Wolves behind enemy lines facing 0-2 deficit

May 26, 2024 | 8:24 pm

THE MINNESOTA Timberwolves hope to get more from Anthony Edwards when they hit the road in search of a much-needed win against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals Sunday night.

The fifth-seeded Mavericks went to Minneapolis and stole Games 1 and 2 from the third seed by a total of four points, not only snatching the home-court advantage but throwing the door wide open to a potential sweep in the best-of-seven series.

Luka Doncic has outscored Edwards 65-40 in the first two games in a battle of All-NBA performers and has the signature moment of the matchup so far with a game-winning 3-pointer in Game 2.

The series is quite a turnaround from when Edwards made himself the face of a suddenly recognizable Minnesota franchise by dominating his matchup with 2023 postseason standout Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets in the recently completed Western Conference second round.

Edwards, who shot 50 percent from the field against the Nuggets, has gone just 11-for-33 (33.3 percent) from the floor against the Mavericks. He walked away from Friday’s 109-108 loss undeterred.

“We’ve been here before,” Edwards said. “I don’t think anyone in the locker room is panicking.”

At the same time, he gave some insight into what is expected to be an altered game plan at Dallas.

“I am turning down a lot of shots,” Edwards said. “I’m just making the right play. Sometimes, the right play may be to just shoot it.”

Timberwolves All-Star sidekick Karl-Anthony Towns has shared in the struggles. Towns shot 53.1 percent in Minnesota’s opening-round sweep of the Phoenix Suns, then 51.0 percent in the Denver series. But he has started the conference finals 10-for-36 (27.8 percent).

As Edwards noted, the Timberwolves have been here before. They lost three straight against the Nuggets, only to come up big in two potential season-ending scenarios, including Game 7 at Denver.

Minnesota has won five of six on the road in the postseason, with Edwards averaging 30.0 points on 48.9-percent shooting in those games, while Towns has gone for 23.2 points on 57.4-percent shooting.

Amid the accolades over his game-winning 3-pointer in the immediate aftermath of Game 2 came words of caution from the Mavericks hero himself.

“First to four. Nothing’s won,” Doncic said. “You’ve just got to think about the next game.”

The Mavericks failed to take advantage of early road success in their first two series. They earned a split on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers in Round 1, only to give the home-court advantage back after splitting Games 3 and 4 in Dallas.

Their second-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder followed the same pattern. — Reuters

No guarantee it’s Nadal’s last French Open

May 26, 2024 | 8:24 pm

PARIS — Fourteen-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal said there was still a chance this year’s tournament in Paris may not be his last, in comments ahead of his tough opener against fourth seed Alexander Zverev.

The Spaniard, who turns 38 next month, skipped last year’s tournament due to a hip injury that needed surgery and has said he expects to retire at the end of 2024. But he wasn’t ready to repeat those words on Saturday.

“If I have to tell you it’s 100 percent my last Roland Garros, sorry but I will not, because I cannot predict what’s going on. I hope you understand,” Mr. Nadal told a packed press conference.

“I don’t want to close 100 percent the door, because it’s a very simple thing. First, I’m enjoying playing tennis,” he said, adding that he was “more or less healthy .. and playing without limitation.”

“Maybe in one month and a half I’ll say ‘OK, it’s enough, I can’t keep going.’ But today I cannot guarantee that it’s going to be the last one.”

Mr. Nadal skipped the Australian Open in January with a muscle problem, and the 22-times Grand Slam champion had raised doubts about his fitness for the year’s second major with lingering issues in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome. “I’m feeling better. That’s the truth,” Mr. Nadal added, appearing more cheerful than he has in recent months.

Mr. Nadal turned his attention to Monday’s clash with Mr. Zverev, a rematch of the 2022 semifinal when the German retired after an ankle injury.

“It’s a super-tough first round,” he said.

Maybe I go there and I repeat the disaster of Rome. It’s a possibility. I don’t want to hide that,” Nadal said, referring to a second-round defeat by Hubert Hurkacz in the Italian capital this month.

“But in my mind is something different, play much better and give myself a chance to be competitive… I didn’t play this level of opponents, being competitive since a super-long time.

“So all these questions I understand that you’re making to me I’m asking to myself too. But the answer is going to be on Monday, no? That’s it.

“The rest of the things are just talking and talking, and in the end don’t matter. It’s about my feelings and my feelings are better. I want to enjoy that match.” – Reuters

Czech corporate exec favored in IRONMAN

May 26, 2024 | 8:24 pm

PETR LUKOSZ aims for a second full IRONMAN (IM) Philippines victory in three years, leading a diverse mix of international contenders in the Century Tuna IM Philippines set to fire off on June 9 at Subic Bay Boardwalk.

Lukosz defied overwhelming odds, including a stellar field and the intense heat, to win the grueling 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km marathon in 2022. He became the first triathlete to cross an IRONMAN finish line in Asia post-pandemic, breaching the 10-hour barrier with a remarkable 09:52:34 clocking.

Despite falling short in his age-group category in the recent IRONMAN 70.3 in Cebu, the Czech corporate executive remains the triathlete to watch in the upcoming full-distance edition of the premier endurance race organized by The IRONMAN Group.

The IRONMAN Philippines has attracted 369 bidders from 44 countries, promising another thrilling and exciting competition that has characterized the first three editions of the event that requires not just power, speed and stamina but also mental toughness.

The host country is fielding 147 entries, led by athletes such as Jemuel Clemente, who finished 13^th overall in last year’s edition won by Dutch Erik van der Linden. Other notable Filipino competitors are Daniel Valdez, Ramon Abeleda, Gabb Rosario, Lexter Ansaldo, Rolando Alquero and Edgar Puruganan.

Additionally, young guns like Enrico Pisuena, Carlos Dungao, Allen Santiago and Alab Adviento are also in the mix.

Japan has the next highest number of entries with 54, followed by France with 18 participants, the US with 16 entries, and Singapore and Vietnam each fielding 10 athletes.

Meanwhile, August Benedicto headlines the field in the 11^thIRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay, looking to build on his inspiring victory in the 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21km run event in Cebu in 2022.

However, the veteran campaigner faces a more challenging competition this year, with strong contenders from 37 other countries aiming to spoil the locals’ bid in the event held to promote a culture of health and fitness, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds.

Registration is ongoing. For details, visit www.ironman.com/im-philippines-register.

Subic Bay, known for its scenic backdrop, well-maintained and wide highways, and incredible spectator energy, has become a sporting haven for athletes around the globe. The venue has been kept in championship condition year-round, guaranteeing another challenging competition in both the full IRONMAN and IM 70.3 races.

Vietnam is fielding 24 entries in IM 70.3, while Great Britain and Japan each have 13 participants, and Thailand has nine.

Aside from the individual and age-group competitions, the IM 70.3 race also features a relay event, with 41 teams already registered.

The IM 70.3 also offers age-group qualifying slots to the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on Dec. 14-15 in Taupo, New Zealand.

Weather permitting, ICTSI Jungolf tees off on Tuesday

May 26, 2024 | 8:23 pm

THE DEFENDING champions will be back as the ICTSI JPGT Luzon Series 2 resumes tomorrow (May 28) at the posh Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga.

Adding to the excitement in the premier 15-18 division will be a pair of seasoned international competitors joining the title chase, promising an engaging and competitive tournament.

Meanwhile, the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. is closely monitoring the weather conditions due to Typhoon Aghon, saying the decision regarding whether to proceed with or postpone the tournament will be made by 11 a.m. today.

Maurysse Abalos and Ryuji Suzuki, who secured victories in contrasting styles in the 8-10 class during the circuit’s kickoff leg at Splendido Taal two weeks ago, are back in pursuit of consecutive championships. Ms. Abalos will face new challengers Georgina Handog, Mavis Espedido and Amiya Tablac while Lily Agamata aims to improve on her fourth-place finish from the first leg.

Mr. Suzuki, on the other hand, anticipates tougher competition from Vince Tablac, Theodore Rios, Monte Andaman and Zoji Edoc while Jose Luis Espinosa and Michael Ray Hortel II will try to bounce back from close defeats at Splendido in the 36-hole competition.

Precious Zaragosa and Vito Sarines will attempt to replicate their triumphs in the 11-14 category, which is spread over 54 holes. Zaragosa is gearing up for a strong challenge from twins Mona and Lisa Sarines, as well as Levonne Talion, Ayesha Salino, Beatriz Lapuz and Althea Bañez.

Vito Sarines, who rallied from an 8-stroke deficit to edge out Race Manhit by one stroke at Splendido, targets a strong start but is aware of the formidable competition. This includes Matthias Espinosa, Roman Ungco, Aenzo Sulaik, Kraig Tee, Zianbeau Edoc, Isaac Dillera, Dia Juane, Jose Jacob Gomez, Lucas Garcia, Miguel Encarnacion, Ezekiel Opinion, Nathaniel Yeung, Geoffrey Tan, Gerard Handog, Ruyichi Tao, Enzo Corpus, Iñigo Camposano and Manhit.

Focus will also be on the 72-hole 15-18 division with Reese Ng, a veteran of numerous international competitions, ready to foil Jiwon Lee’s back-to-back title bid in the girls’ category that also features Series I runner-up Lia Duque, Rafa Anciano, Maria Monserrat Lapuz and Angelica Bañez.

PGA Tour winner Murray dies at 30

May 26, 2024 | 8:23 pm

TWO-TIME PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died on Saturday, a day after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, the PGA said in a statement.

American Mr. Murray, who was 30, won his most recent title at this year’s Sony Open and had pulled out of the Charles Schwab tournament during the second round citing an illness.

The PGA did not disclose a cause of death. The tour decided to continue the tournament after consulting with Mr. Murray’s family.

Murray, who picked up his first title on the PGA Tour in 2017, reached a career-high 46th in the world rankings after his Sony Open win.

“We were devastated to learn – and are heartbroken to share – that PGA Tour player Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am at a loss for words,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement.

“The PGA Tour is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same.”

The PGA did not disclose a cause of death. Monahan said the tour decided to continue the tournament after consulting with Murray’s family.

American Webb Simpson said he heard the news only 10 minutes before teeing off on Saturday at Colonial Country Club.

“I first met Grayson at my home club when Grayson was probably eight years old, maybe nine,” he told reporters.

“When you hear news like that over the phone you don’t think it’s real at first, and you know, you hear the emotion coming from our swing coach and then you realize it’s real.”— Reuters

Verstappen: The car is like a go-kart

May 26, 2024 | 8:23 pm

MAX VERSTAPPEN said his Red Bull was handling like a go-kart after being beaten into sixth place in Monaco Grand Prix qualifying.

The triple Formula One world champion, who has won five of the first seven races, saw his record-equalling run of eight pole positions in a row ended by Ferrari’s local hero Charles Leclerc.

That was only part of the pain, however, with the Dutch driver identifying what he called a basic flaw in a car that started the season in dominant fashion but has looked increasingly vulnerable.

“The car is like a go-kart,” he said.

“In the last corner, the amount of times I almost jumped into the wall was pretty incredible.

“We have had this problem since 2022, so it is not something new. For the past few years we have had a car advantage so it gets masked, but with everyone catching up when you don’t improve your weakest point, you get found out,” he added.

“It is a fundamental problem so it will not get fixed in weeks.”

Leclerc’s pole lap of one minute 10.270 seconds was nearly three tenths faster than Verstappen’s best.

It was the first time since Mexico last October that Verstappen, who won in Monaco in 2021 and 2023, had not secured at least a front row slot on the grid. — Reuters

Pope Francis in symbolic kick-off

May 26, 2024 | 8:22 pm

POPE Francis appeared at Rome’s Olympic Stadium on Saturday to provide a symbolic kick-off to a soccer match as part of celebrations for a Vatican-hosted “World Children’s Day” festival.

Pope Francis, 87, who has suffered from bouts of poor health, stood up from his chair by the side of the pitch as the ball was presented to him by a child accompanied by former Italian national team goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

The pope, who is from Argentina and a keen soccer fan, gave the ball a gentle tap with his foot before watching the action unfold in a brief kickabout on the field at the stadium.

The match ball was later handed back to the pope for him to sign.

In response to a question from a child, the pope said he had been very happy when Argentina won the World Cup in 2022.

But he said he had not enjoyed the notorious handball by Diego Maradona that helped them on their way to victory in the 1986 World Cup. Maradona famously remarked at the time that the quarter-final goal against England was scored “a little with the head of Maradona, a little with the hand of God”.

Appearing in high spirits, Francis greeted children representing more than 100 countries, handing out sweets and encouraging those in the stadium to shake hands with each other in a gesture of peace.

Francis had earlier held an audience at the Vatican with children from war-hit regions, including Palestinians and Ukrainians.

The celebrations for the Vatican’s inaugural “World Children’s Day” continue on Sunday with a special mass at the Vatican followed by a reading by Italian actor Roberto Benigni. — Reuters

Phillies unload 6 runs in 9^th inning

May 26, 2024 | 8:22 pm

BRYCE HARPER homered in a six-run ninth inning as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to beat the Colorado Rockies 8-4 in Denver on Saturday night.

Mr. Harper, who was ejected from Friday night’s game in the first inning, responded Saturday with two hits and four RBIs as Philadelphia avoided losing consecutive games for the third time this season.

The Phillies are 18-4 in May and 30-7 since mid-April.

Kyle Schwarber had three hits, Garrett Stubbs and Alec Bohm had two hits each and Jose Ruiz (1-0) picked up the win in relief for Philadelphia. — Reuters

Fever’s rise and fall

May 26, 2024 | 8:18 pm

In terms of shooting numbers, Caitlin Clark didn’t have the type that accompanied her storied college career. She scored only 11 markers on a four-of-14 clip, and up until the last two minutes of the Fever’s visit to Crypto.com Arena, she made none of her seven tries from three-point territory. Still, as she answered question after question from media scribes in the aftermath, she opined that she had “a good game.” She was right, to be sure, as evidenced by the rest of her stat line the other day: 10 rebounds, eight assists, four steals, one block, and — equally significant — just two turnovers in 37 minutes of action.

No doubt, Clark made her assessment in the context of the Fever’s first victory for the season. They had zero wins to show in their previous five matches, and, for much of the set-to against the new-look Sparks, it looked like they would not be able to break the ignominious streak. In the second half, however, they displayed their potential; even as she facilitated the offense at the point and showed more activity on the other end of the court, the other stalwarts of the blue, red, and gold either lived up to or exceeded expectations. The result: an emphatic triumph in front of a record 19,103 fans.

As has been typical of post-game pressers since Clark’s arrival, an inordinate amount of attention went her way. Never mind that she was flanked by teammates Aliyah Boston and Temi Fagbenle. Not that she didn’t deserve it; the Fever needed her two treys in the clutch, taken from 33 and 29 feet, to keep the Sparks at bay. That said, the two frontliners with her likewise played starring roles. Which, in a nutshell, was why she took pains to share the credit where it was due, and why she underscored the importance of collective progress.

Make no mistake. Clark knows the Fever will rise and fall with her. And not only is she not afraid of the spotlight; she craves it. As she explained in giving context to her late-game shotmaking despite her evident woes, “I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but I seriously think every shot I shoot is going to go in … I want to take those shots at the end of the game.” And for all her supposed inexperience as a rookie with a target on her back, those around her are only too willing to ride on her coattails.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

EPIRA needs way to sanction weak power franchises — NGO

May 26, 2024 | 8:08 pm

LEGISLATORS should amend the power industry law to give regulators the authority to revoke franchises of underperforming concession holders, an industry advocacy group said.

“Our policy makers should consider revising Section 27 Franchising Power in the Electric Power Sector of the EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act)… to address problematic electric cooperatives that have consistently underperformed for 10 years or more… suggesting the potential revocation of their franchises,” Nic Satur, Jr., chief advocate officer of Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy, told BusinessWorld via chat.

Congress is currently looking to amend EPIRA, noting its failure to lower the cost of electricity.

“It is important to recognize that access to affordable and reliable energy is not a privilege but a fundamental right… which should not be undermined by the poor performance of certain electric cooperatives,” Mr. Satur said.

He said consumers are dealing with inconsistent access to power due to the “inefficiency or mismanagement” of underperforming electric cooperatives.

Congress should also look at strengthening a section deterring anti-competitive behavior among electric cooperatives, he added, referring to it as a “significant threat to market fairness.”

House Bill (HB) No. 3430 seeks to strengthen the clause by stiffening regulations governing cross-ownership by restricting the ownership of a power distributor in a transmission company to 15% from 30%.

“The clause remains weak in practice as cross-ownership is only prohibited between the transmission company and any company in the other two sectors,” according to the explanatory note of HB No. 3430.

“Currently, large private distributions are able to enter sweetheart deals with affiliated power generators which give them control over pricing and market behavior, to the detriment of consumers,” it added.

EPIRA divided the power industry into four sectors under the law: generation, transmission, distribution, and supply; however, it only prevented cross-ownership among transmission, generation, and supply entities, Party-list Representatives Sergio C. Dagooc and Presley C. de Jesus, authors of the bill, said in the explanatory note.

Strengthening cross-ownership regulations would prevent market manipulation as well as ensure the competitiveness of the energy sector, Mr. Satur said.

Amendments to EPIRA are among the priority bills set by Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. for the 19^th Congress.

House bills seeking to amend the EPIRA Act remain pending at the House Committee on Energy. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

NGCP declares yellow alert on Luzon; over 4,000 MW unavailable to grid

May 26, 2024 | 8:07 pm

Electric-pylon-Transmission-lines — NGCP.PH

THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Luzon grid on yellow alert Sunday with more than 4,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity unavailable to the grid.

In an advisory Sunday afternoon, the grid operator raised the yellow alert for the period 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 12 midnight on May 27.

Available capacity was 11,127 MW while peak demand was estimated at 10,776 MW.

The NGCP said that three power plants have been on forced outage since 2023, two between January and March 2024, and 17 between April and May. Six are running on derated capacities.

A total of 4,417.5 MW was unavailable to the grid.

A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.

As of its 1:23 p.m. update, the NGCP said that Pitogo-Mulanay 69-kilovolt line has been unavailable starting 2:24 a.m. Sunday, affecting the customers of Quezon I Electric Cooperative, Inc. The transmission line was partially restored at 9:01 a.m.

On May 24, Manila Electric Co. said that around 487,000 customers were affected after it implemented manual load dropping or rotational power interruptions lasting around 1-1.5 hours due to supply deficiencies on the grid.

Areas affected were parts of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Metro Manila, Rizal, and Pampanga. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

AboitizPower cites downsides to RE reliance, calls for ‘creative solutions’ to hit power goals

May 26, 2024 | 8:06 pm

By Sheldeen Joy Talavera, Reporter

ABOITIZ Power Corp. (AboitizPower) said there is a need to acknowledge the limitations of relying heavily on renewable energy (RE) and urged the industry to tap other energy sources.

“We need to accept the constraints of variable renewable energy but we also need to be creative in tapping solutions to make sure we are actually addressing the targets,” AboitizPower President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel V. Rubio was quoted as saying in a statement late Friday.

He said other challenges include the lack of transmission connectivity for renewables like hydro and wind, which can only be harnessed at the location of the resource.

Mr. Rubio said that the intermittent nature of solar and wind power justifies the need for “a diverse energy mix that can provide reliable and dispatchable power in sync with demand pattern of consumers.”

Meanwhile, he said the Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP) and the electricity spot market provide an avenue for tapping uncontracted capacity.

“In the Philippine context, if you participate in the GEAP and you win the auction, then you’re guaranteed a revenue stream,” he said.

“Other than that, AboitizPower believes in the system we have. We have a spot market that works… We were one of the first investors in the Philippines to invest significantly in the government’s privatization project… it’s a vote of confidence in the system that’s in place in the Philippines,” he added.

The company is aiming to grow its total capacity to 13 gigawatts (GW) in the next six years, of which 7.5 GW will come from new renewable energy projects.