UST Growling Tigers Escapes NU Bulldogs

The University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers relied on their outside shooting to squeeze out a thrilling 59-58 win against vastly improved National University (NU) Bulldogs on Thursday in the UAAP Season 73 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Growling Tigers hit 5 triples in the payoff period to overcome a sluggish start and register their 3rd win in 5 games.

Trailing by two, 49-47, midway in the 4th period, an unlikely hero emerged from UST.

Carmelo Afuang scored 9 of the next 12 points of the Tigers to grab the momentum going into the final 2 minutes of the see-saw battle.

The 6-foot-3 Afuang, one of UST’s “undersized” big men, drilled in a surprise three-pointer to cap off his heroics, padding its lead to 6 points, 59-53, with 2:19 left.

NU still had a chance to save the game, which it controlled for the most part, but could not execute properly against UST’s tenacious defense.

A broken play led to Emmanuel Mbe’s basket that closed the gap, 59-58, with 4.8 seconds remaining. But the Tigers escaped with the win as the Bulldogs were 3 fouls short from getting to the penalty situation.

FEU Tamaraws Edge La Salle Green Archers in an Double Overtime Thriller

League leader Far Eastern University Tamaraws needed two overtimes to escape the upset axe of the De La Salle Green Archers, 84-80, on Thursday to remain unbeaten in the UAAP Season 73 men’s basketball at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Tamaraws relied on their experience and big heart to pull off the great comeback from seven points late in regulation.

Unheralded rookie-transferee Carl Cruz came off the bench to keep the Tamaraws afloat early on before their veterans took over towards the end of regulation and the two overtimes.

Far Eastern University Remains Unbeaten

League-leading Far Eastern University (FEU) solidified its hold of the top spot, overrunning a listless University of the Philippines (UP), 94-70, yesterday to remain unbeaten in the 73rd UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Philsports Arena.

The Tamaraws got a big offensive lift from rookie sensation Terrence Romeo, who fired a career-high 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including three triples in a crucial stretch bridging the third and fourth quarters, to help FEU earn its fourth straight win in as many starts.

STRONG 3RD QUARTER HELPS WASHINGTON-LED SMB TAKE SEMIS SERIES OPENER

They have been out of sight for a while so the defending champion San Miguel Beermen reminded James Yap and company who they were up against.

SMB delivered the message in the third quarter and Jay Washington made sure the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados got it loud and clear.

Washington was like a man possessed in that telling quarter, going 6-for-12 from the field for 14 points as the defending champions separated from B-Meg Derby Ace on the way to a 101-88 blowout Wednesday at the start of their PBA Fiesta Conference semifinal series at the Araneta Coliseum.

Carlos Boozer Signs with the Chicago Bulls

Its Official, Carlos boozer signs with the Chicago Bulls of a roughly $ 75 M for 5 years as announced by the Bulls management. His addition on the team is a good thing for the Bulls who have this former Utah Jazz star manning the paint with the improving Joakim Noah. He is indeed a wise acquisition and one of the premier power forwards in the league. He will join Derek Rose, Noah and Deng. I like their lineup

"Miller Time" as Ginebra Beat the Beermen

After recently acquired by the Gin Kings in exchange for Cyrus Baguio, Willie Miller had his breakthrough game in Ginebra's uniform, erupting for a 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter that pushed the game wide open in the fourth quarter, helping the Ginebra Gin Kings breeze past the league leading San Miguel Beer, 104-90. The win halt the Beermen's winning streak to 9 games, thus, extending the Gin Kings streak to 4 games. They have an 8-4 win-loss card to claim solo third in the standings.

Lakers take Game One

The superiority and the dominance set by the Los Angeles Lakers were shown in their drubbing off the Phoenix Suns 128-107. Kobe Bryant scored 21 of his 40 points in the third quarter surge and Lamar Odom added 19 points and 19 rebounds. The game was lopsided with the Lakers shooting the lights out and the Suns struggled by most part of the game. No one can match up well with the "The Black Mambo" in the third quarter that put on a scoring display. Amare Stoudemire had 23 points and Steve Nash scored only 13 points and dished out 13 assists for the Suns hoping to steal homecourt advantage in game 2.

NBA Free Agents in 2010 and 2011

Finally, Lebron James will now hit the market, making way to the other teams who can afford him in this summer. Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets, Miami Heat and New York Knicks are possible teams that could land Lebron. After many years playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he could possibly opt out and join another team in the making. However, the Cavaliers will exercise their options of re-signing Lebron to come back.

Not just Lebron, there are marquee players that will be free agent this summer, namely, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Dirk Nowitzki, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Tracy McGrady, Tyson Chandler, Michael Redd, Yao Ming, Richard Jefferson and Joe Johnson. This is a blockbuster off-season for the NBA. All that big names has so many options to change their zip codes.

In 2011, there are not as many stars that would be free agents but there are also some of them. Carmelo Anthony,Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Caron Butler, David West and Tayshaun Prince will become free agents two summers from now.
Legend: ETO = Early Termination Option; P = Player Option; T = Team Option

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-10-11

Lakers Advances to the Western Conference Finals

The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Phoenix Suns in the conference finals with the Suns' having the advantage of winning the 4 of their last 5 playoff series with the Lakers. The Los Angeles Lakers drowned the Utah Jazz in its game 4 victory 111-96, sweeping the Jazz 4-0. It was a tough loss for the Jazz, who had their moments in game 3 to score for a win but only to loss in the endgame. Pau Gasol, playing at its best, including that look-alike Olajuwon move in the second quarter, had 33 points and 1 rebounds while Kobe Bryant had 32 points.

Phoenix Finally outruns the Spurs

The Phoenix Suns is on the verge of eliminating the Spurs with a sounding win in game 3,110-96 and extend their series lead 3-0 and a win away to the Western Conference finals. Goran Dragic is the hero of this game scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter for a total of 26-point performance all in the second half. San Antonio Spurs may look headed for a victory as they lead by as much as 18 points in the first half. But the Phoenix Suns never to be denied as they manage to trim the deficit down and continued the momentum in the 4th quarter with Dragic authoring the run. Manu Ginobili scored 27 points but was not enough as the Spurs will try to bounce back in a must-win situation on game 4.

myLot User Profile

Lebron James and Dwight Howard paced All-NBA Team

The 2009-2010 NBA MVP this season Lebron James and the NBA's Defensive player of the Year Dwight Howard leads the First All-NBA Team. Joining them are NBA's leading scorer Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.


Source: http://www.nba.com/2010/news/05/06/all.nba/?ls=iref:nbahpt1

Hawks Soaring High over the Bucks

The Atlanta Hawks proving too much firepower and tenacity winning over the Milwaukee Bucks 95-74. The Hawks used defense as the key of the game limiting the Bucks for just 13 points in the first quarter and 14 points in the fourth. Joe Johnson, averaging for 25.8 points in the first four game of the series, scored only 8 points. But Jamal Crawford took over and finished with 22 points and Al Horford added 16 points, mauling 15 rebounds and 3 blocks while Mike Bibby scored 15 points. Milwaukee had no chance in this game as they were outrebounded 63-44 and hitting a low percentage in field goals 32.6 of heir shots. Brandon Jennings lead the charge for the Bucks with 15 points. The Hawks will face the Orlando Magic in the second round.

Atlanta Hawks Soars High Over the Bucks

The Atlanta Hawks revived its dominance defeating the gritty Milwaukee Bucks on the road 83-69. It was a closed game for most part of the game and Milwaukee Bucks is on top until 6th man of the Year Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson hit their mark and started to carry the Hawks. The two combined for 44 points in the game with Crawford scoring 24 points and Johnson added 20 points. Carlos Delfino was good once again for the Bucks as he lead the Bucks with 22 points. But it was the night by the Atlanta Hawks as they now tied the series 3-3 and the victory at home in game 7 will put them into the semifinals against well-rested Orlando Magic.

San Antonio Spurs Barged into the 2nd Round

Once again, the San Antonio Spurs are dominating, crushing the 2nd seeded Dallas Mavericks back to the ground. George Hill was as spectacular scoring 21 points, 10 came from the fourth quarter. Manu Ginobili lead the Spurs with 26 points. The Dallas Mavericks came out flat, staring at a 22 points deficit 19-41. But the never say die attitude by Dork Nowitzki and a great game by Rodrigue Beaubois saw the Mavs starting to trim the lead and even lead on a three pointer by Nowitzki, 57-56 but Ginobili responded with a three on his own as the Spurs regain the lead and Tim Duncan finished of a lay-up for a 61-57 lead. The Mavs keep fighting back but the Spurs never give the lead as they withstood every Mavs run down the stretch with the help of George Hill. Dirk Nowitzki scored 33 points, Caron Butler had 25 points and Rodrigue Beaubois finished with 16 points for the Mavs. The San Antonio Spurs will face the Phoenix Suns in the 2nd round.

Los Angeles Lakers Mastered Oklahoma City Thunder

That's what the defending champs play as the Lakers outclassed the young Oklahoma Thunder. Pau Gasol made his presence felt in the paint scored 25 points and Andrew Bynum added 21 points. Defense was the key for this Laker win. Kobe Bryant on the speedy Russell Westbrook turned be a good matchup for the Lakers. Bryant shuts down the source of the offense by the Thunder, limiting Westbrook with 15 points but committed 8 turnovers. Kevin Durant has also a sub-par performance with only 17 points to show. The laker superstar Kobe Bryant limited for 13 points but made his presence felt with his defense on Westbrook. The defending champs will try to end the series with a win in Oklahoma on game 6.

Magic Sweeps Bobcats

The Orlando Magic, last year's Eastern Conference champions outclassed the Charlotte Bobcats with a series-ending win 99-90. Having a deep roster and firepower on its lineup, the Magic was on the verge of a close fight, until timely jumper by Vince Carter and 3 pointers by Michael Pietrus and Jameer Nelson gives the Magic lead for good. Vince Carter carried the Magic with 21 points and Nelson added 18 points. They are the first team in the playoffs that clinch themselves to the the second round.

Spurs Down Mavs For a 3-1 Lead

It was a miserable night by Tim Duncan on his 34th birthday and Manu Ginobili having a hard time at all times, but the Spurs came up with a needed support from other players as they are one step away to put the series closed. The name of George Hill came to he rescue for the Spurs scoring 29 points and leading the way for a go-ahead 92-89 win over the 2nd seed Dallas Mavericks taking a commanding lead of 3-1 in the series, winning the last three. Game 5 is set on Tuesday night in Dallas.

Spurs Hold Off the Mavericks

The San Antonio Spurs, behind the 25 point performance by Tim Duncan,won over the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks, 94-90. It was a good start for the Spurs as they lead mostly in the first half and had even lead 39-30. But the Mavs started to pull up their strings. Entered JJ Barea, Dallas made their stride in the 3rd quarter and even lead 70-59 on a basket by Barea. But the Spurs keep fighting back behind Manu Ginobili, suffering from a broken nose after he was hit by the elbow of Dirk Nowitzki. Dallas still managed to grab the lead 81-80 on a jumper by Nowitzki. But Tony Parker made successive jumpers down the stretch capped with a lay-up on a feed by Ginobili. The Spurs will try to lead the series 3-1 withe a victory over the Mavs in Game 4.

Bulls Survives Cavs in Game 3

The Chicago Bulls survive a late-rally by the Cavaliers, winning game 3 with the slimmest of margin, 108-106. It was a great game for the Bulls right from the very start as they lead the Cavs mostly on double digits. Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich combined for 58 points for the Bulls setting their game into a new level. Luol Deng added 20 points and Joachim Noah finished with points. The Bulls enjoyed the game leading the Cavs, until Lebron James and Mo Williams took over and saw the Bulls lead trimmed down to a one-point lead. 106-105. But that could be their last effort as they fall short. James finished with a game-high of 39 points. Game 4 is set for the Bulls to win and tied the series 2-2 at the United Center.

Spurs Takes Game 2, Series tied 1-1

The old reliables of the San Antonio Spurs came up big in stealing homecourt advantage of the second seed Dallas Mavericks in route to road victory 102-88 over the Mavs. Tim Duncan, in his old form, finished with 25 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, Manu Ginobili added 23 points on 4 of 6 shooting in the arc and Toni Parker had 16 points and 8 assists as they managed hold off the Mavericks. But it was Richard Jefferson that set the tone of the game for the Spurs scoring 17 of his 19 points in the first half. Jason Terry lead the Mavs with game-high 27 points coming from the bench. The series will shift to the homecourt of the Spurs in Games 3 and 4

Lakers Hang on to Beat the Thunder

The Oklahoma Thunder made a great effort but is still short as the Lakers hang tough on their way of gaining a two-to-nothing advantage in their series. Kobe Bryant scored 39 points overcoming another good performance by Kevin Durant. It was a struggle for the Durantula in the endgame as he was clobbered by the suffocating defense of Ron Artest. With the scored stand at 94-92, the Thunder has a chance of grabbing the lead with a three pointer but Durant missed the 3 pointer and Pau Gasol grabbed the rebound and fouled. He made only one out of two free throws. IN the ensuing play, the Jeff Grenn attempted a three pointer that could have tied the game in regulation. but the attempt falls short.

Utah Jazz Steals Homecourt Advantage

The undermanned Utah jazz, behind Deron Williams 33 points, 14 assists and Carlos Boozer's own double-double with 2o points and 15 rebounds outlasted the Denver Nuggets-led Carmelo Anthony, 114-111. It was a see-saw battle from the start through finished. Without Kirilinko and Okur, the Jazz will try to grab 3-1 lead securing homecourt advantage in games 3 and 4.