PETRON and Generika-Ayala dispute early leadership in Group B to set pace in this quick Philippine Superliga Invitational Conference today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

As expected, LeBron James was the subject of headlines over the weekend. Even with a roster also featuring six-time All-Star Anthony Davis and made more colorful by such notables as Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard, he remained the subject of scrutiny throughout and after Media Day. From pundits to punters to scribes to spectators came variations of the same question: How much should be expected of him coming off his worst season since his first in the league 16 years ago?

THE defending National Collegiate Athletic Association champions San Beda Red Lions raced to their 14^th straight win in Season 95, defeating the Perpetual Help Altas, 75-62, in league action on Thursday afternoon at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

IT WAS a fruitful midweek outing for Stallion Laguna FC and Kaya FC-Iloilo at the Philippines Football League after the two hacked out huge victories against separate foes on Wednesday.

INSTEAD of a mix of amateur and professional players, the Philippine national men’s basketball team seeing action at the 30th Southeast Asian Games here in the country will be composed of players coming from the Philippine Basketball Association.

THE FIRST round of the eliminations of Season 82 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines comes to an end this weekend with defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles looking to complete a sweep of their assignments.

PHILADELPHIA 76ers point guard Ben Simmons has never made a 3-pointer during his two NBA seasons.

BELIEVING it could well be the last time that he would face Brazilian champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes in their tightly contested ONE Championship rivalry, Filipino Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon wants to settle things once and for all when the two collide anew at “ONE: Century” in Tokyo, Japan, next month.

THE NLEX Road Warriors and Meralco Bolts, winners in their opening games in the ongoing Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup, seek to stay in winning form and notch early tournament lead when they collide today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

It would be an understatement to argue that the Magic are bullish on Markelle Fultz. After all, they didn’t think twice about picking up his $12-million option for the 2019 -- 20 season early last week. Never mind that they could have waited until October 31 to do so. In fact, they had incentive to delay their decision on his future until the last possible moment; he had been a bust with the Sixers, who drafted him first overall in 2017, and he had yet to play a single game for them since his arrival via a trade deal in February.

THE TNT KaTropa got their Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup campaign to a winning start, routing the Blackwater Elite, 135-107, in their battle of debuting teams on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

THE streak of futilities of the National University Bulldogs in Season 82 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines finally ended on Wednesday after they defeated the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, 61-39, in the first game of the league midweek offering at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.