Basilan caps MPBL Invitational opener with Bicol win

Michael Juico

The much-anticipated matchup between Basilan and Bicol lived up to the hype on Saturday night, as former held off the latter, 70-65, in Pool B action at the Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Invitational powered by TM inside the Mall of Asia Arena.

Basilan head coach Jerson Cabiltes shared post-match, "It was a hard-fought game from start to finish."

He adds, "They built a big lead at the start between the first and second quarter we were down by 15. I just told the boys not to give up and to stay with our system and to keep the pressure on. Ayun nga, buti na lang nag bunga nung dulo."

Bicol led 26-11 at that point, and Jumbo Plastic-backed side battled back to overcome the deficit.

After drawing Mark Yee's fifth foul, JR Taganas secured a split of his free throws to establish a 67-65 lead with 47.2 seconds remaining.

Another split from the from the charity stripe, this time from Jay Collado, made it a three-point game with 11.4 seconds left.

Bicol had a chance to tie the game, but Dennis Santos misfires on his three-pointer. Ernesto Bondoc would then convert on a fastbreak layup to cap scoring in the game.

Michael Juico topped Basilan with 24 points on 7/13 shooting, with six rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the victory. Collado added fifteen points and seven rebounds, with team skipper Jonathan Uyloan contributing eleven markers, a couple of boards, and three steals.

Santos led the Volcanoes in scoring with 22 points and four rebounds, while Ralph Tansingco netted thirteen markers. Top-ranked 3x3 baller Mac Tallo finished with twelve points, three rebounds, and five assists.

It will not take long for Bicol to try to give Aldin Ayo a win in his return to five-on-five coaching, as they face Laguna on Sunday at 1pm, while Basilan takes an uncharacteristic four-day break before returning to the court on Thursday against Marikina at 5pm.

The Scores: 

Basilan (70) - Juico 24, Collado 15, Uyloan 11, Serrano 6, Reyes 4, Bondoc 4, Siruma 3, Bringas 2, Taganas 1, Gabo 0, Gimpayan 0, Manalang 0

Bicol (65) - Santos 22, Tansingco 13, Tallo 12, Cruz 5, Yee 5, Marcelino 3, Huang 3, Luib 2, Lao 0, Gabawan 0

Quarterscores: 11-20, 35-35, 51-47, 70-65.

Alab vs Chong Son on tap for ABL on S+A

ABL on S+A tonight

Alab Pilipinas will have a formidable task looming tonight at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna, as it hosts league contenders Chong Son Kung Fu in ASEAN Basketball League play.

Alab is currently on a three-game winning run and six of its last seven, and a win for the hosts would put them even closer to league leaders Hong Kong Eastern. They are fresh from a 95-87 victory over the Saigon Heat in Vietnam this past weekend to move them to 6-4 and fourth place.

This winning stretch has been largely through the efforts of their reinforcements Justin Brownlee and Renaldo Balkman. The latter duo combined for 51 points and 35 rebounds against the Heat. According to resident league broadcast analyst Marco Benitez, Alab can overcome its rebounding disadvantage due to its lack of ceiling through its hustle and athleticism, something that can be done against the likes of Chong Son.

This is their first meeting against the Chinese newcomers, who tote a 6-1 record and are currently second in the league. Chong Son are coming off a 96-79 victory over Westports Malaysia Dragons. Mikhael McKinney contributed 32 points and four rebounds, while Caelan Tiongson added 18 points and eight rebounds. A win would move them to just two wins behind the defending champions.

Those who want to watch it can do so on S+A starting at 8pm LIVE.

Smorgasborg of Sporting Action on S+A

Lots of stuff on S+A.

This weekend on S+A will be packed with amazing sporting action that different kinds of fans will enjoy.

In the ASEAN Basketball league, Alab Pilipinas travels to Indonesia for their matchup against the CLS Knights. To be shown LIVE starting at 8pm, the lone Filipino squad in the ABL seeks to follow-up its smashing 114-87 victory over Mono Vampire last week.

MMA on S+A kicks off with the first ONE Championship event for the year, ONE: Kings of Courage. Held at the Jakarta Convention Center also on Saturday, it features the crowning of the first ONE Women's Strawweight Champion. Tiffany "No Chill" Teo and Jingnan "The Panda" Xiong will fight it out for the belt in the main event. The card has one Filipino participant, as Rene Catalan goes up against Xuen Peng. Coverage begins at 10pm.

Football fans take their turn on S+A, with Newcastle visiting current Premier League pacesetters Manchester City LIVE at 125am on Sunday. S+A will then show the matchup of Burnley against Manchester United at 330am. If Spanish football is what one prefers, Real Madrid faces Deportivo at 1110pm LIVE on Sunday night.

A potential NBA Western Conference Finals preview is on tap on Sunday morning, as the matchup with the Golden State Warriors traveling to Houston to face the Rockets, LIVE at 930am, with a replay telecast immediately scheduled at 12nn.

Then starting at 3pm, ABS-CBN will be presenting the LIVE airing of the Galaxy Battles: Emerging Worlds DoTA 2 tournament finals. Emanating from the Philippine Arena, the Filipino gaming community will be able to watch noted DoTA 2 teams like OG and TNC engage in tactical warfare. noted TierOne shoutcasters Nico Nazario, Jaz Comoda, and Bianca Yao will be on deck to share their know-how to eSports fans.

Make sure to check out S+A and sports.abs-cbn.com for more details on the different sporting action this weekend.

Alab Pilipinas looking to extend good form vs Singapore

Tanduay-Alab Pilipinas seeks to extend its winning run in the ASEAN Basketball League tonight to four games, as they host the Singapore Slingers at the Filoil Flying V Centre.

Set to tip off at 8pm with LIVE coverage on both S+A and S+A HD, this is the second of their home-and-home matchup against the two sides, with Alab ekeing out the 89-80 OT victory at the OCBC Arena.

Justin Brownlee contributed seventeen points, seven rebounds, and eight assists, while Renaldo Balkman added 26 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and a couple of blocks while also dealing with Chris Charles.

Local ABL experts are impressed with Alab's current form so far, which has put them at .500 for the season, just behind the Saigon Heat for fourth place in the standings.

According to Marco Benitez, "If Alab can continue to improve their chemistry and the support from the local players, having Brownlee and Balkman -- both do-it-all imports – it will likely be able to carry them to the top 6 in the standings, enough to make it to the postseason. The major area of concern for Alab is on the rebounding end, as they will be facing teams, like Chong Son for instance, with taller and better rebounders. But if they can overcome that with their hustle and athleticism, then there's no reason why they shouldn't be able to compete against the best the ABL has to offer."

Anton Roxas echoed the former Blue Eagle's sentiments, "They (Brownlee and Balkman) have proven to be a winning combination so far and I expect them to continue playing well all throughout January. I will mark my calendar for January 31 though as Alab hosts the currently undefeated Chong Son Kung Fu at the Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex. That should be a very interesting contest."

Meanwhile, Martin Javier shares that "After a slow start, they're riding a 3-game winning streak to begin 2018. If they're able to sustain it, this kind of firepower can carry them to at least a semis and hopefully maximize the talent to get past top teams like Chong Son Kung Fu and defending champs, Hong Kong Eastern. The addition of their newest world imports and a very capable bench unit could be a recipe for success for Alab this year."

The Slingers, on the other hand, have slumped, with the OT loss against Alab dropping them to 3-5 with their fourth loss in their last five matches.

Tanduay-Alab Pilipinas vs Singapore Slingers on tap for ABL play

ABL on S+A tomorrow

Tanduay-Alab Pilipinas heads to the OCBC Arena in Singpore to face the Singapore Slingers in ASEAN Basketball League action tomorrow.

Alab is fresh from a 90-79 victory over Westports Malaysia Dragons earlier this week at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan, and are raring to avenge their 97-83 loss back in November in Sta. Rosa. They will be doing so with a couple of new reinforcements who made impressive debuts.

Justin Brownlee stuffed the stat sheet with 28 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and a couple of blocks. Renaldo Balkman wasn't too shabby himself with seventeen points, eleven rebounds, an assist, four steals, and a couple of blocks.

Reigning ABL MVP Rayray Parks was thankful for the presence of the former PBA imports, as it frees him up to focus more on defensive responsibilities. He shares, "Balkman and Brownlee are athletic, and they make us get up and down the floor, making us a way faster team, it’s a great fit. They’re great talents, which makes everything easier in facilitating and creating and at I can focus more on putting pressure on opposing guards."

Dondon Hontiveros adds, "We needed imports who are fast. With Justin and Balkman, these are the types of guys that (Coach) Jimmy wants for our team, they can switch and guard multiple positions aside from creating their own offense. Aside from that, they have experience, with Brownlee coming off a championship and Balkman from a stellar tour of duty overseas, with national team stints."

Meanwhile, the Slingers are playing their first game in 2018 after ending 2017 with an 82-79 defeat to Hong Kong Eastern. Like Alab, they also have a new reinforcement, enlisting two-time World Import MVP Chris Charles alongside Xavier Alexander and AJ Mandani.

The game will be shown LIVE on S+A and S+A HD at 4pm, with a replay scheduled at 8pm.

Alab vs Singapore tomorrow night

Alab Pilipinas

Alab Pilipinas will attempt to bounce back from their opening disappointment tomorrow night, as they host last season's finalists Singapore Slingers at the Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Fresh from their 92-89 loss to defending champions Hong Kong Eastern, the squad coached by Jimmy Alapag seeks to bounce back against the visiting Slingers, who are fresh from a 77-66 win over the CLS Knights.

Alab rode on their reinforcements Reggie Okosa and Ivan Johnson in their opener, scoring 28 and 17 points, respectively. Last season's MVP Ray Parks also contributed 17 points.

The Slingers relied on their reinforcements to defeat the Indonesian newcomers. Xavier Alexander contributed 26 points, eleven rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and a block, while Ryan Wright added 21 points, thirteen rebounds, three assists, a steal, and three blocks.

The match also features Josh Urbiztondo going up against the team he played for last year. The Slingers replaced him with AJ Mandani for this season, although the guard struggled against CLS with just a couple of points on 1/10 shooting.

The game will be shown LIVE on S+A, starting at 8pm.

Alab Pilipinas kicks off its ASEAN Basketball League campaign on S+A

ABL kicks off this week

Alab Pilipinas is seeking to improve on its initial foray in the ASEAN Basketball League by kicking off its campaign at home this Sunday, LIVE on S+A at 8pm, against Hong Kong Eastern at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The lone Filipino representative to the league decided to soup up the squad that almost made it to the finals last season, enlisting Jimmy Alapag as its new head coach, while also tapping the likes of Rico Maierhofer and Dondon Hontiveros to backstop alongside team stalwarts Ray Parks and Lawrence Domingo. Meanwhile, serving as the team's reinforcement is Ivan Johnson.

Competition will be stiffer in this go-around, with the recent improvements of holdovers Singapore Slingers, Saigon Heat, Westsports Malaysia Dragons, and the aforementioned Hong Kong Eastern, the team that touts recent PBA top overall draft pick Christian Standhardinger. Alab will also have to contend with a returning Mono Vampires club, and three newcomers in the Formosa Dreamers, CLS Knights, and the Nanhai Long Lions.

Make sure to check out the telecast of this matchup, and the other ABL games that will be shown on S+A all season long.

Seven teams for ABL's Sixth Season

The ASEAN Basketball League press conference

Season Six for the ASEAN Basketball League is set to commence on October 2015, with seven teams from five nations set to participate in the lone regional basketball league in Southeast Asia.

Reigning champions Hi-Tech Bangkok City is set on making a successful ABL title defense, with last season's finalists Westports Malaysia Dragons leading the charge among the squads seeking to dethrone them.

The league will have three new teams for the upcoming season, including a couple from the returning Philippines.

Representing Mindanao in the ABL is the Pacquiao Powervit Pilipinas Aguilas, while Racal Motors- Alibaba will have its matches in Malolos, Bulacan. Completing the trio of newcomers is the Mono Vampire Basketball Club from Thailand.

The other two sides participating in the league are the Saigon Heat and the Singapore Slingers.

For more details on the ASEAN Basketball League, check the website.

ASEAN Basketball League welcomes Racal Motors

In the past couple of days, the ASEAN Basketball League announced the return of the Philippines into its fold.

After the revelation of the PACMAN-Mindanao Aguilas as the first Pinoy squad in the regional league, the Racal Group of Companies announced on Wednesday that they will be the second Filipino team that will take part in the 8-team ABL.

The conglomerate has been one of the most active participants in local basketball scene, with teams in the PBA D-League (Keramix Mixers) and the FilSports Basketball Association (Racal Motors). They also made some headlines by recently reaffirming their intention to join the PBA as an expansion franchise. For the ABL, the team will take the name Racal Motors Alibaba.com.

According to its chairman, Jonito C. Racal, participating in the ASEAN Basketball League is an "avenue to further enhance and broaden their market reach in the region."

PACMAN Mindanao Aguilas now part of ASEAN Basketball League

Manny Pacquiao and the PACMAN Mindanao Aguilas staff.

Manny Pacquiao gets to wear another hat.

The Sarangani representative has been named as a supporter for one of the newest teams in the upcoming season of the ASEAN Basketball League, the PACMAN Mindanao Aguilas.

A couple of Zamboanga-based businessmen in Mark Chiong and Rolando Navarro, Jr. are backing the formation of the squad, with the blessings of Lantaka Hotel GM Monsi dela Cruz, and various Mindanao-based government officials aside from Pacquiao.

Aguilas General Manager Sergei Bien Orillo says that the team wants to showcase the region and its best basketball talents from Mindanao, while at the same be able to compete in leagues like the ABL. He adds that the Aguilas' participation is a reflection of the region's unity and peace involving those of the Christian and Islamic faith.

According to head coach Nino Rejhi Natividad, Pacquiao gave the team a simple mandate: to field the best team possible while at the same time develop the sport further in Mindanao. He adds that Manny wants the Aguilas "not only just participate, but also excel, compete against the best that the region has to offer, and contend for the championship.

The ABL is set to kick off in October 2015 with eight teams from six countries on board. More details for the upcoming season to follow in the coming weeks.