San Mig, Derby Ace teams to beat in Fiesta

MANILA, Philippines - San Miguel Beer, the defending champion, and Derby Ace (formerly Purefoods), the Philippine Cup winner, are among the teams to reckon with in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference, which comes off the wraps tomorrow at the Araneta Coliseum.

Coaches also pointed to Alaska Milk, Talk n Text and Barangay Ginebra as the teams likely to figure prominently in the fight for the championship in the event won by the Beermen over the Kings last year.

The others, however, are not totally discounted with the coaches stressing the imports role in the reinforced tourney.

They mentioned Rain or Shine last year when the Elasto Painters made the Final Four for the first time in franchise history behind hard-working import Jai Lewis

Barako Energy Coffee and Sta. Lucia Realty clash in the 4 p.m. curtain-raiser then Ginebra and Talk n Text collide in the 6:30 p.m. main setto on opening day.


On Wednesday also at the Big Dome, Barako squares off with Coca-Cola at 5 p.m. then Air21 tangles with San Miguel Beer at 7:30 p.m.

However, San Miguel, Derby Ace, Alaska, Ginebra and Talk n Text remain the favorites to fight it out for the crown.

Coaches say the Beermen, the Llamados, the Aces, the Kings and the Tropang Texters have the built-in advantage with their solid local crew.

Derby Ace coach Ryan Gregorio said San Miguel and Alaska are the teams to beat but the Llamados will be out there to contend for a possible double championship.

For Alaska coach Tim Cone, San Miguel, Derby Ace and Ginebra are the teams that could well pose biggest problems to his troops.

“It’s hard to make predictions without seeing all the imports, but the SMC teams (San Miguel, Derby Ace and Ginebra) will all be favored, especially SMB with returning import Gabe Freeman. Purefoods, as the all-Filipino champion, will be there as well as Ginebra since they went to last year’s Fiesta Conference finals,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

“But as I always say, it’s not about getting the best import. It’s about getting the import that best fits your team. San Miguel has shown that already,” Cone added.

Bo Perasol and Siot Tanquingcen are two coaches which rated Talk n Text in the Top Three. Chot Reyes and Boyet Fernandez, meanwhile, included Alaska Milk in their lists. Jong Uichico picked San Miguel, Derby Ace, Alaska and Talk n Text but not necessarily in that order.

“San Miguel should be there because it’s the defending champion, Purefoods should also be a top choice since it’s the all-Filipino champion, then there’s Alaska with its great import,” said Reyes.

“Purefoods should be there. Talk n Text is also tough with Shawn Daniels. Ginebra will be a tough contender with the return of Rudy Hatfield, the addition of Yancy de Ocampo, the continuous improvement of JC Intal and the presence of healthy Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand. Rain or Shine, to me, is a contender with Jai Lewis and its young, energetic local crew,” said Tanquingcen.

“San Miguel, Talk n Text and Purefoods are strong contenders with their solid local lineups,” said Perasol.

Aside from Freeman, Daniels and Lewis, other imports seeing action in the tourney are James Penny for Coca-Cola, Anthony Johnson for Sta. Lucia, Lorrenzo Wade for Derby Ace, Keena Young for Air21, Diamon Simpson for Alaska, Sammy Monroe for Barako and Awvee Storey for Ginebra.

Source: Nelson Beltran  | Philstar.com

Llamados tap young import as Fiesta Cup reinforcement

The Derby Ace Llamados (formerly Purefoods TJ Giants) don’t want to be an underdog in the coming PBA Fiesta Conference.

"How teams perform in the Fiesta Conference depends on the right import, that is why we evaluated carefully who’s the right choice for us," Gregorio told GMANews.TV.

Llamado is a Spanish word meaning called or named but its translation in Filipino is favored.

That’s the reason why coach Ryan Gregorio and team manager Alvin Patrimonio took some time before choosing 6-foot-6 lefty Lorrenzo Wade, the import they believe is the right piece that would help Derby Ace complete its bid of winning a second straight PBA crown.

"After all, we really want to figure prominently in the Fiesta Conference where we have a chance to score a modern-day grandslam."

The Llamados, then known as the Giants, scored a 4-0 sweep of the Alaska Aces in the Philippine Cup.

Wade played for the Rick Pittino-coached Louisville Cardinals that reached the US NCAA’s Final Four tournament during the 2004-05 season. He transferred to San Diego and played two seasons with the Aztecs, 2006-08.

Wade, who possess a great leaping ability that made him an excellent dunker, averaged 25.3 points and 9.8 rebounds in the 66 games he started with the Aztecs. He also had an average of 6.2 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.8 blocks in his two years in San Diego.

This year, Wade played in Greece where he also figured prominently.

"We don’t want to disrupt team chemistry. I believe Lorenzo Wade can fit well with us. He’s a lefty, an open court player, but he’s long, highly athletic and very skillful. He’s an incredible dunker with decent perimeter shot," said Gregorio.

Daniels back for another PBA stint

But while the Llamados tapped a young and talented import, Talk ‘N Text opted for a grizzled veteran who knows what Filipino basketball is.

Talk ‘N Text got the services of Shawn Daniels as Erick Hicks’ replacement even before the Tropang Texters battle the Barangay Ginebra Kings when the import-flavored conference opens on Sunday, March 21, at the Araneta Coliseum.

This was confirmed by Texters team manager Virgil Villavicencio who said that 6-foot-6 Daniels will arrive on Thursday.

"Erick Hicks is good, but we felt he cannot carry us all the way to the finals. Our objective is to make it to the championship round and he is not the right fit," said Villavicencio in a telephone interview.

Daniels, known for making his teammates better, will join a team loaded in talent. The 30-year-old import will be reunited with former Air21 and Burger King teammates Ranidel de Ocampo and JR Quinahan.

PBA approves 4 imports

The PBA commissioner’s office allowed four more imports to finally suit up for their respective teams after passing the 6-foot-6 height requirement.

The Kings will have Awvee Storey (6-foot-5 3/16) as their reinforcement when they face the Daniels and Texters in Sunday’s second game.

The Barako Energy Coffee Masters will be relying on Sammy Monroe (6-foot-5 1/16) when they go up against Anthony Johnson (6-foot-5) and the Sta. Lucia Realtors in the opening game.

Other imports that will be seeing action in the Fiesta Cup are Diamon Simpson (6-foot-5 15/16) for the Alaska Aces and the Air21 Express’ Keena Young (6-foot-5).

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

Llamados to feed on Giants tradition

MANILA, Philippines - The Purefoods TJ Giants have officially changed their name to the B-MEG Derby Ace Llamados then vowed to live to their monicker as they bid for a PBA double championship after topping the All Filipino Cup recently.

“The monicker Llamados in itself carries a badge of expectations which I’m sure my players would be very enthusiastic about. In line with this, we pledge to play our best and hearts out in every game. We will be the Llamados through and through,” said B-MEG Derby Ace coach Ryan Gregorio in the official launch of the B-MEG Derby Ace team at A-Venue Hall in Makati yesterday.

San Miguel Pure Foods Company president Butch Alejo was on hand to present the team to top officials and key personnel of B-MEG, a flagship brand of San Miguel Pure Foods’ feeds business.

“We believe that our B-MEG brand will benefit from the tremendous exposure PBA gave to the Purefoods TJ Giants. We expect the Derby Ace Llamados to carry on the winning tradition of the TJ Giants,” said Alejo.

“And being one of our flagship brands, we hope it delivers the message to our customers that San Miguel Pure Foods always produces high quality and affordable products, from farm to play, 24 hours a day, and we will do so in many years to come,” Alejo added.


“I assure our long-time supporters and the new fans of B-MEG, that we will continue to play our best and win their hearts in every game. Our combined skills, intense training and incessant passion to win will ultimately lead us to another victory,” said team manager Alvin Patrimonio.

Team governor Rene Pardo is confident they would keep their winning tradition as they’ve done while undergoing several name changes from Coney Island Ice Cream, Purefoods Oodles, Purefoods Chunkee to Purefoods Tender Juicy.

The franchise joined the pro league in 1988 and has since won eight championships, including five in all-Filipino tourneys.

Topping the last Philippine Cup, the team is raring to sustain its drive in the coming Fiesta Conference, hoping import Lorrenzo Wade would be perfect fit with team’s local crew.

Meanwhile, John Ferriols is set to move over to Barangay Ginebra after he was relegated to the unrestricted free agent pool at Alaska Milk.

The Aces were forced to drop Ferriols after activating new recruit Samigue Eman.

“Since John Ferriols is not in Alaska’s official lineup, we’re getting him for Barangay Ginebra. We already agreed with Ferriols that we’ll assume his UPC (existing contract with Alaska),” said SMC official Robert Non.

Ferriols is the second big man Ginebra acquired after the all-Filipino tourney. The Kings earlier got Yancy de Ocampo from Air21 in exchange for Doug Kramer and Rich Alvarez.

Source: Nelson Beltran  | Philstar.com

Nobody but Wade for Giants

MANILA, Philippines - Purefoods, determined to get a good shot at a double championship, took a long while to enlist its lone choice for the coming PBA Fiesta Conference and tapped Lorenzo Wade, a 6-foot-6, 228-pound forward out of San Diego U.

“The Fiesta Conference will largely depend on the right import reinforcement. That is why I’m cautious and vigilant in choosing the right one so as not to dilute our championship chemistry,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

Purefoods pulled off a stirring sweep of Alaska to capture the PBA All-Filipino Championship with the Giants vowing to go all out to complete a sweep of the season.

“We are determined to figure prominently in the next conference and hopefully complete a modern day grand slam,” Gregorio said.

The Purefoods mentor noted some teams have balanced their rosters with player movement, including Alaska Milk, San Miguel Beer, Barangay Ginebra and Air21. But he’s confident he has a roster that can compete against any team.


Meanwhile, Purefoods is still on vacation savoring its all-Filipino romp, less than a week before the opening of the second conference although the team will not see action until after the Holy Week.

“From my understanding, we won’t play till the fourth of April. That gives us close to two weeks to prepare for the coming tourney, and it would be just right,” said Gregorio.

“Remember that we played a total of 33 games and 15 straight in the all-Filipino playoffs. Some of my players played hurt in our championship run. Now is the time to rest their banged-up bodies,” Gregorio also said.

“The mind was also stretched, so this is a great time for us to quiet down, heal the body and relax the mind,” he added.

Team manager Alvin Patrimonio led the team’s search for the right import.

Patrimonio and Gregorio believe Wade would fit with the team.

“I think he can compliment the players that we have in our roster,” said Gregorio of Wade, who is fresh from his stint with the Greek team in the Euro league.

“His description is a lefty, open-court player, highly athletic and very skillful. He’s an incredible dunker, slasher with perimeter skills and decent three-point shooting,” Gregorio also said.

“He’s our one and only choice. So from all indications, everything is done except formal signing,” Gregorio added.

Source: Nelson Beltran  | Philstar.com

Llamados excited over new import

MANILA, Philippines--Ryan Gregorio still can't sleep early, quite unusual for someone who has just won a Philippine Basketball Association championship.

“I’m still savoring the feeling,” Gregorio said recently, referring to Purefoods’ four-game sweep of the Alaska Aces in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup Finals two weeks ago.

“And of course, I am excited about our chances in the coming conference.”

Purefoods will carry the name Derby Ace Llamados in the Fiesta Cup Conference which fires off March 21.

After watching clips of Lorenzo Wade’s performances in college and in the Greek league, Gregorio said he believes Purefoods will have the best import next conference.

“He’s a slasher, a perimeter threat and he knows how to defend,” Gregorio said.

Wade’s recent statistics with the Kavala/Panorama squad in Greece however didn’t reflect how great a player he is, averaging just 10.7 points in close to 27 playing minutes.

Source: Musong Castillo  | Philippine Daily Inquirer

James Yap strong contender to win 2nd PBA MVP plum

James Yap said his first most valuable player (MVP) award in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) as the toughest.

Not only that he won the highest individual award while in his second season in the pro league, but he has to achieve it against his teammate who was also dreaming of winning the best individual plum.

"It was difficult for me since I am competing against Kerby Raymundo," Yap said. "We both wanted to win a championship and win an MVP award."

The Giants did make it to the finals of the 2005-06 season twice and won the championship of the All-Filipino that season. In the Fiesta Conference, Raymundo, who was playing his best season, lost in the Conference MVP race to Enrico Villanueva of Red Bull Barako. The Barakos also defeated the Giants in six games of the best-of-seven championship series.

In the All-Filipino, the Giants struck back and returned the favor against the Barakos in six games, but all eyes were on two individuals disputing for the MVP – Yap and Raymundo.

The pride of Escalante, Negros won it over his teammate, but the popular player who is married to the former presidential daughter, and movie and television personality Kris Aquino had mixed emotions in taking the award.

This season, with his team fresh from capturing the franchise’s fifth AFC title, Yap became the conference’s best player award and went on to win the Finals MVP award after the Giants swept the Alaska Aces in four games.

Statistics would show that 18 of the last 24 candidates, whose teams went on to win a championship in the season opener, went on to win the award. This means Yap has a solid shot of winning his second MVP plum in this early part of his career.

Would he choose championship over MVP?

"I will be selfish if I choose the MVP award, so since I’m not selfish, I would choose a championship title," said Yap.

Mission: To be a defensive player
You’ve seen him hitting three-pointers, piercing the defense with his nifty drives to the basket, collect championship trophies and MVP awards.

Now James Yap’s new challenge to himself is to become a defensive demon in the league. He is now pushing himself double time and preparing his body for the tougher task ahead.

And the man known as "Big Game" James has NBA superstar Manny Ginobili to thank for.

"I love how Many Ginobili plays," Yap said. "He’s a complete player. You can rely on him on offense and defense. That’s what I’m trying to be in the PBA."

In basketball, few great players were able to be regarded both as an offensive threat and a defensive player.

In the NBA there’s Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade while locally there’s the legendary Robert Jaworski, Benjie Paras, Philip Cezar and Ramon Fernandez.

Jaworski, Paras, Cezar and Fernandez are all former MVPs and had made it to the elite cast of being included in the all-defensive list one time or another in their respective careers.

Yap wants to be included in that illustrious list.

But will the new objective of becoming a defensive player affect his offensive game? Yap doesn’t think so.

"I don’t think so. My teammates would still set me up and find ways for me to get my offensive game going. I just wan to be a complete player."

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

Gregorio wants Lewis-type of import for Giants’ Fiesta Cup campaign

Philippine Cup titlist Purefoods TJ Giants is on the lookout for a Jai Lewis-type of an import to boost their drive for a second straight PBA crown.

Giant's coach Ryan Gregorio said that Lewis, Rain or Shine’s reinforcement in last year’s Fiesta Conference, is the barometer of imports playing in the Fiesta Conference which opens on March 21.

“In my opinion, I truly believe the yardstick of imports in the Fiesta Conference is Jai Lewis of Rain Or Shine," said Gregorio. “(Lewis) can provide the team with his inside presence and can also shoot from the perimeter."

“Right now, I don't have anybody to match well with him so we are on the lookout for a reinforcement who is a solid back to the basket player who can also step out and hit the perimeter and provide the team with offense especially when the locals are not up to it," added Gregorio.

The Giants swept the Alaska Aces in their best-of-seven title series to be in the best position to sweep the titles in the 2009-10 PBA season.

The Purefoods’ management is all out to ensure that the Giants will be securing the right import to complete the rare feat.

Team manager Alvin Patrimonio said that he has in his hand a short list of prospective imports from scouts and is set to sit down with Gregorio to determine who the best candidate is for the team.

Included in the list is Reggie Larry, who Gregorio wanted in the past Fiesta Cup and recently played as the Brunei Barracudas’ import in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).

“He is on the list but there is no truth to rumors that he will be our import because negotiations have not reached first base," explained Gregorio.

He also hopes that their chosen import would not destroy the rhythm of the team that he has built in the past conference since the soon to be named reinforcement will play lots of minutes in the court since the import will take the spot one of the local players whom Gregorio used as part of his regular rotation in the All Filipino Cup.

Gregorio, who became Purefoods most accomplished coach with three titles, plans to give the team a break and will return by March 17 to start preparation for the Fiesta Conference.

“We will be giving the players their much needed break and will return to practice by March 17 or by that week. The next conference opens on March 21 but I heard from league officials that our team and Alaska will play at a later date so we will have enough time to prepare," added Gregorio.

Should Gregorio succeed in his goal of winning back-to-back titles, he will join the company of Robert Jaworski and the late Ed Ocampo, who have won four crowns each.

Virgilio “Baby" Dalupan has the most number of titles with 15 followed by Tim Cone (12) and Norman Black (10). Jong Uichico has eight followed by Tommy Manotoc, Dante Silverio, Yeng Guiao and Chot Reyes with five each.

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

Yap starts rehab, delays surgery

MANILA, Philippines - Purefoods top gun James Yap, enduring a sore back in the recent KFC PBA Philippine Cup finals, intends to rest for four more days before starting a rehabilitation procedure to get back in top shape and be ready for their Fiesta Conference grind starting April.

Also with a polyp problem giving him little discomfort in breathing, Yap wants this cured too, but he is willing to wait till the end of the season before undergoing surgery.

“I don’t want to miss a single game because I want to help my team achieve what it wants to accomplish in the season,” said Yap.

The Giants are now looking forward to score a season sweep after winning the Philippine Cup championship, beating the Alaska Milk Aces in four straight games in their title showdown.

Winning both the Best Player of the Conference honors and the Finals MVP plum has also put Yap in good position to earn a second season MVP award, but Yap insists foremost in his mind is to help his team achieve its goal.


“Who wouldn’t want individual awards? I love that. But I’ll be happier if my teammates are also happy. We win championship and we’ll all be happy. I know the individual award will come as your team starts winning,” Yap explained.

Yap, the 2006 MVP winner, said he’s suffering a recurring back injury as he has a minor scoliosis problem.

“Hindi naman grabe ang scoliosis ko, but it also gives me some discomfort,” he said.

Crispa, San Miguel and Alaska Milk are three teams which have scored a season sweep (three crowns) in the long history of the league but none has achieved the feat since Alaska pulled off its triple championship in 1996.

Meanwhile, Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said they’re not yet decided on whom to field as import in the Fiesta Conference.

“Since we’re in the thick of the fight for the championship, I focused my mind on it, and the task of searching import prospects went to Boss Cap (team manager Alvin Patrimonio). He has yet to give us the names as we’re still enjoying our short break,” said Gregorio.

“We resume practice on the 22nd. Our import choice will join us two or three days later,” Gregorio added.

Source: Nelson Beltran  | Philstar.com

Gregorio, Giants aim to add Fiesta Cup crown

Leading Purefoods to its eighth crown since joining the Philippine Basketball Association in 1988, coach Ryan Gregorio now wants to guide the Giants to new heights starting with the coming Fiesta Cup.

Now in a good position of sweeping the titles in the pro-league’s second tournament of the 35th season, following their All-Filipino Cup title conquest at the expense of the Alaska Aces in four games, Grerorio and his overachieving Giants have set their eyes in accomplishing a feat only three teams – the legendary Crispa, San Miguel Beer and the Alaska Aces themselves – have so far succeeded.

The Redmanizers – who did the trick twice – the Beermen and the Aces, though, took theirs in a three-conference season format.

“We’ve gotten 50 percent of accomplishing a sort of grandslam so it’s but natural that we set our sight on that and hopefully attaining the rare honor," said Gregorio, who became the franchise’s winningest mentor after winning three of Purefoods eight titles so far.

“We have the talents, the system and players who are capable of doing everything to achieve a goal, so I believe we can do it," said Gregori, who added that succeeding would depend largely on the kind of import the team will be acquiring.

To this, team manager Alvin Patrimonio, himself a former King Giant, butted in saying," I have been instructed by Mr. Pardo to get the best import possible for our campaign in the next conference. I have been in constant touch with our agent in the U.S. for that purpose."

Gregorio cautioned though that a tournament laced with import can be very tricky

“A reinforcement, you see, is supposed to play the entire 48-minute regulation game and because of that, I have to bump off at least one or two players from the lineup," he explained. “So in deciding who will be bumped off I would have to think deeply so as not to break the team chemistry that had been successful in our All-Filipino campaign. “

Gregorio and the Giants actually have several missions to accomplish in the coming Fiesta Cup to complete their back-to-back title bid. If he and his boys collect a ninth title, they stand to overtake sister team Barangay Ginebra as the fifth winningest club in the PBA’ 35-year history.

Top gunner James Yap, who had just gotten his first best player of the conference trophy, will lead the Giants’ bid of winning two in-a-row and will also have his own goal of winning a second most valuable player (MVP) award.

A ninth title would allow the Giants to join the now-defunct Toyota in fourth place behind the 13 each of the Beermen’s and the Redmanizers, and the Aces’ 12.

Gregorio would also break his tie with SMB coach Siot Tanquincen and the now-retired Arturo Valenzona in the list of PBA mentors with more than one title victory. He, Tanquincen and Valenzona have three each behind Baby Dalupan’s 15, Tim Cone’s 12, and Norman Black’s 10.

Other coaches with two or more title victories are Jong Uichico (8), Tommy Manotoc, Dante Silverio, Yeng Guiao and Chot Reyes (5 each) each, and Robert Jaworski and the late Ed Ocampo (4 each).

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

Purefoods coach Gregorio is new giant killer

Purefoods’ three-time champion coach Ryan Gregorio, who steered the Giants to a rare four-game sweep of the Alaska Aces in the KFC-Philippine Basketball Association best-of-seven finals series, cannot forget the lonely stretches he had in his coaching career.

It was these times when he almost felt he would lose the job and might not be given another shot of coaching in the PBA. For Gregorio, it was like he was on the hot seat. No wonder, this third championship is truly the sweetest for the youthful mentor.

"This is the sweetest title for me because it came when I felt that my coaching career seemed like it would come to an end," said Gregorio. "But I never stopped believing and waited for the right pieces to form my ideal winning squad."

It turned out two of the right pieces that Gregorio said are former Giants players as Purefoods got back the services of Marc Pingris and Paul Artadi, who are both members of the Giants’ champion squad four seasons ago.

Add defensive specialist Raffi Reavis and rookie Rico Maierhofer to a line-up that already have role players KG Canaleta, Roger Yap, PJ Simon and Don Allado and you have a team ready to win another championship.

In just one season together, Purefoods was turned from giants to league titans, to once again rule the All-Filipino.

Gregorio will surely remember this edition of the Philippine Cup after he defeated two powerhouse squads in separate series. The Giants, who lost two of the first three games, were able to win three straight games over the mighty San Miguel Beermen in their best-of-seven semifinals series.

Then, Gregorio capped his team’s magical run with a sweep of the Aces in the All-Filipino Conference finals.

In winning yet another AFC crown, Gregorio became the only Purefoods mentor to win the Philippine Cup twice. Ely Capacio, Chot Reyes and Eric Altamirano each won one for the Giants..

Gregorio reasserts dominance over Cone
For the third time in as many best-of-seven encounters meetings with Tim Cone, Gregorio has again defeated his more experienced and highly-touted rival.

In the 2002 Governors Cup, Gregorio’s Purefoods Hotdogs were down 0-2 in their best-of-seven finals series with the Aces but bounced back to win four of the next five games.

In the 2005-06 best-of-seven semifinals series in the Philippine Cup, Gregorio’s troops were facing elimination, but went on to win three straight to foil Alaska once more.

On their third meeting, it was Gregorio who asserted his dominance over Cone’s wards, putting up a clinical victory and made the second winningest mentor in league history guessing for his every move.

Despite winning over his highly-fancied counterpart, Gregorio refused to make any comparisons.

“I’ve never thought of this Finals as a battle between me and coach Tim," said Gregorio. “If it were, it would have been a no contest on his favor. I just happened to have the better team in those three best-of-seven series meetings."

“For me, Cone is still the best active coach in the league right now. He has 12 rings, I only have three so no comparison with that," he added.

Cone heaped praises on his counterpart, who made him look so bad. He said he regret the fact that “he cannot figure out a way against Gregorio’s Giants."

“I’ve tried everything we could do and Purefoods just beat us with their energy, their size and their speed," said Cone, who also commented that Gregorio is one of the greatest young coaches today. “Purefoods truly deserves this victory."

Reliving the tradition
The All-Filipino has been Purefoods’ familiar turf towards greatness.

The Giants now have collected five AFC crowns to tie the legendary Crispa Redmanizers for most number of AFC diadems.

Crispa, of course, is arguably the best team ever in the PBA, winning 13 titles, including two grandslams in just 10 seasons in the country’s premier professional league.

But for Purefoods, it’s not just accomplishing a record. It’s more of reliving the rich tradition of its franchise.

In its first seven years in the PBA, Purefoods, which was then anchored by the man known as “The Captain" Alvin Patrimonio and “Defense Minister" Jerry Codinera, has almost automatically made it to the championship round.

In its first seven years in the PBA, Purefoods won two titles.

Capacio was the first coach to guide Purefoods to an AFC crown in 1991. Two years later, a young Reyes, who has been helping out Cone in Alaska, completed a Cinderella Finish and guided the squad, then known as Coney Island, to yet another crown in the same conference.

The streak was broken in 1995, but Purefoods entered the AFC finals for the next two years – losing the 1996 edition to Alaska then bounced back in 1997 under the tutelage of Altamirano, another first year coach to win a championship for the then Ayala franchise.

Purefoods made it again in 2000 AFC and was beaten by Alaska, but never entered the championship round again until the influx of new talents headed by James Yap.

With Yap and Kerby Raymundo in tow, the Giants entered and won the finals of the 2005-06 season under Gregorio.

And just recently, Gregorio achieved his second All-Filipino crown.

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

Giants too good for Aces

Tim Cone, the Alaska Aces coach, didn’t hang around long enough Wednesday night to “tip my hat” and “sing praises” to the Purefoods Giants after getting swept in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

He was gone from the Araneta Coliseum before Giants coach Ryan Gregorio could be hoisted by his victorious players, and was probably halfway to where he sought solace by the time Best Player of the Conference and Finals MVP James Yap was through shaking hands at the press room.

Getting shut out by a kid in front of more than 16,000 screaming fans was probably too much for the veteran Grand Slam coach to bear.

And there lies the dilemma of the Alaska Aces.

Defiant despite falling behind 0-3 in the championship series, Cone said after Game 3 Sunday that only when the series is over will he tip his hat and sing praises to Purefoods.

“But it’s not over yet,” he said.

It’s over now. And when the end finally came for the Aces, with Yap putting the finishing touches to a masterful performance and Purefoods’ relentless frontline crushing the air out of its counterpart, Cone found himself practically alone in the battle with the menacingly tall and agile Giants, especially in the title-clinching Game 4.

Willie Miller made a valiant effort to salvage Alaskan pride and stature, the Aces having come into the Final Four as a top seed and into the championship as conquerors of the Barangay Ginebra Kings in four straight games.

But two men couldn’t do it alone. And with Miller and Cone, and to some extent LA Tenorio, the only ones with the sustained courage to stand their ground against a pack of stampeding horses in Roger Yap, Marc Pingris, Rafi Reavis, KG Canaleta, Kerby Raymundo, and rookie Rico Maierhofer, the Aces inevitably got run over.

“It was really their size,” Cone told the Bulletin’s Waylon Galvez the day after.

“I think we did a good job on James, Roger Yap and Kerby Raymundo. But it was Pingris, Reavis, KG (Canaleta), and even Maierhofer… it was their size and quickness. They disrupted us both on offense and defense,” Cone said.

“They outplayed us in the series. We had our chances to win games. But they came in to the series at a high level especially defensively. They just gained momentum. But the most impressive thing is that they didn’t let off the pedal for a moment. They didn’t give us a chance.”

Gregorio, who vowed not to give Alaska an ounce of air to breath after taking a 3-0 lead, pointed to the Giants’ indomitable spirit, something the Aces radiated when they still had Johnny Abarrientos, Jojo Lastimosa, Bong Hawkins, Poch Juinio and a much younger Jeffrey Cariaso in the lineup, as a key factor in their triumph.

“Our will and determination to survive can't be described in words,” Gregorio said. “We're supposed to be tired, the inferior team. But again that's what prayers can do. Yes, we're tired on the court, we're tired in practice, but we prayed hard and those prayers were answered.”

Coming in through the backdoor, the Giants needed five games to dispose off tenacious Rain or Shine in the quarterfinals before blasting to smithereens No. 2 seed San Miguel Beer in the semifinals.

“This is really close to impossible, but we did it,” he said. “So that’s what makes this conference more memorable for us. It can be a preview of what life can be. You start slow, you start on the wrong foot, but you have to end the right way and that’s exactly what we did. We never gave up.”

Somewhere along the way, the Alaska Aces did.

Source: Tito Talao  | Manila Bulletin

Gregorio wants giant sweep of the season

MANILA, Philippines - No sooner after accomplishing a record PBA feat, the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants now want to complete a sweep of the season.

The Giants made history by becoming the first team to score a sweep of the PBA All-Filipino finals, beating the Alaska Aces in four games capped by an 86-76 victory before a roaring crowd of over 16,000 at the Araneta Coliseum last Wednesday.

Now, they’re looking forward to achieving a feat never done in the PBA in over two decades - sweep the 2010 PBA season.

“We will definitely not wait for another four years, another winter Olympics to win another championship. Four years are far in between. We’ll continue to strive hard. We’ll try to be the best again (in the next conference),” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

The Giants will be setting out to break a cycle of winning a title only every after four years since 2002. And Gregorio believes he has the materials to accomplish the feat.


“It’s a gift from heaven. It has put us in a position to achieve a double-championship in the season, so why not give it a good try,” said Purefoods top gun James Yap.

“This (Philippine Cup) championship alone is great. This is something that can never be taken away from us for the rest of our lives,” added Yap, winner of both the Best Player of the Conference award and the Handy Fix Finals MVP honors.

Only three teams - the Crispa Redmanizers, the San Miguel Beermen and the Alaska Milk Aces - have swept all titles in a season in the long history of the country’s premier pro league. But no team has done it since Alaska pulled off its Triple Crown in 1996.

Purefoods, soon to be called Derby Aces Llamados, will begin its chase of the second jewel in the Fiesta Conference beginning March 21 with Reggie Larry as import.

Larry, a Boise State product, was Purefoods’ original choice as reinforcement last year but couldn’t play as he suffered an injury a few days before the tourney. He’s fresh from a stint with the Brunei Barracudas in the Asean Basketball League ruled by the Philippine Patriots.

Making it 2-0 versus Alaska’s Tim Cone in their personal championship duels, Gregorio said he’s able to do it because he’s been lucky to have the better team.

“I refuse to think it’s a battle between coach Tim Cone and Ryan Gregorio. If it’s one-on-one, I would’ve lost easily. I relied on my players. I used my team as my armor. I’m happy I always have the better team each time we go head-to-head,” said Gregorio.

“Coach Tim Cone is up there and nobody is close. I have no illusion that I’m better than him. He’s still the winningest active coach. He’s got 12 championships and I have only three, so no comparison,” added Gregorio.

The Purefoods mentor said everything fell into place after they reacquired Marc Pingris and Paul Artadi and got Rafi Reavis and KG Canaleta on trade deals then landed Rico Maierhofer from the rookie draft.

“Suddenly, I have my champion team back,” said Gregorio.

“Still, it’s not easy. What made this win sweeter was the way we started. We went on a roller coaster ride, winning and losing. Punctuating it with seven straight wins is close to impossible. But we did it. It made it more memorable,” Gregorio said.

“Our will and determination to survive can’t be described in words. We’re supposed to be tired and the inferior team. Yes, we’re tired on the court, we’re tired in practice but we prayed hard. And those prayers were answered,” Gregorio added.

But even after the smoke of the battle had cleared, Gregorio said he couldn’t believe they were able to get the job done in record fashion.

“We never talked about the sweep. We just wanted to compete and play a good series,” said Gregorio.

Source: Nelson Beltran  | Philstar.com

Alaska a class act

It’s not often that a best-of-7 title series ends in a sweep – either in the NBA or the PBA.

In 63 NBA finals so far, there have been only eight 4-0 routs, the most recent San Antonio’s thrashing of Cleveland in 2005. Other teams that broomed their opponents were Boston over Minneapolis in 1959, Milwaukee over Baltimore in 1971, Golden State over Washington in 1975, Philadelphia over the Los Angeles Lakers in 1983, Detroit over the Lakers in 1989, Houston over Orlando in 1995 and the Lakers over New Jersey in 2002. The wipeout rate in the NBA is only 12.7 percent.

In 61 PBA finals with the best-of-seven format, only two were decided in sweeps - until last Wednesday’s closure of the Philippine Cup championship playoffs. The teams that were unscathed in the title series were Northern Consolidated over Manila Beer in 1985, Swift over Seven-Up in 1992 and Purefoods over Alaska this past conference.

For a proud franchise like Alaska, losing a title series without winning a single game was a huge blow. Every game in the finals was close including the clincher which the Tender Juicy Hot Dogs sealed with about five minutes left. Aces coach Tim Cone has taken Alaska to 21 finals since 1989 and knows what it means to win or lose. He’s bagged 12 titles so far, only three less than Baby Dalupan’s career record of 15.

If there’s a team that can take a loss with head unbowed, it’s Alaska. The Aces take their lead from owner Fred Uytengsu, a Southeast Asian Games swimming medalist who values sportsmanship more than anything else on the playing field.

* * *


In Game 2 of the hotly contested series, referee Maui Mauricio was wrong in calling a foul on Joe DeVance to send Kerby Raymundo to the line for the chance to break an 85-all tie with less than two seconds left. If at all, the contact was in local parlance, “manipis.” It was incidental contact and should’ve been let go. By the way both teams played their guts out in regulation, they deserved an overtime. But Mauricio killed what would have been a more fitting closure in extension by deciding the outcome with an ill-advised whistle.

Mauricio would never have gotten away with that kind of call in the NBA. He would’ve been lynched not just by the aggrieved team but also the favored team because no team likes to win that way. It’s not about winning at all costs. It’s about playing and winning fair.

Yet, none of the Alaska officials raised a howl. Right after the game, team manager Joaqui Trillo expressed displeasure by saying Purefoods would surely not have liked to win through a referee’s whistle. That couldn’t even be classified as a tirade. The next day, Trillo apologized to the PBA for speaking out of line - an unnecessary apology that spoke volumes of Alaska’s principles.

As it turned out, Raymundo converted his first free throw and deliberately missed the second to wash away the time left for a possible Alaska retaliation. Uytengsu called the one-point setback a “bitter pill to swallow, especially since it (the phantom foul) was so obvious.” He said, “that game should have gone to overtime and perhaps, the series would be different.”

When the balloons fell from the Araneta rafters last Wednesday, Uytengsu acknowledged defeat. “Purefoods deserved the series,” he said. “They played harder and wanted it more. I’m just disappointed we didn’t bring our A game to the championship. Our players got outplayed and we were outcoached.”

It was the second straight bridesmaid finish for Alaska in the Philippine Cup. Last season, the Aces lost a 4-3 heartbreaker to Talk ‘N’ Text.

* * *

Purefoods’ defense was the key to victory. Using matchups that capitalized on the Giants’ size advantage, coach Ryan Gregorio broke down Alaska’s chief strength - the ability to execute in the halfcourt - and never gave the Aces a chance to play with rhythm consistently. The Giants were focused on disrupting Alaska’s flow, pressuring the ballhandlers into turnovers, making it difficult to get the ball into the post where the triangle formation originates, stepping into open spots to prevent spacing for medium-range jumpers or pick-and-rolls and varying defensive tactics. On offense, they aggressively attacked the rim and made extra passes to create good looks. Getting Alaska’s bigs into foul trouble was a bonus. In Game 4, Alaska was held to 39.7 percent shooting from the field, the result of Purefoods’ unforgiving defense, and the Giants controlled the boards, 51-41. The Aces succumbed to the pressure by flubbing 15 free throws and down the stretch, they became tentative on offense as if nobody wanted to take the blame for the impending loss. DeVance struggled and went 0-of-7 from the floor and 4-of-10 from the stripe in 33 minutes. Worse, he grabbed only two rebounds. Reynel Hugnatan also showed his inability to cope with pressure, picking up five turnovers in a starting role. Hugnatan had seven errors in Game 2 and three in Game 3.

Alaska’s top gunners Willie Miller and L. A. Tenorio combined for only 9-of-28 from the floor, a 32.1 percent clip. They were the only Aces in twin digits so you can imagine how poorly the rest shot.

Purefoods’ second unit provided a major lift with the bench contributing 25 points to Alaska’s 16. Rico Maierhofer was particularly productive as he delivered 12 points, six rebounds and two assists in 18 solid minutes. Alaska’s top bench scorer was Jeffrey Cariaso who shot only five points in eight quiet minutes. Throughout the series, Gregorio showed confidence in his shock troopers who paid him back with interest - among them, Niño Canaleta, P.J. Simon, Paul Artadi, Don Allado and Jondan Salvador.

But in the clutch, Gregorio turned to his starters who were unstoppable - MVP James Yap, Roger Yap, Raymundo, Marc Pingris and Rafi Reavis.

Alaska fought a good fight and gave its all in trying to extend the series but the Giants wouldn’t be denied. Gregorio had all the bases covered from matchups to substitution patterns to changing defenses to unpredictable combinations. It’s been eight conferences since Purefoods won a title so Gregorio had a long wait before picking up his third crown. Alaska’s last title came six conferences ago.

Top-seeded Alaska could’ve celebrated too early after sweeping Barangay Ginebra in the semifinals and looked like the Aces lost steam or their killer’s instinct against Purefoods. The Giants, in contrast, had nothing to lose and everything to gain as the No. 3 seed, playing without pressure and generating energy from every conceivable five Gregorio sent to the court.

To play the kind of merciless defense that Purefoods displayed, the Giants had to have depth - fresh legs moving in and out to leave the Aces gasping for breath. Pacing became a vital element in Gregorio’s shuffling and it reaped dividends as in every game of the series, the Giants were tougher, sturdier and stronger in the homestretch.

Still, Alaska has nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a team that knows how to lose with dignity.

Source: Joaquin Henson  | Philstar.com

Giants complete rare sweep, trounce Aces

Purefoods, a proud team with a rich tradition, is back as the king of the All-Filipino Conference.

The Giants held steadier down the stretch against a gutsy Alaska Aces squad, 86-76, to complete a rare sweep in the best-of-seven finals series of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at the jampacked Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.

Willie Miller preserved his best for the final stretch in a bid to save the Aces, but the Giants led by James Yap and Roger Yap and a little bit of everything from Rico Maierhofer held steadier under pressure as Purefoods achieved only the third sweep in the history of the best-of-seven championship series.

Since the best-of-seven championship series was instituted in 1982, only the Northern Consolidated squad of coach Ron Jacobs in 1985 and Swift Mighty Meaty in 1992 were the only teams which swept their rivals.

Purefoods joined these historic squads in capturing its eighth championship in franchise history.

James Yap led the Giants with 18 points while Roger Yap contributed 16 as they teamed up in the final quarter to deliver the final blow to the Aces. While Maierhofer had nine of his 12 points in the third period as Purefoods made up for its lapses in the closing minutes of the second quarter with a strong second-half windup.

James Yap, who became the first player to win the best player of the conference and Finals most valuable player (MVP) awards, had seven points in the final period. He had back-to-back baskets in a three-minute stretch of the fourth period while Roger Yap had a nifty turnaround jumper as the Giants posted a 75-65 lead with 4:55 left in the game.

Miller, who was on and off in the finals series, had seven of his team’s last 11 points, including a three-pointer with 2:12 left that shoved the Aces back on the thick of the fight to find themselves trailing by five, 76-81.

A few seconds later, James Yap nailed the final coffin – a dagger three-pointer with 1:48 left – to put the Giants on safer ground.

Alaska never scored from there.

“I’m sure my mother-in-law is very happy," said James, dedicating the game to the late president Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, who has been his No. 1 fan.

Gregorio now 3-0 over Cone
The two coaches refused to center the attention among themselves while the finals was ongoing. But for the third time, Tim Cone, the winningest mentor among active coaches and one of only four grandslam bench tacticians in the PBA, lost to Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

And the third one was possibly the most lopsided.

Gregorio scored a sweep and this victory was possibly the most decisive over Cone.

In the 2005-06 best-of-seven semifinals series, Gregorio and his embattled Giants came back from a 1-3 deficit and won the last three games to beat the Aces. In 2002 Governors Cup, the youthful mentor also came back from 0-2 down to complete a Cinderella Finish and win his first-ever league crown.

In pulling off another win over Cone, Gregorio also became the first Purefoods coach to win an All-Filipino crown twice. Coaches Ely Capacio (1991), Chot Reyes (1993) and Eric Altamirano (1997) each won a title for Purefoods throughout their coaching career with the Giants, but Gregorio was the first one to win two, the first one was in the 2005-06 Philippine Cup.

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

James Yap cops Best Player of the Conference plum

“Miller Time" has been a familiar refrain for Alaska ace Willie Miller during the first half of the KFC-Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup. But it was Purefoods star James Yap who stepped up big time during the more important playoffs.

For this, Yap secured his first Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award, becoming the first Purefoods player to win the award since Rey Evangelista in the 2002 Governors Cup.

The 6’3 forward from Escalante, Negros Occidental, won convincingly over Willie Miller and Sta. Lucia’s do-it-all forward Kelly Williams.

Yap, the only player in Purefoods’ current roster who won a Most Valuable Player award aside from four-time MVP and current team manager Alvin Patrimonio, garnered 221 statistical points, 591 media votes, 128 players’ votes and 150 votes from television coveror for a total of 1,380 points.

“Masaya ako sa award and I would like to thank my teammates, coaching staff and management," said Yap. “Pero siyempre, mas masaya kung mag-champion kami."

Miller, a two-time MVP and a two-time winner of the BPC, came in second after accumulating 925 total points while Williams, who also won both an MVP and BPC award, placed third with 476.

Williams was No. 1 in the statistical points (SPs) average with 40.6 despite his team missing the playoffs.

Yap dedicated the honor to his late mother-in-law, former President Cory Aquino.

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV

Sweet Sweep For Purefoods, Giants Phil Cup Champs

PUREFOODS completed its drive to some historic firsts Wednesday by riding the backs of its most trusted men. James Yap and Roger Yap each came up with big games as the Giants beat the Alaska Aces 86-76 to pull off the first-ever four-game sweep in a KFC-PBA Philippine Cup championship series at the packed Araneta Coliseum.

Awarded with his first Best Player of the Conference earlier, James Yap was also honored as the Handyfix-PBA Press Corps Finals MVP as he wrapped up a tournament to remember with a teamhigh 18 points, seven coming in the final quarter that helped keep the Aces at bay. Roger Yap, meanwhile, capped a sterling playoffs with 16 points as well as team-highs of nine rebounds and six assists as Purefoods annexed its eighth title and fifth in the tournament formerly known as the All-Filipino, tying it with Crispa with the most number of championships in an import-less conference. “Chapter closed, destination reached.

Now we can celebrate,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio after the game watched by more than 16,500 pro-Giants fans. Making it all memorable is the fact Purefoods ended the conference with seven straight wins in all, in stark contrast to its rollercoaster start when it finished the first round of the eliminations with a 4-4 win-loss card. “This is really close to impossible but we did it,” said Gregorio. Sonny Thoss finished with game highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds while Willie Miller and LA Tenorio had at least 11 points each, but the failure of Alaska to come up with a more balanced offensive while matching Purefoods’ lockdown defense spelled doom. And this should sting the most for Aces coach Tim Cone since he has never lost four straight games in a Finals before, an event that seemed next to impossible after the Aces finished No. 1 after the elims and swept Barangay Ginebra in the semifinals.

But while Cone was denied his 13th title, Gregorio finally followed up his championships in the 2002 Governors Cup and ’06 Philippine Cup, incidentally the last time the Giants won a title. Great Taste was the last to wield the big broom in an All-Filipino Finals, needing just three games against Hills Bros in 1987. Swift, meanwhile, was the last to carve a four-game sweep in the finals, against Seven-Up in the 1992 Third Conference. That reality became readily apparent when Purefoods took off for good in the fourth period, erecting a 75-63 lead before fully dashing Alaska’s hopes with an 84-76 lead in the last 1:48 off a James Yap triple.

“We needed someone to put the final touches, and James provided that with his three-point shot,” noted Gregorio. “It’s truly a miraculous ride for us and I’m so happy to be with this Purefoods franchise.” Picking up from where it left off, Alaska finally managed to start a quarter right when it raced to several four-point leads in the third, the last at 48-44. But it lost its initiative when it went blank for more than four minutes, giving Purefoods the momentum to take the period 65-58. In that crucial stretch, the Aces muffed five charity tries, two field goal attempts and turned the ball over thrice while Rico Maierhofer reprised what he did in Game 3 by scoring seven third quarter points.

Behind Tony dela Cruz, Alaska clambered back to within 57-59, but PJ Simon drained a trey and KG Canaleta completed a three-point play as the Giants took the seven-point cushion in the last 12 minutes of play. Purefoods seemed poised to pounce on Alaska’s jugular right in the second quarter when it took a 35-22 lead, but practically allowed the Aces to score the last 10 points of the period for a 40-all count at the half.

Alaska’s fight for survival took the form of an aggressive stance from the get-go, but produced some unpleasant results in the early goings. After falling behind by 4-11 and crawling back to within 10-11, the Aces were called for four straight offensive fouls, enabling the Giants to pull away anew and take the opening period 21-15.

What infuriated Cone the most among the charging calls was the one slapped on Hugnatan, causing him to enter the court and protest to the referees, netting him a technical foul in the process. When the next one was called, against Thoss, he could only smile.

The scores:
Purefoods 86 - Yap, J. 18, Yap, R. 16, Raymundo 13, Maierhofer 12, Pingris 9, Simon 5, Reavis 5, Canaleta 3, Artadi 3, Salvador 2, Allado 0.

Alaska 76 - Thoss 19, Miller 17, Tenorio 11, Hugnatan 9, Cariaso 5, De Vance 4, Fonacier 4, Dela Cruz 4, Ferriols 2, Cablay 1, Borboran 0.

Quarters: 21-15, 40-40, 65-58, 86-76.

Source: Author Unknown  | PBA.ph

Giants claim historic sweep

MANILA, Philippines - Purefoods completed a fairytale ride in the 2009-2010 KFC Philippine Cup, conquering Alaska Milk in four straight games in their titular duel to nail a record-tying fifth all-Filipino crown before a roaring crowd of over 16,000 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Giants outfought the Aces in a fierce battle for a fourth game in a row, hacking out an 86-76 victory to end a three-year title drought.

James Yap was named Best Player of the Conference before the game and was later adjudged the Handy Fix Finals MVP as he sustained a superb performance throughout the series, leading the Giants to the dream championship.

It was an improbable conquest of a third-seed playoff team which went all to win the crown, pulling the rug from under the second-ranked San Miguel Beer in the semifinals then stunning the first-seeded Alaska squad in the finals.

The Giants captured a fifth Philippine Cup title in winning their last seven games in the playoffs.


Purefoods distinguished itself as the first team in league history to score a four-game sweep in an all-Filipino tourney, blanking an Alaska team which itself scored a sweep of Barangay Ginebra in the semis.

“Chapter close, destination reached. Now we can celebrate,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

“It’s not easy at all. The first three games could’ve all gone the other way. It’s a miraculous feat and I’m happy to be part of series,” Gregorio also said.

“We had a roller-coaster ride early on in the tournament. We started on the wrong foot then went up and down. To punctuate it with a seven-game run is incredible. But we did it. We got a very memorable feat,” Gregorio added.

“It’s one of a kind because it’s a sweep. A big credit belongs to our coach. He’s done a good job and we’re all happy,” said Purefoods president Butch Alejo amidst the din of wild victory celebration.

Team governor Rene Pardo said this championship is among the sweetest in their eight titular harvests. Purefoods is now tied with Barangay Ginebra as the fifth winningest ballclub in the league behind San Miguel Beer (with 18 crowns), Crispa (13), Alaska (12) and Toyota (nine).

Yap scored 18 points with his second and last three-pointer, breaking Alaska’s back at 84-76 with time down to 1:34.

Roger Yap, Kerby Raymundo and Rico Maierhofer also put in double-digit outputs, helping Purefoods complete the third four-game sweep in best-of-seven PBA finals.

Northern Cement and Swift Mighty Meaty were the first teams to do the feat, doing it in import-reinforced tourney.

Alaska lost the first three games just by a combined margin of six points. The Aces were beaten convincingly in the final game largely due to their poor free-throw shooting.

The tournament best foul shooting team fouled up from the line in this game, muffing a 15 of 32 tries - their worst in the tourney.

Source: Nelson Beltran  | Philstar.com

Can Aces stop tide of history

Purefoods has won its last three matches against Alaska Milk by an average of two points – one reason why Alaska Milk is not throwing in the towel in their best-of-seven showdown for the PBA-Philippine Cup championship.

This Wednesday, the Giants hope to close out the Aces at 7 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum and wrap up their eighth conference crown and first since beating Red Bull in 2006 for the Philippine Cup.

Against a franchise that has not been swept in four games, Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio is aware of the task at hand.

“Our mission is not complete,” Gregorio said. “The same intensity on defense and intelligence in our execution of offense in the end are required if we want to close out the series against the best team in the league.”

Gregorio pointed to defense as the single reason why the Giants are on top.

“It has been a defensive match up. We will again set the tone on defense. In the first three games, we have been disrupting the rhythm of the triangle and we intend to do the same,” he said.

The Giants won Game 1, 81-77; Game 2, 86-85; and Game 3, 79-78. History does not favor Purefoods.

Only two teams have swept a best-of-seven title series, the first was in 1985 when Northern Consolidated shut out Manila Beer to win the Reinforced Conference.

In 1992, Swift, then led by import Tony Harris, shut out 7-Up for the third conference crown.

But if history is again the gauge, that would only be delaying the inevitable.

No team has ever come back to win after falling 0-3.

So far, the Giants have held the Aces’ “triangle offense” to 80 points per game, 15 points less than their average in the eliminations.

The Giants’ tall and quick frontline has allowed Gregorio to use 6-foot-5 players like Marc Pingris, rookie forward Rico Maierhofer, and wingman Niño Canaleta to defend against smaller players, including the Aces’ point guards LA Tenorio and 5-foot-11 Willie Miller.

Purefoods will again rely on the defensive mismatches, while counting on James Yap, Kerby Raymundo, Roger Yap, and Rafi Reavis to provide the firepower in the opposite side of the court.

Yap and Miller are disputing the Best Player of the Conference award which will be given at halftime.

Gregorio is expecting a tough fight.

“We can’t relax, we can’t get complacent and we have to compete until the end. We expect a proud Alaska team to come out firing on all cylinders and we must equal if not surpass the effort that they will render,” Gregorio said.

Alaska coach Tim Cone remains defiant.

“Our attitude is, they beat us three straight so there’s no reason we can’t beat them three straight as well. We believe,” he said.

Games this Wednesday (Araneta Coliseum)
4:45 p.m. — PWBL
7 p.m. — Alaska vs Purefoods

Source: Waylon Galvez  | Manila Bulletin

Purefoods takes shot at history against Alaska

MANILA, Philippines - No team has ever swept the PBA All-Filipino finals. But with the feat within reach, expect Purefoods to go for it.

“We are upbeat about our chances in Game Four. We expect a determined Alaska team to come out firing on all cylinders and we must equal if not surpass their effort,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio.

The Giants take on the embattled Alaska Milk Aces in Game Four of the KFC PBA Philippine Cup titular showdown tonight, looking to become the first ball club in league history to score a 4-0 sweep in the all-Filipino finals.

Gametime is 7:30 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum with the Giants also out to distinguish themselves the first team to win the prestigious tourney five times after the Crispa Redmanizers in the early years of the league.

The Best Player of the Conference will be named before the opening tip-off, and it could well be Purefoods top gun James Yap.


The Giants intend to step up their game to complete their mission of ending the team’s three-year title drought.

“It has been a defensive match-up. We will set the tone on defense. In the first three games, we’re able to disrupt the rhythm of their triangle offense. We intend to do the same in Game Four,” Gregorio added.

Alaska isn’t losing hope, though, despite being in a hole no team in league history has ever recovered from.

“Our attitude is that they beat us three straight so there’s no reason we can’t beat them three straight as well. We believe,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

The veteran Alaska mentor is confident they can still regain the impressive form they’ve shown in topping the elimination phase then sweeping past the Barangay Ginebra Kings in their best-of-seven semifinal showdown.

If not, the Aces would go down in history as a team swept in the finals after sweeping their way in the semis.

The Giants are raring to finish off the Aces, wary of fatigue since they’ve been playing without relief since the quarterfinals.

“The same intensity on defense and intelligence in our execution of offense are required if we’re to close out the series,” said Gregorio, on line to achieve a third personal championship.

Gregorio and his troops set out for today’s game riding the momentum of a six-game romp, the team’s longest streak since a 7-0 start in the 2007-08 Philippine Cup.

Purefoods is 3-0 in a best-of-seven series versus Alaska for the second time after posting the same advantage in their 1994 Commissioner’s Cup finals duel. The Hotdogs were stopped then in Game Four before eventually winning the series in the next game.

Alaska went down 0-3 the last time versus Gordon’s Gin in the 1997 Commissioner’s Cup finale. The Aces survived two knockout games before succumbing in Game Six.

Cone said they have to solve Purefoods’ defense if they’re to get another day to live.

Source: Nelson Beltran  | Philstar.com

Battle of wits

Over 14,000 fans showed up at the Araneta Coliseum to watch Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven finals between Alaska and Purefoods last Sunday – an indication of the high interest generated by the series. And every single fan stayed in the Big Dome until the final buzzer.

Although Purefoods leads the series, 3-0, and is just a win away from wrapping up the title, nobody’s talking about a sweep because Alaska has as much of a chance to win Game 4 than the Tender Juicy Giants.

More than anything, the series has been a battle of coaching wits. Alaska’s Tim Cone and Purefoods’ Ryan Gregorio are locked in a dogfight. They’ve used different matchups, surprised each other by the combinations on the floor, deployed shock troopers without being predictable and employed different kinds of defense.

So far, we’ve seen Marc Pingris go head-to-head against unlikely matchups L.A. Tenorio and Willie Miller, causing serious problems because of his size advantage. Tony de la Cruz has slid from No. 3 to No. 2 to take on James Yap who has also been defended by Miller, Jeffrey Cariaso and Brandon Cablay. Roger Yap has engaged both Tenorio and Miller. Gregorio has sent in a combination of four bigs and a guard to throw off Alaska’s frontliners. Cone’s version of a big lineup features Sonny Thoss, Reynel Hugnatan and Joe DeVance.

Timing is critical in making matchup and defensive adjustments. That’s where coaching ability comes in. Pingris likes to soften up Tenorio, tire him out, before Paul Artadi checks in to add more pressure with fresh legs. De la Cruz moves in to shadow King James so Miller can conserve his energy for offense.


When to play a zone is crucial – and it usually happens to stop a team from scoring inside points or if the defensive team is in the penalty and wants to avoid picking up fouls or if the offensive team’s shooters are on the bench.

* * * *

Every game in the series could’ve gone either way. For Alaska, that fact is particularly painful because it means the Aces repeatedly failed to get the job done down the stretch.

In Game 3, for instance, Alaska had three unforgivable turnovers and a missed foul shot in the final few minutes and Purefoods held on to win, 79-78. In Game 2, DeVance was whistled for a phantom foul on Kerby Raymundo with virtually no time left on the clock and the score tied, 85-all. Raymundo sank the first free throw and deliberately missed the second to take away Alaska’s chance to call a timeout and set up a final play. In Game 1, Alaska dominated the boards, 52-44, and took 13 more field goal attempts but shot atrociously from the floor, .361, to lose an 81-77 decision.

Alaska ‘s inability to execute – because of Purefoods’ stingy defense – has been the key to every Giants win. The Aces have committed more turnovers than Purefoods from Game 1 to Game 3 – 14-13 in the opener, 23-13 in Game 2 and 20-16 in Game 3. The Giants never failed to capitalize, scoring more turnover points, 9-4, in Game 1, a whopping 30-12 in Game 2 and 18-16 in Game 3.

Alaska has also been slapped with too many fouls resulting in free throws – 14-7 in Game 1, 19-10 in Game 2 and 11-9 in Game 3. The margin of difference was particularly glaring in Game 2 where Purefoods went 21-of-35 from the line compared to Alaska’s 15-of-18.

In Game 1, Alaska’s lowly field goal percentage was its downfall. In Game 2, Alaska’s faulty execution led to 10 more turnovers as Purefoods shot 18 more turnover points and took 17 more foul shots. Despite the numbers, Alaska should’ve survived regulation and played in overtime if not for the last-second foul called by referee Maui Mauricio on what appeared to be incidental contact or no contact at all. In Game 3, Purefoods’ bench erupted for 36 points, compared to 16 by Alaska’s relievers, and the bigs hauled down 18 offensive rebounds, to Alaska’s nine, and delivered 15 second chance points to the Aces’ six.

Alaska’s bench was more productive in Games 1 and 2 but Purefoods’ second unit went to town in Game 3 with Niño Canaleta, P.J. Simon, Don Allado and Rico Maierhofer knocking down big baskets.

Thoss’ tendency to foul has been a problem for Cone. He fouled out in Games 2 and 3. Clearly, Purefoods’ bigs are aggressively powering their way to the hole to put pressure on Thoss who’s the fulcrum in Alaska’s triangle.

Fouls and turnovers are making life difficult for Alaska. In Game 2, DeVance and Hugnatan finished with five personals apiece. Worse, Hugnatan had seven turnovers, Miller five and Tenorio five. In Game 3, Miller picked up six turnovers, Tenorio four and Hugnatan three.

Even with the statistical discrepancies, Alaska had a chance to win the first three games in the series. And that should brighten up the Aces’ outlook for Game 4 tonight.

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For Purefoods to clinch in Game 4, the Giants must play even tougher defense to disrupt Alaska’s rhythm in the halfcourt - that means locking down on Tenorio. The bench must be as productive as it was in Game 3 and jumpers should be a low priority for the offense to show strong moves to the basket either through penetrations, cuts down the middle or post-ups.

For Alaska to extend the series to a Game 5 on Sunday, the Aces must foul strictly with a purpose, not unnecessarily giving away free throws, raise their assist-to-turnover ratio higher than Purefoods, be ready to hit the outside shots whenever the Giants play zone, pick up the pace to make it higher-scoring, clog the interior to force Purefoods to shoot from outside and focus on taking possession away from King James.

Make no mistake about it. The series ain’t over ‘til the Fat Lady sings, as the saying goes.

Source: Joaquin Henson  | Philstar.com