Category: Uncategorized

Venice training set for ‘thankful’ Catantan

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Philippines’ Samantha Catantan reacts after beating Singapore’s Maxine Jie Xin Wong in the women’s epee individual fencing final at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Hanoi on May 14, 2022. (Photo by TANG CHHIN SOTHY / AFP)

Sam Catantan embarks on a final push with a rigorous training camp in Venice, Italy, where world-class fencers could simulate the challenges that she will face in the Paris Olympics.

“I can’t wait to enter the camp. I know I could gain valuable lessons and experience in time for the Olympics,’’ Catantan told the Inquirer after being treated to a mini-sendoff by the Philippine Olympians Association at the College of Saint Benilde on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old from Frisco, Quezon City, is the first woman fencer in the Philippine team to the Olympics, but there are no great expectations in her debut at the global sports showpiece.

Final exam

“The best fencers in the world will be there, so the challenge to win a medal is really overwhelming,’’ said Catantan, who secured an Olympic berth after topping the field in the Asian Olympic Qualification in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, last month.

Since that victory, she hasn’t really plunged into an intensive workout for the Summer Games.

Catantan took her final examination as a graduating accounting major at Penn State University nearly three weeks ago, got a much-needed vacation with the family and attended several functions within the Philippine fencing community.

She will leave for Venice on Wednesday.

“I’m very thankful for these opportunities to train in Italy and France. It will definitely boost my confidence and make me better as I prepare for the Olympics,’’ said Catantan.

La Salle invests playing minutes on Kevin Quiambao backup

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La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao. –UAAP PHOTO

The work to defend its UAAP men’s basketball crown has already begun for La Salle—and for this, new faces surround the Green Archers’ foremost weapon, Kevin Quiambao.

“Being part of this program is no joke … you are always gonna be as good as your last game so that’s the standard that we always put in our program,” coach Topex Robinson said as La Salle advanced to the Finals of the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup against a familiar rival in University of the Philippines (UP) waiting on the other side. The two schools battled for all the marbles in Season 86 with La Salle successfully taking the throne behind MVP Quiambao. Evan Nelle, Mark Nonoy, Francis Escandor, Ben Phillips and Joaqui Manuel have since graduated and left holes all over the roster.

Robinson has filled that up and the team remains committed to the same mantra that gave them success last season: focusing on themselves and what they can control. That’s why he gave some of those new guys the exposure they need, even in high stakes games.

“It’s a gamble on my part to play the guys who don’t usually see action on the floor, giving them the chance to really prove themselves,” he said after what should’ve been a runaway victory against Letran in the semifinals.

Knowing the need to expose his newer cogs to the high-level of collegiate basketball, Robinson opted to keep his new guys on the floor despite squandering a 24-point lead on the way to a 91-87 escape act over the Knights.

“Those are the gambles that I would always take and the responsibility and the consequences will always be falling on my shoulders,” he added as La Salle tries to get back on the Fighting Maroons, who won against them in the eliminations, on Wednesday.

“The more we give them that air time, the more we could really finalize our roster because after the FilOil, we don’t really have a tournament ready for us except for a Japan trip,” the champion coach said.

Along with Quiambao, La Salle’s key holdovers include Earl Abadam, Jan Macalalag, CJ Austria, Michael Phillips (injured), EJ Gollena and Jonnel Policarpio.

Henry Agunanne, formerly a big man for Centro Escolar University, has been a force to be reckoned with inside the paint as he now backstops La Salle.

“By that time … most likely we [have] already chosen the guys that are gonna be part of Season 87 for us, so this is the best time to really put them to a test and then see if they really have what it takes to be in the lineup,” Robinson said.

“It’s gonna be an exciting game against UP on Wednesday, so another test of character for us,” he added.

Irving channeling 2016 as Mavs plot NBA Finals rally

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Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)

DALLAS – Kyrie Irving is drawing from the experience of Cleveland’s 2016 NBA Finals comeback as he attempts to help dig the Dallas Mavericks out of an 0-2 hole against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
The Mavericks host their first game of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, desperate for victory after dropping the opening two road games of the best-of-seven series in Boston last week.
For Irving, the situation is eerily familiar to his experience with the Cavaliers eight years ago, when Cleveland went 2-0 down to the dominant Golden State Warriors before rallying and eventually winning the series 4-3 with victory in game seven.
Irving, who famously shot the game-winning three-pointer in the series decider against the Warriors in 2016, sees parallels between his past and present.
“It took a lot of will to win in 2016,” Irving said.
“We had time to fail together. We had time to go through our trials together. We lost in 2015.
“A lot of guys came back in 2016 and we won. So there was an inner motivation there. We also knew who we were going against, how well they played.”
Instead of being daunted by the challenge posed by the top-seeded Celtics, Irving wants his teammates to view their situation as “an opportunity to respond.”
“That’s all you can ask for in a basketball season,” he said.
“If you asked me in September or October, would I want a chance to be down 0-2 and having a chance to respond in Game 3 or be out of the playoffs, I think I would choose the former. It’s as simple as that.
“We’re the only teams left. This is about chess. That’s all it is.”
If the Mavericks are to haul themselves off the canvas, Irving knows he will need a more productive game after misfiring so far.
In games one and two against Boston, Irving scored a mere 28 points and was 13-of-37 from the floor, and 0-of-8 from three-point range.
“First thing is just accepting that I haven’t played well or up to my standards, as well as I would have liked,” Irving said.
Irving also believes that the scorelines from the first two games of the series don’t do Dallas justice.
“The margin of their victories hasn’t really displayed the full story in terms of the Celtics beating us,” Irving said.
“We just have to continue to lean in on each other, especially when it gets tough out there. We’re going against a great team.
“We know what we’re in for. But now we have to raise it to an even higher level, and it starts with me.”
Dallas coach Jason Kidd, meanwhile, hopes the home support can emulate the raucous atmosphere he experienced as a player in 2011 as a member of the Mavericks last championship-winning team.
“This is an incredible atmosphere,” Kidd said. “To win that championship in 2011, the city is incredible. They love their Mavs.
“To win it then and now to be here in 2024 is special because you don’t really get an opportunity to do that.
“I understand the opportunity that I have to be the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. It’s a dream come true.
“But we’re trying right now to figure out how to win one game, and that’s the next one tomorrow night.”

Banged-up Bates doesn’t mind putting body on Fajardo

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Meralco rookie Brandon Bates kept it simple when asked about the tall task of defending San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo in the PBA Philippine Cup championship series.

“Starstruck … and sore!” he said with a hearty laugh while chatting with the Inquirer. “I remember waking up the other morning and every single part of my body was sore.”

Turning serious, the Filipino-Australian big man pointed out that he wasn’t expecting anything less from the man who has helped deliver San Miguel’s last 10 crowns while winning seven MVP trophies.

“He’s the best player in this league, and possibly—arguably—the best in Philippine (basketball’s) history,” Bates went on. “So yeah, starstruck and sore.”

Bates hasn’t been too shabby in this best-of-seven duel where he has helped his crew take a 2-1 lead. The former La Salle center has been integral in putting the clamps on the Beermen cornerstone.

Alongside Raymond Almazan, Norbert Torres and Kyle Pascual, Bates has made things difficult for Fajardo, especially in Game 3, as the San Miguel star was held to only five field goal attempts and forced to a team-worst seven turnovers.

There’s no denying that among the questions on Wednesday’s Game 4 set at 7:30 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum will be about sustaining that effort. And Bates is optimistic, as energy, after all, has been synonymous with Meralco’s play.

“The coaching staff has prepared us really well. Our training sessions weren’t easy. They haven’t been easy coming into this [series]. I think we’re very well-prepared especially if this goes into seven games,” he said.

“It’s what we want because we’re truly prepared for this sort of stuff.”

Poster boy

Cliff Hodge, easily Meralco’s poster boy for vigor, is hardly fazed with the possibility of the Bolts’ energy sputtering as the series plods along.

“Ever since the ‘PBA On Tour,’ when the coaching staff came back and asked us what our goals are, we said we want to win a championship. They said, ‘all right, well if you guys want to win a championship, then you all got to be conditioned to win a championship,’” Hodge said as the Bolts look to build a huge 3-1 cushion.

“So we’ve been putting in the work since then. And I’m not tired—I can do this any day of the week. All the guys on the team are in condition and we’re in shape. So we want to keep this pace up. If everything works out and we win a championship, then that’s great. If not, we’ll keep working until we win one,” he added.

Such a projection remains to be seen, and it will be interesting to see if it even holds as they try to fend off the Beermen from equalizing.

Fajardo is shaping up to be at the front and center of that San Miguel counterattack in what is looming as his coronation as the Best Player of the Conference (BPC). Barring any big changes, the Cebuano hotshot will be taking home his 10th BPC, the most by anyone in league history.

Meralco countering San Miguel depth with defense

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Meralco center Raymond Almazan has been holding it down for the Bolts in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Meralco may be leading San Miguel Beer in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals series through three games, but the Bolts had to go through the wringer just to grab a 2-1 edge.

What makes the Beermen a tough nut to crack is their depth led by seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez.

“In all honesty, it’s hard because you’re going to stop June Mar (Fajardo) then Mo (Tautuaa) will have a good game. Then, there’s Marcio (Lassiter) outside, CJ (Perez) as a slasher. Then, they also have Don (Trollano) and Jericho (Cruz),” said Meralco center Raymond Almazan in Filipino after their 93-89 win in Game 3 on Sunday.

READ: Cliff Hodge: Winning rebound battle key for Meralco in PBA Finals

“We really have to pick our poison but I guess our defense will be the thing that’ll help us win in this series.”

Despite San Miguel’s firepower, Meralco has somehow found a way to gain the upper hand thanks to a balanced effort on both ends.

In Game 3, the Bolts had two players notching double-doubles with Almazan posting 17 points and 13 rebounds and Cliff Hodge collecting 10 points and 13 rebounds while Chris Newsome provided the heroics, scoring 26 points, including the game’s final five points.

Meralco’s defense–with Almazan as one of its anchors–has been stellar as well, holding a star-studded San Miguel crew to an average of 90 points in the first three games.

READ: PBA Finals: Rest vital for SMB heading into Game 4, says CJ Perez

Even Fajardo has had a hard time against the Bolts’ frontcourt of Almazan, Brandon Bates and Hodge.

Though, it’s not been easy for Almazan as well.

“It’s really hard. I think nobody can guard June Mar for 40 minutes or a whole game. Coach told us that if we can play hard defense for forty minutes or so to tire out June Mar, that’ll be our job.”

“That’s really what we have to do to this series to have a better chance of winning.”

San Miguel veered away from brand of play in Game 3

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San Miguel Beer center June Mar Fajardo during Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—There was nothing technical as to why San Miguel Beer lost to Meralco in Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

“Coach (Jorge Gallent) told us that we didn’t play San Miguel basketball. We needed to make more extra passes. That’s what he pointed out,” said June Mar Fajardo in Filipino on Sunday after Game 3 slipped away from the Beermen’s fingertips.

True enough, San Miguel had as many turnovers as assists with 15. Those errors led to 20 turnover points for Meralco.

READ: PBA Finals: ‘Still underdogs’ Meralco Bolts keeping their guards up

The Bolts, on the other hand, played with much better flow on the offensive end with 22 assists and only 10 turnovers.

“They’ve been playing really well throughout this series. This is a long series. We’ll do everything to bounce back next game. It is what it is,” said Fajardo.

READ: PBA Finals: Rest vital for SMB heading into Game 4, says CJ Perez

Fajardo finished with a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds but the seven-time MVP only went 2-of-5 from the field and turned the ball over seven times. In Game 1 where the Beermen also lost, Fajardo committed six turnovers.

“They play good defense. They have a lot of bigs and they rotate so quickly that it gets tiring. We also missed shots that we should’ve made. They had a lot of offensive rebounds. We just really have to improve.”

Snubbed by first choice, Lakers resume coaching search

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Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka before an NBA basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Lakers in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers must continue their latest coaching search with the basketball world already knowing their first choice turned them down.

The Lakers have endured their share of embarrassments in recent years, but a snub by a college coach — even the best in the game — is among the roughest setbacks yet.

Dan Hurley met with the Lakers last week and then rejected their very public courtship Monday. The coach probably emerged from his dalliance with the leverage to finish a lucrative new contract at UConn.

READ: NBA: Dan Hurley turns down Lakers offer, will stay at UConn

But what’s next for the Lakers, a franchise with 17 NBA championships, a world-renowned brand, two of the sport’s top players and no head coach?

They must resume a search that has stretched well into its second month since Darvin Ham’s firing May 3 and has yet to produce a slam-dunk choice. Nearly every leaked discussion of the Lakers’ search included three top candidates — each of whom would have arrived on the West Coast with question marks.

Although Hurley is one of the most respected names in the sport after the Huskies’ success over the past two years, he’s never worked in the NBA. Former player J.J. Redick has never coached at all, and James Borrego has been an NBA head coach for 4 1/2 seasons without ever making the playoffs.

Redick and Borrego are still candidates to run the Lakers, which would seem to be one of the most desirable jobs in sports — but the charitable interpretation of this current search is that owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka are struggling to find the right fit for their vision.

READ: NBA: Lakers conduct public coaching search in hopes of pleasing LeBron

Many fans are wondering whether Buss and Pelinka have a vision at all, what with the Lakers’ years of roster upheaval and mediocre supporting casts around LeBron James. They’re also wondering whether each passing week increases the chance that the 39-year-old James will turn down his $51.4 million contract option later this month and become a free agent.

The Lakers last won a championship when James and Anthony Davis raised the trophy in the Florida bubble four years ago, and they’ve tried to maximize their chances in the remaining years of James’ career by changing coaches and/or jettisoning multiple players after nearly every failed season.

This hire might be their final chance to get the right coaching staff for James — and Hurley’s rejection clearly hurts.

Hiring Redick would be a major risk, albeit with a significant potential upside. It’s unclear whether Redick would even want to disrupt his burgeoning career in media for the stress of a head coaching job.

READ: A look at NBA head coaches on LeBron James-led teams

Borrego represents management experience and coaching pedigree, but he has yet to distinguish himself in a top job — and he’s also a candidate for Cleveland’s vacancy.

The Lakers are expected to talk to other candidates in the days ahead, perhaps widening their search to include names not even currently in the discussion. But they probably can’t even default to arguably the most experienced, most successful veteran NBA head coach currently on the free-agent market.

That’s because Frank Vogel won a ring with the Lakers in October 2020 and got fired exactly 18 months later.

Vogel wasn’t even the Lakers’ first choice in 2019: According to multiple reports, the Lakers nearly hired Tyronn Lue before the deal fell apart over money and the front office’s desire to have a say on his staff. Lue ended up with the Clippers, where he remains. That negotiation has remained an embarrassment for the Lakers even after their fallback choice won a championship.

After firing Vogel in 2022 when Pelinka’s veteran-laden, injury-plagued roster missed the playoffs with a humiliating 33-49 record, the Lakers went through another six-week search before settling on Ham. The once-and-future Milwaukee Bucks assistant clearly didn’t impress the front office or his players enough to keep his job even after two winning seasons, two playoff berths and a Western Conference finals appearance.

‘Still underdogs’ Meralco Bolts keeping guards up

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Meralco Bolts during Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Holding a 2-1 series edge over San Miguel Beer doesn’t change the fact that Meralco is still the underdog in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

Bolts rookie Brandon Bates made it clear: No lead is safe, especially against the mighty Beermen.

“We’re not excited. Even though we’re up 2-1, Ginebra was up 3-2 against us, I remember, and look what happened there. At any given moment, it could be taken away,” said Bates after Meralco pulled off a 93-89 Houdini act in Game 3 on Sunday.

READ: PBA Finals: Meralco countering San Miguel depth with defense

“We’re not taking this for granted. We’re not satisfied. Until we get the fourth win, it’s all nothing.”

Bates knows that the worst thing Meralco could do at this point is to let its guard down.

Brandon Bates Meralco Bolts PBA Philippine Cup Finals

Meralco Bolts rookie Brandon Bates during Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

“Our coaching staff is big on us not being complacent and not having some swagger coming into the games and things like that. We’re still the underdogs,” said Bates, who scored two points and grabbed five rebounds but had a hand in forcing June Mar Fajardo to turn the ball over seven times.

READ: PBA Finals: Brandon Bates not letting the spotlight get to him

“Regardless of whether we’re up 2-1, we’re still the underdogs so we have to have that chip on that shoulder. We have to understand that.”

Bates and the Bolts go for a commanding 3-1 advantage on Wednesday.

Alas Pilipinas girls bounce back, stay in title hunt

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Alas Pilipinas girls and Australia in the Princess Cup Southeast Asian U-18 Volleyball Championship in Thailand.–Photo from SMM Volleyball

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas girls stayed in championship contention after bouncing back with a 25-16, 25-23, 21-25, 25-19 victory over Australia in the 22nd Princess Cup Southeast Asian Under-18 Women’s Volleyball Championship on Tuesday at Nakhon Pathom Gymnasium in Thailand.

Licking the wounds of their tough first defeat to Thailand less than 24 hours ago, the national youth team regained the share of second place tied with Indonesia with 3-1 records.

The Philippines and Indonesia clash for a Final berth on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. (Manila time).

READ: Alas Pilipinas girls off to 2-0 start in Thailand tournament

The top two teams clash in a winner-take-all final on Thursday. Thailand leads the league with a 3-0 card, eyeing its fourth sin against Singapore as of posting time.

Kimberly Rubin continued to shine bright for Alas, while Lianne Penuliar and Harlyn Serneche backstopped Rubin as the Nationals recovered from a 15-25, 12-25, 11-25 loss to Thailand on Monday evening.

READ: Alas Pilipinas girls rip Singapore to open Thailand U18 tilt

The Aussies tried to orchestrate a comeback after winning the third and put up a gallant stand in the fourth but their errors allowed the Filipino Spikers to escape behind the finishing touches of Rubin, Serneche, and Avril Bron.

Alas pulled off a comeback in the second set, crawling its way back from a 19-23 deficit as Serneche scored three points in a row before Bron’s set-tying ace.

Anni Tang committed a crucial attack error followed by Denesse Daylisan’s set-clinching kill for a two-set lead.

Lassiter rues blown chance for SMB in Game 3

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San Miguel Beer swingman Marcio Lassiter gestures during Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel swingman Marcio Lassiter lamented what could’ve been another Beermen game for the taking.

Instead of gaining the upper hand in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against Meralco, it was the Beermen who were back to playing catchup down 2-1 in the title series.

The worst part about losing Game 3 for Lassiter and San Miguel was the fact that the game could’ve gone either way.

READ: PBA Finals: Chris Newsome, Meralco deliver own dagger in Game 3

“Obviously it’s a tough loss like Game 2 was a tough loss on them. It’s going to be a long series but we got our heads up. We could’ve won that game too with breaks of the game,” said Lassiter, who scored 12 points and five rebounds on Sunday.

“We didn’t capitalize on a few things, obviously rebounding and some late-game shots but all in all, we know we could do better.”

But despite playing hard-nosed defense late in the game, the Bolts just knew how to respond down the stretch with Chris Newsome hitting a clutch 3-pointer reminiscent of Lassiter’s triple in the waning seconds of Game 2.

READ: PBA Finals: Meralco escapes San Miguel for 2-1 series edge

“Breaks of the game,” as Lassiter would say but Newsome’s clutch bucket also made Lassiter realize what this series has become for them and Meralco.

“It seems like it’s [always] all coming down to one possession. Each possession’s crucial.”

The Beermen look to equalize in Game 4 on Wednesday still at the Big Dome.