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Sports Bits
Red Bull stuns San Miguel, nabs PBA Commissioners Cup
Undaunted by the Beermen's big red machine, Batang Red Bull foiled
powerhouse San Miguel's bid for a Grand Slam, inflicting a 5-0 blast
in the closing stages for a gigantic upset, 75-69, in Game Six of
the Best of Seven Series in the PBA Commissioners Cup at the Araneta
Coliseum.
In a final marred by suspensions plus on and off court tensions,
the Thunders drew two points from Fil-Am Davonn Harp and Ato Agustin
before Best Import Antonio Lang's free throw iced Red Bull's title
clinching victory.
Drawing inspiration from the stellar play of their import Lang,
who's Grant Hill's teammate at Duke, the Thunders' explosive game
plan was the antidote to the Beermen's deliberate play. The final
tally was 4-2 with Red Bull pulling surprising wins in Games 1 and
2 and San Miguel retaliating in Games 3 and 4 before the Thunders
finished off the Beermen in Games 5 and 6.
Red Bull's win ended San Miguel's three title run and marked the
first time Coach Jong Uichico lost in a PBA championship final.
The season ending Commissioners Cup kicked off September 9 parading
imports 6-4 and below.
San Juan frustrates Negros anew in MBA First Phase
Andoks San Juan rallied from 13 points down to rout the Negros
Slashers, 103-90 August 24, to clinch the MBA First Phase crown
at the packed San Juan Gym.
Chito Victolero's splendid orchestration of plays rattled the Slashers'
gameplan for the come behind victory and cut short the Best of Five
series, 3-1.
Replicating his riveting performances in Games 2 and 3, which San
Juan also won, Victolero scored eight points and served as the virtual
catalyst for the Knights run in the fourth period. He fittingly
was named Best Player of the Finals, a repeat of his last year's
nod in the national finals also won by the Knights (4-2) also at
the expense of Negros.
Meanwhile, the MBA Second Phase officially kicked off August 31
and will be capped by the national championships in December. The
Metropolitan Basketball Association is composed of eight teams from
different parts of the country: San Juan, Negros, Batangas, Laguna,
Nueva Ecija, Davao and Socsargen. Teams such as Manila Metrostars,
Pasig-Rizal Pirates and Iloilo Megavoltz disbanded at the end of
2000.
La Salle, Ateneo leads UAAP hoops tourney
As written in the script, the 64th UAAP Basektball Tournament
- Seniors Division is coming along just fine. Pre-tournament favorites
La Salle Green Archers and Ateneo Blue Eagles are setting the pace
going into the second elimination round.
Although not a smooth-sailing cruise and with Fil-Am Mark Cardona
fraught in controversy, the De La Salle Green Archers remains undeterred
for their fourth straight championship. Carding a 9-1 slate, La
Salle's only loss came from a double digit drubbing in the hands
of the UE Warriors in their second game but they've been poised,
especially in the dying minutes, since then.
Keeping stride with La Salle, only one game back are the Blue Eagles
(8-2) who escaped a witch hunt from winless Adamson University.
Earlier, Ateneo succumbed to an upset bug courtesy of UST Growling
Tigers, 55-62. Their other loss was the opening day rout from the
Archers.
Villanueva assumes GAB post
Bacolod sportsman-businessman Eduardo Villanueva officially assumed
the chairmanship of the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) late August
putting an end to Dominador Cepeda's almost seven-year tenure as
chief of the low budget agency tasked to regulate and supervise
professional sports.
A graduate of business administration from La Salle-Bacolod, Villanueva's
business interests include real estate, resort development and agro-industrial
products. A martial-arts expert, tennis buff and a former collegiate
basketball player, Villanueva also dabbled in billiards, golf and
shooting.
Villanueva's appointment was signed as early as July 5 by President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. But he said he had to attend to business
matters in Bacolod, that was why it took him almost two months to
head to Manila and assume the position as the 11th chairman of the
GAB since the 1950's.
You may email the author at zands@philippinestoday.net.
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