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Some PBA teams girding for return to practices in NCR

IF plans push through, Philippine Basketball Association teams could return to practices within the National Capital Region beginning this week. — PBA IMAGES

IF plans push through, Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) teams could return to practices within the National Capital Region (NCR) beginning this week.

Following the government’s announcement last week that NCR and the nearby provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna would revert under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) setup from May 15 to 31 from Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, some teams began moves to have their practices held in Metro Manila.

Said teams have already applied for permission in various local government units (LGUs) their training venues are located to allow them to proceed.

Earlier, the PBA secured the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to resume practices in GCQ areas as it positions to start its delayed Season 46.

It made arrangements with the LGU of Batangas City for the area to serve as host for the practices of at least half a dozen teams while other squads eyed GCQ areas up North to train.

But with NCR and nearby areas going back to GCQ, some teams reportedly were eyeing to stay within Metro Manila.

“Everyone’s happy hearing the news of Metro Manila shifting to GCQ. They just need to get LGU permits and Metro Manila training is a go,” PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial was quoted as saying by the league’s official website.

Among the activities PBA ball clubs are allowed to do upon their return in an NCR training are 5-on-5 scrimmages, in line with the resolution issued by the IATF.

They are also expected to adhere to the guidelines under the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) collectively issued by the Games and Amusements Board, Philippine Sports Commission, and Department of Health.

Teams are also required to have the necessary coronavirus tests for all participants.

But while teams have the option to train within Metro Manila, the league is still allowing them to have their training elsewhere in the country as long as it is under GCQ.

The Meralco Bolts, for instance, are already in Ilocos Norte for their 10-day training.

The PBA is banking on the successful holding of the practices as it pushes to get its new season going,

PBA Season 46 was supposed to start on April 18 until it was deferred to a still-to-be-determined date because of a spike in coronavirus cases and the heightened restrictions issued after.

The league got a breakthrough in its push to start when the IATF recently approved its proposal for a resumption of training.

It is now looking at a possible June opening of the season but is focusing first on having a successful holding of training of the teams to show that the staging of PBA games can be done in a safe manner amid prevailing conditions.

“We’ll try our very best first to keep everybody safe and protected while doing the scrimmages in the next few weeks. We’ll start from there,” said Mr. Marcial.

Last year, the PBA was only able to stage one conference amid the pandemic, holding the Philippine Cup in a “bubble” setting at Clark City in Angeles, Pampanga.

The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings were crowned as champions. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

LeBron James and Anthony Davis fuel Los Angeles Lakers win vs Indiana Pacers

LEBRON James scored seven consecutive points over a one-minute stretch late in the fourth quarter to help the Los Angeles  (LA) Lakers record a 122-115 win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday in Indianapolis.

James, playing his first game since May 2 and just his third since March 20, finished with 24 points, a team-high eight assists and seven rebounds. Anthony Davis collected 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Lakers (41-30), who entered play a half-game behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Western Conference. Los Angeles closes the regular season on Sunday in New Orleans.

The Lakers took care of business in the first half of the weekend back to back, leading Indiana (33-38) almost the entire way. But behind Caris LeVert’s 28 points and game-high 12 assists, the Pacers battled back from a deficit of as many as 14 points to pull within a single possession late in the fourth quarter.

LeVert hit a jumper with a little more than three minutes remaining, cutting the deficit to three points. James, who missed his first three 3-point attempts, responded with a successful shot from beyond the arc on a step-back off a ball screen.

That 3-pointer ignited James to seven consecutive points, pushing the Lakers’ lead back to eight points with 1:43 remaining. Indiana could not draw any closer than five points for the rest of the way.

Los Angeles’ Dennis Schröder scored 14 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 13, Talen Horton-Tucker had 11 and Andre Drummond finished with 11 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. — Reuters

Arjan Bhullar dethrones Brandon Vera as ONE world heavyweight champion

INDIA’S Arjan Bhullar is the new ONE world heavyweight champion

ONE Championship has a new world heavyweight champion as Indian wrestling champ Arjan “Singh” Bhullar dethroned Filipino-American Brandon “The Truth” Vera in their title clash at “ONE: Dangal” in Singapore on Saturday.

Mr. Bhullar fashioned out an impressive second-round technical knockout (TKO)  win to become his country’s first mixed martial arts (MMA) world champion.

The Commonwealth Games gold medallist was on top of things right from the opening bell.

He stifled Mr. Vera with feints and strikes, freezing the Filipino-American on his feet and making him hesitant to engage. He then took his opponent down toward the end of the opening frame and controlled him on the mat.

In the second round, Mr. Bhullar continued with his attack, eventually landing an overhand right that sent Mr. Vera reeling toward the Circle wall. Mr. Bhullar followed it up with more right hands and body shots that left Mr. Vera gasping for air.

Mr. Vera tried to survive the round but Mr. Bhullar would not allow him to, bringing the contest down the mat and pounding on Mr. Vera en route to the TKO victory.

The win took Mr. Bhullar’s record to 11-1 (2-0 in ONE) and, more importantly, became the top fighter in the promotion in his division.

He said that he hopes his fellow Indians will be inspired by his victory and look at MMA as something they can excel in and maybe pick it up.

For Mr. Vera (16-9), the defeat saw his five-year reign as ONE heavyweight champ come to an end.

He admitted that he was disappointed with his performance and could not explain why he struggled with his stamina despite the preparation that they had.

Mr. Vera though vowed to come back stronger and better and hopeful to be given a shot to reclaim the title.

In the co-main event, muay thai phenom Tawanchai PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym made his promotional debut and dominated Sean “Clubber” Clancy of Ireland to win by knockout in round three.

Also, Vietnamese-American Bi “Killer Bee” Nguyen took home a hard-earned victory over Indian wrestling star Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat in their women’s atomweight contest, winning by razor-thin split decision after three rounds.

Next for ONE Championship is “ONE: Empower” on May 28, which will feature an all-women fight card. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

PLDT Power Hitters look to shape up in Tagaytay ‘bubble’

THE PLDT Home Fibr Hitters are currently in a “bubble” camp in Tagaytay where they are hoping to shape up in preparation for the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) which is targeted to start by the middle of this year.

The PVL-returning Power Hitters have set up camp at Splendido Hotel in Alfonso and will stay there until May 22 as part of their buildup.

PLDT coach Roger Gorayeb shared that the Tagaytay camp is crucial since the team only had limited training sessions prior since the National Capital Region was put under Enhanced Community Quarantine and then MECQ from late March to last week.

“This is big for us because we had a long break in practices with the ECQ. We were worried because other teams were already training in places like Subic (Zambales) and Clark (Pampanga),” said Mr. Gorayeb in Filipino.

“I really pushed our team officials to make the bubble training possible because we were being left behind.”

In the Splendido bubble are PLDT’s new recruits Rhea Dimaculangan, Isa Molde, Marist Layug, Eli Soyud, Chin Basas, Yeye Gabarda, and Nieza Viray.

Completing the team are holdovers Shola Alvarez, Jorelle Singh, Aiko Urdas, Joyce Sta. Rita, Vira Guillema, Kath Villegas, and Alyssa Eroa.

Mr. Gorayeb said that while the players are in shape, they are still finding their game form, something they hope to achieve with the ongoing training bubble.

“They went for almost a year without proper practice. While they are physically conditioned, they are still finding their way back on court,” said Mr. Gorayeb, who is joined in the camp by assistant coaches Clint Malazo and Ariel Dela Cruz.

Prior to proceeding to the bubble, the team made sure to have the needed requirements and approval from the Games and Amusements Board and the local government unit.

PLDT is returning to the PVL after years of parading its wares at the Philippine Superliga.

The PVL will be operating as a professional league, with an expanded field, when its new season kicks off after turning pro late last year. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Zidane to leave Real Madrid at end of season

REAL Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has told his players he will leave the La Liga club at the end of the season, Spanish media reported late on Saturday.

Radio station Onda Cero said Zidane informed the players about his decision before last weekend’s 2-2 La Liga draw at home with Sevilla where Real missed the chance to top the table. Newspaper Marca said he addressed the team on May 8, a day before that game.

Real were dumped out of the Copa del Rey by third-tier Alcoyano in January and were defeated comfortably by Chelsea in their Champions League semifinal. — Reuters

Aaron Judge, Yankees rout Orioles

AARON Judge hit a two-run homer and starter Domingo German threw six solid innings as the visiting New York Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles (8-2) on Saturday night.

Judge now has hit three homers in the first two games of the series, belting two in Friday’s victory over the Orioles. Gary Sanchez and Luke Voit each also drove in two runs as the Yankees took a big early lead and never looked back.

Those were Voit’s first two RBIs this season and his first two hits.

German (3-2) won his third straight decision. The right-hander gave up one run on four hits in his six innings. He struck out six and walked two while keeping the struggling Baltimore offense quiet. — Reuters

Critics of Tokyo Olympics submit petition urging cancelation

TOKYO — Critics of Japan’s plan to hold the Tokyo Olympics despite a fourth wave of coronavirus infections submitted a petition on Friday signed by 350,000 people over nine days calling for the Games to be cancelled.

“Stop Tokyo Olympics” campaign organiser Kenji Utsunomiya said the global festival of sport — already postponed from 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic — should take place only when Japan can welcome visitors and athletes wholeheartedly.

“We are not in that situation and therefore the Games should be canceled,” he told a news conference. “Precious medical resources would need to be diverted to the Olympics if it’s held.”

The petition was submitted to the Olympic and Paralympic committee chiefs as well as Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.

It came as Japan added three more areas to a state of emergency now covering Tokyo, Osaka and four other prefectures amid surging case numbers, exactly 10 weeks from the scheduled July 23 opening of the Games.

Asked about the campaign against the Games, Tokyo Governor Koike said she would work towards a “safe and secure” Olympics.

“Though there is a global pandemic, it is important to hold a safe and secure Tokyo 2020 Games,” she told a regular news conference.

The new areas under the state of emergency include Hokkaido prefecture, where the Olympic marathon will take place, after it reported a record high of 712 new coronavirus cases on Thursday.

Nationwide, Japan has seen about 656,000 confirmed cases, with 11,161 deaths.

Opposition to the Games has also come from doctors, while some high-profile Japanese athletes have expressed concern, including Masters golf champion Hideki Matsuyama and top women’s tennis player Naomi Osaka.

Business leader Masayoshi Son, chief of SoftBank Group Corp, added his voice to the chorus of trepidation on Thursday, saying in unusually blunt remarks he was afraid of what might happen if the Games went ahead.

Dozens of towns that had been due to host visiting athletes at pre-Games events have canceled those plans, saying they could not guarantee medical help amid strains on the health system.

HUGS ‘NOT OK’
Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, asked whether the Games would go ahead despite the increase in COVID cases, said organisers were looking to the International Olympic Committee’s backing for the Games.

“I am aware that many are concerned that it will lead to an outbreak of cases,” Nishimura told parliament.

“The organizers are currently working together closely, based on the decision by the International Olympic Committee to hold the Tokyo 2020 Olympics,” he said.

Organisers are determined to host the Games with coronavirus mitigation measures in place. A skateboarding event on Friday was the latest test for their precautions.

Organizers told reporters after the event that athletes and coaches had been told to follow measures and avoid the usual celebratory hugs and cheers on the sidelines.

“This kind of behavior is not okay in terms of COVID-19 measures,” said Yasuo Mori, the deputy executive director of Tokyo 2020’s operations bureau.

“We’d usually take videos together but now we have to stay masked and two meters apart,” said skateboarder Ryuto Kikuta, 17, adding that he understood the measures were necessary but they still felt strange.

Spectators will not be allowed in from abroad, while a decision on Japanese-based spectors has yet to be made.

With the latest emergency measures, 19 out of Japan’s 47 prefectures fall under restrictions that include closures of eateries by 8 p.m. and a ban on alcohol at bars and restaurants. — Reuters

Lakers legend Bryant enshrined in Hall of Fame

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was inducted posthumously to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, as the class of 2020 was enshrined after months of delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The five-time NBA champion died last year aged 41 in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter and seven others, shocking the world of professional sport and sending his legions of fans into mourning.

Bryant’s widow Vanessa, who started dating Kobe when she was 17, offered an acceptance on his behalf as presenter Michael Jordan stood nearby.

“Dear Kobe, thank you for being the best husband and father you could possibly be,” she said. “Thank you for never giving up on us. Thank you for all of your hard work.”

The 18-time All-Star joined the NBA straight out of high school and would go on to enjoy one of the most decorated careers in the history of the sport, claiming NBA Finals MVP honors twice and earning the adoration of fans for his larger-than-life persona.

Bryant, the fourth-highest scorer in league history with 33,643 points, grew up idolizing the five-time league MVP Jordan and the two superstars’ careers overlapped by a handful of years.

“Kobe would thank all of the people who helped him get here, including the people that doubted him and the people who worked against him and told him he couldn’t attain his goals… after all, he proved you wrong,” said Bryant, prompting a grin from Jordan.

Other honorees in the 2020 class included 10-time Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, 15-time NBA All-Star Kevin Garnett and three-time NBA Finals MVP Tim Duncan.

The ceremony at the Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, was postponed from August due to the COVID-19 pandemic. — Reuters

Nets beat Bulls, close in on No. 2 seed in East

Kyrie Irving scored 22 points as the Brooklyn Nets got a significant contribution from their reserves and pulled away down the stretch for a 105-91 victory over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Saturday afternoon in New York.

The Nets (47-24) won their fourth straight and remained one game ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks in the race for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee defeated Miami on Saturday night and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Brooklyn.

The game marked the first time Brooklyn’s three stars of Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant played in the same game since Feb. 13 at Golden State. It was only the eighth time they played together this season and the trio were on the floor together for about 16 minutes.

Irving was the most effective of Brooklyn’s trio by scoring 20 points in the first half when the Nets shook off an early 12-point deficit. Durant finished with 12 on 4 of 17 from the floor while collecting nine rebounds and six assists, and Harden had five points, seven assists and five rebounds in 25 minutes.

Jeff Green added 19 points as Brooklyn got 48 points from its reserves. Bruce Brown chipped in 16 points and 12 rebounds as the Nets shot 47.1 percent and outscored the Bulls 105-79 after allowing the game’s first 12 points.

Chicago (30-41) was eliminated from postseason contention Friday night when the Washington Wizards beat the Cleveland Cavaliers so it held out Zach LaVine (knee soreness). Rookie Patrick Williams scored a career-high 24 points and former Net Thaddeus Young added 19 as the Bulls shot 34.7 percent and misfired on 30 of 41 3-point tries.

After Chicago’s opening 12-0 run, the Nets outscored the Bulls (28-17) the rest of the quarter and were within 29-28. Chicago held its last lead when Javonte Green’s free throw made it 41-40 with 7:58 remaining but Brooklyn outscored the Bulls (21-10) the rest of the half for a 61-51 lead at intermission.

Brooklyn allowed the Bulls to hang around throughout the third quarter and held a 79-71 lead into the fourth quarter. Chicago ripped off eight straight points to get within 85-81 on Young’s finger roll with 8:47 remaining but Jeff Green hit two 3-pointers and Landry Shamet capped a 15-2 run with a 3-pointer at the 5:27 mark to make it 100-83. — Reuters

Pedro thunderbolt earns Roma derby win to end Lazio top-four hopes

ROME — A long-range screamer from AS Roma substitute Pedro crowned a 2-0 Rome Derby win on Saturday that mathematically ended Lazio’s hopes of a top-four finish in Serie A.

Lazio have another two games to play before the season ends next Sunday, but the sixth-placed side are eight points behind Juventus in the fourth and final Champions League place.

Roma are six points behind Lazio in seventh place and can finish no higher, but they moved five points clear of Sassuolo, who face Parma on Sunday.

Lazio started the stronger as Luis Alberto had a shot well saved by young goalkeeper Daniel Fuzato and Vedat Muriqi’s well-taken finish was ruled out for offside.

But Roma went ahead shortly before halftime when Edin Dzeko skipped past Lazio defender Francesco Acerbi to the byline and cut a pass back to Henrikh Mkhitaryan for a simple finish.

Pedro doubled their lead on the 78th minute with a superb individual goal as he dribbled past two defenders and fired a swerving shot into the bottom corner from outside the area.

Lazio’s night got even worse late on when Acerbi was shown a second yellow card for a shirt pull on Dzeko. — Reuters

Juventus edge Inter thriller to stay in top-four race

TURIN, Italy — Juan Cuadrado scored twice as Juventus kept their Champions League qualification hopes alive with a 3-2 “Derby of Italy” victory over Serie A champions Inter Milan on Saturday despite spending most of the second half with 10 men.

The result lifted Andrea Pirlo’s side into fourth place with one game remaining, level on 75 points with AC Milan in third.

However, Napoli will knock the Turin club back into fifth if they beat Fiorentina on Sunday and Milan will be assured of a top-four finish if they beat Cagliari, thanks to their better head-to-head record against Juve.

“It was a difficult game against a great team like Inter. Even with a man down, we had to get the job done, make sacrifices, and I think that we got the result as a team,” Cuadrado told Sky Italia.

Both sides were awarded first-half penalties in a game dominated by VAR decisions. Cristiano Ronaldo scored on the rebound to put Juve ahead after his spot-kick was saved, and Romelu Lukaku scored his penalty for Inter soon after.

Juve regained the lead on the brink of halftime through a deflected Cuadrado strike, but the hosts were reduced to 10 men early in the second half when Rodrigo Bentancur picked up a second yellow.

Inter drew level through a Giorgio Chiellini own goal and Cuadrado responded with the winning penalty in the 88th minute. There was still time for Marcelo Brozović to be sent off for the visitors for a second booking.

Inter ended Juve’s nine-year stranglehold of the Serie A title with four games to spare and had the chance to land a huge blow to their rivals’ top-four hopes.

But Juve took the lead when Chiellini was wrestled to the ground at a corner and won a penalty following a VAR review. The spot-kick was saved, but Ronaldo tapped in the rebound.

VAR REVIEW
Inter drew level when Matthijs de Ligt was judged to have fouled Lautaro Martinez in the box after a VAR review, and Lukaku converted the resulting penalty.

Juve edged back in front deep in first-half stoppage time when a powerful Cuadrado shot took a deflection and flew past Handanovic.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men on the 55th minute after Bentancur tripped Lukaku to earn a second yellow, and Pirlo decided to take Ronaldo off for the final quarter of the match in a bid to see out the game.

The match burst into life in the final 10 minutes. Chiellini bundled a cross into his own net but the goal was disallowed for a foul, only for the decision to be overturned following a VAR review.

Three minutes later, Cuadrado was tripped by Ivan Perišić to earn the third penalty of the game and the Colombian slotted it home before Inter’s night got worse when Brozović picked up a second yellow for a clumsy challenge. — Reuters

The Big Fundamental

Tim Duncan came very close to missing out on a Hall of Fame career. If he was enshrined yesterday as the greatest power forward in hoops annals, it’s because another sport’s evident grasp on him was let loose by a hurricane. He could — perhaps even should — have been a swimmer had Hugo not interfered and destroyed the only Olympic-sized pool in the entire Saint Croix, Virgin Islands. The calamity became a blessing; fate turned his attention to basketball, and he would go on to stamp his class with, well, class.

Indeed, Duncan let his playing do the talking. He wasn’t one for aimless banter to begin with. He also knew that if he played the right way, even his most vociferous critics would have no choice but to sit up and take notice. And they did, first through a remarkable college career at Wake Forest that had him going first overall in the 1997 National Basketball Association draft, and then over the next 19 years as the principal reason for the Spurs’ competitiveness. Heck, he was so good that the franchise known for its commitment to winning first had to tank in order to secure his draft rights, and that the head coach who suffered no pleasantries went above and beyond the call of duty to woo him.

So influential was Duncan to Gregg Popovich that the latter purposely missed a game just to be at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut for his induction. He deserved it, too, even as he himself was loath to toot his own horn. He spent most of his 12-minute speech doling out one Thank You after another, including to former teammate David Robinson, on stage to present him, and to Hall classmates Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant. And when the time came for the obligatory firing-squad photo sessions, he positioned himself exactly where he felt he needed to be: close to one side, in full cognizance of the fact that his was the biggest name under the spotlight no matter where he stood.

When Duncan was at his prime, he gladly accepted the moniker The Big Fundamental. If nothing else, it recognized his dedication to his craft, his commitment to success, his passion for perfection. And he continues to live by those tenets outside of the court. As he noted in professing his gratitude to Popovich, “You are an exceptional person. Thank you for teaching me about basketball, but, even beyond that, teaching me that it’s not all about basketball. It’s about what’s happening in the world, it’s about your family.” Enough said.

 

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.

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