Porzingis a big problem for Mavericks team that cast him off

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Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) celebrates a 3-pointer, near Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) during the first half of Game 1 of basketball’s NBA Finals on Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON — The Mavericks couldn’t figure out how best to utilize big man Kristaps Porzingis during his three seasons in Dallas.

Three years later, the Mavericks now have a big Porzingis problem in the NBA Finals.

Dallas coach Jason Kidd said before the start of the series that he didn’t think Porzingis received nearly enough praise for his ability as a shot blocker and someone who can alter opponents’ shots.

The 7-footer did both in his rousing return to the court in Boston’s 107-89 Game 1 victory, while also providing a scoring punch — 20 points in 21 minutes of action — that jumpstarted the blowout.

It was a full display of his skillset by Boston that was never fully used during Porzingis’ time in Dallas.

READ: NBA FinalPorzingis, Celtics open NBA Finals with big win over Mavericks

“He plays his role,” Kidd said. “I think that’s one of the things that’s underrated about KP. When you ask him to do something, he does it. He doesn’t complain about his role. He goes out there and tries to help his team win.”

What’s more, he did it in his first game back after missing more than a month of action because of a strained right calf muscle.

“Even if I have time off, I can jump right back in and I feel the same way,” Porzingis said. “I know how to do this. That’s it, just having that confidence, going out there whatever, first round or Finals, just going out there with full confidence and giving what I have to the team.”

Kidd got to work with Porzingis for only 34 games during the 2021-22 season before he was dealt at the trade deadline to the Wizards. It was an acknowledgement by the Mavs that his use in a system in which he was asked to split time between posting up and shooting 3-pointers didn’t mesh with star Luka Doncic.

“We’re judged if it works or doesn’t work. That’s just part of the business,” Kidd said.

There’s also the risk that trading away a player of Porzingis’ caliber could eventually come back to bite.

READ: Porzingis plans to be ready for Game 1 of NBA Finals vs Mavericks

In Game 1 it did, with Porzingis igniting an early 17-5 run to help Boston take a 17-point first quarter lead.

But it’s what he did on the defensive end throughout the game that made just as much of an impact.

Two of Porzingis’ three blocks were at the rim — one each on Derrick Jones Jr. and Josh Green. He also blocked a pullup jumper by Kyrie Irving.

Dallas’ primary big men, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively, combined to go 4 for 4 from the field and scored 10 points. But they had no blocks and only eight rebounds.

“He looked pretty healthy to me,” Gafford said of Porzingis. “We have to find a way to match his energy and physicality.”

Porzingis’ presence in the paint also kept Irving and Doncic quiet. The duo, who had devastated opponents this postseason in the pick-and-roll by garnering 78 dunks or layups off their passes, managed only one such play in Game 1.

“That’s what he’s been doing his whole career. He’s a great player. He’s been great for us. The reason why we are here is because of what he’s done,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of Porzingis. “What he did for us (in Game 1) was big and we need that for the rest of the series.”

If Porzingis keeps this production up, combined with the Celtics’ other weapons, it may be too formidable for Dallas to match.

But the Mavericks are vowing to try.

“We just have to be better. We know that,” Kidd said. “Boston is a really good team, and so we’ve got to be better on Sunday.

Celtics’ formula leaves Mavericks searching for solution

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Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, left, celebrates with center Al Horford, center, as the Celtics lead the Dallas Mavericks during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Basketball Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON — When the Boston Celtics make a ton of 3-pointers, forget it. They’re probably not going to lose.

That was surely something the Dallas Mavericks understood before Game 1 of the NBA Finals — and if they, or anyone else, somehow were unaware of that fact, it was on full display in the opener.

The Celtics made 16 3s, outscoring the Mavericks by 27 points from long range, in their 107-89 victory Thursday night. Both teams have an off day Friday and are scheduled to resume practice Saturday. Game 2 is Sunday night in Boston.

“We’ve got to be better,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Nerves or not being in this situation, we can’t use that as an excuse. It’s just basketball, and we’ve got to be better at the game of basketball on Sunday.”

And it’ll start with doing a better job on 3s — either making more, giving up fewer, or both. Consider these trends for the Celtics this season:

READ: Porzingis returns, Celtics open NBA Finals with big win over Mavericks

— When making 16 or more 3s, Boston is 51-6. When making 15 or under, the Celtics are 26-14. That’s still a very good mark, but at least opponents have a realistic chance of winning when that happens.

— When the Celtics make more 3s than their opponent, they’re 61-5. When they don’t, they’re 16-15, basically a coin-flip to see who wins.

— When the Celtics make at least four more 3s than their opponent, they’re 49-3.

— When factoring in both the regular season and the playoffs, not only has Boston made more 3s than anyone else (1,572 so far this season, 24 away from matching the league’s total-season mark the Celtics set last year), but the Celtics also have a better percentage this season than any other club. They’re at .3852 for the season now, a whisker ahead of Oklahoma City’s .3851.

“I think they are the best 3-point shooting team in the NBA, so sometimes (it’s) really hard to take those away,” Mavericks guard Luka Doncic said. “Especially when they have five guys out and they can all shoot. Obviously, we’ve got to make more.”

READ: Porzingis a big problem in NBA Finals for Mavericks team that cast him off

And it was a team effort for the Celtics in Game 1. That has to be what makes it doubly scary for Dallas — because just about everyone in Boston’s rotation was part of the prowess from deep.

Jayson Tatum and Derrick White each made three 3s, while five other Celtics each made two. It was only the seventh time in NBA playoff history that seven teammates made at least two 3s in a game; it was the second such instance for Boston in this year’s playoffs, and the first time it ever happened in an NBA Finals.

“They are going to make some 3s at times, but we want to make them tough,” Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving said. “When they are at home, they shoot incredibly well.”

Boston led by 29 in the first half, then Dallas got the margin down to eight in the third quarter. It looked manageable — that is, until the Celtics started making 3s again. Tatum hit a 3, pushing the lead to 16. Al Horford hit another, and the lead was 19. Jaylen Brown hit another; lead up to 22.

Crisis averted. Collapse warning lifted. The game wasn’t in doubt again.

“When they cut it to eight, that’s when the game started,” Brown said. “I liked how our team responded. We stayed composed. Offensively, we got to our spacing and was able to push that lead back out and make some plays on offense.”

Made some plays on defense, too. A lot of them, actually. That was a theme all night for Boston; Dallas didn’t reach 25 points in any quarter of Game 1.

Dallas had five assists through three quarters — the fewest by any team in the first 36 minutes of any game in the last three seasons. The Mavericks aren’t exactly a high-assist team; they had the 19th-most in the regular season, but five through 36 minutes is almost impossible considering Doncic and Irving are on the team.

But that’s how good Boston’s defense was. It took away fast-break points (Dallas finished with only six), and one of the reasons why the final margin wasn’t even larger is because the Mavericks managed 16 second-chance points.

Translation: Nothing came easily for Dallas.

“Everyone was really locked in on the defensive end,” Horford said. “The things that we needed to do, we just wanted to be very solid throughout.”

The Mavericks finished Game 1 with nine assists, five fewer than their lowest in any other game this season. Doncic has 27 games so far this season alone where he’s had a triple-double of points, rebounds and assists — but Dallas’ entire team didn’t manage such a triple-double in Game 1.

“Just great individual defense,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Everybody has to take on the challenge of guarding those guys. They’re an amazing team and they put a ton of pressure on you with their ability to score. Everyone is going to take their matchup personal, have personal pride in individual defense.”

It has been Boston’s formula all season — 3s on one end, stops on the other. And in Game 1, it worked like a charm.

Kyrie Irving has rough opener after boos in Boston

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Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving heads toward the bench during the first half of Game 1 of the basketball team’s NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON — Kyrie Irving dribbled the ball off his foot, and the Boston fans erupted in cheers. He lost his footing on another turnover, and the crowd went wild.

Even just bringing the ball up the court drew boos from the locals, who haven’t forgiven Irving for opting out of his Celtics contract after the 2019 playoffs. If the Mavericks point guard was hoping to quiet the Boston fans with a big game in the opener of the NBA Finals, it didn’t quite go that way.

Irving scored 12 points on 6-for-19 shooting, missing all five 3-point attempts and turning the ball over three times as Boston beat Dallas 107-89 on Thursday night. Irving had two assists, and Dallas had just nine in all; only once has a team had fewer in the NBA Finals in the last 55 years.

READ: Kyrie Irving’s reflective side front and center in run to NBA Finals

It was Irving’s 11th straight loss to the Celtics.

“It’s not the first time I’ve lost in Boston. I don’t want to continue to make it a habit,” Irving said. “They have had my number a little bit.”

An eight-time All-Star who teamed with LeBron James to help Cleveland win the 2016 NBA title, Irving has since come to be known as much for outlandish opinions as anything he did on the court.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving NBA Finals Celtics vs Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, center, and guard Luka Doncic, top left, watch from the bench as the Mavericks trail the Celtics during the second half of Game 1 of basketball’s NBA Finals on Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

He blew up his relationship with James when he left Cleveland, and then also left Boston on bad terms. Then the player who questioned whether the earth was round sidelined himself for home games in Brooklyn rather than get a COVID-19 vaccine.

But Irving has been a model teammate in Dallas, and has even admitted to some of his previous shortcomings.

Not that the Boston fans will ever let him forget it.

“Being in this environment, I’m used to it at this point,” Irving said. “Over the past few years in the playoffs here, regular season, it’s been the same thing. I thought I was going to be a little louder in here. But I’m expecting the same things. Going to Game 2, crowd trying to get me out of my element.”

Irving spent two seasons with the Celtics, missing the 2018 playoffs with an injury as Boston made it to the Eastern Conference finals. A healthy Irving the next year was supposed to set the stage for many years of long postseason runs.

But the Celtics lost in the second round the following year, and then Irving – who’d professed his love for the city – opted out of his contracts. His returns since then have been ugly: a fan threw a water bottle at him after a 2021 playoff game; a year later, he cursed at and gave the middle finger to the crowd, for which he was fined.

“It’s not the booing. It’s not the missed shots. It’s more or less just our attitude and how we approach it,” Irving said. “I haven’t had the best games offensively this playoff run. … Now it’s our turn to go through it together. And that’s what makes it exciting.”

READ: Porzingis returns, Celtics open NBA Finals with big win over Mavericks

Compared to previous visits, Thursday’s game was tame.

Irving was booed at introductions, and otherwise welcomed with a variety of vulgar chants. But most of the focus was on the game.

And that was the problem.

“I thought he had great looks that just didn’t go down,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “He had some great looks at 3. He had some great looks in the paint. That’s just part of basketball. Sometimes they go in. Sometimes they don’t. Tonight, they just didn’t go down for Kai or most of the team, and hopefully we get those same shots in Game 2 and we can be better.”

Boston opened a 29-point lead in the first half, only to see Dallas score the last seven points of the second quarter and then go on a 20-6 run early in the third. With a chance to make it a two-possession game, Dereck Lively II traveled, and then Irving did the same.

A missed 3-pointer and a pair of missed shots underneath by Irving helped Boston extend the lead back to 22 points, 86-64.

And the Mavericks were never in the game after that.

“We did cut it to eight and got the rebound and unfortunately came up with a travel,” Kidd said. “A lot of good things in that third and fourth that we can build on. That’s what we talked about after the game and that’s what we have to do.”

Bolts’ first title could be different from what Newsome has pictured

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Chris Newsome has been in the PBA playing for one team for almost a decade, but a championship has remained slippery for the dynamic Meralco star.

One could bet that the high-flying guard has imagined that special moment in his head one too many times in all of his time backstopping the Bolts.

“I’ve always pictured in my head that my first-ever PBA championship would be through an import conference,” he told the Inquirer with a sheepish smile, as the Bolts lead San Miguel Beer, 1-0, in the Philippine Cup Finals. “That’s just kind of how it was based off of our lineups and how strong San Miguel has been in the All-Filipino historically over the years.”

Meralco has contended for import-laden titles, particularly in the Governors’ Cup where they made all of its first four Finals appearances.

The Beermen, meanwhile, have won six of the last eight editions of the PH Cup, with the franchise owing a total of 10 titles, the most by any team.

Newsome has been a part of all of those four tries. Three of those attempts were with the tireless Allen Durham and the other with sweet-shooting Tony Bishop Jr., and the closest the Bolts came to a crown was during the 2017 Governors’ Cup when they lost to Barangay Ginebra in Game 7 at Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

‘Really working hard’

This latest chance against the Beermen, who are looking to extend their reign for a second-straight Philippine Cup, will be new to Newsome as it will be Meralco’s maiden appearance in the All-Filipino finalé. And this isn’t how he imagined things would be, either.

Not that he’s complaining.

“This says a lot about the franchise. I’ve been here nine years, and for us to be still making franchise history says a lot—that we’re really working hard,” he said.

“Sometimes it hurts to fail or to lose. At times it could be, you know, almost disheartening that you’ve been working so hard and things still (don’t go) in your favor,” he went on. “But all this is a confirmation that we are improving.”

And Newsome knows it would be a shame to let up when Meralco has come this far.

“No stopping now,” he said as he and the Bolts gun for a 2-0 edge at press time. “Just getting started.”

Ramos holds sway and breaks through

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Sean Ramos celebrates maiden pro triumph. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Using another hot front nine to open his round, Sean Ramos on Friday fired a five-under-par 67 to rule the ICTSI Lakewood Championship for his first win on the Philippine Golf Tour carved out against some of the circuit’s best and seasoned players.

Protecting a one-shot lead to start the final round, Ramos drained four of his five birdies in a six-hole span starting on No. 3, before picking up a clutch shot on No. 16 that snuffed out the challenge put up by Reymon Jaraulla for an eventual 270 tally and a two-shot win.

“I can’t put into words how I feel right now,” the 20-year-old Ramos, who had several flings with a win in this young season, said. “This victory means so much to me after coming close several times before.”

Jaraulla also had a 67, but will look back at a bogey on the 16th as his downfall, even as Antonio Lascuña closed out with a 69 to finish third three strokes behind.

Ramos’ week was made in the first nine holes of the well-manicured layout, where he shot a total of 16 total birdies without a single bogey on all four days. He was also bogey-less in the final two rounds, the only player to do so.

“I handled the pressure well and enjoyed every moment of the competition,” added Ramos, also a contender at Palos Verdes and the Philippine Masters at Villamor. “I played strategically.”

Japan’s Ozeki Kakeru fired a 68 to finish a stroke behind Lascuña, with Art Arbole returning a day-best 66 to salvage fifth, seven strokes off the champion.

Tested warriors carry PH fight in Subic Bay

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John Alcala. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

A total of 54 countries will be represented when more than a thousand athletes answer the starting gun on Sunday in the backbreaking Ironman Philippines and IM 70.3 events at Subic Bay Boardwalk where the host country will be fielding some of its best.

John Alcala will banner the local charge in the full Ironman, which will be over a 3.8-kilometer swim, a 180-km bike and 42.2-km run race with the most scenic spots in Subic Bay as backdrop even as August Benedicto returns to the country seeking another 70.3 win in two years.

But before that, the Ironkids race will be held on Saturday with boys and girls from six to 15 years old disputing trophies in several categories. The distances for the kids depend on the age range, with those in the 13-15 division tackling a 250-meter swim, 6-km bike and 2-km run race.

Benedicto, who now calls Germany home and comes over to participate in selected events, triumphed in the Cebu edition in 2022, ruling the 1.9-km-swim, 90-km bike and 21.1-km run race that took the athletes atop of the CCLEX bridge twice.

The centerpiece event also offers World Championship slots to the top 25 male athletes for the Kona, Hawaii, event, with the women seeing action in the 70.3 disputing 15 slots to its version of the global championship slated in Nice, France, in September.

Beermen square PBA Finals with gutsy Bolts after Game 2 thriller

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Composure will be crucial for CJ Perez from this point of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals series that went back to square one following San Miguel Beer’s Game 2 escape act Friday night.

“I have to sustain my composure, especially in the endgame,” Perez told the Inquirer shortly after the Beermen avoided a dreaded 0-2 hole by rallying from four points down with 27 seconds to go for a 95-94 victory over the Meralco Bolts at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Perez’s three-pointer set up that unbelievable comeback as San Miguel took advantage of a split from Chris Banchero from the foul line, with Marcio Lassiter knocking down the go-ahead triple for the eventual scoreline.

San Miguel bounced back from dropping the series opener, 93-86, two nights prior where Perez endured foul trouble and disappointment towards some of the calls.

He was once again in early foul trouble, but wound up with a playoff-high 34 points this time, capped by a triple of his own with 22 seconds left that made the comeback possible.

“As a player, we can’t see everything with regards to the calls. So for us, we have to adjust and avoid complaining too much,” said Perez, who after Game 1 didn’t hide his disappointment towards calls that “shouldn’t be called in the Finals.”

Critical miss

The Finals Most Valuable Player when San Miguel captured the Commissioner’s Cup title last February was also glad to atone for an earlier missed three with Meralco holding on to a 90-89 lead.

That miss led to Banchero’s three-pointer that extended the Bolts’ advantage to 93-89, and it appeared that the Bolts were just one stop away from going two-up on the tournament favorites.

But Perez was glad to make good on his second chance.

“Our coaches really trust me to make shots,” Perez said. “If I miss those, it’s okay. If I make it, good for me.”

Lassiter scored with 13 seconds left following Banchero’s trip to the line, putting him closer to Allan Caidic and career leader Jimmy Alapag on the all-time list.

At this point, that triple could create a shift in the complexion of the championship tussle, with Game 3 set Sunday at the same venue.

Banchero had a chance to put Meralco ahead. He had a good look driving into the lane, but couldn’t convert on a layup that would have put the Bolts back in front and saved them from a gut-wrenching defeat.

Cliff Hodge produced 25 points for the Bolts, who once again drew worthy performances from almost everyone inserted on the floor.

June Mar Fajardo had 17 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks after another difficult battle against rookie Brandon Bates and the Meralco frontline.

Chris Newsome had 14 points for the Bolts, who led by eight points at one point.

PBA Finals Game 2 San Miguel vs Meralco

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2024 PBA Philippine Cup Finals schedule (Game 2)

Smart Araneta Coliseum

7:30pm – Meralco Bolts vs San Miguel Beermen

FULL SCHEDULE HERE.

PBA Finals: Meralco quickly moves on from Game 2 heartbreak

Meralco Bolts coach Luigi Trillo in Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against San Miguel Beermen. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—It’s just one game. At least that’s how Meralco wants to look at the Game 2 heartbreak to San Miguel in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

The Bolts fumbled their chance for a momentous 2-0 lead after a last-second shot by Marcio Lassiter, absorbing a stinging 95-94 loss to San Miguel on Wednesday.

But despite the heartbreaking loss, Cliff Hodge kept a positive mentality as they get a chance to rebound not 48 hours later for Game 3. FULL STORY

PBA Finals: Jericho Cruz says fan involved his family in trash talk

San Miguel Beermen's Jericho Cruz in Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against Meralco Bolts.

San Miguel Beermen’s Jericho Cruz in Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against Meralco Bolts. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Jericho Cruz found himself in a screaming match with a fan in the middle of San Miguel’s Game 2 win over Meralco in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals at Araneta Coliseum on Friday.

At around the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter, Cruz figured in a physical contact play with the Bolts’ Chris Newsome which saw the former drop to the floor. FULL STORY

VIDEO: Jericho Cruz on spat with fan in Finals Game 2

Jericho Cruz explains what happened in the fourth quarter when he exchanged words with a spectator, who was soon escorted out of Game 2.

PBA Finals: CJ Perez turns frustrations into 34-point explosion

San Miguel Beermen's CJ Perez during Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against Meralco Bolts.

San Miguel Beermen’s CJ Perez during Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against Meralco Bolts. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Forget the past and focus on the present. That was the central game plan for CJ Perez in San Miguel’s Game 2 win over Meralco in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

In the Beermen’s 95-94 victory over the Bolts at Araneta Coliseum on Friday, Perez let his frustrations from Game 1 go to focus on an all-important second game in the best-of-seven series. FULL STORY

VIDEO: San Miguel CJ Perez, Jorge Gallent on Game 2

San Miguel’s CJ Perez and coach Jorge Gallent talk about their thrilling Game 2 win over Meralco in the PBA Finals.

PBA Finals: San Miguel survives Meralco in thriller to tie series at 1-1

San Miguel Beermen's CJ Perez during Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against Meralco Bolts.

San Miguel Beermen’s CJ Perez during Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against Meralco Bolts. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

San Miguel played with steely nerves down the stretch to survive plucky Meralco, 95-94, leveling the championship series of the PBA Philippine Cup to a game apiece.

The Beermen rode the hot hand of CJ Perez all of Friday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, to keep the Bolts within striking range before turning to Marcio Lassiter in the crunch for a step-back triple with 13 ticks left to seal the club’s escape act.

“A very good shot by CJ to bring the lead down to one and then another good shot from Marcio to give us this victory today. So, kudos to the two of them,” said head coach Jorge Gallent. FULL STORY

LIVE UPDATES: San Miguel vs Meralco Finals Game 2

Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals between San Miguel Beermen and Meralco Bolts.

San Miguel’s Don Trollano, Meralco’s Chris Banchero warm up for Game 2

Chris Banchero scattered 18 points in Meralco’s Game 1 win over San Miguel in the #PBAFinals. Can he and the Bolts pull off another dub tonight

San Miguel’s Don Trollano is ready for action. And he got the Kobe 8 “Venice Beach” on foot, too.

Scenes before Game 2 of PBA Finals

Here are some of the moments before Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals between Meralco and San Miguel Beer tips off at Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Bolts will look to take a 2-0 lead over the Beermen in the 7:30 p.m. contest.

PBA Finals: San Miguel looks to regain ‘united’ identity

San Migiuel Beermen's CJ Perez during Game 1 of the PBA Philippine CUp Finals against Meralco Bolts.

San Migiuel Beermen’s CJ Perez during Game 1 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals against Meralco Bolts. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

CJ Perez insists that rust wasn’t the main reason why Game 1 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals didn’t go San Miguel Beer’s way.

“Hindi lang talaga kami naglaro ng buo. Hindi yun yung San Miguel basketball (We just didn’t play as a unit, and that’s not the San Miguel way),” Perez said as the Beermen hope to atone for a 93-86 loss when the two teams meet again on Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Another defeat in the 7:30 p.m. matchup will put the Beermen in a dangerous spot amid an all-Filipino campaign they have dominated, and the Bolts closer to their long chase for a first PBA championship. FULL STORY

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

Meralco Bolts' Brandon Bates against San Miguel defenders in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

Meralco Bolts’ Brandon Bates against San Miguel defenders in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Meralco’s Brandon Bates has been earning praise and attention as of late with his organic uprising in the PBA Philippine Cup.

Now in the Finals of the all-Filipino tournament, Bates is still being heavily talked about but he doesn’t want the attention and the limelight to get into his head.

“Firstly, I really appreciate all the support. All the fans that have popped up online to support me. I really, really appreciate it but you can’t let it get to your head,” said an ecstatic Bates with Inquirer Sports after their Game 1 win over San Miguel at Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday. FULL STORY

PBA Finals: Chris Newsome gets ‘full-circle’ moment in KD 4 ‘Galaxy’

Meralco Bolts' Chris Newsome during the PBA Finals Game 1 against San Miguel Beermen

Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome during the PBA Finals Game 1 against San Miguel Beermen. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome had a full-circle moment in Game 1 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

And that moment was encapsulated in his game-worn shoes in the form of the Nike KD IV “Galaxy.”

“It definitely is a full-circle moment for me to actually have the opportunity to pick these up and then wear them in the Finals. I definitely feel like it’s a full circle moment,” said Newsome with Inquirer Sports after their 93-86 win over San Miguel at Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday. FULL STORY

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Celtics pay tribute to Bill Walton before Game 1

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A display honoring basketball great Bill Walton appears on a screen before Game 1 of basketball’s NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON  — Bill Walton only spent one full season with the Boston Celtics. His impact was unforgettable.

The franchise paid tribute to the sixth man on its 1986 championship team before Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. Walton’s family was in the crowd for a pregame moment of silence that was interrupted by a fan yelling, “We love you, Bill!”

Commissioner Adam Silver called Walton a friend whose evident love for basketball game helped spread the game around the world, including on a 2004 trip to the Great Wall of China.

READ: Bill Walton, Hall of Fame player, dies of cancer at 71

“I can’t think of a better ambassador for the NBA than Bill. He enjoyed talking to every single person,” Silver said before the game. “It’s a sad moment in the league.”

The Celtics nodded to Walton’s Deadheadedness by coming out in black shooting shirts that said “Walton” with a tie-dye background; team staff wore pins with a similar design. The players’ jerseys had a black band with Walton’s name on the shoulder.

“Bill was a champion at every level and the embodiment of unselfish team play,” the public address announcer said, while both the Celtics and Mavericks players applauded. “He derived great joy from basketball and music, and deeply cherished his moments with teammates and friends. We are proud to call him one of the greatest Celtics who ever lived.”

Walton, who died on May 27 at the age of 71, was a three-time national player of the year at UCLA, leading the Bruins to the NCAA championship in 1972 and ’73 during a record 88-game winning streak. He was the runner-up for NBA MVP in 1977, when the Trail Blazers won the NBA title, and won the award the next year.

He also played four seasons for the Clippers – and missed three others with foot injuries – before arriving in Boston in 1986, giving the Celtics enough to push them past the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals for the franchise’s unprecedented 16th championship.

He was limited to 10 games the following season by foot injuries and retired before going on to a successful second career as a broadcaster — and Grateful Dead follower. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Filipino bets advance in World Pool Championship

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Filipino cue artist during the World Pool Championship

Filipino cue artist during the World Pool Championship. –HANDOUIT PHOTO

Three Filipino cue artists are still in the title hunt after reaching the round-of-16 of the World Pool Championship with victories Thursday in Saudi Arabia.

Johann Chua, Jeffrey Ignacio and Anton Raga won two matches each to progress further in the knockout stages that began at Green Halls in Jeddah.

Chua defeated Chinese-Taipei’s Ko Ping Han, 11-5, before edging out Austria’s Max Lechner, 11-10, while Ignacio ousted Spain’s Jonas Souto Comino, 11-10, and fellow Filipino Patric Gonzales, 11-7.

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Raga kept his dreams of winning the best title of his pool career by prevailing over Chinese-Taipei’s Liu Ri Teng, 11-3, and Austria’s Mario He, 11-10.

The round-of-16 is set late Friday with Chua facing Syria’s Mohammad Soufi, Ignacio playing Spain’s David Alcaide and Raga battling Germany’s Joshua Filler, who was champion in 2018.

The quarterfinals will be held on the same day.

All three are aiming to become the first Filipino winner of the prestigious nine-ball event since Carlo Biado ruled the 2017 event in Doha.

Efren “Bata” Reyes (1999), Ronnie Alcano (2006) and Francisco “Django” Bustamante (2010) are the other Filipinos who have won the tournament. Alex Pagulayan was also victorious in 2004 while representing Canada.