BACOLOD CITY -- Raul Miñoza fired a tournament-best 54 points to power Del Monte Golf Club (GC) to the Founders division title at the closed of the 34^th Philippine Airlines Senior Interclub golf team championships.

If there was a match that underscored both the benefits and follies of the Rockets’ total embrace of small ball, it was theirs yesterday’s against the Celtics. True to form, head coach Mike D’Antoni relied heavily on his starters, with none taller than 6’7”. And of the four reserves who saw action, only Jeff Green cleared the ceiling, and barely at an inch higher. Yet, it wasn’t as if they lacked height to compete; in fact, they wound up forcing the hosts to go their way as well. When the final buzzer sounded, not a single stalwart who saw action topped 6’8”.

WHEN the volleyball tournament of Season 82 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines finally fires off on the rescheduled date of March 3, one conspicuous facet of the offering will be more exposure for the men’s competition.

INTERSCHOOL esports in the country is getting a big boost with an agreement that looks to engage more than one thousand teams from over 200 schools with the opportunity to train, compete, be coached, win scholarships and eventually become medal-winning esports athletes.

THE NATIONAL Chess Federation of the Philippines has tapped GM Darwin Laylo to replace GM Julio Catalino “Ino” Sadorra in the national team competing in the 44^th World Chess Olympiad set August 5 to 18 in Moscow, Russia.

BERLIN -- Maria Sharapova, the Russian five-time Grand Slam champion who became one of the highest paid sportswomen in the world, announced the end of her career at the age of 32 on Wednesday.

WHILE RECOGNIZING its opponent dominated the game, Kaya FC-Iloilo said it had its opportunities to win in its Group H match against Singapore’s Tampines Rovers in the AFC Cup at the Rizal Memorial Stadium but just could not capitalize on them.

ALAMO CITY -- Luka Doncic scored 26 points, distributed 14 assists and took 10 rebounds as the visiting Dallas Mavericks made the plays needed in the final three minutes to hold off the San Antonio Spurs 109-103 on Wednesday in the Alamo City.

ANTIPOLO CITY -- Standard Insurance-Navy struck like a lightning and dominated Stage Five where six of its riders headed by George Oconer checked in at the finish together to seize the lead in almost all the categories possible in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 10^th anniversary race yesterday.

To argue that Jayson Tatum is finally learning how to play to potential would be to understate his production as an offshoot of circumstance. He was certainly a valued commodity heading into the 2017 National Basketball Association draft, with the Celtics bent on claiming him with their pick. They could have chosen anybody, but, their eyes already set on him, instead dealt their first overall slot to the Sixers for the third and a future asset. The deal spoke to both their astuteness and their belief in his capacity to help the cause.

MISSED out on the opportunity to create further distance at the top of Group G in the AFC Cup on Tuesday night, top local football team Ceres-Negros FC looks to regroup when it treks back to tournament action next month.

LUCENA -- Mark Julius Bordeos of Bicycology-Army reclaimed the individual lead even as Standard Insurance-Navy dominated Stage Four with a 1-2-3 finish to regain the team lead in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 10th anniversary race that started in Daet, Camarines Norte, and ended here.