PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals begin today

July 8, 2018 | 7:20 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup moves to a new round beginning today with the start of the quarterfinals.
Kicking things off in the last eight are a pair of Game Ones in a best-of-three series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Third-seeded team TNT Ka Tropa take on the defending champions and number six team San Miguel Beermen in the curtain-raiser at 4:30 p.m. while no. 4 team Meralco Bolts jostle with fifth-seeded Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings in the main game at 7 p.m.
TNT secured the third spot after tallying an 8-3 record at the end of the elimination round.
It hit a rough patch towards the end of the classification phase of the midseason PBA tournament but managed to regain its footing, winning its last two assignments against Meralco and top-seeds Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
While they fell short of the twice-to-beat incentive given to the top-two finishers at the end of the eliminations, KaTropa coach Nash Racela is still grateful of where they wound up in the first half of the tournament.
“We just made it to the best-of-three series… This is better than where we were the last conference,” said Mr. Racela, referring to their eighth-place finish in the Philippine Cup where they faced a twice-to-win disadvantage against San Miguel, after their 100-85 victory over Rain or Shine on July 7.
San Miguel (6-5), on the other end, turned things around after starting its campaign with three straight losses.
It wound up in sixth place after losing to the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok, 101-97, on the final day of the eliminations last Saturday.
The defeat also stopped the Beermen’s three-game winning streak.
In their lone encounter in the elimination round on June 16, San Miguel got the better of TNT, 99-94.
Import Renaldo Balkman had a monster game of 43 points, 15 rebounds, six blocks and four assists for the Beermen in said game which they pretty much dominated.
June Mar Fajardo had 19 points while Alex Cabagnot had 12.
Burly reinforcement Joshua Smith had 26 points and 18 boards for TNT with Roger Pogoy and Don Trollano adding 13 points each.
BOLTS VS KINGS AGAIN
Meanwhile, in the other quarterfinal pairing, the Bolts and Kings go at it again in another high-stakes series.
The protagonists in the last two PBA Governors’ Cup finals, the path of Meralco and Barangay Ginebra meets anew.
Both teams are on high entering their quarterfinal series with the Bolts winning their last two games while the Kings racked up five straight victories after going 1-5 in their first six games.
Meralco defeated Barangay Ginebra, 93-82, in their only encounter in the classification phase on June 1 that saw import Arinze Onuaku posting huge numbers of 24 points and 23 rebounds.
Chris Newsome had 22 points while Jared Dillinger and Anjo Caram added 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Kings import Justin Brownlee had a triple-double of 20 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists.
But despite the loss in their first encounter, the Kings vowed to be better in their about-to-start series with the Bolts.
“We’ll not be satisfied and we’ll continue to focus on getting better,” said Mr. Brownlee following their last game in the eliminations, a 116-98 victory of the GlobalPort Batang Pier, on June 6.
“We’re already in a playoff mode. We’ll stay aggressive and, hopefully, we keep going. We’ll continue to come out and play,” he added.
The rest of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup pairings will Rain or Shine battle eighth-seeded GlobalPort and the second-seeds Alaska Aces taking on Magnolia. Both Rain or Shine and Alaska carry twice-to-beat advantages.

Batang Gilas notches first win at FIBA U17 World Cup

July 8, 2018 | 7:19 pm

BATANG Gilas finally broke through in the win column at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup, edging Egypt, 70-69, in their classification game on Sunday morning (Manila time) at the Technological University Stadium in Santa Fe, Argentina.
While they are already out of the running for a podium finish, the Philippine national boys team continued to display a go-getting mentality against the Egyptians that it was accordingly rewarded for.
Kai Sotto sustained his stellar showing in the tournament, finishing with 28 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks to lead Batang Gilas to the win in a game it had control of for much of the time.
Gerry Abadiano had 15 points while Rence Padrigao and Rence Cortez had 10 each.
Aly Kalifa paced Egypt with 17 points.
Batang Gilas had it solid in the opening quarter but a so-so third quarter allowed Egypt some window to claw its way back.
Egypt continued to put pressure on the young Filipino players in the final quarter but the latter would stand their ground.
Two free throws by Sotto with 13 seconds to go in the game gave Batang Gilas a 70-66 lead but a triple by Mazen Ibrahim with five seconds to go pulled Egypt to within one point, 70-69.
Abadiano was fouled thereafter.
He would miss both charities given to him, leaving the window open for the Egyptians to snatch the win.
Omar Morsy’s three-point attempt as time expired though failed to hit the mark, handing the win to the Philippines.
The victory thrust Batang Gilas to a meeting with New Zealand today for the 13^th spot in the 16-team field. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Cormier, new UFC heavyweight champion, KOs Miocic in round 1

July 8, 2018 | 7:18 pm

DANIEL “DC” Cormier enhanced his “one of the best” legacy after becoming a two-division champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), defeating Stipe Miocic by knockout in the opening round for the heavyweight title at “UFC 226: The Super Fight” on Sunday (Manila time) to add to his light heavyweight gold.
Showing aggressiveness and crisp striking right from the get-go, Mr. Cormier did early damage to former champion Miocic and set him up with a solid counter right that instantly put the lights out on Mr. Miocic.
With the first round winding up, Mr. Cormier caught Mr. Miocic with a solid right off a clinch that sent the latter to the canvas.
Sensing he had his opponent hurt, Mr. Cormier followed it up with a series of punches before the referee stopped the contest at the 4:48 mark of the opening round.
Mr. Cormier (21-1), with the win, stopped Mr. Miocic’s impressive run of three successful title defenses.
Mr. Lesnar, who was at the venue at T-Mobile Arena, nearly came to blows with Mr. Cormier when he was called inside the Octagon.
As two-division world champion, Mr. Cormier joined the ranks of UFC legends Randy Couture, BJ Penn, Conor McGregor and Georges St-Pierre.
LEWIS WINS IN UNEVENTFUL FIGHT
Meanwhile in the co-main event, Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis defeated number one heavyweight title contender Francis “The Predator” Ngannou by unanimous decision in a rather uneventful encounter that had the Las Vegas crowd booing for nearly the entirety of the contest.
The fight got to a slow start with both fighters feeling out one another in the first two rounds with occasional tagging with kicks and strikes.
The lack of activity prompted referee Herb Dean to halt the contest with a minute left in the second round to warn both fighters about it.
In the third round both fighters showed more aggressiveness but not really enough to spark the expected fireworks between the explosive heavyweights and leaving the outcome to the scorecards.
When the decision was read, Mr. Lewis’s hand was raised, winner by unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27.
The win was the second straight for Mr. Lewis (20-5) while the loss was the second in a row for Mr. Ngannou (11-3).
In other fights at UFC 226, welterweight Mike Perry edged Paul Felder by split decision (29-28, 28-29 and 29-28), Anthony Pettis submits Michael Chiesa in their catchweight encounter in the second round by way of triangle arm bar, and light heavyweight Khalil Rountree, Jr. knocks out Gokhan Saki in the first round.
In the Philippines, Cignal TV, the country’s foremost direct-to-home (DTH) company, is the home of the UFC after the two groups agreed to an extensive deal that will see the UFC beamed on various platforms. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Jerebko reportedly to join Warriors

July 8, 2018 | 7:18 pm

SAN FRANCISCO — Swedish forward Jonas Jerebko was released Saturday by the NBA’s Utah Jazz and reportedly plans to sign with the reigning champion Golden State Warriors if he becomes a free agent.
ESPN reported Saturday that Jerebko will sign a one-year deal with the Warriors if he clears waivers on Monday. A team would have to guarantee his $4.2-million salary for next season to claim Jerebko and deny him free agency.
The 31-year-old power forward would be a top reserve for the Warriors, who will seek a fourth title in five seasons in the 2018-2019 campaign.
“I loved my time in Salt Lake and will always remember it,” Jerebko said in a statement posted on his Twitter account.
“Can’t wait for what’s next for me and my basketball career. My best basketball is yet to come. Grinding in the gym everyday. Thanks also to all my fans. I hope you are as excited as me!!!” — AFP

Red Bull making it Reign through 3×3 basketball

July 8, 2018 | 7:18 pm

CONTINUING with its thrust of promoting sports through its “new generation” and “new breed” way, energy drink Red Bull recently held another edition of the “Red Bull Reign.”
A high-endurance, offense-driven 3×3 basketball tournament with a twist, Red Bull Reign saw 16 finalists battle it out at Taft Food by the Court in Pasay City on June 30, with Phenom emerging as the winner and earning the right to represent the Philippines at the Red Bull Reign World Finals in Washington D.C. later this year.
“As a tournament, Red Bull Reign is very much representative of what Red Bull is as a brand,” said Al Delos Reyes, Red Bull sports consultant, in an interview with sports media.
“Red Bull is an energy drink and we want to push it in conjunction with our vision of promoting sports in a new-generation and new-breed way,” he added, referring to the to the rules of the tournament which adhere to those of FIBA’s but given a twist with the team that scores the most overall points in each round progressing leading to the finals.
The final 16 teams consisted of LGU, PACITA, SOULDIER, Kervy, LA, Team Kate, Better Basketball PH, VVEstrada, Sy Men, HumKins, Phenom, King of Hoops, Evogen, Tough Gear C, Tough Gear A and 7 Eleven.
Over the course of the day, each team collided in a series of round-robin style matches.
Red Bull Reign progressed into the semifinals, which saw three rounds of competitive back-to-back contests.
Despite delays due to the rainy weather throughout the day, Phenom and LGU advanced to the finals, tallying scores of 46 and 50.
The teams collided on the court for the finals with Phenom standing triumphant in the end as the champion with a score of 10-7.
The winning team was composed of team captain Carl Kenneth Sumalacan, Jarrold Flores, John Rom Alvarado, and John Jordan Sta. Ana.
Following another successful staging of the Red Bull Reign, tournament organizers touted the event and said it something the brand is looking at doing long-term.
“What’s good about Red Bull Reign is that it opens another door for amateurs who, even though haven’t been part of any basketball professional leagues, get the chance to represent the Philippines,” said Mr. Delos Reyes.
“We plan to make it long-term and have it part of the brand’s sports development thrust,” he added.
For Philippine Basketball Association legend Vince Hizon, who for the second year served as tournament director, he is satisfied with how Red Bull Reign is evolving.
“We’re really trying to get bigger and better every year. And I think we’re definitely doing that,” said Mr. Hizon in a separate interview at the conclusion of the tournament.
“Red Bull truly made a big presence here and what’s nice is the homegrown presence. I think 3-on-3 is fit for the Filipinos and we hope to continue pushing for it in the coming years,” he added. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Wimbledon: Halep, Zverev crash; Nadal, Djokovic move on

July 8, 2018 | 7:17 pm

LONDON — German fourth seed Alexander Zverev and women’s world number one Simona Halep wilted in 33-degree heat and crashed out of Wimbledon in the third round on Saturday.
Zverev, playing for the third day in succession, was shocked by Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis, ranked 138, in a grueling five sets, 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0.
French Open champion Halep lost to Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 which leaves just one of the top 10 seeds in the last 16.
Meanwhile, two-time champion Rafael Nadal made the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Alex De Minaur of Australia which ensured he would retain the world number one spot at the end of the tournament.
Three-time winner Novak Djokovic made the last 16 of a Slam for the 44^th time with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Kyle Edmund, the last remaining Briton.
Despite being widely tipped to be a Grand Slam threat, it was another letdown for Zverev whose run to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last month remains his best performance at the majors.
Gulbis, a former world number 10 who famously defeated Roger Federer on his way to the French Open semifinals in 2014, will be playing in the last 16 at Wimbledon for the first time at the 11^th attempt.
The 29-year-old will take on Japan’s Kei Nishikori who registered his 350^th career win with a 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 victory over Australian Nick Kyrgios.
His win on Saturday was his third successive five-setter having also played three matches in qualifying.
“It’s a great day, it’s been a great match for me,” said Gulbis who before Wimbledon had won just one match on tour in 2018.
He fired 18 aces and 61 winners past Zverev who said he felt he had been “unplugged” in the fourth set.
“I didn’t think I could win after losing the third set, but he got tired and I played smarter,” added Gulbis.
Defeat for Halep means that Karolina Pliskova, at number seven, is the only women’s top 10 seed to reach the fourth round.
It’s the first time in the Open era that none of the top five women’s seeds have made the last 16 of a Slam.
Hsieh, the world number 48, battled back from 2-5 down in the final set and saved a match point when the Romanian served for the match at 5-3 in the decider.
It will be Hsieh’s first appearance in the last 16 at Wimbledon where she will face Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.
“It’s my first win against a world number one,” said 26-year-old Hsieh.
“It’s amazing. I was 2-5 down in the final set but the crowd pushed me to fight.”
Halep was left to rue her lost opportunities.
‘UNPROFESSIONAL’ HALEP
“I was leading the match, I was up, and I couldn’t finish it,” said the 2014 semifinalist.
“It was an unprofessional attitude from me today.”
Nadal reached the last 16 for the eighth time, making sure of keeping the world number one ranking.
The 11-time French Open champion and bidding for an 18^th career major will next face unseeded Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic.
“It was a positive match against a player with a lot of energy,” said Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 champion.
Djokovic was furious when he was denied a break of serve in the seventh game of the fourth set on Centre Court when the ball bounced twice before Edmund hit what was ruled a winner.
But the Serb managed to refocus after a lengthy complaint to umpire Jake Garner.
“I was 100% convinced it was a double bounce,” Djokovic said.
“It was an important point. I asked the chair umpire how is it possible he plays that shot if it didn’t bounce twice. It didn’t make sense.”
Djokovic next plays Russian world number 40 Karen Khachanov.
Juan Martin del Potro made the last 16 for the first time in five years when the Argentine fifth seed defeated France’s Benoît Paire 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
The former US Open winner, who made the semi-finals in 2013, next faces unseeded Gilles Simon of France.
Other winners Saturday included Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck who followed her upset of defending champion Garbine Muguruza by beating Anett Kontaveit, the 28^th seeded Estonian, 6-2, 6-3.
Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, a former top 10 player whose ranking slumped out of the top 300 last year after wrist surgery, made the fourth round for the second time with a 6-1, 7-6 (7/3) win over Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro.
Bencic, now at 56 in the world, next faces two-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber who swept past Naomi Osaka of Japan. — AFP

A cut above the rest

July 8, 2018 | 7:16 pm

It’s not easy when your old man is throwing a big shadow in front of you.
Take the case of Ray Parks, son of the late seven-time PBA Best Import and Hall of Famer Bobby Parks, who set a standard among reinforcements who played in Asia’s first play-for-pay league.
So when his son, Ray Ray, started to play ball, everyone was in anticipation on what this second generation cager could do.
The son had also risen and proved to everyone that he could live up to his father’s basketball legacy.
Ray had won back-to-back MVPs, both in the UAAP and the ABL and helped his team, Alab Pilipinas, win a title. The young Parks also represented the national team many times before and won the gold medals in different levels.
Now as part of the fledgling yet growing Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), Parks is now beginning to strut his wares and for three games, the 6-foot-3 guard showed why he is the total package.
In the Mandaluyong El Tigre’s latest win, Parks dominated the game as he ended up three steals away from completing a quadruple-double performance. His stats line were staggering — 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and a league-record seven steals.
His head coach, Mac Cuan, believes Parks could have set a rare quadruple-double had he decided not to pull the punches. Instead of letting his ward continue to pile up the numbers, he felt he had to prevent Parks from suffering a possible injury had he allowed him to play more.
But Parks’ performance was proof enough of what he can bring to the table and in three games so far, he showed to everyone that he is a cut above the rest.
We may only see Parks at least for a season in the MPBL, a league which he considered as a pit stop, but fans could savor every moment while they can seeing one of the best ever players to grace the fastest growing regional basketball league in the country put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.
Let the fans — all over the Philippines — to see Parks at full flight and let the league enjoy having probably the best player they had ever seen in action.

Rey Joble has been covering the PBA games for more than a decade. He is a member of the PBA Press Corps and Philippine Sportswriters Association.
reyjoble09@gmail.com

Altman optimistic

July 8, 2018 | 7:15 pm

Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman was nothing if not forthright in his assessment of LeBron James’ choice to move to the Lakers. Speaking with scribes just before the first game of the wine and gold in Summer League 2018, he candidly admitted the “level of hurt” that he felt when he, along with the rest of the world, learned of the news via an Instagram post by agent Klutch Sports. From his vantage point, the development at the close of the first day of free agency was akin to a gut punch from which he knew the franchise would take a while to recover.
Needless to say, Altman hoped for — even expected — the best prior to the hammer falling, his positive sentiments fueled by the conversation he had with James and Klutch Sports head Rich Paul literally within the first minute free agents were allowed to talk to potential employers. “At that time, [I] thought we were still in the mix, obviously,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin quoted him as saying. “I think he was still going through his decision-making process.”
Altman may well have been on the mark. That said, the fact that James merely shared a call with him and then spent three hours hosting Lakers President Magic Johnson in a face-to-face meeting spoke volumes of the direction the aforesaid “process” was heading. It didn’t matter that he calls Ohio his home, and that he has led the Cavaliers to four straight Finals appearances and one legacy-defining championship against significant odds. For all the history, he was clearly swayed by the myriad on- and off-court opportunities afforded him in La-La Land.
Still, Altman waxed optimistic, noting that the Cavaliers’ roster does boast of All-Star Kevin Love and a good mix of experience and potential that could contend in the weakened East. The heaviest of the National Basketball Association’s heavy lifters is gone, but in James’ place comes promise predicated on more prudent spending. Pundits may see them doing battle for the worst record in the league, but the outlook he sees is nowhere near as bleak. It’s his job, of course, to see the glass as half full. Whether he does it well enough to prove himself right is another matter altogether.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Philippines’ top agriculture imports

July 8, 2018 | 4:36 pm

By Lourdes O. Pilar, Researcher
In the first quarter of 2018, the country’s agriculture imports totalled $2.994 billion, 4.2% higher compared to $2.874 billion logged in same period a year ago.
Cereals accounted nearly a fifth of the total value of imported farm products during the January to March period. Residues and waste from food industries and prepared animal fodder followed with 12.8% share, while miscellaneous edible preparations comprised 10.9%.
ALSO READ: Philippines’ top agriculture export products

Philippines’ top agriculture export products

July 8, 2018 | 4:27 pm

By Lourdes O. Pilar, Researcher
The Philippines exported $1.165 billion worth of farm goods in the first quarter of 2018, 26.2% less than the $1.579 billion receipts during 2017’s comparable period.
The animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products group was the country’s top agriculture export valued at $310 million. Edible fruits and nuts came in next with $271 million while preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants placed third with exports amounting $116 million.
ALSO READ: Philippines’ top agriculture imports

Which region employs the most number of health- and social services workers?

July 8, 2018 | 4:13 pm

By Mark T. Amoguis, Researcher
The National Capital Region (NCR) was the top employer for the human health and social work industry in 2016, according to the latest industry survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority. NCR provided 45,012 jobs that year.
ALSO READ: Where health- and social services workers get paid the most

Small businesses in the Philippines continue to grow

July 8, 2018 | 2:42 pm

By Jochebed B. Gonzales, Senior Researcher
Micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are businesses employing less than 200 workers or those with an asset size of no more than P100 million.
Large enterprises, on the other hand, are defined as businesses having more than 200 employees or with an asset size of more than P100 million.
In 2016, the number of MSMEs grew to 911,768 from 896,839 in 2015.