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.

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

Talk N Text Sporting New Import at Game 3 of Series vs Brgy Ginebra

Jerome Jordan, the Talk N Text's tall import, had a short stint in the PBA after he was replaced by an NBA D-League standout, Tony Mitchell, starting in today's matchup against the Brgy. Ginebra Kings as the semis action is back up again after a short break from the All-Star Weekend. The 6-foot-5 guard is a huge downgrade in terms of height in comparison to the 7-footer Jordan, but the Talk N Text coaching staff believes he can help push their campaign in the ongoing semis action in the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup.

The series is currently tied at 1-1 and Talk N Text is hopeful that their new import can help them gain the lead in the series. Mitchell will have a big shoes to fill in, though, as aside from replacing a tall import the team will also be missing the services of point guard Jimmy Alapag and wingman Jared Dillinger due to injuries.

According to Norman Black, "We were to use Mitchell as our third conference import, but because of recent developments in our team, we will use him now in our series versus Ginebra."

Aside from making adjustments in their offense with the addition of a new import, head coach Norman Black also acknowledges that it puts additional pressure on Ali Peek and Rabah Al-Hussaini when it comes to defending Vernon Macklin, Ginebra's import, in the paint. After all, the said import has been known to be an explosive scorer, even on the inside. But Black noted "solid team defense and rebounding" in order to overcome this huge debacle.

Meanwhile, coach Alfrancis Chua also admits that his team will have to make its own adjustments with the arrival of their opponent's new import. He admits though that Talk N Text had to make the bigger adjustment concerning team chemistry and the fact that they had to find the right matchup against their import.

Mitchell arrived in the Philippines right before majority of the Talk N Text team flew to Davao City for the All-Star activities. But even when Alapag and Dillinger are out, Ryan Reyes and Ali Peek are back in play and these two are going to play a crucial role in tonight's game as both teams want to get an edge over their competition.

The tipoff for the Brgy. Ginebra and Talk N Text game will take place at 7:30 PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Which team do you think will take a lead in this series after tonight?

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

Barako Bull Energy Cola Acquires Former Laker DJ Mbenga

Image: Spin.ph

Last Sunday, the Barako Bull Energy Cola snapped their six game losing skid by beating San Mig Coffee Mixers via a 105-100 match, just barely escaping a late rally from Tim Cone's troops. Despite the win, though, the Barako Bull management finally made a move that a lot were speculating they would've made earlier, if they were to improve their bid at making the playoffs round.

The Barako Bull management had to let go of Evan Brock and acquired former Lakers center DJ Mbenga in the process. The 7-foot Congonese-Belgian player was much talked about prior to the start of the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup because a few teams, including Brgy. Ginebra Kings, were hoping to sign him. However, it wasn't until Tuesday that the Barako Bull management has confirmed that they have signed Mbenga as the team's new import.

The size and height of Mbenga was the critical factor in their decision to tap him to reinforce their current lineup. According to team consultant Rajko Toroman, "we're the worst rebounding team, that's what we need in him. We don't care if he doesn't have an offense or what. We need his defense and hustle more."

Coach Bong Ramos also seconded saying that he is confident that DJ Mbenga will be the missing part of the formula to helping Barako Bull get the most wins out of their remaining games in their bid to escape an early break this conference.

Soon after arriving in the Philippines, DJ Mbenga joined a close door training with the rest of the team, coach Bong Ramos, and team consultant Rajko Toroman. The new recruit went through usual drills for post-up plays, free throw shooting, and rebounding. The team's goal is to maximize his size in order to establish a stronger presence on the inside, something of which the hard working Evan Brock lacked during his stint with the Barako Bull team.

Right now, the team's goal is to avoid being stuck in the 9 or 10 position in the league standings or else they could be taking an early vacation this conference. DJ Mbenga will be able to strut his wares in the PBA as he debuts against Petron Blaze Boosters this Sunday, April 7. Petron is also sporting a new import in Henry Sims, so it will be interesting to see which of the new imports will prevail although Sims will have his debut this Friday.

Petron Blazers Welcome New Import Henry Sims

Image: Petron Blaze Boosters official Facebook fan page

Petron Blaze Boosters has a new import! It's been a few days that the Twitter world went abuzz as Petron is still hard in its search for a new import to replace Rodney White, the former PBA import whom they recruited after the PBA imposed a lifetime ban on their then-import Renaldo Balkman following a choking incident that involved his own teammate. However, White had been less than impressive in his two games with Petron, prompting the SMC management to look for another import that could help out the team's cause in their ongoing campaign to make the playoffs round of the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup.


And it seems like their search is finally over as SMC Executive Noli Eala has confirmed the news. Henry Sims is the new Petron import and is expected to suit up in Petron's game this Friday against Meralco Bolts. Eala took to his Twitter account to confirm the news saying, "Its official. Its Henry Sims!"

The news came out last Monday when head coach Olsen Racela confirmed that they had offered Sims a contract to play as Petron's import in the PBA. According to Racela, "We want to have a permanent import."

When asked about their motivation for choosing Sims, despite the fact that they had trouble with sealing the contract and having Gabe Freeman on standby, Racela said, "He's bigger than our two previous imports as he plays No. 4 and 5 positions."

The impressive portfolio of Henry Sims had made him their top choice for import as of the moment. Even Brgy. Ginebra import, Vernon Macklin, is impressed with Sims. After all, Sims is a fellow alumnus from Georgetown, which is why he knows how Sims operate on and off the court.

According to the Ginebra import, "He's got a great attitude, he is a young guy. He just wants to work hard to make it to the next level." Macklin can guarantee that Sims won't be making a repeat of the horror that Balkman brought to the team.

If Sims can prove to be the missing piece in this team's puzzle, he might help improve their standing after losing two games in a row since winning the first one following Balkman's ban.

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

PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup: The Week That Was

Double Lane Violation Fiasco in Aces-Coffee Mixers Game

The PBA officiating team has been in the spotlight yet again after a double lane violation call was protested during the match between Alaska Aces and San Mig Coffee Mixers last Saturday, March 23. Aces coach Luigi Trillo protested the violation call noting how it cost them a shot at winning the game.

An official statement was made by the PBA via Media Bureau Chief Willie Marcial saying, "Whether the shot is made or not, once there's a lane violation, a jump ball will be called and the shot will be waved off."

The incident took place during Aces' Calvin Abueva's stint at the free throw line with 12.1 seconds left in the game. He had the opportunity to tie up the game if he converted the second free throw, but since Jazul and Baguio of the Aces and Simon and Barroca of the Mixers came into the lane before the shot was released, the free throw was nullified.

Coach Luigi Trillo claimed that "[that] call took it from us."

Due to his protest, however, the PBA fined Aces head coach Luigi Trillo P40,000 due to his complaints. According to the PBA's statement, the first P20,000 fine was for "repeatedly issuing statements to the press that tend to undermine the public confidence in the game's outcome...and confuse the public as to the correctness of the call made by the game officials." The other P20,000 fine was supposedly for "violating the rule prohibiting any member of a team from approaching or confronting the game officials before, during or after a game."

Barako Bull Continues Its Losing Woes

The Barako Bull Energy Cola had a promising start in the PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup after winning their first two outings. But since clinching their third win, it has been a downward spiral for them. Last Sunday, they eventually lost their sixth game in a row against a Caguiao-less Barangay Ginebra squad.

This has prompted consultant Rajko Toroman to look at other possibilities in order to restore the franchise's performance in the conference. The team's current standing of 3-7 puts them second to last in the league standings. Hence, the coach and management staff at Barako Bull is sensing some desperation with news that there might be a possibility of replacing their import Evan Brock. When asked to comment regarding this bit of news, Toroman said, "All things are being considered."

Rain or Shine Ends Losing Streak vs TNT

Since Rain or Shine was swept by the Talk N Text Tropang Texters during the PBA Philippine Cup, they had not been able to get one against their opponent. So when these two teams met last Sunday, March 24, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, all eyes were on coach Yeng Guiao's squad if they would be able to end their losing skid against Talk N Text.

And they were able to finally snap that losing streak, and at a very convincing manner at that, with a 31-point lead against the Texters via a 116-85 rout. The Elasto Painters had a strong start to the game, which eventually carried on for the remainder of the game.

Talk N Text forward Ranidel de Ocampo cited how the Elasto Painters played an inspired ball game. Meanwhile, the loss brings Talk N Text down to number four in the team standings, which means they are now in a tie with San Mig Coffee Mixers, Barangay Ginebra and Air 21 at 5-5.

PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup Game Schedule: March 18 to 31, 2013

The action at the ongoing PBA 2013 Commissioner's Cup is nearing the close of its first stage. Hence, every game is pivotal from here on out as teams are battling for position on the team standings. If you're a big fan, you don't want to miss the remaining games. To keep tab on your favorite team's next schedule of games, you can check out the game schedules in the PBA for this week:

Take note of these dates and never miss a single action in the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup!

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.