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.

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 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.

PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Finals Schedule

Tomorrow will mark the start of the Finals action in the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup and it is going to be a battle between the youngsters and veterans. Experts predict that Alaska Aces will gain an edge over their competition if the series goes to entire length. Meanwhile, Brgy. Ginebra that is deemed the "underdog" of this series will want to end the series early or they might be at a disadvantage.

Brgy. Ginebra arranged a date with the Alaska Aces to the Finals at the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup after extending their Semis series against Talk N Text to a Game 5 despite being down 2-1 post-All Star Weekend. During the final game of this series, Brgy. Ginebra played an inspired game wherein they beat Talk N Text 111-103 to mark the 20th finals appearance for the franchise.

Meanwhile, Alaska Aces spoiled San Mig Coffee Mixers' plan to defend their title after beating them in Game 4 of their own Semis series. This is also a memorable moment for Alaska Aces since this will be the first time they're back to the Finals since Tim Cone left the team.

Image: www.pba.inquirer.net

Clearly, Brgy. Ginebra will have a home court advantage but head coach Luigi Trillo had his crew in place and even led the team to the number one spot at the end of the Elimination Round. To check the preliminary list of schedule for the Finals game this week, you can check the schedule below:

May 15, 2013

Brgy. Ginebra vs Alaska Aces - 7:30 PM at Smart Araneta Coliseum

May 17, 2013

Brgy. Ginebra vs Alaska Aces - 7:30 PM at Mall of Asia Arena

May 19, 2013

Brgy. Ginebra vs Alaska Aces - 7:30 PM at Smart Araneta Coliseum

Who do you think will be crowned the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup champion?

Alaska, TNT Took Over 2-1 Series Lead at PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Semis

Alaska Aces (89) def. San Mig Coffee Mixers (82)

After dropping the first game of the series, Alaska Aces is just one win away from its first finals stint in the PBA post-Tim Cone. The ironic thing is that it could happen against the team that their former coach is now handling - the San Mig Coffee Mixers. Youngsters Calvin Abueva and RJ Jazul combined to do some damage in the game 3 of their series in the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Semis. The Aces managed to pull off an OT victory against the Mixers during the opening game of Wednesday's action via an 89-82 game.

The Aces can wrap up the series when the two teams meet again on Saturday, but coach Luigi Trillo does not want to get too excited at the prospect. Instead, he wanted to instill in his players' minds that "it's just another game". He then adds, "we can't get too excited."

He should know well enough as he's coached this team under former head coach Tim Cone's wing. Trillo is right to think so as Cone is confident that this series ain't over yet. He quips, "We've been here before, we've handled this situation before." Ironically, Cone wanted the Game 4 to take place soon because he was hoping for his team to "carry the emotion into the next one."

Rookie Calvin Abueva came off the bench during Game 3 but still ended up with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, RJ Jazul, who also came off the bench, contributed 6 points during overtime to spark the Aces to its win.

The performance over at San Mig Coffee Mixers isn't paltry, though. Denzel Bowles chipped in 19 points and 15 rebounds while Marc Pingris and Mark Barroca each had 15 points under their names. By the relentless charge from the Aces staved them off, despite holding a 16-point lead at one point in the game. They also nearly lost during the remaining seconds of regulation, but extended the game when Bowles converted his free throw with the game time shy of 5 seconds. They, however, had 5 turnovers at the overtime period on top of a poor 1-of-5 shooting percentage.

Aside from Abueva, four other Aces players scored in double figures namely Cyrus Baguio, JV Casio, Sonny Thoss, and Rob Dozier.

Talk N Text (85) def. Brgy. Ginebra (79)

The story for the other series in the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup semis is a case of deja vu. Talk N Text dropped the first game of the semis but won the succeeding two, even with a new import in tow after they let go of 7-footer Jerome Jordan. Talk N Text took a gamble by replacing their import and it paid off, such that they are now at the threshold of the finals. Tony Mitchell was former Rookie of the Year at the NBA Developmental League and he staged an impressive showing that lived up to his reputation. He helped the Texters gain a 2-1 lead in the series via an 85-79 win versus the Brgy. Ginebra squad.

The 6-foot-5 import exhibited tremendous flair on the court and agility. Talk N Text head coach noted how they're "in a very interesting situation". He reveals that they did not have any expectations coming into Game 3 of the Semis series but he is happy with how Mitchell played.

If Black has learned anything in the PBA, though, he knows that you can't be overconfident. "The series is far from over," he notes. "They had not seen Tony before and had no idea how to prepare against him. But they've seen him once and they will surely be ready in the next game."

Black also did not forget to acknowledge his locals, whom he felt stepped up given the fact that Jared Dillinger and Jimmy Alapag did not suit up for Game 3. Mitchell scored 29 points overall, but Fonacier contributed 20, Jayson Castro and Ranidel de Ocampo both had 15 points. The rest showed even scoring and he got contributions from nearly anyone he brought to the court.

On Ginebra's end, import Vernon Macklin led them in scoring with 17 points along with Kerby Raymundo. But no other player, aside from Tenorio, scored in double figures.

Images courtesy of www.pba.inquirer.net

PBA 2013 Semis Series Both Tied

Four game dates in and both semis series are tied. Both the Talk N Text Tropang Texters and Alaska Aces snagged a win in the second game off of their respective series, which brings the competition back to square one. With only three games left, Game 3 of the series is going to be crucial because it means the winning team has one foot in the Finals seat of the ongoing PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup.

Talk N Text def. Ginebra (85-79)

When Talk N Text dropped the first game of their semis series with Brgy. Ginebra, many feared that the latter will pull away and that Talk N Text will be history. But like the true warriors that they are, they managed to pull off a win last Sunday to even up the series. They were down 9 points heading into the fourth quarter but staged a rally with Ranidel de Ocampo scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter alone despite nursing a foul trouble. But it was his three-point shot under the final two minutes of the game that closed off any possibility of Ginebra making a come back and securing an early series lead. 

Head coach Norman Black viewed that game as a do-or-die situation for his team because he said "0-2 is a difficult situation." He added, "we have to survive and tie the series or we're in big trouble."

Defense was key part of Talk N Text's success in Game 2 of the semis as they held down Ginebra to below 80 points in this game, a stark contrast from the Game 1 result wherein they scored over 100. 

TALK N’ TEXT 85 – Castro 22, Alapag 17, De Ocampo 16, Jordan 14, Carey 6, Al-Hussaini 5, Reyes 4, Aban 1, Raymundo 0, Fonacier 0, Ferriols 0.

BARANGAY GINEBRA 79 – Raymundo 17, Macklin 15, Urbiztondo 15, Helterbrand 12, Tenorio 8, Ellis 6, Taha 2, Baracael 2, Maierhofer 2.

Alaska Aces def. San Mig Coffee Mixers (86-67)

Like Talk N Text, Alaska Aces also revitalized its chances if making it past the semis round after beating the San Mig Coffee Mixers during Monday's game in the PBA. Rob Dozier had a monster performance, fueling his team to its first win in this series.

Dozier tied his career high in the PBA of 28 points along with 27 rebounds (the new season-high) and making it the team's first win against their former coach. Before this game, Alaska has lost 9 games to San Mig Coffee Mixers in a row so they not only tied the series but also broke that losing skid. According to Aces head coach Luigi Trillo, "it's a battle between two competitive teams, and it's playoff time," noting the rugged moments that transpired during the game.

Defense was the name of the game as San Mig was limited to only 14 points each during the first two quarters. On the third quarter, they only slightly improved their offensive output to 16. The lone bright spots for the Mixers were PJ Simon and Joe Devance. Meanwhile, Jayvee Casio and Gabby Espinas helped out their import.

ALASKA 86 – Dozier 28, Casio 16, Thoss 8, Baguio 8, Hontiveros 5, Espinas 4, Jazul 2, Laure 2, Dela Cruz 2, Bugia 1, Ramos 0, Reyes 0, Eman 0,Belasco 0.

SAN MIG COFFEE 67 – Devance 15, Simon 15, Bowles 8, Yap 5, Barroca 4, Alvarez 3, Mallari 3, Pingris 3, Reavis 3, Ponferrada 2, Gaco 2, Najorda 2, De Ocampo 2, Pacana 0, Gonzales 0.

If you want to know more about the rest of the Semis schedule, you can check my previous post here.

Disclaimer: Photos and box scores courtesy of www.pba.ph

PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Semis Schedule

The quarterfinals round came swiftly in the PBA with the number one team, Alaska Aces, finishing off its opponent, Air 21 Express, after having a twice-to-beat advantage heading into the quarterfinals round. However, the story is far more different in the other twice-to-beat matchup as the Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel showcased their "never say die" attitude as they battled Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Eventually, they managed to defeat the latter in both meetings, sealing them a date at the Semifinals round with the Tropang Texters of Talk N Text.

Speaking of Talk N Text, they also qualified into the Semis fairly early after they swept Petron Blaze Boosters in their own Best of 3 Series. Meanwhile, San Mig Coffee Mixers' series against the Meralco Bolts went the entire length of the Best of 3 competition, but they eventually ended up on top during last Wednesday's game.

The semifinals round is scheduled to tip off today in the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The semifinals round will be a Best-of-5 series with the two winning teams moving on to the Finals round. Below is a list of the game schedules. Make sure to take note so you won't miss a single game!

courtesy of www.pba.inquirer.net

Which team do you think will go head to head in the finals? Share your predictions below.

PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Games Schedule: April 19 to 24, 2013

Barako Bull Energy Cola and GlobalPort Batang Pier had already been eliminated from the competition at the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup. But for the rest of the teams, the battle continues this week as the matchups are to be determined by the remaining games in the conference's regular season. During Wednesday's game, Petron emerged victorious over Talk N Text allowing them to secure the third position in the team standings. Meanwhile, Rain or Shine bowed to Meralco Bolts in a game that went into overtime and seen head coach Yeng Guiao ejected after complaining to the referees with only few minutes into the first quarter.

For what to expect in the PBA this week, here is the complete list of game schedules:

Are you ready for the Quarterfinals action?

Disclaimer: Image courtesy of www.pba.ph

PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Game Schedule: April 8-17, 2013

During Sunday night's games at the ongoing PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup, both the Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel and Petron Blaze Boosters had sealed their fate for the next round of competition after beating Meralco Bolts and Barako Bull Energy Cola, respectively. At the first match of Sunday Superball at the PBA, the Blaze Boosters spoiled former NBA player DJ Mbenga's debut as they beat the Barako Bull via an 88-77 match. The game was close for the first three quarters until Petron pulled away during the early goings of the fourth quarter until Barako Bull could not recover any longer. Mbenga's lack of conditioning also played a key factor as he was looking rusty and slow at times, leaving the more agile Henry Sims opportunity to exploit the paint.

Meanwhile, the Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel team barely clinched the win with a shot by their import Vernon Macklin with 12.9 seconds left in the game. Previous to Macklin's heroic shot that ended up sealing the win for Brgy. Ginebra, Sunday Salvacion sunk a three-point shot from the corner despite Mac Baracael's contention, which pushed Meralco Bolts to the lead at 89-88. But with 1.2 seconds remaining in the game, Eric Dawson could not sink his high-looping shot against Vernon Macklin, thus giving Brgy. Ginebra their 7th win and guaranteeing that they move to the next round. Meanwhile, Meralco Bolts drop to 6-6 and is on a three-way tie with Talk N Text and San Mig Coffee Mixers.

To continue watching the action at the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup, make sure to take note of the schedule for the succeeding games. Here is the list of games for the coming week:

Disclaimer: Image courtesy of pba.inquirer.net

PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Games Schedule: April 3-7, 2013

With the Holy Week break over and the Easter Sunday games schedule seeing both Air 21 and Barako Bull snapping their respective losing skids, it is a brand new week in the PBA for the ongoing 2013 Commissioner's Cup. If you want to stay tuned to the exciting action at the PBA games, make sure to take note of the schedule for this coming week so you won't miss a single game from your favorite team.

Image credit: www.pba.ph

Renaldo Balkman and the Choking Incident

Image credit: Spin.ph

The Petron Blaze Boosters entered into their game yesterday, March 8, versus the Alaska Aces with a 5-1 standing. Both teams are tied for first place and the winner of this match would gain solo lead in the ongoing 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup. Hence, fans came in droves at the Smart Araneta Coliseum expecting a tough match between the top two teams of the conference. And that is certainly what the fans got... and then some.

Prior to this game, Renaldo Balkman has shown great performance while suiting up for the Petron Blaze Boosters managing to get five straight wins and shooting to the top of the team standings. But when a series of calls did not turn his way and with his team on the verge of losing the competition for solo leadership, Balkman went from solid baller to a complete madman. To give you an idea as to how quickly the situation went from bad to worse, he ended up shoving and choking his own teammate. Yes, his own teammate. And the teammate in question is no less than team captain Arwind Santos, who is also one of Petron's franchise players.

Watch this clip from InterAKTV to watch the series of actions leading up to the choking incident involving his teammate Arwind Santos:

Right now, fans are enraged at social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Many have even campaigned for getting rid of Balkman, citing the player's unacceptable attitude during yesterday's game as tipping point. As a former NBA player, fans expected more out of Balkman given that he has had his stint at the world's most prestigious basketball league. But I guess you can't teach class.

Since that incident, however, Balkman took to his Twitter account to express his apologies to his teammates, the fans, and most especially to Arwind Santos. Balkman was also summoned to the Commissioner's Office on Monday wherein the penalties to his actions were to be determined.

San Mig Coffee Mixers Stain Aces' Record

Image: interaksyon.com

San Mig Coffee Mixers has done what five other teams were unable to do at the ongoing 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup - defeat Alaska Aces. When these two teams met during the main game yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, coach Tim Cone's crew ended up victorious over Luigi Trillo's Alaska Aces via a 75-68 game.

In doing so, San Mig Coffee Mixers improved its standing to 3-3 after winning three consecutive since dropping the same amount of ball games to kick off the conference. Despite the loss, Alaska Aces remains at the top of the standing but they now share the lead with Petron Blaze Boosters, also with a 5-1 standing.

The San Mig Coffee Mixers had a slow start in the game but they get to work during the second quarter wherein they eventually established a 12-point lead over the Aces during halftime. During the third quarter, they continued on their rampage and eventually blew up their lead to 24, limiting Alaska Aces to only 36 points.

Alaska, however, did not give up and made a run but time wasn't in their favor at that point. Robert Dozier led Alaska Aces with a 16-point, 18-rebounds performance. But Cyrus Baguio and Calvin Abueva were both not as fiery as they normally are, only combining for 13 points for the entire game. Meanwhile, five San Mig Coffee Mixers players scored in double figures with Denzel Bowles scoring another double-double.

Meanwhile, check out the image below to see the rest of the schedule for this week:

Make sure to visit us again for more updates and news on the league.

Aces vs Coffee Mixers: Which Winning Streak Will End?

Robert Dozier of the Alaska Aces

Alaska Aces is the league-leader in the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup with a 5-0 record. Meanwhile, the San Mig Coffee Mixers has had a slow start but since replacing their original import with the returning Denzel Bowles, wherein they attempt to improve their standing to 3-3. The two teams are scheduled to face off against each other in the 7:30PM match on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Coaches of both teams anticipate that it will be quite the battle. Tim Cone of the San Mig Coffee Mixers revealed, "It's going to be tough. Alaska is playing at a very high level with great confidence, and we're still trying to get our feet under us after a poor start."

He noted, however, that the game will be a battle of execution. The team that can execute the ball better is going to end up with the win, Cone predicts.

While coach Tim Cone is hopeful that his team will execute better than the Aces during their match today, he has one thing working in his favor: his current record against Alaska, his former team, is 6-0. Thus, coach Luigi Trillo of the Aces is not going to take this game lightly. He even went as far as to say that the current 2-3 standing of the Coffee Mixers is not indicative of the true potential of this team.

According to Trillo, "Denzel Bowles really changes that team and so does Joe Devance... they always find a way to play together and share the load."

Trillo, therefore, is hoping to take away any match-up problems that the San Mig Coffee Mixers might exploit during the game. But there is one important thing he'd like to point out to his boys as they step into the court tonight - San Mig Coffee Mixers is still the reigning champions of this conference.

Since Denzel Bowles replaced Matt Rodgers on the Mixers' lineup, they had won two consecutive games after three losses to kick off the conference.

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.

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.

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.

PBA News: Trade Updates for 2012-13 Commissioner's Cup

The opening of the PBA Commissioner's Cup conference is right around the corner. Hence, players must be excited to see how well the preparations are going for their favorite teams. There were quite a lot of trades that happened off-season, involving several players and teams (in fact, some teams got involved in a multi-player trade) so that will hopefully shake up the action this upcoming conference.

Image: pinoyexchange.com

Barako Bull - Younger, Better Lineup?

During last year's PBA Commissioner's Cup, and in an intensely competitive import-laden conference, Barako Bull made it to as far as the semi-finals series after they trounced the Alaska Aces in the quarterfinals series only to be defeated by the Talk N Text Tropang Texters. This year, they are hoping to replicate their success and improve it, if possible. To make that happen, the team got involved in a big trade involving a few other teams to acquire younger players into their lineup.

Hence, the team moniker "Manong Brigade" might no longer suit the team as they have unloaded veterans to acquire younger guys. The addition of head coach Rajko Toroman will also complete the revamping of this team. New players include JC Intal, Jonas Villanueva, Allein Maliksi, Emman Monfort, and Jojo Duncil. In addition, formerly suspended player Don Allado has re-signed with the team. In exchange, they released Leo Najorda and Lester Alvarez, along with Alex Mallari who they acquired from Petron for Ronald Tubid.

Alaska Aces Releases Baracael

Mac Baracael is one of those players that were involved in the multi-player trade in the PBA during the off-season. According to coach Luigi Trillo, it was a difficult decision to let go of the forward off of his lineup, but he had to do so for the betterment of the team as Baracael is no longer happy with his playing time with the Alaska Aces.

By giving up Baracael to the Kings, the Aces acquired Aldrech Ramos that also got little playing minutes with the San Mig Coffee Mixers. The Aces coaching staff believes that acquiring Ramos would benefit their inside play now that Sonny Thoss will have another big man to help him out.

Image: pinoyexchange.com

Air 21 Trade Proposal Turned Down by TNT

With Japeth Aguilar exploring more options for his basketball career abroad, Air21 is expressing their interest to obtain a trade deal with Talk N Text in order to get the rights for Japeth Aguilar should he decide to return in the PBA. However, the trade proposal is not working out well as the Texters feel that the proposal is not appealing enough for them.

The 3-time consecutive All Filipino Cup champion Talk N Text Tropang Texters received an offer from Air 21 for Ogie Menor and Noy Baclao for Japeth Aguilar. The proposal came after this local agent has expressed Aguilar's desire to be traded from the Talk N Text team. One factor that might be causing Talk N Text to hold off on the deal is the ongoing negotations with GlobalPort involving Rabeh Al-Hussaini.

PBA Philippine Cup Schedule: Week of October 22 to 28, 2012

A week of basketball action has come to a close and now another one is set to begin. The action at the PBA games get tougher by the day. And if you want to know about your favorite team's fate in the upcoming weeks, you should not miss a single game. 

With the Halloween about to come, the league is also reaching its final stretch of games before taking a few days off to commemorate the holidays. Here is a complete lowdown on the schedule of games in the PBA for week of October 22 to 31, 2012. 

October 24, 2012

Barako Bull vs Talk 'N Text - 5:15 PM

Rain or Shine vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 7:30 PM

October 26, 2012

Alaska Aces vs Air 21 Express - 5:15 PM

Petron Blaze Boosters vs GlobalPort Batang Pier - 7:30PM

October 27, 2012

Rain or Shine vs Talk N Text - Victorias City, 6:30PM

October 28, 2012

Barako Bull vs San Mig Coffee Mixers - 4:15 PM

Alaska Aces vs Brgy Ginebra San Miguel - 6:30PM

October 31, 2012

San Mig Coffee vs GlobalPort Batang Pier - 5:15 PM

Barako Bull vs Meralco Bolts - 7:30PM

Make sure to mark your calendars with the PBA games schedule for this coming week so you won't miss the action at the PBA 2012-2013 Philippine Cup!