Meralco import Gani Lawal. PBA IMAGES MANILA, Philippines–Meralco scored in bunches early and used that cushion to hold off hard-fighting Columbian, 101-92, Friday night in the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Bolts went for eight unanswered points to start the game and kept on building on that groove en route to tabbing their first win in the conference. “It’s always good to get that first win under your belt. We lost a really tough game last time out,” Meralco coach Norman Black said. “[Tonight] we did a lot better offensively and defensively.” Import Gani Lawal h ..read more

FIVE PEAT. Beermen win their historic fifth straight PBA Philippine Cup championship. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines—Game 7 matched the hype and the San Miguel Beer lived up to its promise again. Struggling mightily and pushed to their limit by a gutsy Magnolia side, the Beermen still found away to win and extend their reign in the PBA Philippine Cup for a historic fifth straight year. Reigning five-time MVP June Mar Fajardo and Alex Cabagnot showed nerves of steel in the pressure-packed moments as the Beermen overcame the biggest challenge yet to their throne. Faja ..read more

PBA big man Raymond Almazan. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines–Meralco has acquired the services of star center Raymond Almazan from Rain or Shine on Tuesday, team manager Paolo Trillo said. The PBA approved the trade that sent the Bolts’ rights to the 2019 and 2021 first round picks to the Elasto Painters in exchange for Almazan. READ: As Almazan goes missing, six PBA teams interested Almazan is just what the doctor ordered for Meralco, which has long sought for a big man. The 6-foot-8 Almazan is expected to make his debut for the Bolts in the coming Commissioner’s Cu ..read more

MANILA, Philippines–Magnolia coach Chito Victolero had little to say about his team’s loss to San Miguel two nights ago. His team would rather let their game speak—especially Mark Barroca—in the Hotshots’ stunning victory over the San Miguel Beermen, 88-86, to take a 3-2 Philippine Cup Finals series lead Friday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao. Barroca tied his sterling performance in Game 4 in most impressive fashion, sinking a mid-range jumpshot to win the game and put his team on the brink of the championship and cap what had been an eventful night in one fell swoop. READ: ‘Spider ..read more

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines–Magnolia held off San Miguel Beer, 99-94, for a 1-0 lead in the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup Finals Wednesday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Ian Sangalang and Paul Lee came up big down the stretch for the Hotshots, who also won the finals opener last year but ended up dropping the next four games to lose in the series. Crowd starting to fill up the Big Dome for Game 1 of the #PBAFinals between San Miguel Beer and Magnolia. | @MarkGiongcoINQ pic.twitter.com/SknmF3TPEj — INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) May 1, 2019 “I talked to my player ..read more

James Yap with another reliable performance for Rain or Shine. PBA IMAGES ANTIPOLO — Just as their foes were reaching for the dagger in the very arena where they have emerged unscathed and crowned as champions, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters looked calm and collected, giving themselves a fightback of their own in Game 6 of the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals. The Elasto Painters leaned on the marksmanship of Rey Nambatac and yet another steady performance by James Yap to fend off Magnolia, 91-81, and forge a decider for the last remaining Finals berth, Friday night at Ynares Center here. “I ..read more

Mark Barroca in action. PBA IMAGES MANILA, Philippines–Following back-to-back losses in the PBA Philippine Cup, coach Chito Victolero has yearned for nothing more than rest for Magnolia. He got that during the Lenten break and the Hotshots were never the same again. Victolero and his wards typified that and more in Magnolia’s gritty 82-74 victory over Rain or Shine on Tuesday night at Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay, stringing up three straight wins and breaking their tie in their race-to-four series in one fell swoop. “We just tried to be consistent. We tried to focus more on defense and limit th ..read more

MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Beer faced a lot of questions from onlookers when it traded for the enigmatic yet dazzling guard Terrence Romeo in the offseason. But amid all the noise and criticisms, the Beermen remained unbothered. All along, they knew exactly what they’re going to get. After all, it’s no secret what Romeo can do with a basketball and he showed that again Tuesday in the semifinal stage. “I mean you guys know what Terrence can do. He is one of the best in the country at putting the ball in the hole. He’s proven that through many years, he’s won many scoring championships. Eve ..read more

MANILA, Philippines—The technical fouls kept coming and so were 3-pointers from Terrence Romeo. Romeo took over in the third quarter and San Miguel Beer steamrolled Phoenix, 114-91, in another rough-and-tumble Philippine Cup semifinals duel for a 3-1 series lead Tuesday night at Cuneta Astrodome. The explosive guard erupted for 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting from distance after going scoreless in the first half. Romeo alone outscored the Fuel Masters in the third quarter, where the Beermen dominated, 30-15. San Miguel looks to close out Phoenix on Thursday at the same venue. The game saw two ej ..read more

MANILA, Philippines–Facing Alaska in a crucial game, NLEX will have to make do without its head coach Yeng Guiao for the rest of the way after he got ejected in the second quarter. The fiery Guiao was tossed after he picked up two quick technical fouls with a little over five minutes left in the second period. Guiao’s ouster, however, appeared to have lit a fire under the Road Warriors, who closed the quarter on a 14-5 run to take a 50-36 lead at the half. The Road Warriors are currently 11th in the standings and a victory over the Aces will definitely boost their bid for a quarterfinals slot ..read more