Gilas Officially Un-Invited to Jones Cup 2013

The Philippine basketball scene was in shock today as Smart Gilas head coach Chot Reyes has officially announced via his Twitter account that the Philippine team won't be able to defend its crown in the upcoming 2013 Jones Cup Tournament, stemming from the feud between Taiwan and the Philippines regarding the fishermen slay. More than the opportunity to defend its crown, Chot Reyes is in dismay as the tournament is a big part of the team's preparation for the upcoming FIBA Asia Tournament.

This is an unfortunate event that erupted from being a political issue that has now spilled over to the sports side. The said shooting of Taiwanese fishermen took place off the Balintang Channel in Batanes last May 9, 2013. However, tensions remain between the two countries and now fans of the national basketball squad are reeling over these recent developments.

According to Chot Reyes, they now have to find a replacement tournament that they can join in in order to prepare for the 2013 FIBA Asia Competition.

Smart Gilas players and sports analysts also react via Twitter to the recent announcement by the organizers of the 2013 Jones Cup tournament:

Smart Gilas Pilipinas won its first Jones Cup tournament last year after 14 years (last time Philippines took home the Jones Cup trophy was in 1998) despite being pitted against a more favored United States team in a close 76-75 game.

What are your thoughts about Taiwan's decision to exclude Gilas Pilipinas from the Jones Cup lineup despite being the reigning champions?

Miami Heat Take Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals via OT

The Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 tipped off last Wednesday, May 22, and it proved to be the thriller it was marketed to be. Paul George emerged as a hero for the Pacers, standing his ground with a three-point shot in front of Lebron James' defense that sent the game into overtime. However, Lebron had his sweet revenge after sinking in the shot that won it for Miami Heat.

If you missed Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, you can check out the highlights below courtesy of NBA.com:



On Friday, the Memphis Grizzlies host the San Antonio Spurs for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. The Grizzlies are hoping to secure their first win in the series after the Spurs won the first two games at home. Aside from the first knack at a win in the series, the Grizzlies are also trying to protect their winning streak at home. They hadn't lost a game at their home court since the Playoffs started.

For more on the NBA 2013 Eastern and Western Conference Finals schedule, you can check here.

Will Miami walk away with this series? Or are the Pacers going to even it up on Game 2? Share your thoughts below.

2013 NBA Western & Eastern Finals Schedule

Image: USAToday.com

The stakes are bigger at the upcoming game schedules in the NBA as the competition is down to four teams. Memphis Grizzlies (first time in the Western Conference finals) and the playoffs veterans San Antonio Spurs are slugging it out for the Western Conference trophy. Meanwhile, Indiana Pacers have their backs against the wall as they're going up against Miami Heat, which is a favorite to win it all this year.


Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals series tipped off last Sunday, May 19, at San Antonio wherein the Spurs blasted the Grizzlies by winning 105-83. The game started off with the Grizzlies trailing in double digits and they staged a short comeback that cut the lead to only six by the third quarter. However, the Spurs quickly put an end to Grizzlies' attempt to make a dominating debut in their first Western Finals appearance. Matt Bonner lead an 11-1 run to close out the third with 16 points between them.

Many of the Grizzlies top players didn't show up during Game 1 namely Zach Randolph, who left the game with more than 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter to play and only two points under his belt. It has been noted that the Grizzlies executed the classic gritty defense and inside-out offense during the entire season, which has worked successfully for them at this point. But the Spurs beat them at their own game. Now, the Grizzlies are hoping to make the necessary adjustments come Game 2 in order to even up the series and more importantly, steal one on the road.

You can check the rest of the schedules below:

Western Conference Finals

Game 1 in San Antonio: Spurs (105) def. Grizzlies (83)
Game 2 in San Antonio: Tuesday, May 21
Game 3 in Memphis: Saturday, May 25
Game 4 in Memphis: Monday, May 27
Game 5 in San Antonio: Wednesday, May 29
Game 6 in Memphis: Friday, May 31
Game 7 in San Antonio: Sunday, June 2

Eastern Conference Finals

Game 1 in Miami: Wednesday, May 22
Game 2 in Miami: Friday, May 24
Game 3 in Indianapolis: Sunday, May 26
Game 4 in Indianapolis: Tuesday, May 28
Game 5 in Miami: Thursday, May 30
Game 6 in Indianapolis: Saturday, June 1
Game 7 in Miami: Monday, June 3

Which team do you think will take home the 2013 NBA championship? Be sure to vote in on the poll!

Disclaimer: Photos and NBA 2013 Finals Schedule credits to www.usatoday.com

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?