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NCAA Finals Rematch

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE National Collegiate Athletic Association championship rematch pitting the defending champions San Beda Red Lions against the Lyceum Pirates begins today with Game One of the best-of-three Season 94 final series.
Set for 4 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, the Lions are looking to double up on the Pirates while the latter gun to rebound following their defeat in the finals last year.
The two teams ended first and second, respectively, at the end of the two-round elimination play with records of 17-1 and 15-3.
They made short work of their respective opponents in the Final Four, finding no need to use their twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals.
San Beda eliminated season hosts Perpetual Help Altas, 83-72, in the semis joust while Lyceum gave the boot to the Letran Knights, 109-85.
Leading the three-peat-seeking Lions are the veteran triumvirate of Robert Bolick, Donald Tankoua and Javee Mocon.
Bolick has been good for 16.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while Tankoua is churning out a near double-double of 13.1 points and 9.8 rebounds.
Mocon, too, has been steady for 12.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
As a team, San Beda is tops in defense, allowing just 62.7 points per contest, while it is in the top half in the league in offense with an average of 77.2 points (fourth).
It is in top in rebounding as well with 48.7 boards per game.
The Lions are gunning for their 22nd NCAA men’s basketball title and 11th in 13 years.
While they have positioned themselves well in winning another title in the country’s longest-standing collegiate league, San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez knows all too well that their work is not yet done and that they are expecting another tough challenge from Lyceum, which they swept in the finals of Season 93.
“Our job is not yet done. We still have a title to defend against Lyceum. But we’re happy to be back in the finals,” said Mr. Fernandez after clinching a finals berth.
“Lyceum now has a playoff experience and we have to be ready for them,” he added.
NOT THE PAYBACK ANGLE
While they rued the missed opportunity last season to win their first-ever NCAA title after going undefeated in the elimination round, the Pirates are not necessarily rallying behind the payback cause but more on showing improvement and “inspiring others.”
“It’s really a blessing to be back in the finals. We are not looking at it as revenge but more of an opportunity to inspire others,” said Lyceum coach Topex Robinson after eliminating Letran and making their way back to the finals.
“We’re focusing on ourselves as a team. We do not pay much attention on who we will face in the finals. It is important we stick together and play our game. Trusting each other as well,” he added.
Leading the charge of the Pirates is reigning league most valuable player CJ Perez with steady all-around numbers of 18.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.3 steals.
Big man Mike Nzeusseu has been good for 14.2 points, 10 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while Jaycee Marcelino is averaging 13.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals per contest.
The Pirates are the top offensive team in the league with an average of 87.7 points while third in defense, allowing 75.3 points.
They are number two in assists (19.4 dimes) and fourth in rebounds (46 boards).
In their season series so far, the Lions and Pirates have split things up with the latter taking the first encounter, 73-66, and the former bouncing back, 75-68, in the second.

PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals roll off

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
AFTER finishing elimination play just last Sunday, the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup makes a short turnaround with the start of the quarterfinal round today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Kicking off the proceedings are league-leading and defending champions Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings against the NLEX Road Warriors in the main game at 7 p.m. and Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok versus Blackwater Elite in the opener at 4:30 p.m.
Having landed in the top four after the eliminations, the Kings and Hotshots carry a twice-to-beat advantage over their quarterfinal opponents.
Barangay Ginebra, the reigning back-to-back Governors’ Cup champion, is off its ousting of the TNT Ka Tropa on Sunday, a 112-93 victory that secured for the team solo tournament leadership with a 9-2 record.
Import Justin Brownlee was impressive in said victory, finishing with a triple-double of 31 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Big man Greg Slaughter also played well, finishing with 25 points, while Scottie Thompson came off the bench to tally 11 points and eight boards.
More than winning and getting solo first, Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone underscored in the postgame press conference that primary for them was heading into playoffs with much confidence, believing competition will only get tougher as the tournament goes deeper.
“We wanted to make sure we’re coming in with much momentum. It’s not about winning but more about getting ready for the playoffs,” said Mr. Cone.
NLEX (5-6), for its part, landed on eighth spot, losing some steam as the eliminations wound up following a 4-2 start in its first six games in the season-ending PBA tournament.
The Road Warriors lost to the also-rans Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 107-101, on Nov. 3, derailing their push to finish the classification on a high with what would have been back-to-back wins.
In their lone encounter in the elimination round on Oct. 5, the Kings beat the Road Warriors, 106-92, that saw five Barangay Ginebra players score in double digits, led by Mr. Brownlee.
Import Aaron Fuller led NLEX with a double-double of 20 points and 19 rebounds with Larry Fonacier adding 21 markers.
HOTSHOTS VS ELITE
Finished in joint second along with two other teams with identical 8-3 cards, the Hotshots saw themselves drop all the way to fourth place because of a lower quotient.
Magnolia had its chance to land in the top two but its 93-86 loss to Barangay Ginebra on Oct. 28 clipped its thrust.
Leading the campaign of the Hotshots is import Romeo Travis with averages of 22.7 points, 15.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
Paul Lee has been good for 17.3 points with Ian Sangalang and Mark Barroca adding 13 and 11 points per game, respectively.
Waiting for Magnolia in the quarters is Blackwater (7-4), a team looking to bounce back after being edged out for the final top-four spot just last Sunday by the Phoenix Fuel Masters.
Needing to beat Phoenix with whom it had a similar 7-3 record heading into the game, the Elite failed to deliver as they bowed, 97-91.
The loss relegated Blackwater to fifth place and now faces a twice-to-win disadvantage.
While losing leverage despite a promising start to the season, the Elite are still hopefully they get to rebound from their tough loss previously.
“I think all is not lost for us despite not getting a twice-to-beat advantage. Defense will be key for us in our next game,” said Blackwater coach Bong Ramos.
In their first encounter on Oct. 10, Magnolia was a runaway 133-99 winner over Blackwater.

Carcueva and Krog top Tour de Linggarjati in Indonesia

SPRINT specialist Jonel Carcueva and junior cycling ace Rex Luis Krog delivered a pair of rousing victories for Go For Gold Philippines in the challenging Tour de Linggarjati.
Mr. Carcueva got the needed shot in the arm from his Go For Gold teammates and ruled the men’s elite category of the three-day race held in West Java, Indonesia.
The 24-year-old Cebuano banked on a second-place performance in the road race and made sure his closest rivals won’t be a nuisance in the criterium event after finishing third in the 9.8-kilometer individual time trial to bring home the general classification title.
Matej Drivonec of Slovenia, which topped the 119.60-kilometer road race, placed second in the GC after a mediocre output in the ITT, while Nex CNN teammate Robert Muller of Germany wound up third overall.
“I’m very proud of our team. Even though we are still a young squad and have plenty of things to improve on, they have proven that Filipino cyclists can win in big races overseas,” said Go For Gold Philippines godfather Jeremy Go.
Providing the much-needed lift for Mr. Carcueva, who captured his first international race, were Go For Gold’s Ronnilan Quita (fourth overall), Ismael Grospe (seventh), Ronnel Hualda (13th), Jericho Jay Lucero (16th), and Elmer Navarro (18th).
“This is Jonel’s first GC (win). We have seen the potential in him as early as 2015 and joined the Go For Gold program more than two years ago,” said Go For Gold project director Ednalyn Hualda.
While Mr. Carcueva pulled off a breakthrough with his first GC, the 18-year-old Krog ended up victorious in the junior division of the three-day international bikathon just three weeks after he ruled the elite race of the four-stage Tour of Matabungkay.
The only Filipino entry out of 35 riders, Mr. Krog frustrated Indonesians Ahmad Yoga Ilham Firdaus and Angga Dwi Wahyu Prahesta on their turf to seize the GC after topping the road race and placing second in the ITT behind Firdaus.
Mr. Krog impressively nosed out Firdaus in a dead heat after both clocked one hour and 51 minutes in the 65.30km road race before the Filipino rider crossed the line ahead of his stubborn Indonesian foe in the criterium finale.

Fernandes taking note of an improved Belingon

HAD his way when they first met in the ONE Championship cage, reigning world bantamweight champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes, while still confident of being able to get the job done, believes a much-improved Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon is set to face him when they reengage later this week in Singapore.
Serving as the main event at “ONE: Heart of the Lion” on Nov. 9 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Brazilian Fernandes faces Filipino Belingon, the interim world bantamweight champion, for the first time since they initially collided more than two years ago.
The upcoming fight is a unification bout between the top two fighters in their division in ONE Championship, Asia’s largest sports media property.
In their first encounter at “ONE: Dynasty of Champions” in China in January 2016, Mr. Fernandes (22-3) made short work of Mr. Belingon (19-5), submitting the latter by way of kimura in the opening round and successfully defending his title.
In the lead-up to Heart of the Lion, the Brazilian champion said he has every intention to repeat over the Team Lakay stalwart and continue to hold the belt that is with him since 2013.
He, however, was quick to say that he expects Mr. Belingon to give him a tougher challenge, armed with the lessons he got from their previous fight.
“Kevin Belingon has improved immensely. I have seen him grow as a competitor over the past few years. I know that in our rematch, Kevin will be a completely different fighter,” said Mr. Fernandes of his opponent, who has racked up six straight victories since his defeat at the hands of the champion.
“Nevertheless, I am very confident that my skills are enough to beat him again. Yes, he is dangerous, but I will control the pace of this fight and the outcome. I am not taking Kevin Belingon for granted, and I am training harder than ever to make sure that I triumph over his best version yet in Singapore,” he added.
Mr. Fernandes refused to make a prediction as to how the fight will end but said as a world champion he will take every opportunity that is presented to him and go for the win.
“I have held this world title for a long time, and I’m not about to give it up now. I am ready to go the full five rounds, but I am also ready to finish the bout by knockout or submission when the opportunity presents itself. I look forward to putting on a show this Nov. 9,” he said.
Both Messrs. Fernandes and Belingon are coming off victories over a similar foe in world featherweight champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen.
Mr. Fernandes narrowly beat Mr. Nguyen, also the former lightweight champ, by split decision in March this year while Mr. Belingon won over the Vietnamese-Australian by unanimous decision in July.
Fernandes versus Belingon was supposed to be the co-main feature of Heart of the Lion to the champion-against-champion clash between women’s strawweight champ “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nam of China and women’s atomweight champion Angela “The Unstoppable” Lee of Singapore.
Unfortunately, it was announced on Monday that the battle between Misses Xiong and Lee would not push through due to the back injury sustained by Ms. Lee late in training.
In place, Ms. Lee’s brother, Christian, will be featured in the co-main event against Japanese Kazuke Tokudome in a featherweight fight. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

EO needed to enforce no-casino policy in Boracay

AN EXECUTIVE order (EO) is needed to implement President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s “no casino policy” in Boracay, Malacañang said yesterday, confirming an earlier recommendation by the Justice department. “I think so, yes,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said in a press briefing on Monday. “The policy of the President is there should be no gambling casino inside Boracay because he feels that this is a family thing. Families go there, and he doesn’t want that there will be gambling inside Boracay,” he explained. Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra had earlier recommended to the Office of the President to issue an EO. “Based on a review of the applicable law and jurisprudence, this department is of the opinion that the issuance of an EO would be the most expedient and effective means of halting the operation of casinos and implementing a no-casino policy in Boracay,” Mr. Guevarra said in his recommendation letter last Oct. 8. — Arjay L. Balinbin

‘Money’ to fight Japanese kickboxer

TOKYO — American boxer Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. announced at a news conference on Monday that he had signed with Japanese mixed martial arts promotions company RIZIN Fighting Federation to fight kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa on New Year’s Eve in Saitama.
The undefeated 41-year-old, who has won world boxing titles in five different weight categories, has never fought professionally in mixed martial arts and it has yet to be decided what format and rules the fight would follow.
His opponent will be 20-year-old Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa at the RIZIN.14 event.
Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo on Monday, Mayweather said the decision to fight in Japan was about expanding his global profile.
“I wanted to do something different. I wanted to display my skills outside the US and be in a special fight,” he said.
“I spoke with my team and with RIZIN and we put it together.
“I have fought in the US for all 50 of my fights… As a professional I haven’t had a chance to go outside the US to display my skills and to display my talent for the world.”
Nasukawa competes in their championships in both MMA and pure kickboxing. He has won all four of his MMA fights.
While boxing rules restrict bouts to the use of fists, MMA rules can incorporate kicks, knees and elbow strikes, as well as wrestling, joint locks and chokes.
Mayweather said the terms of the fight would be decided in the coming weeks.
“As far as the weight class and the rules, we will talk about that and will get that situated within the next couple of weeks,” said Mayweather. — Reuters

Olympiad wrap-up

Last Tuesday I discussed the good coaching for the Philippine Women’s Olympiad team. For these team events this is very important. You will recall the Bersamina vs Pichot game from the previous Olympiad.

Bersamina, Paulo (2408) — Pichot, A (2536) [E81]
42nd Olympiad 2016 Baku AZE (9.26), 11.09.2016

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0–0 6.Be3 c5 7.Nge2 Nc6 8.d5 Ne5 9.Ng3 h5 10.Be2 h4 11.Nf1 e6 12.f4 Nxc4 13.Bxc4 b5 14.Bxb5 exd5 15.exd5 Rb8 16.h3 Nh5 17.Be2 Rxb2 18.Rc1 Re8 19.Kf2 Ng3 20.Nxg3 hxg3+ 21.Kf3 Qh4 22.Qg1 Bf5 23.Bb5 Re7 24.Bxc5 dxc5 25.d6 g5 26.fxg5 Be4+ 27.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 28.Kxg3 Be5#
0–1
After the game Paulo’s teammate GM (Grandmaster) Rogelio Barcenilla asked him why he entered that line with 12…Nxc4 without anything prepared. Bersamina was very surprised and it turned out that he did not know the theory.
Apart from the fact that he was very irresponsible for entering a sharp line without studying it beforehand (for example, before the game started a simple position search in Chessbase would have shown him the critical moves), his coach should have alerted him to the fact that after 1.d4 Pichot almost always goes for the King’s Indian, and in answer to the Saemisch Variation (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc4 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3) he invariably plays the sharp line starting with 5…0-0 6.Be3 c5!? In short the complicated line which occurred in the game was a distinct possibility from the beginning.
Let me show you how good coaching affected the result of two more of our women’s games in Batumi.
WIM(Woman International Master) Catherine Perena-Secopito was the veteran of the Philippine Women’s team to the 2018 Batumi Olympiad. Born August 31, 1985 she has been a member of all our Olympiad teams since 2006 Turin.

Hincu, Olga (2124) — Secopito, Catherine (2157) [E12]
Olympiad Women (10.2), 04.10.2018
[WIM Catherine Secopito]

This was my last game in the 43rd Batumi Chess Olympiad. It was the penultimate round and we are paired against 46th seed Moldova. I had just lost three straight games so I needed a win to regain my confidence.
Right before the match I checked my opponent’s games and decided to use Queen’s Indian since I saw that she only uses the Petrosian variation (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3) and it would be easier to prepare given the time constraint. I added a twist though, instead of 4…Ba6 which I used in my game against Hanzelj Lara of Slovenia which ended in draw, this time I opted for 4….Bb7. I watched the video of Sergei Tiviakov on Queen’s Indian (“No Fear of 1.d4, vol 1”) for my preparation. The video was handed out by coach Jayson so as to help us with the opening preparations.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 d5 6.cxd5
The main move.
6…Nxd5
[6…exd5 is also possible but as what Tiviakov says he wants to keep the diagonal of the white bishop open so as me]
7.Qc2
White intends to follow up with e4 to gain control of the center.
7…Nxc3 8.bxc3 c5
To counter-attack in the center.
9.e4 Nd7 10.Bd3
According to Tiviakov the strongest move here is 10.Bf4 as it prevents 10…Qc7 to exchange the pawns and queens and have an equal position. After 10.Bf4 cxd4 11.cxd4 Rc8 12.Qb3 (12.Qa4 is met by 12…a6 with the intention of pushing his b-pawn to b5. 13.Bxa6 cannot be played because of 13…Ra8) 12…Be7 13.Bd3 Nf6 keeping an eye on e4. Black has no problems. Greenfeld, A (2551)-Tiviakov, S (2668) Dieren 2006 1/2 21.
10…Qc7
Just like Tiviakov suggested I now intend to trade Queens by exchanging pawn on d4. The main play of white in this position is to launch a kingside attack and the queen exchange will douse cold water on this plan.
11.0–0
Better is 11. Qe2 to avoid the exchange. Another option is Qb1.
11…cxd4 12.cxd4 Qxc2 13.Bxc2 Rc8 14.Ba4
The same game/variation was played by Cmilyte, Victorija (2508) against Hou, Yifan (2623) in 2012 Porto Vecchio Rapid Event, only that Hou Yifan played 14…Bd6. The game ended in draw.
14…a6 15.d5 exd5
I decided on capturing the pawn though it exposes my King in the center. My idea is to exchange the pieces, go for the endgame and the pawn on d5 would be vulnerable. But according to the engine, 15…b5 is better. There might follow 16.dxe6 fxe6 17.Bb3 Nc5 18.Ba2 Bxe4 and the advantage has shifted to black.
16.exd5 b5 17.Re1+ Kd8 18.Bg5+ f6 19.Bd2
Intending to check on a5.
19…Bc5
[19…bxa4? 20.Ba5+ Rc7 21.Rad1 Bd6 22.Re6 White is clearly better]
20.Bb3 Re8
I am trying to exchange pieces and convert to endgame.
21.Ba5+ Bb6 22.Rxe8+ Kxe8 23.Re1+ Kd8 24.Bb4 Nc5 25.Bc2 g6 26.d6 a5 27.Bd2 Bd5
My plan is to convert this to endgame by possibly playing Nb3 and remove another piece. Then target the weak a3 pawn and support my pawns for promotion.
28.Nd4?
She blundered! Correct is 28.Rb1 Bc4 29.Be3.
28…Nb7
I believe my opponent completely overlooked this possibility. Now Black is attacking the d4–knight and the c2–bishop at the same time.
29.Bb3
The only move to save the piece.
29…Bxb3 30.Nxb3 a4 31.Nc1 Rc2
I quickly played this move because of the principle that rook is stronger on the 7th/2nd rank and then together with my bishop I can target the f2 pawn. But it appears that Bc5 is much better, directly attacking the pawn on d6 and a3 which is blockading the path of my passed pawn.
32.Rd1 Bc5 33.Nd3 Bxa3 34.Bb4 Bxb4 35.Nxb4 Rc4 36.Nd5 a3 37.d7 a2 38.Ra1
[38.Nb6 is met by 38…Rd4! 39.Ra1 Rb4 followed by …Rb1+]
38…b4 39.f4 b3 40.Re1 Rc6
[40…b2 quickest way to victory.]
41.Nb4 Kxd7 42.Nd3 Ra6 43.Ra1 Rd6 44.Nb2 Rd2 45.Nc4 b2 0–1
She resigned. At last I was back on track.
Recalling the Bersamina game, here is Shania Mae Mendoza out-preparing her opponent. Everything looked really complicated, but she had done her homework and brought home the full point efficiently. This game is from our 2-2 tie with England in the 5th round.

Head, Louise (2161) — Mendoza, Shania M. (2113) [D44]
Olympiad 2018 (5), 28.09.2018
[WFM Shania Mae Mendoza]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5
My opponent usually plays 5.e3, but I was not surprised when she went 5.Bg5, the Botvinnik Semi-Slav — This very sharp line was part of my preparation against Team Venezuela.
5…dxc4 6.e4
This is the best for White! It occupies the center, attacks the c4–pawn and creates the threat e4–e5 in the process.
6…b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5
[9.exf6 gxh4 10.Ne5 Qxf6 does not promise much for White].
9…hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.exf6 Bb7
If 11…Nxf6? 12.Qf3 (Please do not mix up the moves. If 12.Nxb5? first then 12…cxb5 13.Qf3 Bb4+ 14.Kd1 (14.Bd2 Bxd2+ 15.Kxd2 Qxd4+ The second player is a clear piece up) 14…Qxd4+ 15.Kc2 Nd5 Black is already winning) 12…Be7 13.Nxb5! White is doing fine.
12.g3 Qb6 13.Bg2 0–0–0 14.0–0 c5 15.d5 b4
There are two mainlines in this position that white may consider 16.Rb1 or Na4. I believe the text is not the most accurate.
16.dxe6 Bxg2 17.Kxg2?
Another mistake. The only way to continue fighting is 17.e7 Bxf1 18.Nd5 Qe6 when it is still anybody’s game. Lan,Z (2361)-Li,D (2485) Shenzhen 2017 0–1 39.
17…Qxe6 <D>
POSITION AFTER 17…QXE6
Now I am on my own, but I was not worried because my pieces are about to take control of the game.
18.Qd5 bxc3 19.Qa8+ Nb8 20.Bf4 Bd6 21.Bxd6 Rxd6 22.h4 cxb2 23.Rab1 c3 24.Qxa7 Rb6 25.Qa3 Qxf6 26.Qxc5+ Qc6+ 27.Qxc6+ Nxc6 28.Rfc1 bxc1Q 29.Rxc1 Rb2 30.Rxc3 Kc7 31.a3 Rh6 32.Rf3 Ne5 33.Rf5 Kd6 34.Kh3 Ke6 35.Rg5 Rxf2 0–1
Wow. Our women players have got serious writing skills.
 
Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.
bobby@cpamd.net

Smart seeks help for School-in-a-Bag program for IP communities


SMART COMMUNICATIONS, Inc. is looking for more donors and sponsors for its School-in-a-Bag program to reach more children from indigenous peoples (IP) communities. The project, launched in Aug. in a school in Davao City’s Marilog District, home of the Matigsalug IP, is aimed at helping improve literacy as well as for cultural preservation through modern technology. Each “bag” costs about P100,000, according to Maria Jane C. Paredes, center head for Smart Public Affairs Visayas-Mindanao. Among the contents of the bag are tablets with customized applications for teaching regular school curriculum and the community’s history and traditions. “For the Matigsalug… we really went there. We tapped into the culture and history of the group, a lot of inputs are taken from the tribes themselves such as customs, dances, songs that go into the app” Ms. Paredes said. “The development of the app takes a while because there is a lot of collaboration needed,” she added. For the Matigsalug app, Smart partnered with tribal members from Sitio Contract and with the Pamulaan Center for IP Education. Ms. Paredes said they want to serve as many IP communities nationwide as possible, but they need assistance for both funding and content development. “We are encouraging alumni of schools, preferably elementary schools, wherein they can put together their money for the bag.” She said they also want to tap corporations and the education budget of local governments. — Maya M. Padillo

First home win

About a fifth of the seats at the Capital One Arena went unoccupied yesterday, but not simply because the Wizards had hitherto been putting up horrid performances. They faced the lowly Knicks, whose most recognizable names were either injured or not scheduled to see much action, and fans likely figured there were better ways to spend Sunday night. And the prognosis was right for the most part; the protagonists combined to make just 75 of 173 field-goal attempts for 203 points all told, far from the typical high-scoring outcome desired by the National Basketball Association.
For the 16,679 who stayed around, there was good news by way of a rare victory by the Washington Wizards. Prior to the start of the 2018-19 season, the latter harbored high expectations borne of talent and opportunity; given the transfer of erstwhile conference ruler LeBron James to the Lakers, no less than franchise owner Ted Leonsis voiced the possibility of 50 wins and a deep playoff run. Instead, an atrocious 1-7 start exposed the all-too-familiar sight of underachievement, malaise, and infighting.
Considering the Wizards’ deep-seated obstacles to success, it was, perhaps, but fitting to see them triumph even with the sidelining of starter Otto Porter due to a bruised toe. Whereas the absence of a vital cog would normally disrupt rotations and dampen competitive spirit, the opposite was apparent yesterday. If nothing else, the development was as much a reflection of their bench depth as of the dysfunction that pervaded the locker room.
Other ironies were evident as well. The Wizards entered the match scraping the bottom of the barrel in defensive efficiency, but somehow wound up prevailing precisely because of their stout showing on that end; after the Knicks clawed back from a double-digit deficit to tie the contest with 9:13 left in the fourth quarter, they unleashed a 22-9 run to win pulling away. Time will tell whether their lineup of John Wall, Bradley Beal, Dwight Howard, Jeff Green, and Austin Rivers proves most productive, but it certainly got the job done in the clutch yesterday.
Moving forward, the hope is that the Wizards can live up to billing and rub elbows with the acknowledged beasts of the East. Skepticism is justified at this point, but yesterday’s triumph provides a welcome reprieve and the promise of better days.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Nation at a Glance — (11/06/18)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

SPOTLIGHT Delo with ISOSYN Technology

Poll bares mixed GDP, inflation outlooks

By Melissa Luz T. Lopez
Senior Reporter
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT growth likely picked up a bit last quarter compared to the three months to June despite faster inflation, which could have sustained its pace in October, according to a poll of 15 analysts which BusinessWorld conducted late last week.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is scheduled to report October inflation data on Tuesday and third-quarter GDP performance on Thursday.
It will also report September factory output data on Tuesday, as well as September trade in goods and third-quarter farm performance on Wednesday.
INFLATION
Last week’s survey yielded a median inflation estimate of 6.7% for October, which if realized will match September’s pace that was a nine-year high. This falls within the 6.2-7% estimate range given by thea Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Wednesday, but represents a surge from October 2017’s 3.1%. The poll’s median is higher than the 6.5% estimate of the Finance department, which said that inflation likely eased last month as food prices “stabilized” with additional rice supply from imports and local harvest.
Ildemarc C. Bautista, head of research at the Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., cited the effects of monetary and non-tariff steps taken by the government, saying: “It appears that government efforts to bring down inflation and previous BSP rate hike actions are already taking effect, with inflation expected to continue going down all the way to below four percent around middle of 2019.”
Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa, senior economist at ING Bank N.V. Manila, said the non-monetary measures introduced by the Duterte government to increase supply of rice, vegetables and farm crops “appear to be taking root.”
Still, some analysts said prices may have risen even faster last month.
“While the prices of vegetables, fish and other food items were lower in October than September, rice and petroleum prices continued to rise month-on-month,” said Emilio S. Neri, Jr., lead economist at the Bank of the Philippine Islands.
“Lower prices in electricity, petroleum and rice felt over the last two weeks of October were, unfortunately, not big enough to offset the surge during the earlier weeks of October,” Mr. Neri explained, giving a 6.9% estimate.
That counters the BSP’s view that inflation may have already peaked in the third quarter.
Inflation averaged five percent in the nine months to September, still below the BSP’s upward-revised 5.2% forecasted average for the entire year but well past the 2-4% target range. The central bank has conceded to missing this year’s goal, adding that recent policy tweaks are meant to prod inflation back to below four percent in 2019.
The economists also noted that still-high inflation may prompt another rate hike from the BSP at its Nov. 15 or Dec. 13 meetings, taking the cue from Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr.’s hint of a “moderate” response to persistent price pressures.
GROWTH FASTER
At the same time, analysts were upbeat about the economy’s performance in the third quarter, which they said was driven by state spending and investments at a time of higher prices of basic goods.
The poll saw a 6.3% median estimate, which if realized would pick up from the disappointing six percent pace logged the previous quarter but would still be slower than the 7.2% climb posted in July-September last year.
If realized, this would keep GDP growth steady at 6.3% in the nine months to September, slower than the downward-revised 6.5-6.9% target set by economic managers.
“We expect Q3 GDP growth to rebound significantly, led by the construction sector as government spending on infrastructure projects accelerated, and the manufacturing sector holding up as indicated by monthly IP (industrial production) data,” said Nomura’s Euben Paracuelles.
Government spending sustained robust momentum as of September, marked by a 26% year-on-year increase in “productive” disbursements for that month alone, according to the Bureau of the Treasury.
Infrastructure spending also surged by half in the first eight months marked by a 70.5% increase in August, according to the Department of Budget and Management.
PSA data also showed an 8.8% increase in factory output in August, albeit slower than the 11.9% output growth the previous month.
Moody’s Analytics also gave a 6.3% GDP forecast for the third quarter.
In a separate market report, ANZ Research said private spending “may have eased,” as bared by slower growth of consumer loans and auto sales due to higher inflation and rising borrowing costs.
Inflation averaged 6.2% in the third quarter, well past the government’s target range. That triggered a series of tightening moves from the central bank, bringing the key borrowing rate to 4.5%, the highest in nearly a decade.
Victor A. Abola, professor at the University of Asia & the Pacific, gave a 6.1% growth estimate for the quarter, citing “poor agriculture” performance that likely dragged the overall economy.
Analysts’ October Inflation Rate, Q3 GDP Growth Estimates

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