were treated to a lot of surprises. The commissioner recently indicated that the new multi-player trades that transpired before the onset of the new conference signaled a more competitive league with most teams now having an equal fighting chance at the crown.

Barako Bull Energy Cola is one of those teams that had surprised fans, to the delight of the loyal Barako Brigade. Even before the conference started, the new acquisitions and a new head coaching staff had provided Seigle with a positive outlook about his team. The PBA veteran believes that the team is a serious contender at the Commissioner's Cup. According to the 9-time All Star, "We have a very good system now. It's very active and I always get good looks (at the basket)."

Seigle also notes that the addition of coach Rajko Toroman as part of the team's coaching staff gave a major boost to the team. "It's great that we have him now in the team. We got to learn a lot of things, new ideas and better approach," says Seigle.

If it were any proof of that, Barako Bull currently leads the league in standings with a 2-0 start to the Commisssioner's Cup. As of February 12, 2013, they are at the top of the pack. Meanwhile, Alaska, Air21 and Meralco are tied for number two with a 1-0 standing. GlobalPort Batang Pier is third at 1-1 after Barako Bull defeated them 98-88 at overtime last Sunday, February 10, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Mark Macapagal hit the crucial three point shot from the corner that sent the game into overtime, wherein GlobalPort scored only 2 points to Barako Bull's 12.

For a complete list of the game results since the opening day, check them below:

February 8, Friday

Global Port def. Petron Blaze - 94-92
Barako Bull def. San Mig Coffee Mixers - 79-75

February 9, Saturday

Alaska Aces def. Rain or Shine - 83-81
Meralco Bolts def. Talk N Text - 99-92

February 10, Sunday

Barako Bull def. GlobalPort - 98-88 (OT)
Air21 def. Brgy. Ginebra - 74-70

To see the rest of the schedule for February, you can check it here.

NBA 2013| Bubble Teams Chance of Making the Playoffs Base on the Pace of last 10 games

West:

Golden State

WL: 30-21

%: .588

L10: 4-6

# of games left: 31

projected W-L record: 43-39

Warriors is one of the most underrated team in the West. With curry being snub in the all-star, Lee's great performance, Klay Thompson's emergance and with a strong force from the bench of Jack and Landry. How ever the warriors is only as good as their health. Bogut is in and out with Steph prone to injury, In the beginning of the season, Rush is already out. The warriors might suddenly fall once again out of the playoffs if these injuries occurs.

Utah

WL: 28-24

%: .538

L10:5-5

# of games left:30

projected W-L record:43-39

Rumors swirling around the Jazz front court and if this would happen, the chemistry of this tough underdog team might affect their playoffs chances. The Jazz are top 8 on the west because of their front count forces of Jefferson and Millsap and if one of them get traded, it could be the turning point of making it deeper on to the ranking or trading their chances for playoff spot.

Houston

WL: 28-24

%: .538

L10:7-3

# of games left:30

projected W-L record:49-33

Before the Harden trade, Houston is considered as one of the worst team in the west but suddenly they turn out to be a contender on Harden's arrival. The teams playing style brought them to where they are now but it could also be their poison when their shooters gets cold. But currently they are shooting hot in their last 10 games. Also their faith is not completely in their hands as the competition on the west is close enough that losing one game could be the difference.

Portland

WL:25-25

%:.500

L10:5-5

# of games left:32

projected W-L record:41-41

It seems that the team can only go as far as Lillard can take them. With the rookie of the year front runner on the team and solid starting line up, Portland is giving a good fight for a playoff spot. However, the team receive no help from the bench and the competition on the west is getting tougher, this means only one thing..the starter must give extra effort to win a playoff spot.

LA Lakers

WL:24-27

%:.471

L10:7-3

# of games left:30

projected W-L record:45-36

Considered as the best team befor the season start. A team to beat on NBA, but it turns out that every team on NBA beat this team. And now the lakers are fighter for that eight spot. What's the problem? Chemistry? Coaching Staff? Injuries? Pau Gasol? Bench? and even Kobe is a suspect. As long as the season is not yet over there is a chance..and this might be their last chance, so push it Lakers!

Dallas

WL:22-28

%:.440

L10:5-5

# of games left:32

projected W-L record:38-44

Another team which has been a lock on the playoffs for a very long time might find themselves fall apart. And it's just 2 season away from a champion, it is hard to imagine how quickly this team decline. Cuban might push a trade before the deadline and this might be the turning point of the team to make it

to the playoffs.

West Projected Ranking:

6. Hou

7. LAL

8. GS

9. Utah

10.Por

11.Dallas

====================

Atlanta

WL:27-22

%:551

L10:5-5

# of games left:33

projected W-L record:44-38

If they won't trade Josh Smith, they can hold on to a spot in the playoffs, however it won't guarantee them to go deeper to the playoffs. Nonetheless you can not count this team out, they are a sure lock on the playoffs but if a drastic change happens, they might drop from the standings rapidly.

Boston

WL:26-23

%:531

L10:6-4

# of games left:33

projected W-L record:46-36

After Rey Allen decided to join Miami, After rondo and Sullinger went down, the Celtics still have the heart to win games. Boston is still a lock to the playoffs.

Milwaukee

WL:25-24

%:510

L10:4-6

# of games left:33

projected W-L record:38-36

The Bucks are going up and down playing very inconsistent. Lead by their two top scorer who are inefficient field goal percentage. They are still on top 8 but they might lost it if they continue with the current pace.

Philadelphia

WL:22-27

%:449

L10:6-4

# of games left:31

projected W-L record:40-42

Another team plague with injuries but still fighting to keep up with other team. Bynum hasn't played single game but Holiday step up and bring his game to the next level that keeps the sixers into a striking distance to steal the top 8 spot. And if Bynum will be cleared to play, this might help them lock in to the spot.

Detroit

WL:20-32

%:635

L10:4-6

# of games left:30

projected W-L record:32-50

Unfortunately for Detroit, Andre is out atleast a month that might hurt their chances this season. It seems the Pistons will again miss the playoffs. But this season, they took a big step on rebuilding when they traded away the last player who was part of the 2004 NBA title. Detroit have a bright future with young core of Monroe and Drummond.

Toronto

WL:18-32

%:360

L10:4-6

# of games left:32

projected W-L record:30-52

The arrival of Gay might be too late to save the Raptors, but there's still a block buster trade awaits between Bargani and Boozer. This might spark a miracle run by Toronto and make it to the playoffs..but currently, the are out of the picture.

East Projected Ranking:

6.Boston

7.Atlanta

8.Philadelphia

9.Milwaukee

10.Detroit

11.Toronto

PBA 2012-13 Commissioner's Cup Opens February 8

image: PBA Facebook official

The stage is set for a new round of battle as the PBA 2012-13 Commissioner's Cup will kick off on Friday, February 8, 2013. It should be an explosive one as we get to witness a slew of new imports helping out their respective teams in their bid to win the Commissioner's Cup trophy. There were also a number of multi-team and multi-player trades involved during the off-season, which should give a lot of fans something to look forward to as a lot of teams nearly had complete revamping to prepare for the new conference.

With several propositions made, the most talked about trade took place last week after Comm. Chito Salud has approved it. This particular deal involves a straight-up deal between Talk 'N Text wherein they released Japeth Aguilar (who has expressed his desire to be traded via his agent) in exchange for Rabeh Al-Hussaini, formerly of GlobalPort Batang Pier. Hussaini, therefore, reunites with his former coach during his stint with the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP as he becomes the newest member of the Talk N Text team.

According to reports from the TNT management, Japeth Aguilar requested for a trade since he felt he wasn't getting enough playing time with the team. In fact, this fueled Aguilar's decision to try out for the NBA D-League wherein he has spent most of his time in over the past few months. But since Talk N Text holds his rights in the PBA, negotiation deals came at TNT's desk in an offer to have Aguilar on their team. Air 21 previously made a deal but the former did not find the offer appealing enough. 

Aside from Talk N' Text, GlobalPort also finalized a deal with the Meralco Bolts that allowed them to bring in the services of point guard Sol Mercado. In doing so, Globalport released a few players in the name of Vic Manuel, Josh Vanlandingham, and Rey Guevarra. In addition to acquiring Mercado in their lineup, GlobalPort also added Kelly Nabong and Jaypee Belencion into the roster as part of this deal.

This trade deal created a lot of buzz within the PBA fanatics community because this is the first time that a player who leads the league in terms of scoring and assists is traded to another team. During the 2012-13 Philippine Cup stint for Meralco Bolts, Mercado averaged 19.1 points and 6.7 assists per game.

However, Comm. Salud approved of this deal citing that they "are healthy for the players and teams involved, not to mention the league, as competitive balance among the member teams is decidedly enhanced."

Meanwhile, you can check out below for a preliminary schedule of games in February for the upcoming 2012-13 PBA Commissioner's Cup:

February 8, Friday, Smart Araneta Coliseum

Global Port vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 5:15 PM 
San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Barako Bull Energy - 7:30 PM
 
February 9, Saturday, Smart Araneta Coliseum

Alaska Aces vs Rain or Shine - 5:45 PM
Talk N Text vs Meralco Bolts - 8:00 PM

February 10, Sunday, Smart Araneta Coliseum

Barako Bull vs GlobalPort - 4:15 PM
Brgy. Ginebra vs Air21 Express - 6:30PM

February 13, Wednesday, Smart Araneta Coliseum

Meralco Bolts vs Alaska Aces - 5:15PM
Petron Blaze Boosters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 7:30PM

February 15, Friday, Smart Araneta Coliseum

Air21 Express vs Talk N Text - 5:15PM
Global Port vs Brgy. Ginebra - 7:30PM

February 16, Saturday, Puerto Princesa Palawan

Rain or Shine vs Meralco Bolts - 6:30PM

February 17, Sunday, Smart Araneta Coliseum

Alaska Aces vs Barako Bull - 4:15 PM
Brgy Ginebra vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 6:30PM

February 20, Wednesday, Smart Araneta Coliseum

Talk N Text vs Global Port - 5:15PM
Petron Blaze vs Meralco Bolts - 7:30PM

February 22, Friday, Mall of Asia Arena

Barako Bull vs Air21 Express - 5:15PM
San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Rain or Shine - 7:30PM

February 23, Saturday, Tubod Lanao del Norte

Brgy. Ginebra vs Alaska Aces - 6:30PM

February 24, Sunday, Smart Araneta Coliseum

Meralco Bolts vs GlobalPort - 4:15PM
Talk N Text vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 6:30PM

February 27, Wednesday, Smart Araneta Coliseum

Air21 Express vs Rain or Shine - 5:15PM
Barako Bull vs Brgy. Ginebra - 7:30PM

Be sure to check back in for more updates on schedules and news on the ongoing PBA 2012-13 Commissioner's Cup.