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Rockets level series with Warriors

LOS ANGELES — The Houston Rockets ramped up the intensity on Wednesday, powering past the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, 127-105, to level their Western Conference finals series at one game apiece.
Houston’s Most Valuable Player candidate James Harden scored 27 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Eric Gordon added 27 off the bench as five players scored in double figures for a Rockets team chastened by a 119-106 series-opening defeat on their home floor on Monday.
“Total team effort,” Harden said. “We played harder and smarter than game one. That was the only difference.”
The Rockets signaled their intentions early. Their seven fast-break points in the opening quarter more than doubled the three they mustered in all of game one.
Houston connected on three-of-10 from three-point range in the first period while the Warriors were zero-for-seven and coughed up seven turnovers.
Up 26-21 after one quarter, the Rockets wouldn’t trail from there.
They led 64-50 by halftime, with four players already in double figures as they stepped up the pace and tightened the defensive screws.
“Everything was fueled off our defense,” Gordon said. “We hit the open man at the right time and guys were knocking down shots and when we play that way it’s just a fun game.”
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said there was no major change in strategy — just more intensity and better execution from a Houston team that led the league with 65 regular-season wins.
“I don’t want to be cantankerous,” D’Antoni said. “You have one of the best offenses of all time, at least, with Golden State and we’re trying to prove we’re up there with them. You’re not going to come in and change the way you play.
“We are who we are. We just did it better and longer.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the Rockets’ energy made all the difference.
“I just think this game was a matter of the Rockets bringing the force that’s necessary to win a game and we didn’t,” Kerr said.
“We had seven turnovers in the first quarter. We set the tone early with our own play and allowed them to get some confidence and some easy buckets in transition.
“But give them the credit they came out and played a great game. They got everybody going.
“We got what we deserved. They kicked our butts, no other way to say it.”
Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 38 points, but Stephen Curry was the only other Golden State player in double figures with 16.
Klay Thompson scored just eight points, Draymond Green six and Andre Iguodala five.
Curry connected on seven of 19 shots from the floor, making just one of eight three-point attempts in what he called a “frustrating night.”
Overall the Warriors were just nine of 30 from three-point range.
They finished the game with 15 turnovers — 11 of those coming before halftime, by when most of the damage was done.
READY FOR GAME 3
PJ Tucker, who scored just one point in Game One, scored 14 of his 22 points in the first half for Houston. Trevor Ariza, another who struggled in Game One, added 19 points and Chris Paul scored 16 for the Rockets.
“Defensively we were more aggressive. We were smarter,” said Harden, whose Rockets travel to Oakland for game three on Sunday with renewed confidence.
“We still made some mistakes that we can get better at,” Harden said. “We know how tough it is to win (at Golden State) but we’re ready for it.”
The winners of the series will face either the Cleveland Cavaliers or Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Celtics lead the Eastern Conference Finals 2-0.
“For us right now the most important game is Game Three,” Paul said. “That’s a tough environment to play in there. But we are who we are and we’ll be ready.” — AFP

PHL hosts Asian Juniors qualifying for the Youth Olympics in Trampoline Gymnastics on May 19-20

FOR the first time, the country will host Asia’s qualifying tournament for the next Youth Olympic Games (YOG), with the staging of the 4th Asian Senior and Junior Trampoline Gymnastics Championships on May 19 to 20 at the University of Makati Gym.
Close to 100 athletes from 10 countries are taking part in the two-day gymnastics tourney organized by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, the Tourism Promotions Board, and the Makati City government led by Mayor Abigail Binay.
“We are delighted to host this huge Asian gymnastics event and would like to thank the Asian Gymnastic Union (AGU) for allowing us to conduct this competition featuring the best trampoline athletes in Asia,” GAP President Cynthia Carrion, a member of the AGU Executive Board, said.
“We welcome the best trampoline athletes from Asia to this event, which is also one way of promoting and popularizing this fast-growing sport worldwide in our country,” added Carrion.
Competing in the championships are the countries of China, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and host Philippines.
The event is doubly significant since the Asian juniors serve as qualifying event for the 3rd Youth Olympic Games set in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October.
Vying for YOG slots for the Philippines are Shane Francis Peralta in the boys division and Fiona Mae Ventenilla in the girls division.
Composing the national seniors squad are Francisco Deorelar and Benjamin Jesus Mendoza in the men’s division and Erin Abaniel in the women’s division.
Heading the national contingent is Normita Ty, wife of the late national gymnastics standout and coach Santiago Ty, while the coaches are Rexel Ryan Fabriga and Liwliva Peralta.
The visiting delegations are scheduled to arrive on Thursday with the practice scheduled for Friday. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

History beckoning at ONE Singapore event

A BIG night awaits the Singapore mixed martial arts scene today at ONE Championship’s “Unstoppable Dreams” event as potentially the country could wind up with two world champions after everything is said and done.
Angela “The Unstoppable” Lee, the reigning ONE women’s atomweight champion, battles anew Japanese Mei “V.V.” Yamaguchi in the headlining fight for the marquee event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium while Christian “The Warrior” Lee, Angela’s brother, takes his shot at the world featherweight title in a rematch with reigning champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Australia.
The Lee siblings, if they get to win their respective fights, are to become the first brother-sister MMA champions, the significance of which is not lost to them.
“I hope the country (Singapore) goes nuts for what we are trying to achieve. We are making history and this is something that has not been done before. It’s also an opportunity for me to show what women MMA fighters can do,” said Ms. Lee in an interview with sports media early this week in Singapore.
“This is a blessing. We are happy and grateful for the opportunity given to us. It’s really like a fairy tale and we are going to try to have a fairy-tale ending on Friday,” she added.
Zeroing in on her fight with Ms. Yamaguchi, who she beat in May 2016 for the title by a close unanimous decision, Ms. Lee (8-0) said she is expecting another tough fight.
“This fight is going to be one for the books. Our first fight was dubbed ‘fight of the year’ for a reason. We both showed a lot of heart and determination and we won the respect of the people because of that fight,” she said.
“This time around it’s going to be different. We are going to bring out the best from each other but we both made improvements since the last fight. And you guys are going to see that come fight night,” Ms. Lee added.
EYE ON THE WORLD TITLE
For Mr. Lee, meanwhile, the title shot he has given is something he is very much thankful for and keen on taking full advantage of.
“I’m very thankful for the opportunity given to me by ONE Championship to compete for the title,” said Mr. Lee (9-1), whose lone defeat came at the hands of Mr. Nguyen, also the ONE lightweight champion, in August 2016 by way of technical submission (guillotine choke).
“I’m focusing on the world title and at the same time redeem myself from the loss I had against Martin. I have been training hard and I’m confident heading to the title fight,” he added.
Also serving as co-main event for ONE: Unstoppable Dreams is the ONE Super Series muay thai flyweight world championship clash between Sam-A Gaiyanghadao of Thailand and Sergio Wielzen of the Netherlands.
Fighting as well in the event is Filipino MMA star Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, the former lightweight champion who is angling to get redemption after losing his belt to Mr. Nguyen last November.
“I’m going to show that I’m not yet done, that I still have a lot to give to the game and as a fighter. That’s my primary motivation,” shared Mr. Folayang, who is going up against Russian prospect Karun Atlangeriev .
Seeing action too are Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex of Thailand against Chris Ngimbi of Congo in ONE Super Series kickboxing battle; Shinya Aoki of Japan versus Rasul Yakhyaev of Russia; and hometown Amir Khan against Sung Jong Lee of South Korea.
ONE: Unstoppable Dreams can be viewed on the newly launched ONE Championship mobile app which is available for both Android and iOS platforms for free. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Jr. NBA lessons go beyond basketball — Kings’ Cauley-Stein

COMPLETELY buying into the Jr. NBA concept and what it stands for, Sacramento Kings player Willie Cauley-Stein encourages young kids to grab the opportunity to join the program and take in the valuable lessons that go with it.
Currently in town to facilitate in the conduct of the Jr. NBA Philippines National Training Camp this weekend, Mr. Cauley-Stein said he feels privileged to come to the Philippines and do his part for Jr. NBA as he believes what the program tries to impart would go a long way in another person’s life.
“I was really looking forward to coming here as I heard a lot of great things about the Philippines and its passion for basketball,” said the third-year pro out of the University of Kentucky as he met members of the local sports media on May 15.
“A kid cannot have a bad experience in the Jr. NBA program. The whole concept of it, anchored on the S.T.A.R. values, is very huge. It goes beyond basketball. You don’t use those lessons just in hoops. You use them in everyday life. And it’s nice to know that the NBA is instilling these to young people,” added Mr. Cauley-Stein, referring to the S.T.A.R. core values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect that the Jr. NBA is championing.
The NBA is sharing its vision for the Jr. NBA program by going around different parts of the country and conducting a variety of camps, clinics, skills challenges, league play and outreach events.
Mr. Cauley-Stein is to be joined by WNBA legend Shery Swoopes in helping Jr. NBA Philippines conclude its 11th straight year of staging with the national training camp.
The culminating activity of the program, happening at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati on May 19 and at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall on May 20, will feature the top 75 boys and girls aged 10 to 14 culled from the various selection camps previously held.
Also at the Natonal Training Camp, the search for the 2018 Coaches of the Year will conclude and the winning coaches will take part in the NBA experience trip alongside the Jr. NBA All-Stars.
KINGS CAREER
Meanwhile, turning his attention to his NBA career, Mr. Cauley-Stein said he is happy with the way things have been panning out with the Kings.
“I think we have a good group of young guys. We are still in the process of figuring things out but I know we will get there,” said the Sacramento big man, who finished their season by averaging career-highs of 12.8 points, seven rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals.
He also spoke of how he adjusted when he was thrust to the fore after erstwhile Kings All-Star DeMarcus Cousins was traded midway last season.
“I was just ready. Playing behind DeMarcus I was working on my game and when he left I just stepped up,” he said.
Moving forward, Mr. Cauley-Stein said they hope they get to continue improving as a group in Sacramento, which incidentally is set to pick second at this year’s rookie draft following the drawing of lots on Wednesday.
“It is about us playing together well. I think that will be key for the team moving forward. I don’t have any particular player in mind to choose in the draft but hopefully who the team selects gets to contribute in what we are trying to achieve of playing well together,” he said. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Griezmann fires Atletico Madrid to Europa League title

LYON — Antoine Griezmann was the hero for Atletico Madrid as the French striker scored twice in their 3-0 win over Marseille in Wednesday’s Europa League final in Lyon, allowing his club to win the trophy for the third time in nine seasons.
It is Griezmann’s first major title with Atletico, and a fitting way to bow out if he leaves at the season’s end, with Barcelona tipped as his next destination.
Griezmann — brought up in Macon, just 70 kilometers from Lyon — scored once in each half, his lethal finishes coming either side of Marseille losing Dimitri Payet to injury, the French team’s captain coming off in tears.
Griezmann now has 29 goals this season, although it was Gabi’s late strike that sealed the victory.
“This is a reward for me after I left home aged 14, for all the work I have put in, the suffering,” said Griezmann, who has spent his whole career in Spain but had only previously won one Spanish Super Cup.
Atletico’s triumph comes after agonizing defeats to Real Madrid in the Champions League finals of 2014 and 2016. They had previously won the Europa League in 2010 and again in 2012, the latter coming just six months after Diego Simeone’s appointment as coach.
Simeone, who had to watch from the stands due to a touchline ban, called the victory a reward for his side’s hard work and even expressed hope that Griezmann could be convinced to stay.
“This was just confirmation of what Griezmann has been doing year after year,” said the Argentine.
“I hope he is happy with us. I have no doubt that there are certain things that could make it more likely that he stays.
“He has played three finals with us, has won two, and so that shows that he is not far away from his objective of regularly playing finals.
“We are not far away in sporting terms from teams who are more powerful than us.”
Marseille had been desperate to win the second European trophy in their history, on French soil, 25 years after beating AC Milan in the inaugural Champions League final.
But it was a flat night for their huge support, who threatened to ruin the occasion by lighting flares and setting off firecrackers at one end of the stadium, with some even being thrown onto the pitch towards the end.
The game carried on regardless, with Rudi Garcia’s side well beaten.
“We let our chance go in the first half. Firstly, we had the best chance to go ahead, and secondly an error from us meant we fell behind,” said Garcia.
“The scoreline is harsh but the better team won.”
MARSEILLE’S REGRETS
Atletico were the favorites against a Marseille side whose continental campaign had begun in the third qualifying round last July.
Just being in this final was an achievement for Garcia’s team, but they will look back on the evening with regrets.
They had started well and had a great chance to open the scoring inside four minutes, Valere Germain shooting over after being slipped in by Payet.
It was the kind of chance that does not come up often against an Atletico side who went on to keep their 34th clean sheet this season.
Marseille were then punished for sloppy play as they fell behind in the 21st minute.
Goalkeeper Steve Mandanda opted to pass to Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, deep in midfield, rather than clear long. The Cameroonian’s attempt at a touch was awful, and Gabi pounced on the loose ball, sending Griezmann through to finish.
Things got worse for Marseille when Payet, their captain and most influential player who had been struggling with a hamstring problem ahead of the game, came off crying just after the half-hour.
OM then conceded again just four minutes after the restart. It was a glorious goal, Griezmann finding Koke and then latching onto the return ball before lifting a deft finish over Mandanda and in.
Substitute Kostas Mitroglou nearly pulled one back, his header coming off the post, before Gabi’s low drive in the 89th minute made it 3-0. — Reuters

Harden, Davis, and James finalists for MVP award

LOS ANGELES — Houston’s James Harden, Cleveland’s LeBron James, and Anthony Davis of New Orleans are the finalists announced Wednesday for NBA Most Valuable Player honors.
Harden, the league’s leading scorer in the regular season with an average of 30.4 points per game, appears the favorite to succeed Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook as MVP when the awards are announced on June 25.
The Rockets star, who was runner-up in the voting the past three seasons, was instrumental in the Rockets’ run to a league-leading 65 regular-season wins.
James, who at 33 produced one of the best seasons of his outstanding career, is in the running for a fifth career MVP title.
He averaged 27.5 points — the most for him since the 2009-2010 season — along with 8.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists and played in all 82 games of the regular season.
James led the league in minutes played per game as he helped the inconsistent Cavaliers into fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
He could join Bill Russell and Michael Jordan as five-time MVP winners. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the all-time leader with six.
Davis and the Pelicans overcame a season-ending injury to sidekick DeMarcus Cousins to earn the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
Davis averaged a career-best 28.1 points to go with 11.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks and is also a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year along with Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Utah’s Donovan Mitchell, Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons of Australia and Jayson Tatum of Boston are the finalists for Rookie of the Year.
The finalists in all categories were determined by voting by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
Coach of the Year finalists include Boston’s Brad Stevens, Quin Snyder of Utah and Dwane Casey, the Toronto coach who was sacked by the Raptors after they were swept 4-0 by the Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs. — AFP

Playing hero ball

For the record, the Warriors held the lead in Game Two of the West Finals on five separate occasions. Given the relative strength of the opposition, the number would seem indicative of their competitiveness. Unfortunately, all the aforementioned instances were in the initial quarter, and none after the first eight minutes of the match. In other words, the development underscored the opposite; for all their supposed superiority and momentum following their emphatic victory in Game One, they wound up on the wrong side of a role reversal yesterday.
To be sure, the Warriors will be glad to have come up with a split after the first two outings of the best-of-seven affair. The Rockets secured homecourt advantage in light of an outstanding 65-win regular season, only to lose it on their very first match against the competition they were precisely built to withstand. On the other hand, there’s something to be said about the manner in which the hosts bounced back from an otherwise-disappointing outing. They didn’t just win; they proved to all and sundry that they deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as the defending champions.
Needless to say, Game Three will be pivotal for both protagonists. For the Warriors, it figures to be an affirmation of what they stand for. Yesterday, they found themselves mimicking the Rockets’ isolation-heavy offense, to mixed results; even as Kevin Durant managed to assert himself anew, backcourt partners Steph Curry and Klay Thompson were all but ineffective at best. And so caught up were they in the one-upmanship that they actually finished with fewer assists.
No doubt, the Warriors will spend much of the next three days studying film and being reminded of the primary source of their edge. Through their extended run of success that netted them two titles off three straight Finals appearances, they willingly shared the ball and accepted the importance of any one player to their cause. In Game Two, they succumbed to a deliberate style that underscored a pecking order and accordingly devalued the egalitarian thrust of their system.
True, the Warriors are so stacked that they can readily win in a shootout, even against the vaunted Rockets. In so doing, however, they play the percentages and thus discount the source of their greatness. They’re at their finest when they highlight their unpredictability, not when they resort to playing hero ball. Which is to say they’re unbeatable when they’re at their best. Whether they actually get to be by resisting the lure and allure of ego-boosting one-on-one forays is another matter altogether.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

DPWH officials indicted for grave misconduct in Negros bridge rehab project

The Office of the Ombudsman indicted Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials after being found guilty of grave misconduct over irregularities on the rehabilitation of two bridges in Cauayan, Negros Occidental.
Officers-in-charge, District Engineer Haydee S. Alunan and Assistant District Engineer Elsie V. Sabay of the 3rd Negros Occidental Engineering District, have also been dismissed from service and barred from taking the civil service examination.
It was reported that the respondents ordered to begin rehabilitation of the Mabua bridge in Barangay Poblacion and Bagambayan Bridge in Barangay Tiling on February 10, 2014, set for completion on June 29, 2014 as stated in the Notices to Proceed addressed to OPELL Construction and Development Corporation.
However, the Ombudsman said that in an ocular inspection on December 3, 2015, the Field Investigation Office found the bridges still unfinished.

"Philippines may soon be a Chinese province," said retired CJ Davide

Retired Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide Jr. said on Thursday that the Philippines’ becoming a province of China “may not be too far.”
“Last February 19, before Chinese businessmen, the President mentioned the Philippines as a province of China,” Mr. Davide said. “Malacanang Spokesperson Harry (L.) Roque explained it was a joke, but knowing China, it will not consider it as a joke.”
To support his statement, Mr. Davide enumerated several events that indicated the Philippines and China relations is beyond partnership.
Among these was the government’s plan to conduct a 60-40 sharing of joint exploration in the West Philippine Sea. This was in addition to China’s deployment of missile systems on the Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reef. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Supporters of Sereno ousting now also subject to impeachment, said retired CJ Davide

Retired Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr. said those who voted in favor of the quo warranto petition against ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno may now be subjected to impeachment.
“They know very well there is only one mode and that is by impeachment. If they remove on other grounds, that is a culpable violation of the Constitution; So all of them could be subjected to impeachment,” Mr. Davide said on Thursday, speaking before the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines.
In addition, Mr. Davide said another possible ground for an impeachment is the filing of the case outside the prescribed period of one year.
“Those who voted against the Chief Justice by granting quo warranto have not decided… within the period prescribed by the Constitution itself,” Mr. Davide said. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Government to investigate major telcos following thousands of complaints

The House Committee on Information and Communication Technology has been urged to probe telecommunication companies on account of rising complaints of poor mobile services.
Representative Anthony M. Bravo filed on Wednesday House Resolution (HR) 1879, seeking investigations on the slow internet services, as well as billing problems.
“In 2017, the National Telecommunications Commission has recorded a total of 8,091 complaints,” Mr. Bravo cited in the resolution. He noted over 4,800 were recorded in the central office, while the other 3,000 were from other regions.
The resolution is consistent with Republic Act 7394, Consumer Act of the Philippines, which protects the rights and general welfare of consumers.
— Charmaine A. Tadalan

CIDB nabs crime group suspect in Laguna

A suspected crime group member was arrested on Tuesday in a joint operation led by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Brgy. San Vicente, San Pedro, Laguna.
CIDG operatives arrested the suspect, Vimbi Avilla, after a search warrant was issued against him for violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and Amended Law on Illegal/Unlawful Possession.
Avilla is allegedly a member of the Basa crime group, which is involved in extortion, usurpation, gunrunning, and other illegal activities.
CIDG operatives confiscated various pieces of evidence, which included a hand grenade and a revolver.
The suspect was previously arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation for estafa after he impersonated former Vice President Jejomar Binay, Former NIA Sec. Peter Lavina, DOTC Sec. Arthur Tugade, and BSP Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. to extort money.
Reports revealed that Avilla was previously arrested by Manila Police District for robbery and was a subject of investigation in an attempted murder case in Manila.
Avilla is currently in CIDG custody.

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