The Phantom Menace: Miami takes Game 1 of the NBA Finals

Tyson Chandler was saddled and rattled in Game 1
(image by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Make no mistake.

This sucks.

For a while there, I thought the Dallas Mavericks could steal one already. They limited Miami to only 39% shooting and held them below the century mark.

“You hold a team to 38 percent shooting and 92 points, for us, that’s usually a victory,” said Shawn Marion.

Filoil FLying V Premiere Cup Scores: June 1, 2011

Speeding Bullets:

- Pretty surprising the way FEU manhandled the Eaglets today, since Ateneo beat them about a week ago in the Freego league. But then again Ateneo missed the services of Kris Porter and Jed Austria, both of whom are nursing injuries.

- Even more surprising was how the RP U16 squad railroaded the Zobel Junior Archers. Does this mean the Archers aren't as invincible as perceived?
- The Stags played sans Cal Abueva and Ian Sanggalang, two of their strongest scorers. Nonetheless, San Beda still notched an impressive quality win.
- DLSU's tour de force at the expense of the Pirates was impressive. Nice momentum building up for the clash with the Blue Eagles on Saturday.

- UP blew a chance at the #3 spot in their group by stumbling in the 4th quarter. Mike Silungan missed some key shots and now they'll probably face the top seed from the other group in the crossover. Lots of talent, but not a lot of composure. Tsk tsk.

- Unless otherwise specified, all photos are by Carl Sta. Ana/Filoil Flying V Sports.

Juniors:

FEU-FERN Baby Tamaraws over AHS Blue Eaglets, 68-52

FEU-FERN 68 -- Pingoy 22, Luz 11, Domingo Jn. 9, You 7, Palacio 5, Aguilon 5, Delfinado 4, Domingo Js. 3, Estacio 2, Estrada 0, Domingo R. 0, Hassan J. 0, Palana 0, Hassan A. 0, San Jose 0

AHS 52 -- Capacio 13, Ramos 7, Tenorio 7, Ravena 5, Asuncion 5, Asistio 5, Lim 3, Gamboa 3, Black 2, Vitangcol 2, Consunji 0, Escaler 0, Ladaban 0, Austria 0

Quarter scoring: 20-6, 37-20, 52-38, 68-52

Can Lambert Tenorio help the Eaglets go
for a historic 4-peat?
(image by Carl Sta. Ana/Filoil Flying V Sports)

Playoff Postmortem: Oklahoma City Thunder

(image from sportslogos.net)

Kevin Durant is relegated to the sidelines after being
booted out by the Dallas Mavericks
(image by Sam Forencich/Getty Images)

Such a long way these guys have come, and in such a short amount of time.

Just two seasons after winning only 23 games in 2009, the OKC Thunder remained as one of the last four teams still playing through the month of May. And yes they eventually got booted out by a slick Dallas Mavericks team, but what they’ve accomplished in half the span of time it takes someone to finish high school is nothing short of astounding.

FIBA-Asia Champions Cup Scores: May 31, 2011

Speeding Bullets:
- I wonder what the FIBA Asia photographer was high on. He took an awfully large number of overhead and behind-the-backboard shots. Weird. 
- How about Marcelle Yaqqub? An immaculate 10-of-10 from the field? Wow. Don't count out those Syrians.
- The guys from UAE are all but out now. Oh well, at least they get to go back to Dubai.
- The Jordanians just coasted against the Malaysians. No contest. Bad news for us. Looks like ASU's going to give us a hell of a time later, and they have a well-rested Zaid Abbas in tow.
- Lebanon came back to haunt the Qataris and slay them in OT. Fadi had a woeful shooting night, but Loren Woods more than made up for it with his 18 points. Next time they meet could be in the Finals.
- Gilas had a tougher-than-expected time against the Iraqis, mainly because CJ Giles was inspired against his former teammates, and Gilas had their worst shooting performance to date. They better sharpen those sights against ASU tonight.
- Predictions: Al-ittihad over the Dragons by about 10, Mahram over Rayyan in single digits, Riyadi over Jala'a by about 15-20, and Gilas over ASU in less than 5.


Results:

Al Jala'a (SYR) over Al Shabab (UAE), 93-63

Al Jala'a (SYR) 93 -- Yaqqub 23, Miller 14, Madanly 13, Merjaneh 13, Walker 11, Ishak 9, Gorges 6, Papazian 4, Deeb 0, 

Al Shabab (UAE) 63 -- Al Zaabi 24, Fields 21, Khalfan 8, Ashoor 4, Al Mehrezi 4, Ahmed 2, Al Balooshi 0, Abdulla O. 0, Abdulla J. 0

Quarter scoring: 26-13, 45-32, 70-47, 93-63

Courtney Fields can only watch as Marcelle Yaqqub
dunks 2 of his 23 points
(image from FIBAAsia.net)

FIBA-Asia Champions Cup Scores: May 30, 2011

Speeding Bullets:
- Jordan's Zaid Abbas seems to have gotten his bearings against the Saudis. Look for him to contribute more as the tourney kicks in to high gear.
- Duhok dismisses the Dragons is the battle of probably the bottom two teams in the whole cup.
- Fadi El Khatib gets the better of Samad Nikkhah Bahrami as Riyadi outlasts Mahram. It's a distinct possibility they'll meet again in the next rounds.
- Al Rayyan picks up win #2, and it cannot come at a better time as they take on Riyadi and Mahram in succession. Good luck.
- WKL Dragons import Chris Ayer had another strong showing, and had probably turned some heads. Could be a good import pick-up in the PBA.
- The thing that separates Riyadi from the pack so far is how their locals have shown the way. Imports Loren Woods and Ahmed Ismail have been steady, but not stellar. Or they could simply be saving themselves for the quarters and beyond.
- Predictions for today: Al Jala'a over Al Shabab in a close one, ASU over the WKL Dragons by 20 or more, Al Riyadi over Al Rayyan in single digits, and Gilas over Duhok by 15-20.


Results: 

ASU (JOR) over Al Ittihad (KSA), 79-69

ASU (JOR) 79 -- Al-Awadi 26, Dahglas 14, Forehan-Kelly 11, Al Sous 11, Abbas 7, Watkins 7, Abbaas 2, Mohammad 1, 

Al Ittihad (KSA) 69 -- Keely 26, Al Juhani 19, Dragajlovic 11, Kabe 5, Al Qonisi 3, Al Maghrabi 3, Ibrahim 2, Al Harbi 0

Quarter scoring: 19-18, 36-34, 61-55, 79-69

Darren Keely drives his way to 26 big points
(image from FIBAAsia.net)

Quick Pick for the 2011 NBA Finals: the Miami Heat vs the Dallas Mavericks

It's bound to be a titanic battle between Miami and Dallas
(image by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

I will be rooting, cheering my heart out, for Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, and Peja Stojakovic – those veterans of postseason failure who are on the threshold of netting the NBA’s biggest prize.

But it won’t be easy. In fact, the odds don’t favor them at all. These Mavs, once again in these playoffs, are tagged as underdogs.

Flashback.

FIBA-Asia Champions Cup Scores: May 29, 2011

Speeding Bullets:
- Al Rayyan started strong and served notice of how they will be a tough opponent in the coming days.
- The WKL Dragons suprised the Pinoys in the 1st half. Last minute import Chris Ayer was a revelation and showed the way for the Malaysians, but the quality of Smart-Gials prevailed in the latter half. Gilas takes a rest today, and it should preserve them until they face the Iraqis tomorrow.
- Mahram had some shaky moments against Al Shabab, but they eventually got out of their funk. They are still the top favorites in the tourney. 
- Predictions for today: ASU over Ittihad by 15-20, Duhok over the Dragons in a close one, Mahram over Riyadi down the wire, and Rayyan over Shabbab by about 20.


Results:

Al Ittihad (KSA) over Duhok (IRQ), 83-75

Al Ittihad (KSA) 83 -- Dragajlovic 27, Aljuhani 21, Kabe 10, Keely 9, Ibrahim 9, Almaghrabi 5, Almadani 2, Alqonisi 0

Duhok (IRQ) 75 -- Gray 22, Giles 16, Al-Doori 10, Gorgiss 8, Mohammed S. 7, Mohammed D. 5, Rahman 5, Ahmed 2, Hamad 0

Quarter scoring: 21-20, 37-37, 57-50, 83-75

Darren Keely drives against Rahman Agha
(image from FIBAasia.net)

FIBA-Asia Champions Cup Scores: May 28, 2011

Speeding Bullets:

- With the exception of Qatar's Al Rayyan, which has yet to play, all the strong teams played well in the opening day. No upsets were sprung as the favorites generally romped through the field to get their respective first wins.

- The Gilas squad, in particular, presented a rousing debut led by twin towers Marcus Douthit and Japeth Aguilar. If Aguilar can continue this type of production, and the other locals can find their range more consistently, then the title might not be too far off.

- As expected, Mahram and Al Riyadi thrashed their respective opponents, and just gave more weight to the fact that they will be very strong contenders for the crown here.

- The imports that gave awesome performances were Mahram's Chris Williams and Al Shabab's Courtney Fields, both finishing with more than 30 markers.

- DonDon Hontieveros hit only 1-of-11 from the field against Al Ittihad, and he should improve on that if Gilas hopes to get past some of the tougher opposition ahead.

- Curiously enough, Zaid Abbas of ASU only played 10 minutes, and produced no points or rebounds. It'll be interesting to see how he responds to this considering he's one of the leading players in the Jordanian NT. 

- Predictions for today: Duhok over Al Ittihad in a close one, Al Rayyan over Al Jala'a by about 10-15 points, Gilas over the KL Dragons by at least 20, and Mahram over Al Shabab by a mile -- a long mile.

Results:

ASU-Jordan over Duhok-Iraq, 74-66

ASU (JOR) 74 -- Watkins 25, Dahgles 15, Al Sous 10, Islam 7, Mohammad 6, Alhamarsheh 4, Alawadi 4, Forehan-Kelly 3, Abbas 0, Soobzokov 0

Duhok (IRQ) 66 -- Gray 16, Al-Doori 15, Hamad 10, Agha 9, Giles 6, Mahdi M. 4, Al Juboori 3, Al-Tameemi 3, Mahdi J. 0

Quarter scoring: 15-17, 41-33, 49-50, 74-66

Rahman Agha tries to contain Sam Dahgles
(image from FIBAAsia.net)

Filoil FLying V Premiere Cup Scores: May 28, 2011

Speeding Bullets:

- The Staglets haven't had a great preseason, but they certainly put the hurt on the RP U13 cagers. The Staglets are a far cry from the previous seasons, but they can still make a run for the Final 4.
- The Baby Falcons look very formidable this season. Look for them to make the Final 4 cut after failing to do so in recent memory.
- Yousef Taha continues to impress, and he should play a vital role in the MIT scheme come opening day.
- The Tamaraws feasted on the hapless Knights, and Terrence Romeo once again showed why he is a legit Mythical 5 candidate for Season 74.
- The Bedans proved they could do just fine against tough competition even without their imports donning the Red & White.

Juniors:

SSC Staglets over RP U13, 95-35

SSC 95 -- Velasco, 16, Castor 10, Calisaan 10, Costelo 10, Gatdula 9, Macasaet 9, Magno 8, Navarro 7, Yong 4, Aceron 3, Loor 3, Pante 2, Balid 2, Miasco 2, Perlas 0, Rivera 0

RP U13 35 -- Lapis 7, Santos 7, Paras 6, Nakpil 4, Ong 4, Ceralde 3, Tio 3, Cabural 1, Bonleon 0, Jaime 0

Quarter scoring: 26-4, 46-10, 77-28, 95-35

Tyler Tio can only watch as Onyok Velasco (Yes, Onyok Velasco)
lays it in
(Image by Carl Sta. Ana/Filoil Flying V Sports)

Who killed Rock and Roll on local Radio?

Bye Bye UR :(
(image from bluesasianetwork.com)

Underground Radio 105.9 is signing off today.

That's the radio station where my bro and his girlfriend work as DJs. It's also where they met and fell in love. And it is the only remaining dedicated rock station on Philippine radio. In a few hours it will be no more. Another station, another crew will take over the frequency. And they'll probably play something personally depressing, like bakya music or 24/7 bubblegum pop. A lot of people will like this new format.

But not me.

Filoil FLying V Premiere Cup Scores: May 27, 2011

Speeding Bullets:

- The SBC Red Cubs, CSJL Squires and MIT Red Robins have all performed well in the preseason. Look for them to battle for the NCAA Juniors top spot starting next month.

- It seems the reports are true that Jay Javelosa has moved to, shall we say, greener pastures :(
- The Maroons showed great form against CSB, but can they still do it against the stronger teams in the UAAP?
- What an upset by the Arellano Chiefs! This is the same UST team that beat DLSU on opening day! I guess the Tigers will remain as unpredictable as ever! They have the firepower to beat any team on any given date, but they also have the bad habits that make them vulnerable against even the relatively "lighter" opponents. Paano na 'yan coach Pido?

Juniors:

CSJL Squires over EAC Brigadiers, 74-70

CSJL 74 – Nambatac 21, Serafica 16, Villanueva 12, Galleon 11, Licyayo 6, Quinto 4, Sazon 2, Catipay 1, Alas 1, Belga 0

EAC 70 – Booc 17, Superable 15, Mendoza 12, Gunita 10, Manreza 6, Rait 6, Onwubre 4, Cabral 0, Magtaas 0, Padrones 0

Quarter scoring: 21-12, 41-32, 63-52, 74-70

Aldryn Serafica tries from up close
(image from Carl Sta. Ana/Filoil Flying V Sports)

The Heat is on! Miami eliminates the Top-seeded Bulls in Game 5 of the East Finals.

Joakim Noah and the Bulls stumbled in the last
3 minutes of Game 5. They'r now on vacation.
(image by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

MIA over CHI, 83-80 (MIA wins 4-1)

It’s easy to hate the Heat.

But it’s hard to ignore the fact that they’re damn good at playing basketball. Good enough to win the 2011 NBA title? I hope not.

But their 12-3 postseason record thus far is hard to shove under the rug. This is not the Heat team that went 9-8 to start the season. It’s not the Heat team that lost 5 straight mid-season.

LeBron's Miami Heat have been
nearly invincible in the 2011 Playoffs
(image by MIke Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Yes, this is still the Heat team that cries when everyone disses them, but I don’t think any amount of wins will change that anyway.

Youth wasted on the Young! Dallas rallies to eliminate OKC in Game 5 of the West Finals!

Mavs win. Mavs win.
(image by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

DAL over OKC, 100-96 (DAL wins 4-1)

Textbook. Experience trumping talent. Veteran savvy getting the better of youthful exuberance. Battle-hardened (pun not intended) warriors getting another shot at glory at the expense of upstarts with a bright future.

Not this year KD
(image by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Textbook.

At least the Oklahoma Thunder can pencil this in as a valuable lesson in the class of “Winning an NBA Title.” The Thunder were good. They reached this deep into the playoffs by beating some great teams, but it just wasn’t their time.

It’s Dallas’s time, at least out West.

Filoil Flying V Premiere Cup Scores: May 25, 2011

Speeding Bullets: 

- The Jr. Archers are looking at really good chances to make the Final 4 this season. They might even be the odds-on favorite to win the UAAP Jrs. plum.
- The Tiger Cubs, despite playing with consistent inconsistency, surprised the Baby Falcons. Big man Neil Ilarde could be a nice pick-up in the Seniors ranks.
- UE's rookies are quite unheralded, but they're bound to make some noise this season. In particular, guys like Roy Sumang, BJ Zosa, Nike Montavio, Chris Javier and Nico Montelibano could make immediate contributions.
- If anything, NU has shown that it's really a one-man team. Who will take the cudgels if or when the teams unravel the puzzle that is Bobby Ray Parks?
- DLSU remains extremely dangerous, what with all their positions going at least two-deep. Norbert Torres finally had a great showing while Sam Marata hit some big shots. Almond Vosotros is slowly morphing into that possible I'll-be-consistently-good-guy the Archers will definitely need.

Juniors:

DLSZ Jr. Archers over AU Braves, 98-62

DLSZ 98 -- Torres 23, Reyes 15, Subido 14, Boo 11, Salvador 6, Joven 5, Betia 5, Tempongko 5, Yu 4, Cruz 4, Bederi 2, ngeles 2, Lim 2, Velhagen 0, Sajulga 0, Concepcion 0

AU 62 -- Ogawa 12, Reyes 10 Chan 10, Bernardo 8, Balajadia 6, Alcantara 5, Guerrero A. 2, Masacriñas 2, Cabiao 2, Cerrudo 2, Guibone 1, Datuin 1, Guerrero R. 1, Lontoc 0, Rivera 0, Villarosa 0

Quarter scores: 24-9, 54-23, 80-40, 98-62

Zobel's Joseph Tempongko sinks the easy lay-up
(image by Carl Sta. Ana/Filoil Flying V Sports)

Playing in High Heat! Miami beats Chicago in Game 4 of the East Finals!

The Heat are riding high on the crest of a 3-1 series lead
(image by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

MIA over CHI, 101-93 (MIA up 3-1)

Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, and Carlos Boozer all scored 20 or more points in Game 4.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for just 16-of-42 from the field.

The Bulls had more rebounds and assists than the Heat.

But it was all for naught.

Coaches chime in on the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup!

Below are choice excerpts from several interviews conducted by S. Mageshwaran of FIBA-Asia.net. He was able to get in touch with several coaches from the participating clubs in the upcoming Champions Cup in Manila. I focused on their comments about who would be favored to win and who their imports are going to be. My own comments follow after the excerpts.

Coach Mensur Bajramovic of Al Jala’a (Syria)

Coach Bajramovic of Al Jala'a
(image from ljutibosanci.com)

Q: What do you think of your chances in Manila?

A: Last year we did not come in a good situation.  We had lost the Syrian League Finals only two days before the FIBA Asia Champions Cup started. This year we are in a different position – our confidence is high with the wins and we have enough time to recover. I hope we can translate that into a better finish.

Just 10 minutes! Dallas climbs back to defeat Oklahoma in the West Finals!

Tyson Chandler and the Mavs just clinched a 3-1 series lead
(image by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

DAL over OKC, 112-105 (DAL up 3-1)

I left the house with about 5 minutes left in the game. The Oklahoma City Thunder were playing well, Serge Ibaka was resurgent, and their hometown crowd was as rowdy as can be.

Serge Ibaka and the Thunder
probably thought they had it won
(image by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

In the bag, I thought.

Big mistake.

But the biggest mistake?

Oklahoma probably thought the same.

2011 FIBA-Asia Champions Cup Side Stories!

Gilas Coach Rajko Toroman is wary of Iran and Lebanon

Mahram of Iran and Al-Riyadi of Lebanon have always been difficult teams to face in the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup, and this year will be no different.

Both clubs feature several national team stalwarts who are surely expected to make quite an impression in Manila come this weekend.

Hala Bola! 2011 PBA All-Star Weekend Updates Round 2!

PBA Legends yield to Young Guns in All-Star Shootout!

The Legends on the left felt the sting of defeat at the
hands of their younger sharper opponents
(image by Nuki Sabio/PBA.ph) 

How it happened: Ronald Tubid, Mark Macapagal and Jimmy Alapag outgunned the retired trio of Allan Caidic, Alvin Patrimonio and Ato Agustin in the Legends 3-Point Shootout right before the All-Star Game.

Bosh bashes the Bulls in Game 3 of the East Finals!

Chris Bosh was his best self in Game 3
(image by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

MIA over CHI, 96-85 (MIA up 2-1)

Carlos Boozer finally produced a double-double worthy of his image and stature.

But the Bulls still lost. Why?

Matrix Reloaded! Mavs maul Thunder in Game 3 of the West Finals!

Dallas made OKC's life difficult throughout Game 3
(image by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

DAL over OKC, 93-87 (DAL up 2-1)

Shawn Marion is not the one you know from the mid-2000s, when he used to make a living above the rim as the chief recipient of Steve Nash’s lobs. This season he logged a career-low 28 minutes per game, averaging a very un-Marion-like 12.5 points, 7 boards and 1 steal an outing.

Filoil Flying V Premiere Cup Scores: May 21, 2011

Speeding Bullets: (to follow)

- The RP U13 team is stocked with players from Xavier. Expect this batch to be the next Joseph Yeos and TY Tangs in the near future.
- The Red Cubs are looking really good. Daryl Nazareno looks like a lock to be one of next season's big recruits.
- Mapua didn't go down without a fight, but when Adamson's vets are clicking, they're extremely difficult to stop.
- Kevin Ferrer torched the Pirates and looks like he will make a serious run for the ROY plum.
- Alinko Mbah's game winner handed UP a resounding win, but it was Mike Silungan's 17 and Jelo Montecastro's 11 who kept UP in the match. Silungan played just 25 minutes too!

Juniors:

EAC Brigadiers over RP U13, 85-57

EAC 85 -- Superable 13, Mendoza 13, Booc 12, Padrones 12, Gunita 11, Cabral 10, Rait 9, Manreza 5, Onwubre 0, Magtaas 0

RP U13 57 -- Cabural 14, Tio 9, Lapis 8, Paras 7, Santos 5, Nakpil 4, Tan 4, Acot 3, Ong 3, Bonleon 0, Lee 0, Altamirano 0

Quarter scoring: 22-15, 42-28, 63-45, 85-57

The Brigadiers ran roughshod over the U13 Nationals
(image from FIloil Flying V Sports)

Hala Bola! 2011 PBA All-Star Weekend Updates!

Kelly Williams slams home a pass from Jimmy Alapag
(Image by Nuki Sabio/PBA.ph)

Slam Dunk Contest Winner: Kelly Williams of Talk N Text

How he did it: He caught a pass from teammate Jimmy Alapag, who was way up in the stands, and slammed it home with two hands!

Filoil Flying V Premiere Cup Scores: May 20, 2011

Speeding Bullets:

- Sans Kevin Ferrer, the UST Tiger Cubs might have a really tough time cracking the UAAP Jrs. Final 4 this season.

- The Baby Tams have no real big names to boast, which means, like UST, they might not make a splash in the upcoming UAAP wars.

- It seems Nate Matute is the new de facto scorer for the Heavy Bombers. He'll be hard-pressed to produce enough points to get JRU back into the Final 4.

- FEU is shaping up to be the strong contender many expect them to be. They seem to have a good balance between their backcourt and frontline, despite losing Reil Cervantes.

- The Stags have been railroading everyone. Expect them to do the same when the real NCAA season begins.

Juniors:

UST Tiger Cubs over JRU Light Bomers, 69-64

UST 69 -- Ilarde 25, Bahia 14, Lo 11, Ungria 7, Latoreno 6, Lazaro 4, Mayor 2, Botardo 0, Barles 0, Berdijo 0, Reyes 0, Ferrer 0

JRU 64 -- Montenegro 16, Fegidero 13, Fernandez 12, Molina 9, Samanguid 8, Faundo 6, Marcial 0, Barrameda 0

Quarter Scores: 16-20, 36-41, 49-53, 69-64

Can the Tiger Cubs re-enter the Jrs. Finals this season?
(image by Carl Sta. Ana/Filoil Flying V Sports)

Hardened Thunder outshoot Mavs in Game 2!

Kevin Durant gets the much-needed split in Game 2
(image by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

OKC over DAL, 106-100 (Series tied 1-1)

In a series where Jason Terry is tagged as the best off-the-bench player, it was Oklahoma’s James Harden who stole the show.

James Harden outplayed
Jason Terry in Game 2
(image by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Harden led a resilient Thunder bench mob to mop up in the 4^th quarter and steal one in Dallas. The OKC bench outscored their Texan counterparts, 39-29, en route to winning two nights after Dirk Nowitzki shot the lights out in Game 1.

2011 FIBA-Asia Champions Cup: Teams, Groupings, and Players to Watch!

(image from FIBAAsia.net)

Can Mahram-Tehran of Iran repeat as Champions Cup champs?
(image from FIBAAsia.net)

The 2011 FIBA-Asia Champions Cup will commence on May 28, 2011 and end on June 5, 2011 at the PhilSports Arena, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It will be the 22nd staging of the tourney and is co-organized by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and FIBA-Asia.

Slammed by Haslem – Miami squares the East Finals 1-game apiece

Udonis Haslem came up big in Game 2
(image by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Udonis Haslem was there when Dwyane Wade hoisted his first, and so far only, title back in 2006. He has to be there if LeBron James is to hoist his own title.

If Game 2 made anything abundantly clear, it was this: at this level, against a team like the Bulls, Miami needs to find its own anti-Noah, and that person is Haslem.

Filoil Flying V Premiere Cup Scores: May 18, 2011

Speeding Bullets: (to follow)

- The Eaglets struggled against a tough Mapua quintet, and it belies the relative dearth of star talent for this season. Who are the players not on the team? I'll write about it when the right time comes :)

- The Red Cubs of San Beda, on the other hand, look primed for a strong run in the NCAA Juniors circuit.

- Looks like both Mapua and JRU will be fighting for nothing more than the dignified "middle of the pack" in the NCAA Seniors.

- EAC's Noube Happi seems happy playing the slot for the Generals. Whether he'll measure up against the other imports is another story altogether.

- Coach Richard Del Rosario can look forward to another year of uncertainty with his Blazers.

- UE will be running a lot this coming season, which means they'll hoist a lot of shots, and probably miss a lot too.

-Former Letran Squire JM Noble look sto play heavy minutes in Season 74, especially since Ken Acibar has been demoted to Team B.

Juniors:

MIT Red Robins over AdMU Blue Eaglets, 67-59

MIT 67 – Basas 20, Alejandro 16, De Castro 14, Valdez 8, Pancho 4, Dela Cruz 3, Diego 2, Serrano 0, Ramos 0, Castillo 0, Tolentino 0, Aviso 0

AdMU 59 – Ramos 12, Asuncion 10, Porter 9, Asistio 8, Austria 4, Gamboa 4, Capacio 2, Lim 2, Tenorio 2, Vitangcol 2, Escaler 2, Black 2, Ravena 0, Ladaban 0, Puno 0

Quarter Scores: 12-5, 32-18, 51-37, 67-59

Tomas Ramos sizes up the Mapua D
(image from Filoil Flying V Sports)

The Jump-Shooting German – Dallas beats OKC in Game 1

Dirk Nowitzki torched the basket
for 48 big ones.
(image by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Nobody could stop Kevin Durant.

Nobody could stop Dirk Nowitzki.

The difference?

The jump-shooting German had more help, and from the littlest guys too.

Off-Topic: Ateneo Lady Eagles bag their first Shakey's V-League crown!

The Lady Eagles celebrate a point
in their Game 1 win
(image by Taj Chupungco/Shakeys V-League)

The Ateneo de Manila Lady Eagles notched their first ever volleyball title by beating the Adamson Lady Falcons, 24-26, 25-18, 25-22, 19-25, 15-11 yesterday amidst a packed crowd at The Arena in San Juan.

Ateneo swept its UAAP nemesis, 2-0, in the series.

Quick Pick: Western Conference Finals

The Mavs and Thunder face off in the West Finals
(image by Layne Murdoch/Getty Images)

(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (4) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a peculiar pairing right here.

On one hand we have a talent-laden veteran team who swept the defending champions in menacing fashion. They’re well-rested. They have the experience. They’re savvy. They’re deep.

On the other hand we have a young, up-and-coming team who went through a 7-game wringer against a persistent 8th seed. They may be a little tired. They’re relatively inexperienced. They’re athletic. They’re pretty deep too.

Playoff Postmortem: Memphis Grizzlies

(image from sportslogos.net)

Zebo and Gasol make a tremendous twin tower twosome
(image by the AP)

When a team that sold out only four games in the regular season knocks the top seed in the West and pushes the 4^th seed to 7 games, it’s sure to turn heads.

And they did all of that without arguably their best all-around player in Rudy Gay.

Playoff Postmortem: Atlanta Hawks

(image from sportslogos.net)

Is the 2nd round as good as it gets for the Hawks?
(image by the AP)

The Hawks had a good run this season. They finished 5^th in the East, beat the fancied Orlando Magic in the 1^st round of the playoffs, and gave Derrick Rose and his Bulls some anxious moments in the 2^nd round.

Larry Drew will have to shake
things up to improve his team
(image by J. Meric/Getty Images)

The bad thing, though, is that might be as good as it gets for Larry Drew’s crew.

Loads of Bull! Chicago blows out the Heat!

CHI over MIA, 103-82(CHI up 1-0)

These Bulls just drew first blood against the Heat.
(image by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Derrick Rose started his first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals with a string of turnovers, and the Heat made the Bulls pay with a pair of transition hoops. But it’s not really how you start is it? It’s how you finish.

And the Chicago Bulls finished with a wallop.

And the Miami Heat’s Big 3 got a taste of why this is called the Windy City – because if you’re not careful, you might just get blown out.