James, Cavs, Meant to Lose?

source:nba.com

The Cleveland Cavaliers put up a mostly valiant fight in The NBA Finals, but ultimately were short on firepower and succumbed to the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 to lose the series. LeBron James was great all series and was arguably the MVP of these Finals, too, but that’s all over for now. James and the Cavs must ponder the offseason and some choices lie

Will Gilas Pilipinas Win It All?

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tab Baldwin's recent confirmation that former NBA player Andray Blatche was 100 percent committed to playing for the Philippines at the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship sent shockwaves across Asia.

Blatche, one of two naturalized players the Filipinos may choose to bring in the biennial tournament, will certainly make the Philippines - the runners-up at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship - an even stronger unit when the competition begins in China. But will his presence be enough to make the Pinoys the absolute title favorites?

Why Exactly The Cavs Lost in the Finals

Report: LeBron James repeatedly defied David Blatt during NBA Finals!!!!

LeBron James did damn near everything for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals, carrying an injury-plagued roster lacking any viable supplemental shot creators through six games against the deeper, healthier, better Golden State Warriors. It was a virtuoso performance that had many wondering whether he deserved MVP honors even in defeat, which came Tuesday night in Game 6, allowing the Dubs to celebrate their first NBA championship in 40 years on James' home court at Quicken Loans Arena.

Finals defeats too much to bear for James

LeBron James has tasted defeat four times in NBA Finals now but that does not make it any easier to swallow. In fact, losing to Golden State hurt so much he would rather miss out on the playoffs altogether than lose another championship series.

James led the way for Cleveland with 32 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists in Game Six on Tuesday but it was not enough to carry the Cavaliers to victory over the Warriors.

Golden State picked up their first title in 40 years with the 105-97 win in Cleveland.

“When you fall short it hurts,” James told reporters. “I’m starting to (think) I’d rather not even make the playoffs than to lose in the Finals. It would hurt a lot (less).”

Mayweather Will Lose

Triple G: I WILL DESTROY MAYWEATHER

source: http://www.tmz.com/2015/06/16/floyd-mayweather-gennady-golovkin-fight-boxing/

Floyd Mayweather has just been called out by the most dangerous boxer in the world ... Gennady Golovkin ... who says he's 100% confident he would crush Money ... if they ever got in the ring.

Philippines vs. Yemen FIFA WC Qualifier Full Game Replay (June 16, 2015)

The Philippine Azkals notched another win by trouncing Yemen in the FIFA WC (2018) Qualifier held at Doha, Qatar, last June 16, 2015.

The score: 2-1

For the full game replay, watch the video below:

Another win for the Azkals in FIFA WC (2018) Qualifier

Philippine Azkals grab another win against Yemen in FIFA QC Qualifier; 2-0

The Philippine national men’s football team got a huge lift from veteran Misagh Bahadoran and newcomer Iain Ramsay as their goals lifted the Azkals to a 2-nil victory over Yemen in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers early Wednesday morning in Doha, Qatar.

Philippines vs. Bahrain FIFA World Cup Qualifier Full Game Replay (June 11, 2015)

Philippines Azkals won the kick off match against highly favored Bahrain squad, 2 goals to 1.


For a full game replay, watch it here:

Azkals Stun Bahrain to Start its FIFA World Cup Qualifier Campaign

Azkals won 2-1 to kick off FIFA World Cup (2018) Qualifier

Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/azkals-stun-bahrain-to-kick-off-fifa-world-cup-qualifiers-campaign

The Philippine national men’s football team stunned Bahrain with a 2-1 win to open its FIFA World Cup qualifiers campaign on a high note on Thursday night at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan.

Filipino Divers score ZERO point at 2015 SEA Games!

Zero point. That is what Filipino divers John Elmerson Fabriga and John David Pahoyo got after botched dives today during this year’s Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in Singapore. Fabriga who went first landed on his back and Pahoyo, who followed, awkwardly landed feet first. Both seemingly failing to attain enough altitude in their launches off the board.

Which 3 Players Have Been in Every NBA Finals From 1998 Until Now?

Can you guess?

If you’re like us, then you think that the 2015 NBA Finals has everything a hardcore basketball fan could possibly want. Maybe even a bit more.

How often do the two best teams in the league manage to make it through their respective conferences to set up a final round with all the makings of a Rocky Balboa-style slugfest? We’ll give you a moment to ponder this. Exactly. It doesn’t happen as often as you might think. This matchup is special. These two juggernauts are special.

The Golden State Warriors are smooth. Super smooth. This club moves the ball around with precision and accuracy. It picks up the tempo, picks apart the opponent, and drops an avalanche of daggers from the outside. And this all starts with the 2014-15 Most Valuable Player. There is a good chance that lethal shooter Stephen Curry isn’t human. No person from this planet should have that pretty of a release or that craftiness with the ball in his hands. It’s unhealthy to think about. Of course, he’s not the only freak of nature in this series. You can’t forget about the King.

All LeBron James did was return home to the Cleveland Cavaliers – a team that won just 33 games last season – and mold a group of young and inexperienced players into a championship-caliber bunch. In his fifth straight NBA Finals appearance, James will be up against his greatest challenge. But this Cleveland team does have what it takes to complete the unlikeliest of turnarounds. With a suffocating defense, a supporting cast that doesn’t shy away from the moment, and an “All In” mindset, the Cavs are prepared to take down the favored Warriors.

Yes, this series has everything you could possibly want. And yet, from a historical standpoint, that’s not necessarily the case. Despite everything this NBA Finals has going for it, there are a few missing pieces. Or better yet, a few missing players. For the first time since the 1998-1999 season, one of three key figures in the National Basketball Association will not be vying for a championship. Who are these superstars? Take a look and find out for yourselves.

10 Boxers Who Could be Better Than Pacquaio-Mayweather

Ten boxers who could usurp Mayweather and Pacquiao and strike pay-per-view gold

A month has passed since ​Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao combined to put on the Fight of the Century in Las Vegas​.

The fight may not have lived up to the six years of hype surrounding it but the promotion, especially throughout fight week, was like nothing ever seen before in the sport.

We are still waiting for ​official ​pay-per-view statistics but there are rumours that it could break the $4,000,000 mark​.
However, the real worry is that when these men - who are 38 and 36 respectively - retire, who is there to fill the chasm left by them​,​ particularly the charismatic ​Mayweather?

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, Keith Thurman and Adrien Brone​r are among the names suggested as future pay-per-view stars, ​​​but ​here ​Sport360 tips 10 fighters to break through as one of ​boxing's main attractions.

NBA Playoffs 2015
1st Round
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Final Score: 99-93

For Recap Video, click below:

http://www.nba.com/playoffs/2015/westseries4/index.html?ls=pot

NBA Playoffs 2015
1st Round
Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets
Final Score: 107-97

For Recap Video, click below:
http://www.nba.com/playoffs/2015/eastseries1/?ls=iref:nbahpt6b

OKC parted ways with Scotty Brooks

Just re-blogging...

(Oh! God! My OKC team. When will we have the title again since Oh well, since DJ's time.)

Scott Brooks is done in Oklahoma City and his dismissal had nothing to do with the injured superstars who ruined the Thunder chances of making the playoffs. Brooks is done because OKC management soured quickly on him the last few seasons and looked for their first chance to dump him.

Is there any other explanation? Brooks had a contentious contract negotiation with GM Sam Presti three summers ago and that alone spoke volumes on what OKC thought of Brooks. After he was named Coach of the Year in 2010 and coached the Thunder to The Finals in 2012, Brooks had to grovel for cash and, in a sense, respectability from his own bosses.

OKC hasn’t reached The Finals since then and missed the playoffs altogether in 2015. Although, this was mainly due to injury circumstances that went far beyond Brooks and his perceived inability to cook up a lethal offensive system, which was his biggest flaw. (Although stats-wise, he had some pretty great offenses in OKC).

Russell Westbrook hurt his knee in the first round in the 2013 playoffs. Serge Ibaka’s calf strain spoiled last year’s playoff chances. And then, Westbrook, Ibaka and Kevin Durant all missed significant time this season, even though OKC nearly managed to squeeze into the playoffs anyway.

It also needs to be mentioned that OKC’s unwillingness to deal with luxury-tax penalties forced Presti to trade away James Harden two years ago for 50 cents on the dollar.

Brooks was in an awkward situation, to say the least. While management was obviously not sold on him, Brooks enjoyed solid relationships with OKC’s stars and usually in that scenario, the coach wins out. Westbrook, Durant and Ibaka all vouched for him in the last few months, when rumblings about Brooks’ job (which were heard every summer) flared suddenly. Unless the three players were merely putting forth a friendly face, OKC’s decision on Brooks went counter to the wishes of the players whose opinion matter, including Durant’s.

And speaking of KD, it’s hard to imagine Presti firing Brooks without consulting him. Durant is one of the NBA’s five best players and, most notably, a free agent in 2016. Nothing happens in OKC unless Durant gets a whiff of it first. Did Durant sign off on Brooks’ dismissal? Did he essentially tell Presti to “do what you have to do” and look the other way? Or did he fight Presti? We may never know the truth.

Given the understandable fear of Durant fleeing town, OKC will do nothing to annoy or discourage him, which makes the Brooks firing a curious one. Brooks allowed Durant and Westbrook free reign as players and kept an open-door policy in terms of suggestions, not that he had much choice. Will the next coach draw the line when it comes to that level of freedom, or fall in line with Brooks?

Durant respects and is friendly with Kevin Ollie, his former teammate who won an NCAA title a year ago at Connecticut. Ollie would be an obvious replacement for Brooks but just yesterday announced he was staying at UConn. But, people change their minds all the time — especially when big money and big career decisions are involved.

Had he been blessed with a team with better health, or had Harden stuck around, Brooks would likely still be coach and might have an NBA title by now. Basketball is a cruel game, however. Those who thought Brooks was merely an average coach who was overmatched against the Gregg Popovichs and Rick Carlisles of the NBA world are nodding in approval today. Those who factor the untimely injuries that torpedoed OKC at the wrong time the last few years are scratching their heads.

What are Durant and Westbrook doing?

For details go to:

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2015/04/22/key-questions-crop-up-for-thunder-in-wake-of-brooks-firing/?ls=iref:nbahpt6e

NBA Regular Season: It Comes Down to the Last Day

Just re-blogging this. For details, go to
http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2015/04/15/playoff-scenarios-aplenty-in-play-on-final-day-of-2014-15-season/?ls=iref:nbahpt3a

NEW ORLEANS — It must be nice to be Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics this morning. Your hard-earned playoff berth, the No. 7 seed, is locked up. You already know you have a date with LeBron Jamesand the No. 2 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.

The mission, so to speak, is complete, courtesy of a 95-93 win over the Toronto Raptors Tuesday night.

But not everyone slept as soundly the night before the final day of this NBA season.

For plenty of teams on both sides of the conference divide this is the biggest night of the regular season. For teams still fighting to get into the playoffs and jockeying for postseason positioning, it all comes down to these final 48 (or more) minutes.

The constantly changing playoff picture is still a bit fuzzy for much of the field.

For some the math is simple — win and you are in. That’s the scenario the Pelicans are facing here tonight at Smoothie King Center (vs. San Antonio, 8 ET, League Pass). The Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder enter tonight 44-37, but New Orleans holds the tie-breaker over OKC. As such, the Pelicans need to at least finish tied with the Thunder record-wise, but a win tonight can secure them the 8th and final spot in the Western Conference.

The Spurs are locked in a fight to the finish for the No. 2 seed in the West behind the No. 1 seed Golden State Warriors, who locked up that top spot weeks ago and have not looked back. Knock off the Pelicans and the Spurs clinch the Southwest Division and secure that No. 2 spot. Lose and they could tumble to the No. 5 or 6 seed.

So much for that maintenance program Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is famous for employing with his veteran stars. There is too much at stake for all of the teams in that 2-through-7 mix.

So, after 81 games looks like if… A- We win, we'll get 2nd seed. B- We lose, we'll get 6th seed. Smh. Unbelievable! #westernconference

— Manu Ginobili (@manuginobili) April 14, 2015

In the Western Conference, the Warriors (No. 1 seed), Portland Trail Blazers (No. 4, but no home court) and Dallas Mavericks (No. 7) already have their seeds locked in.

In the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks (1), Cavaliers (2), Washington Wizards (5), Milwaukee Bucks (6) and Celtics (7) are set.

A quick look at what is at stake for teams still caught up in the crosshairs on the final night of the season …

Houston (vs. Utah, 8 ET, League Pass): James Harden and the Rockets need a win over an improved Utah Jazz team, plus a loss by the Spurs, to secure the No. 2 seed and the Southwest Division title. The Rockets could finish with 56 wins, third most in franchise history behind the 1993-94 NBA championship team that won 58 games and the 1996-97 team that won 57.

L.A. Clippers (season complete): They’ve handled their business, winning seven straight games to finish the season and 14 of their final 15, only to have to sit and watch tonight to see who they’ll face in the first round. The Clippers can finish as high as No. 2 (if the Rockets and Spurs lose tonight) and no lower than No. 3 and will host their first-round series. Their opponent? It could be Memphis, the Rockets, Spurs or Dallas Mavericks.

Memphis and Indiana (vs. each other, 9:30 ET, ESPN): The Grizzlies face an energized and motivated Pacers team, fresh off of a must-have double overtime win over Washington Tuesday night. While the Grizzlies have a host of complicated scenarios that can move them up to No. 5, the Pacers are playing for their playoff lives. A loss by Brooklyn or a win by Indiana pushes the Pacers in, where they will face the Hawks in a rematch of last season’s first-round matchup (when the Pacers were the No. 1 seed and the Hawks No. 8). A loss by the Pacers plus a Brooklyn win would put an end to Indiana’s season.

Oklahoma City (at Minnesota, 8 ET, League Pass): The Thunder need to knock off Minnesota in their finale and the Spurs to handle their business against the Pelicans to make sure we get at least four more games of Russell Westbrook. (If the Thunder and Pelicans finish the season with 45-37 marks, thePelicans get in because they won the season series with OKC 3-1.) The Thunder don’t control their own destiny, but that’s not a concern for a team that has been dealt one severe injury blow after another throughout 2014-15. A loss to the Timberwolves (or a Pelicans win) ends their season, literally and figuratively.

Chicago (vs. Atlanta, 8 ET, League Pass): The Bulls are locked in for home-court advantage in the first round and face the Hawks in a game that has ramifications beyond the first round (they are trying to avoid Cleveland in the second round, provided both teams make it through). They need a win over the Hawks to secure the No. 3 seed. A loss sends them to No. 4.

Toronto (vs. Charlotte, 7 ET, ESPN): The Raptors have a clear path. Beat the Hornets and couple that with a Bulls loss to the Hawks and they secure the No. 3 seed. They have home court either way and will try to exploit that much better than they did last season.

Brooklyn (vs. Orlando, 8 ET, League Pass): The Nets need the playoffs in the worst way, but could see their hopes go up in smoke tonight if the Pacers knock off the Grizzlies later in the night. They need to beat Orlando and hope that the Pacers used up all their mojo in that double-OT home win vs. the Wizards Tuesday.

The possibilities are endless tonight, when we close the curtain on a spectacular regular season and prepare for a postseason that should include much more of the same.

PBA Commissioner's Cup 2015: The Road to Playoffs

As an avid basketball fan, I'm getting excited about the current standings in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

As of today, as it stands, the following are the standings:

		W	L	%
1	Purefoods	8	3	0.727
2	Rain or Shine	8	3	0.727
3	Talk n Text	8	3	0.727
4	Meralco	6	4	0.600
5	NLEX	6	4	0.600
6	Ginebra	5	5	0.500
7	Alaska	4	6	0.400
8	Barako	4	6	0.400
9	Global Port	4	6	0.400
10	Kia	4	7	0.364
11	SMB	3	7	0.300
12	Blackwater	2	8	0.200

But since I'm an SMB fan (ever since I was 4 years old), I was wondering if ever my team has a chance of sneaking a spot in the playoffs. As it turns out, there is a slim chance despite the very disappointing season.

And so... I did my own analysis.

So, to explain, the most favorable scenario for my SMB team to qualify for the playoffs is to hope that Alaska and Barako both lose in their last matchups while SMB wins its final match with GlobalPort. In this, it will create a 5-way tie in the 7th to 11th spot. So, the quotient system will be followed.

 As you can see, GlobalPort has the superior quotient of the five teams. So, all they need to do is lose to SMB by a less margin. So what is the margin? Based on my analysis, SMB needs to beat GlobalPort by at least 10 pts. But here is the catch.... they need to allow only at most 75 points. If more than 75 points, then they need to beat them by more than 10 points. The higher the allowed points than 75, the higher the needed margin. So, the lucky number is 75 and 10.

So the possible Scenario are here:

1. Barako wins, GlobalPort wins, Alaska wins - it will create a 3-way tie, So based on the quotient, since none of them will play against each other in their last matchups, then based on the quotient, GBP has the superior quotient, followed by Barako. Results: GBP - 7th; Barako - 8th
2. Barako wins, GlobalPort wins, Alaska loses; Results: GBP - 7th; Barako - 8th
3. Barako wins, GBP loses, Alaska wins; Results: Barako - 7th; Alaska - 8th
4. Barako wins, GBP loses, Alaska loses; Results: Barako - 7th; GBP - 8th (unless they lose by 29 pts and their score is less than 52; otherwise they need to be beaten by at least 30 points; in this case SMB will qualify as 8th; or if they lose by between 21 to 29, then KIA will be 8th)
5. Barako loses, GBP wins, Alaska wins; Results: GBP - 7th; Alaska - 8th
6. Barako loses, GBP wins, Alaska loses: Results: GBP - 7th; Barako -8th (superior quotient vs. Alaska and Kia)
7. Barako loses, GBP loses, Alaska wins; Results: Alaska - 7th; GBP - 8th (unless; same as no. 4 above)
8. Barako loses, GBP loses, Alaska loses; Results; GBP - 7th (unless SMB will not get the lucky number 75 and 10; in which case SMB has to beat GBP by at least 47 pts. for KIA to advance); SMB - 8th (if they get the lucky number 75 and 10 or they will be 7th if they beat GBP by at least 29 pts.)

So, here it is... whew! This is tougher to analyze than I thought.

So, I am hoping that my SMB will advance. I want to see Junemar in the playoffs.

Kampihan na!