PBA 2013-2014 All-Filipino Cup Schedule: Dec 1-8, 2013

It's a brand new week of action in the PBA. Make sure you don't miss a single action in the ongoing action at the PBA 2013-2014 All-Filipino Cup. Check out below for a list of games to look out for:

Dec 3, 2013, Tuesday (Mall of Asia Arena)

Talk N' Text vs GlobalPort Batang Pier - 5:45 PM
Meralco Bolts vs Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel - 8:00 PM

Dec 4, 2013, Wednesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs Barako Bull Energy Cola - 5:45 PM
Air 21 Express vs Alaska Aces - 8:00 PM

Dec 6, 2013, Friday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Meralco Bolts vs GlobalPort Batang Pier - 5:45 PM
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 8:00 PM

Dec 7, 2013, Saturday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Barako Bull Energy Cola vs Air 21 Express - 3:00 PM
Alaska Aces vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 5:15 PM

December 8, 2013, Sunday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

GlobalPort Batang Pier vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 3:00 PM
Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel vs Talk N' Text - 5:15 PM

Be sure to check us again for updates and schedule information.

Danny Seigle: The Newest Tropang Texter

After months of anticipation, Danny Seigle is finally speaking up and is ready to play. The fiasco that followed the draft and trade controversy involving his former team Barako Bull resulted in The Dynamite declining a one-year contract extension offered by his former team. That left Danny Seigle, the 39-year-old veteran and former Rookie of the Year, without a team to start off the PLDT MyDSL Philippine Cup for the 2013-2014 season of the PBA.

A week after the tipoff of the All-Filipino conference, though, there is finally some progress in the story. Danny Seigle himself has confirmed that he has agreed in principle to play for Talk 'N Text wherein he is awaiting the finalization of his initial one-year contract deal with the Manny V. Pangilinan franchise.

According to Danny Seigle, he is "just excited to play" above anything else. After all, it can be recalled that he had one of those rare conferences last Governor's Cup wherein he played injury-free for the entire conference and averaged 11 points, making him among the scoring leaders for Barako Bull.

There were several speculations about which teams Danny Seigle and his agent were talking to with Meralco Bolts even brought up one time. But aside from the opportunity to play again in the PBA, a more interesting development here is the fact that Seigle will be donning the jersey of his former team's biggest rival. Seigle started out his PBA career playing for San Miguel Beermen which is owned by SMC. SMC and PLDT (owned by Manny V Pangilinan) are two of the biggest rival companies in the PBA dating back to his glory days of 1999-2000 season.

Danny Seigle, however, refused to talk in more detail about this rivaly but rather has set his sights on making an impact on his new team. One thing is for sure, though, Seigle is "thankful" that he is part of the TNT management, which he brought up is a championship-caliber team.

For more details on this story, please check out my source here.

The Curious Case of Barako Bull Energy

In the PBA, or in any basketball league for that matter, the first few picks at the draft is the most coveted. Being able to draft first would give your team the opportunity to get the top prospect in the draft class. But what if you have three, not one, draft pick at the first round? Sounds even better, right?

Apparently, Barako Bull and its management did not see it that way. They held the 4th, 5th, and 6th first round draft picks for the 2013-2014 PBA season. That meant they can acquire three top prospects from the 2013 draft class! And with a talent-laden draft class that everyone has been raving about, one can only think that Barako Bull hit the jackpot- even though they did not get the top pick!

Thus, my jaw dropped to the floor when I found out about the news that they traded their draft picks for Barangay Ginebra (4th pick), Petron (5th pick), and GlobalPort (6th pick). In exchange for their draft picks, Barako Bull will get Dylan Ababou, Magi Sison, Mark Isip, and Denok Miranda (from GlobalPort). It's a curious situation to say the least. All four players hardly ever get minutes on the floor from their previous teams, with Denok Miranda putting in the most minutes. And Miranda's even a third unit player for Petron, in most cases! This leaves fans to question Barako Bull's decision to trade their picks... BUT WHY?

Fans, sports analysts, and team owners alike had been irate about this recent development and most of them aren't shy about expressing their views on Twitter. Check out their tweets below, ranging from serious to funny:

It is also not coincidental that Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman has decided to leave the team. Now, not only is Barako Bull in the midst of a controversy, they are also without a head coach. Leo Austria is being raised as a potential new "head coach" but nothing has been made official yet.

For the most part, I've tried to maintain an objective standpoint in this blog, hoping to provide information and stick to a reportage kind of blogging. However, this recent development in the PBA involving one of the teams that I support has been disheartening, to say the least, for a basketball fan. I am sure that I speak on behalf of the fans' in expressing my dismay over Barako Bull's decision during the draft wherein they gave up the opportunity to acquire young and talented prospects who could strengthen the team in the future for players who, if they did not happen to be bench warmers in their previous team, were nearing the end of their playing career. There has been several suspicions over the basketball community about them potentially being a farm team but with the decision to give up 3 first round draft picks for players that can be referred to as past their heyday, there can't be a more glaring evidence than that.


Unless the Commissioner can come up with a logical and valid explanation (which I seriously doubt they could), the reputation of the league will forever be tarnished. The Commissioner has even rejected a less lopsided trade deal in the past, so it leaves one to question how this got passed by the board? It's a widely known fact that professional basketball is business, too. But when the business side of basketball has superseded the competition and sports, that is when it gets ugly. Hopefully, this isn't the start of PBA's demise.

Three-Way Race for PBA 2012-2013 Season MVP

The annual PBA awards is set to take place this Friday, October 18, right before tip-off for Game 4 of the ongoing finals series between Petron Blaze Boosters and San Mig Coffee Mixers for the 2013 PBA Governor's Cup. This year has been full of controversy and lots of exciting actions with it being the first time in several years wherein there are three different teams winning the championship crown at the end of three conferences. Talk N Text already holds the All-Filipino Cup title, then Alaska Aces taking home the Commissioner's Cup crown.

Hence, it is a tight race for the MVP title this year with several players stepping up their game for a well contested season. But three players emerge on top of the race, which unsurprisingly, are also three of the players who have won the Best Player of the Conference awards for the past three conferences. These players are namely Arwind Santos of the Petron Blaze Boosters, LA Tenorio of Barangay Ginebra, and Jason Castro of Talk N Text Tropang Texters. All of the three candidates are gunning for their first MVP win.

Aside from the three top candidates, superstar rookie Calvin Abueva was previously pegged as a potential candicate for MVP while he is also in the running for a Rookie of the Year award. However, Arwind Santos edged him out of the race especially since the former is the current statistical leader. Thus, Calvin Abueva won't be realizing the hopes of many for him to repeat Benjie Paras' unique feat in 1989 wherein he won the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards at the same year.

Speaking of the Rookie of the Year award, Abueva is joined by Petron's June Mar Fajardo as leaders for the race, although the former has a slight edge in the statistical points.

Who do you think will win the MVP race?

PBA 2013 Governor's Cup Finals Schedule [UPDATED]

www.pba.inquirer.net

On Monday, the Petron Blaze Boosters came up with a convincing win against defending champs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to secure a finals berth against the San Mig Coffee Mixers. The two teams dominated their opponents in the Semifinals round, each winning their respective series in a 3-1 standing.

San Mig Coffee Mixers first booked their date at the finals last Sunday after defeating the Meralco Bolts. Meanwhile, Petron lost their first game in the tournament since dropping their first outing against Meralco Bolts last Saturday, forcing a Game 4 in the series.

The finals showdown is going to be an interesting duel because now-San Mig Coffee Mixers assistant coach Olsen Racela was the head coach for Petron last conference. However, SMC management decided to replace his spot with Gee Abanilla after the former failed to bring Petron to the finals despite having a strong start in the conference. Petron's story leading to the finals is also riddled with controversies including the choking incident with their import Renaldo Balkman, which prompted the Commissioner to not only suspend Balkman for the season but ban the import for life from playing in the league.

With two of the stronger teams competing against each other in the PBA 2013 Governor's Cup finals, it is expected to be a good one. Don't miss a single game and take note of the game schedules here:

October 11, 2013 (Mall of Asia Arena)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 8:00 PM

October 13, 2013 (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 6:45 PM

October 16, 2013 (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 8:00 PM

October 18, 2013 (Mall of Asia Arena)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers -8:00 PM

UPDATE:

October 20, 2013 - Game 5 (Mall of Asia Arena)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 4:45 PM

Which team do you think will win the finals?

PBA 2013 Governor's Cup Semis Schedule

Image: pba-online.net

The first round of basketball action is over and done with at the ongoing Semifinals round for the battle to get the PBA 2013 Governor's Cup crown. Petron Blaze Boosters and San Mig Coffee Mixers drew the first blood in their matchups against Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Meralco Bolts, respectively.

After surviving a do-or-die game against the Alaska Aces last Friday, Tim Cone's San Mig Coffee Mixers exploit their momentum to push them past Meralco Bolts in order to get a one-game advantage in their series. Meanwhile, Petron Blaze Boosters continue their winning streak after besting head coach Yeng Guiao's squad in a 91-83 game.

Check out below for the remainder of the semis schedule for the PBA 2013 Governor's Cup semifinals round:

October 1, Tuesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Meralco Bolts - 7:15 PM

October 2, Wednesday (Cuneta Astrodome)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 7:15 PM

October 4, Friday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Meralco Bolts - 7:15 PM

October 5, Saturday (Cuneta Astrodome)

Petron Blaze Boosters vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 6:45 PM

The schedule for Games 4 and 5 (if necessary) are to be announced soon.

Both series are going to be a best-of-five contest, which means the first team to get three wins move on to the finals. Which two teams do you predict to make the finals?

PBA 2013 Governor's Cup Game Schedule: September 16 to 22, 2013

This past week was action-filled in the PBA as the games continue and fans got to see the return of Marc Pingris and Kelly Nabong in their respective teams' recent games after each being slapped with 2-game suspensions (on top of PhP 60,000 fine) for figuring in a brawl. The big story, however, is Petron's sweep of its games since losing their first outing to secure the top spot in the team standings at the end of their elimination round campaign at the expense of GlobalPort. This was a highly anticipated matchup with Jay Washington facing his former team for the first time since being traded at the end of last conference.

Image: gmanetwork.com

Despite the acquisition of two new veterans in Joseph Yeo and Asi Taulava, Air 21 Express could not fight its way out of the cellar as they are in the brink of elimination with a 2-6 record. Meanwhile, the San Mig Coffee Mixers is the hottest team right now with a four-game winning streak despite a sluggish start. The team is now at second place and secured Quarterfinals slot with a 5-3 standing.


With only a few more games left before the elimination round wraps up, every game from here on out is going to be crucial for each teams as they fight not only for a shot at making it to the quarterfinals, but also for the top 4 standings to earn the twice-to-beat advantage going into the next round.

September 18, 2013, Wednesday (Cuneta Astrodome)

Alaska Aces vs Barako Bull Energy Cola - 5:15PM

Talk N Text vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 7:30PM

September 20, 2013, Friday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Meralco Bolts - 5:15 PM

GlobalPort Batang Pier vs Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel - 7:30PM

September 22, 2013, Sunday (Mall of Asia Arena)

Air 21 Express vs Alaska Aces - 4:15PM

Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel vs Talk N Text - 6:30PM

Make sure to take note of these game schedules in the 2013 PBA Governor's Cup so you won't miss the action!

PBA 2013 Governor's Cup News Round Up

Image: slamonlineph.com

Taulava and Yeo Boost Air 21's Governor's Cup Campaign

Air 21 Express might be last in the team standings at the PBA 2013 Governor's Cup but they are not going down without a fight, especially now that their lineup had been given a major boost with two major acquisitions in Joseph Yeo and Asi Taulava courtesy of trade agreements with Meralco Bolts and Petron Blaze Boosters. The lift from these two veteran newbies in their lineup also comes timely as they are set to face Talk N Text, another team that is desperate for a win after a paltry performance so far in the conference.

Air 21 Express has lost four consecutive games to become the bottom-dwellers in the PBA's team standings. Asi Taulava returns to the PBA after his stint at the Asian Basketball League wherein he played for the San Miguel Beermen and also won the Most Valuable Player award. Meanwhile, Yeo is from the current league-leader Petron with whom he got traded with big man Isip.

Air 21 head coach Franz Pumaren, however, admits that acquiring these two players this late in the conference also has its setbacks. One of them is the limited preparation involving these players, as well as the fact that Asi had taken a break from basketball in the past three months so he might not be in the best shape right now.

In the case of Joseph Yeo, however, he welcomes this new change in his career especially as he is reunited with his college coach. Both teams are set to meet on Friday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Tubid Slapped with Fine over "Cheap Shot" on TNT's Castro

Ronald Tubid, guard for the Petron Blaze Boosters, has had a reputation for being a rugged player. But when he hit a "cheap shot" on Talk N Text's guard Jason Castro, he claimed that it was unintentional. Even then, he did not get away with a fine even though he escaped suspension from the PBA office.

Tubid was asked to appear before the PBA Commissioner's office early today following the events of Wednesday's game (wherein Petron won big against TNT, 122-88) after he hit Castro in the midsection so that he could explain his side of the story. He also noted that they were leading by as much as 40 points at that time, so he sees no use for attempting to hurt players from the opposing team.

He did not get away from the Commissioner's office without hearing a piece of Comm. Salud's mind, wherein the PBA officials are serious about punishing players that were involved in physical plays following a scuffle during last week's game between GlobalPort and San Mig Coffee that saw players throwing punches. The amount fined against Ronald Tubid wasn't disclosed, however.

Rookie Calvin Abueva Cleared to Play

Alaska Aces rookie sensation Calvin Abueva has been confirmed to play today against Petron Blaze Boosters at the PhilSports Arena despite suffering an injury during their last game. The 6' 1" Abueva returned to practice last Thursday despite the team's physical therapist fearing that he might have suffered from a bone contusion on his back causing him to drop down to the floor as his back suddenly stiffened. The team and its fans can heave a sigh of relief knowing that the injury wasn't as bad as it was initially assessed.

Aces head coach Luigi Trillo, though, is concerned about the health of Abueva coming into this game, noting "I don't know if he's 100 percent but knowing Calvin, even if he could play with one leg, he would."

Abueva admits to experiencing some pain on his back but he has affirmed that he will be willing to play through the pain. Indeed, Abueva will be a huge boost to the Aces' campaign to hand Petron their second defeat this conference as he is averaging 7.8 points and 10 rebounds a game.

PBA 2013 Governor's Cup: Games Schedule for Sept 10-15, 2013

Mike Singletary of Barako Bull Energy powers his team past GlobalPort on Sunday's game

PBA Sunday was an exciting one with the Barako Bull Energy Colas staging a huge comeback to go up 4-2 in the standings while GlobalPort lost their third in a row, joining Brgy. Ginebra at 2-4 for the second to the last spot. Speaking of Brgy. Ginebra, the remake of Manila Clasico matchup end up with a win for San Mig Coffee Mixers' despite two of their big guys (Joe Devance and Marc Pingris) suspended by the PBA Commissioner's office following a fight-marred game last Wednesday.

If you're pumped up by the packed previous week in the PBA, be sure to take note of the schedule of games this coming week:

September 10, Tuesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs Barako Bull Energy - 5:15PM

Alaska Aces vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 7:30PM

September 11, Wednesday(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

GlobalPort Batang Pier vs Meralco Bolts - 5:15PM

Talk N Text Tropang Texters vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 7:30PM

September 13, Friday (Philsports Arena)

Air21 Express vs Talk N Text Tropang Texters - 5:15PM

Alaska Aces vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 7:30PM

September 14, Saturday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Barako Bull Energy Cola vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 3:45PM

Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 6:00PM

September 15, Sunday (Cuneta Astrodome)

Meralco Bolts vs Air21 Express - 4:15PM

Petron Blaze Boosters vs GlobalPort Batang Pier - 6:30PM

Which of these matchups are you looking forward to most?

PBA Releases Sanctions for Players Involved in San Mig Coffee-GlobalPort Brawl

Image: www.philstar.com

Yesterday, PBA Commissioner Chito Salud met with the board members of the PBA and the five players involved in a fight-marred game between San Mig Coffee Mixers and GlobalPort Batang Pier to discuss the sanctions to be meted on the concerned players. The players in question are Joe Devance, Marqus Blakely and Marc Pingris of San Mig Coffee Mixers and Kelly Nabong and import Marvin Hayes of GlobalPort Batang Pier.

This morning, the PBA has officially released the sanctions to be imposed on the players who went on a melee during a highly physical game. The sanctions are as follows:

Marvin Hayes

- Fined PhP 20,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct equivalent to a flagrant foul penalty 2 when he elbowed and kneed San Mig Coffee Mixers import Marqus Blakely after a foul has been whistled

Joe Devance

- Fined PhP 30,000 and will be meted a one-game suspension for triggering the commotion that caused the fist fight between Marc Pingris and Kelly Nabong

Kelly Nabong

- Fined PhP 60,000 and will be meted two-game suspension for attacking San Mig Coffee Mixers import Marqus Blakely and exchanging blows with Marc Pingris

Marc Pingris

- Fined PhP 60,000 for fighting and engaging in an exchange of blows with Kelly Nabong of GlobalPort Batang Pier, also meted a two-game suspension

According to the PBA officials, the league will not condone fighting regardless of the players' justification for such actions. The league officials and the commissioner has also reiterated that they place high importance on this policy and have a reminder for those who attempt to engage in such behavior in the future because they will be dealt with accordingly.

"It should be clear to everyone that instigators, hotheads and troublemakers have no place in the PBA and will be dealt with severely," notes the official league statement on the matter.

PBA Refs Blamed Amidst the Brawl at Wednesday's Game

Image: www.philstar.com

In less than 24 hours since the brawl in Wednesday's action in the PBA, the referees are once again in hot water and at the front and center of the controversy. Earlier this week, Mark Caguio got slapped with a PhP 20,000 fine for tweeting about the lapses in the officiating during their Sunday match versus Alaska Aces. But with the heated game between San Mig Coffee Mixers and GlobalPort Batang Pier, which eventually ended up to several players blowing off steam and punches being thrown, they [PBA referees] are once again being blamed for why the series of events ended up being as bad as it did.

According to San Mig Coffee Mixers head coach Tim Cone, who was amongst those who physically restrained GlobalPort's Kelly Nabong, he felt that the referees are at fault because "they didn't make calls three or four times that Marvin (Hayes) and Marqus (Blakely) fell to the floor." He further added, "[they] lost control of the game there".

Tim Cone also noted how physical the game was and there were a lot of contacts that were let go. Eventually, it was a matter of time until tempers flare and the scuffle between Marvin Hayes and Marqus Blakely at the 3:11 mark of the third quarter was only the tipping point.

Five players (Marc Pingris, Joe Devance, and Marqus Blakely of San Mig Coffee Mixers and Kelly Nabong and Marvin Hayes of GlobalPort Batang Pier) were required to show up at the Commissioner's Office today wherein the PBA officials will discuss the events of Wednesday night's game, as well as give the players an opportunity to explain their side during the incident. However, PBA Commissioner Salud had already promised that there will be heavy sanctions to be meted on the players involved. The announcement of the officials sanctions on the concerned parties will be revealed within the day when the PBA board officials are done with their meeting.

For Kelly Nabong's side, however, GlobalPort team owner Romero has his support. In fact, he promised to pay for Nabong's fine and even commended the rookie's action during the game noting that he will not allow his team to be "bullied". Romero, however, did not expound on who he thinks should be blamed for the fracas.

Going back to Tim Cone's side of things, he believed that the end is still far. His team will face the consequences of what is to come from Pingris' actions during the game, wherein he anticipates suspensions being slapped on some of his key players. With the Governor's Cup being a short conference, he knows that they need all the manpower they can get to help his team's campaign.

Be sure to check us back for updates on the sanctions on the concerned players.

Mark Caguioa Fined for Controversial Tweets

This is not a new tale. Several players and coaches had aired out their sentiments using the famous social media site, Twitter. But Mark Caguioa is one of those few that had captured the PBA officials' attention enough to warrant a fine.

On Sunday, Brgy. Ginebra lost to Alaska Aces despite leading most of the ball game. The Aces staged a run during the latter half of the third quarter and eventually took the lead for the first time in the said game on the fourth quarter. Brgy. Ginebra ended up bowing to the Aces, which means that they are now at 1-3 or second to the last at the team standings.

Following the lost, Mark Caguioa took to Twitter to express his thoughts about the officiating in the game. Here are the tweets he posted and the ones believed to have earned him a PhP20,000 fine.

In the statement issued by the PBA (via its official Twitter account), the fine on Mark Caguioa was for "tweeting and issuing statements to media critical of officiating and considered inimical to the interest of the PBA". In addition, PBA officials noted that Caguioa "should have ventilated his issues to the league office directly" instead of his social media account.

Did you think that the fine was just and called for?

PBA Governor's Cup 2013: Schedule for September 1 to 8, 2013

Image: www.pba.inquirer.net

We are on the third week of 2013 PBA Governor's Cup wherein Petron Blaze Boosters and Barako Bull are leading the pack with their respective 4-1 and 3-1 standings thus far. However, both teams will go head-to-head this week wherein the leaders separate ways and one of them will take solo reign. Who will win? Do you think that San Mig Coffee Mixers and Air 21 Express can get out of the bottom soon?

This week's schedule is going to change things up a bit in the team standings (or not!).

Make sure you don't miss a single game. You can check the schedule below:

September 1, Sunday

Talk N Text vs GlobalPort - 4:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

Brgy. Ginebra vs Alaska Aces - 6:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 4, Wednesday

Petron Blaze vs Barako Bull - 5:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

Meralco Bolts vs Rain or Shine - 7:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 6, Friday

Brgy. Ginebra vs Air 21 Express - 5:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

Alaska Aces vs San Mig Coffee - 7:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 7, Saturday

Barako Bull vs GlobalPort - 3:45 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

Talk N Text vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 6:00 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 8, Sunday

Meralco Bolts vs Alaska Aces - 4:15 PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Brgy. Ginebra - 6:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Which matchup are you excited to witness this week in the PBA 2013 Governor's Cup?

PBA Wednesday Games Cancelled Due to Bad Weather in Metro

Image: http://www.solarsportsdesk.ph

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud has announced the cancellation of games scheduled for today, August 21, in the ongoing PBA Governor's Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The cancellation came as a result of flooding in Metro Manila and in various parts of Luzon caused by Typhoon Maring.

Two games were supposedly scheduled today which consisted of the matchup between San Mig Coffee Mixers and Global Port Batang Pier, and Alaska's debut against Talk N Text Tropang Texters. As of now, Comm. Salud has not provided details yet on when these games will be re-scheduled.

As of today, no details were given as to the postponement of games on Friday. PBA officials will determine that if the weather improves by then.

The last time a PBA double header game had been suspended due to bad weather was way back in 2008. Meanwhile, replay of Sunday's games will be shown tonight on Aksyon TV instead.

You can visit this post to find out the list of game schedules until September 2013.

PBA 2013 Governor's Cup Update

Image: nonoying.com

The PBA 2013 Governor's Cup is scheduled to kick off on August 14, 2013, Wednesday. The opening of the Governor's Cup was moved at a later date to avoid conflict with the ongoing FIBA Asia 2013 tournament, which is hosted by the country, and to allow the Smart Gilas Pilipinas team enough time to prepare for the tournament.

Check out below for the list of game schedules for the first two weeks of tournament, as well as complete list of imports for the competing teams:

August 14, Wednesday

Air 21 Express vs Global Port Batang Pier - 5:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
Rain or Shine vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 7:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

August 16, Friday

Talk 'N Text vs Barako Bull Energy - 5:15 PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Meralco Bolts vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 7:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

August 17, Saturday

Global Port Batang Pier vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters - 3:45PM (Ynares Center)
Petron Blaze Boosters vs Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel - 6:00pm (Ynares Center)

August 18, Sunday 

Barako Bull Energy vs Meralco Bolts - 4:15PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Petron Blaze Boosters vs Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel - 6:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

August 21, Wednesday

Global Port Batang Pier vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 5:15PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Talk N Text vs Alaska Aces - 7:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

August 23, Friday

Alaska Aces vs Global Port Batang Pier - 5:15 PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Rain or Shine vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 7:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

UPDATED:

August 24, Saturday

Brgy Ginebra vs Meralco Bolts - 6:00PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

August 25, Sunday

Air21 Express vs Barako Bull - 4:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
San Mig Coffee vs Talk 'N Text - 6:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

August 28, Wednesday

Petron Blaze Boosters vs Air21 Express - 5:15 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
Alaska Aces vs Rain or Shine - 7:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

August 30, Friday

Meralco Bolts vs Talk N Text - 5:15 PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Barako Bull vs Brgy. Ginebra - 7:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

August 31, Saturday

Rain or Shine vs Air 21 Express - 3:45 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
San Mig Coffee vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 6:00 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 1, Sunday

Talk N Text vs GlobalPort - 4:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
Brgy. Ginebra vs Alaska Aces - 6:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 4, Wednesday

Petron Blaze vs Barako Bull - 5:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
Meralco Bolts vs Rain or Shine - 7:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 6, Friday

Brgy. Ginebra vs Air 21 Express - 5:15PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
Alaska Aces vs San Mig Coffee - 7:30PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 7, Saturday

Barako Bull vs GlobalPort - 3:45 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)
Talk N Text vs Petron Blaze Boosters - 6:00 PM (Mall of Asia Arena)

September 8, Sunday

Meralco Bolts vs Alaska Aces - 4:15 PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
San Mig Coffee Mixers vs Brgy. Ginebra - 6:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

September 11, Wednesday

Rain or Shine vs Barako Bull - 5:15PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Air 21 Express vs Talk N Text - 7:30PM (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

Meanwhile, here is the completed and updated list of imports reinforcing their respective teams in the upcoming 2013 PBA Governor's Cup:

Air 21 Express - Zach Graham
Alaska Aces - Wendell McKines
Barako Bull Energy - Mike Singletary
Brgy. Ginebra - Dior Lowhorn
Global Port Batang Pier - Markeith Cummings
Meralco Bolts - Mario West
Petron Blaze Boosters - Elijah Millsap
Rain or Shine - Arizona Reid
San Mig Coffee Mixers - Marqus Blakely
Talk 'N Text - Tony Mitchell

Make sure to check us back again for more updates and schedules for the PBA.

Petron Signs Governor's Cup 2013 Import: D-League Standout Elijah Millsap

After months of waiting and intense scouting, the Petron Blaze Boosters finally have an import for the upcoming 2013 Governor's Cup competition in the PBA. The said import played for LA D-Fenders at the D-League as a guard and stands 6'6" tall. It was San Miguel Executive Noli Eala who confirmed the news over the weekend.

According to Eala, Millsap will be joining the team once the Summer League is over at the NBA. His expected date of arrival will be on July 25.

During his stint with LA D-Fenders, Millsap produced an average of 17.2 points in addition to his near 6 rebounds per game. He has played a total of 44 games for the LA D-Fenders thus far, in which he posted the aforementioned numbers. If his family name rings a bell, he is the younger brother of Jazz forward Paul Millsap.

Head coach Olsen Racela has not leaked any information about Millsap while negotiation is still ongoing. Thus, the media thought all along that they were negotiating with Othyus Jeffers because the team wanted to keep their negotiations top secret until such time that the contract has been finalized. Jeffers, on the other hand, is also a veteran in the NBA wherein he formerly played for the Spurs, Wizards, and the Jazz.

When asked about the reason behind their decision to pick Millsap as Petron import for the 2013 PBA Governor's Cup, he cited versatility. They wanted an import that can play "at both ends of the court". After all, they just recently traded Jay Washington to GlobalPort so they wanted to fill in that gap. They are also looking to play Arwind Santos and Elijah Millsap in the same power forward positions.

Stay tuned for more updates on import signings at the upcoming PBA 2013 Governor's Cup.

PBA 2013 Trade Updates

Image: iamjammed.com

A new trade has been approved by the PBA Board Directors early this week, which is a three-team trade deal involving Barako Bull Energy Cola, Talk N Text Tropang Texters, and Meralco Bolts. There are also five players involved in the said trade deal involving the aforemention teams namely Don Allado, Sean Anthony, Jared Dillinger, Ronjay Buenafe, and Gilbert Bulawan.

The final result of this three-way trade is as follows:

Barako Bull acquires Ronjay Buenafe and Gilbert Bulawan;
Meralco Bolts acquire Don Allado and Jared Dillinger;
Talk N Text acquires Sean Anthony

In another news, Jay Washington has gotten his wish to be traded from the Petron Blaze Boosters lineup. In the trade deal that has been approved by the PBA, the two-time Best Player of the Conference awardee will soon be suiting up for the GlobalPort Batang Pier. His request for a trade has been on hold for a long while now and was sparked by the lack of playing time, along with the dismal performance by his team during the past few conferences in the PBA (despite having a talent-laden lineup).

The team's dismal performance and his limited minutes has contributed to Jay Washington posting his lowest season average (8.2 points) since entering the league. Washington isn't one to be shy about venting his frustration about his position in the team and has since requested for a trade. In exchange for releasing Jay Washington to GlobalPort, Petron acquires the rights to their second round draft picks for 2016 and 2017, as well as rookie Jason Deutchman.

GlobalPort head coach Junel Baculi is positive about the acquisition of Jay Washington because they needed the boost inside the paint, something of which Jay Wash has been unable to do since the Petron lineup is filled with other big men in the likes of Arwind Santos and Jun Mar Fajardo.

PBA Ready to Expand with 2 More Teams and Governor's Cup Update

Image: interaksyon.com

The Alaska Aces was crowned champions of the recent PBA Commissioner'sCup finals wherein they defeated Brgy. Ginebra in a 3-0 sweep. But as the league officials are prepping for the upcoming FIBA Asia competition that the country will be hosting, they are also looking to make improvements in the upcoming Governor's Cup conference. One of the major steps taken by league commissioner Chito Salud is to express that he is open to the idea of adding new teams in the PBA.

Comm. Salud clarifies, however, there are no teams currently in line to join the league - it's just a possibility that is being presented as of the moment. He said, "I think we're ready to bring in two more teams, considering the quality and quantity of the players out there."

The PBA commissioner has also confirmed that there are two groups that are proposing entry into the league. However, their proposals are being reviewed if they do have the sustainability to operate a franchise in the PBA. He also cited the record live attendances at the games during the recent Commissioner's Cup conference that has helped the league to go on an upswing. For this, the PBA commissioner's office has received inquiries from various companies on how to obtain a franchise in the league. A team owner for a D-League team (although Salud refused to spill out more details on this) had expressed intent to join the PBA.

The PBA is being viewed by business owners as a good launching pad for business investment. After all, it has one of the biggest audience shares in the local TV. The fact that not one team has dominated the competition over the past two years, meaning no team has swept the crown in all three conferences, had been a positive indicator of parity among all franchises.

Meanwhile, PBA Comm. Salud has also rescheduled the Governor's Cup to make way for the upcoming FIBA Asia tournament. All of the league owners had agreed to these changes. This will allow the Smart Gilas Pilipinas, which consists of mainly PBA players, to have at least two months of unhampered training.

From the original May to July 2013 schedule, it has now been moved to August to October 2013. To be specific, the Governor's Cup will open on August 14, 2013 and is expected to end on the final week of October. Imports will be fielded in to help teams in the competition although there will be a 6-foot-5 height limit imposed on these imports.

Below are the suspected imports that will be asked to reinforce their respective teams in the PBA 2013 Governor's Cup conference:

image: pba.inquirer.net

Returning imports:

Talk N Text - Tony Mitchell
San Mig Coffee Mixers - Marqus Blakely
Rain or Shine - Arizona Reid
Air 21 - Zach Graham

New imports:

Barako Bull - Mike Singletary
Brgy. Ginebra - Dior Lowhorn
Alaska Aces - Wendell McKines

Imports currently in negotiation:

Petron Blaze - No definitive option yet from their list of potential reinforcements after initial attempt to tap former RoS import Arizona Reid failed.
Global Port - The team is currently negotiating a deal with former RoS import and former Best Import awardee Jamelle Cornley.
Meralco - They had not finalized a deal with Mario West just yet, although negotiations are ongoing and he is their top option.

Alaska Aces Crowned 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup Champions!

Image: http://www.interaksyon.com

 On Sunday, May 19, the Alaska Aces swept their finals series against the Brgy. Ginebra Kings to win their 14th title in the Philippine Basketball Association. The Aces staged a late surge to pull ahead of their competition despite being down for majority of the first three quarters after they went on a 20-3 run at the mid-point of the final quarter. The game ended with 104-80 on the scoreboard, completing the sweep in this Best-of-5 Finals series. Alaska won Game 1 in an 87-70 game and they also won convincingly during Game 2 with via a 104-90 win.

Alaska Aces' 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup trophy is third first in three years and also Luigi Trillo's first championship trophy after taking over the head coaching stint for the Aces, following in the footsteps of Tim Cone and Joe Banal. The championship sweep came before a record crowd attendance at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.


Sonny Thoss was named the Finals MVP after he averaged 14 points. But more importantly, Thoss played a crucial role in putting a stop to Ginebra import Vernon Macklin's dominance inside the paint. Aside from Thoss, rookie Calvin "The Beast" Abueva and JVee Casio also contributed to the scoring frenzy for the Aces that helped them put their competition aside in all of the games played throughout the series. On the flip side, Mark Caguioa and the rest of the Brgy. Ginebra Kings failed to sink the ball into the basket during their many attempts at the 6-minute stage of the fourth quarter.

This conference was dominated by the Alaska Aces from the get-go. They were at the top of the team standings by the end of the Elimination Round, which earned them a twice-to-beat advantage over the #8 team, Air 21 Express. Eventually, they capitalized on that and eliminated Air 21 even after just one game. They also met with the San Mig Coffee Mixers during Semifinals Round, but they emerged victorious after four games.

What do you think was the reason that Brgy. Ginebra was unable to clinch even a single win in this series?

Alaska Aces Snags One Over Ginebra, Leads Finals Series

Image: sports.yahoo.com.ph

Alaska Aces is considered the underdog in the series in terms of the fans given that Brgy. Ginebra is the most popular team in the league. However, that was not enough to intimidate the Aces; in fact, it fired them up enough to open the Finals series against the Ginebra squad in a fiery blaze, giving them a 1-0 advantage in their Best-of-5 series for the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup trophy.

On Game 1 of the Finals series that kicked off yesterday, May 15, Alaska Aces ended up winning via an 87-70 rout before a crowd of over 19,000 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

According to Aces head coach Luigi Trillo, "[the win] is huge" because it boosted his team's confidence going into Game 2 and the rest of the series. Not only that, this win also marks its third win against Brgy. Ginebra for the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup. However, he is not content with the way they played the game despite the win, as he notes they need to work better at making stops.

Ginebra put in only six points at the opening quarter of the game. This particular output has made it into the record books for being the lowest for any opening period and the third lowest of all-time in a single quarter. From there, Alaska rode their momentum for the rest of the game leading them to victory.

Luigi Trillo adds, "We need to play to our identity. They run-and-gun, get a lot of energy from the crowd when they do certain things...[but] we gave them six points in the first quarter. I think that's our identity, defense."

RJ Jazul lead Alaska in scoring with 16 points as Cyrus Baguio added his own 10 points. On the other hand, their import has played consistently throughout the conference and for Game 1 of the Finals, he chipped in 14 points along with 22 rebounds. Several other players scored in double figures for the Aces including Calvin Abueva, Jayvee Casio, and Sonny Thoss.

For the Kings, the story is much different. They had a paltry 26 for 84 field goal shooting percentage, although they managed to cut down the deficit to 11 with 2:51 left in the game. Vernon Macklin and LA Tenorio were the only bright spots for Ginebra wherein they scored 16 and 14 points, respectively.

If you want to see the rest of the PBA 2013 Finals schedule for the rest of the week, you can check it here.