Barangay Ginebra kings vs. BMEG 1st game

ANTIPOLO – B-Meg coach Tim Cone insisted, somehow, they have Meralco to thank for in drawing first blood in their semifinal duel with Barangay Ginebra. 

Toughened up by their highly physical semis battle with the Bolts, the Llamados showed up the Kings, 82-67, in the opener of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four showdown at the Ynares Sports Center here Wednesday night.

“I really feel our physical game against Meralco prepared us tonight. We’re mentally prepared to play that kind of game,” said Cone. 

The Llamados showed physical and mental toughness, overcoming a poor start and winning in runaway fashion. 

Cone stressed, though, it’s just one game that doesn’t decide the series. 

“I’ve been here many times before. Game One doesn’t mean much. Second game is really the key in my mind. It’s either you get out of a hole or get a big lead,” said Cone. 

In this series opener, the Llamados climbed out of an early 15-point hole and showed tremendous sustaining power, dominating the Kings in the final half. 

“It’s an interesting first half. They’re No. 1 in the league on defense and we’re No. 2. At halftime, I told the guys if we have to bleed for our points, don’t be afraid. That’s the way to win it,” said Cone. 

“We got going in the second half, we started knocking shots then we built a lead. It was a surprising lead and to me that’s the story of the game,” Cone added. 

The Kings got off to a strong start but tapered off in the second quarter and failed to recover, terribly missing the services of injured star Mark Caguioa. 

Jackson Vorman sizzled with seven points, five rebounds and three assists in the opening period but he himself cooled down in the next three quarters. 

Probably due to frustration, Vroman lost his cool in his rugged battle with Yancy de Ocampo in the second half. He incurred a flagrant foul penalty 1 for shoving De Ocampo’s face. 

Marc Pingris also drew an F1 earlier in a collision with Enrico Villanueva. Pingris’ infraction seemed to fire up his teammates, though. 

The Llamados made a big turnaround from a 15-point deficit early on, building 20-point spreads in the fourth quarter and breezing through in what was expected to be a slam bang setto. 

Getting the wake up call from their second group, the Llamados went roaring in the second quarter and took the half at 33-29. 

Pingris, De Ocampo and PJ Simon ignited their charge from 8-23 down, pulling even at 26-all on a short jumper by James Yap and pulling ahead, 29-26, on a three-pointer by Joe Devance. 

The Kings lost their rhythm in the second period, converting only two of 20 attempts for the second worse shooting in a quarter by Ginebra ever. (SB) 

The scores: 

B-MEG 82 - Bowles 21, Simon 13, Devance 9, Yap 9, De Ocampo 9, Urbiztondo 6, Reavis 5, Intal 4, Pingris 4, Villanueva 2, Barroca 0. 

GINEBRA 67 - Vroman 10, Labagala 10, Villanueva 8, Hatfield 8, Cortez 7, Canaleta 6, Helterbrand 6, Ababou 5, W. Wilson 4, J. Wilson 2, Raymundo 1, Mamaril 0. 

Quarters: 8-21, 33-29, 60-42, 82-67

Ginebra gin kings vs BMEG llamados battle royale PBA semis

Manila Clasico Redux: B-meg Sets Up Rare Showdown With Ginebra

The B-MEG Llamados set up a blockbuster best-of-five semifinals showdown with Barangay Ginebra following an 86-76 victory over the Meralco Bolts in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

This will only be the fourth time since 1988 the two franchises will meet in a playoff series.

The Anejo Rhum 65ers defeated the Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs in four games, 3-1 in the 1988 All-Filipino finals.

Nine years later, the Purefoods Corned Beef Cowboys exacted vengeance against the Gordon’s Gin Boars in the same All-Filipino tournament.

The two squads had a short playoff matchup in the 2001 Philippine Cup quarterfinals, when Ginebra beat Purefoods twice on a memorable game-winning shot by Ronald Magtulis.

B-MEG and Ginebra will meet for the first time in an import-laden conference, which will begin on Wednesday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.

Llamados coach Tim Cone said the series against the Bolts toughened up his team for the meeting against Ginebra.

“The moment we lost to Ginebra, the first thing we talked about is that we wanted to get back and play them again and it’s a good thing we can play them again. This series will toughen us up against Ginebra,” said Cone

“It’s better that we went through a tough series against Meralco than just making it to the semis and wait for them.






A semi-final series between old rivals Ginebra and B-MEG: what a thrilling concept. Connect today's Ginebra with yesterday's Ańejo. Search for what binds today's B-MEG and yesterday's Purefoods. Highlight the never-say-die spirit. Single out Alvin Patrimonio. Maybe you're too old to forget. Maybe you're too young to remember. But a possible clash between Ginebra and B-MEG honors the past and enlivens the future.

The Ańejo-Purefoods rivalry became so mainstream in 1988 it was impossible to miss. It split my highschool class in half. We remember teachers because of their affiliation. Mr. Brazal was pro-Ginebra. Fr. Perez was pro-Purefoods. The technician of the science lab looked like Chito Loyzaga. We dubbed one classmate, who had the audacity to wear Jaworski signature shoes in a sea of Nike Airs, "Jawo". Another classmate idolized Patrimonio so much, he triumphantly copied Alvin's haircut but unsuccessfully copied Alvin's game.

I don't wish to undermine Meralco's chances against B-MEG in the quarterfinals

Face it; Ginebra fans will have just as much fun cheering against Mark Cardona, as they will against James Yap. Imagine Cardona beating his chest, with 55 points across his name, showered by a cascade of boos heard from Cubao to Kathmandu. Imagine Sol Mercado locking arms with Mark Caguioa. Imagine Chris Ross sprinting against Mike Cortez. Imagine the euphoria if Ginebra advances at Cardona's expense. Imagine the shock if Meralco, instead of Ginebra, makes it to the Finals.





Fans of the old days make the same mistakes. They say Ginebra instead of the actual team name, Barangay Ginebra Kings. They say Purefoods instead of B-MEG. Younger fans, on the other hand, know what BGK stands for and they use the hash-tag #BMEGPlanet on Twitter. If Ginebra and B-MEG meet again, if fate allows new teams to settle old scores, a series could bridge the gap between Jaworski devotees and Caguioa followers, between Patrimonio supporters and Yap believers. I am too old to forget the past. Yet a rekindled rivalry makes both the old and new young always

ginebra gin kings latest import

Chris Alexander has been replaced! He will no longer be the import of the Ginebra Gin Kings for the rest of the PBA Season 37 Commissioner's Cup.

The 7'1 Chris "The Great" Alexander will be replaced by the 6'10 Jackson Vroman. I was told that Chris will be shifted to the Asean Basketball League (ABL) to play for the San Miguel Beermen, SMC's team in the ABL. Though this is not what the majority of the Ginebra fans want, Chris will have to leave his beloved Ginebra team to give way for Vroman. Perhaps his departure is for the betterment of his team. We'll see in the next few days if Ginebra will become a much better team with Vroman in the helm instead of Alexander. Alexander managed to help Ginebra get 2 wins this Conferece that's why they have a 2-1 win-loss record. Let's just wait and see if Vroman will be able to make a greater impact than Alexander.

To those who are not familiar with Vroman, he's a naturalized Lebanese basketball player who plays the Center position. He has a lot of basketball experience to offer. He played in the FIBA Asia for Lebanon and he also played in the NBA particularly for the New Orleans Hornets and the Phoenix Suns. What I like about him is that he is quite fast for his size. He's a very dynamic big man who loves attacking the rim just like Tyler Hansbrough of the Indiana Pacers. He's also a good pick and roll player because he has great hands that can receive passes very well even in tight situations. In the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, he averaged 14.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2 assists per game against the best of the best basketball players. 




source : ballerspinas.com

Ginebra vs Rai or Shine Dubai Match

Another breath taking win by barangay ginebra gin kings last feb 25, 2012

Highlights of the game is in the last 28.1 seconds where Bgy Ginebra is still leading with 89 - 88 score. The ball is in the hands of Ginebra, Kirby Raymundo missed his shot and it was an airball.

The basketball landed in the hands of Norwood on the receiving end but the supposed buzzer beater shot of Norwood did not sink to the basket in the last few seconds. Rain or Shine lost to Ginebra with final score of 89 - 88. Gin Kings winning in the court in Dubai.




Duke Crews led Rain or Shine to a mighty comeback from a 13-point deficit in the
homestretch but had a big mental lapse in the closing seconds, allowing Barangay Ginebra to escape
with an 89-88 squeaker in the closing game of the PBA Dubai series at the Al-Shabab Sports Club here
Friday.

Crews dished out his most productive performance as a Rain or Shine import, collecting 28 points and
20 rebounds, but threw away his effort by forgetting to call a timeout after collaring the offensive
carom following a missed shot by Mike Cortez with five seconds left in the clock.

In a previous timeout, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao’s instruction was clear – sue for time
once they get possession.

The Elasto Painters, however, didn’t follow the order, instead running a transition play that they
failed to complete, allowing the Kings to nail a second win in three starts in the mid-season
Commissioner’s Cup.

Getting an outlet pass from Crews, Gabe Norwood himself didn’t call a timeout, missing a
desperation shot off Jayjay Helterbrand in the dying seconds to the delight of the predominantly
pro-Ginebra crowd in the jampacked playing venue.

“It’s far from a good win but we take it. We have a long 10-hour flight home. At least, we’re
flying home happy,” said Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen.

“Breaks of the game. Di naka timeout si Duke Crews. Yung kay Gabe naman, di na pwedeng pigilin
dahil fastbreak na,” rued Rain or Shine assistant coach Caloy Garcia.

Splitting their two games here, the Elasto Painters are going home Sunday with a 1-3 win-loss
record.

Mark Caguioa topscored for Ginebra with 19 points, including a crucial five-point binge giving the
Kings their 13-point spread at 87-74 with 4:57 left to play.

The Elasto Painters, however, refused to give up, going to Crews, Jeff Chan and Paul Lee as they
rallied to within two at 87-89 with 43.4 ticks left.

A dribbling error by Kerby Raymundo in the next play opened the opportunity for Rain or Shine to
tie. The Elasto Painters, however, failed to capitalize with Crews splitting two free throws in the
last 28.3 seconds and later forgetting to call a timeout. Chris Alexander struggled for only 14
points but Jayjay Helterbrand, Mike Cortez and Kerby Ramundo also produced double-digit outputs for
the Kings.

Helterbrand fired four three-pointers, including a buzzer-beater pushing Ginebra on top, 42-40, at
the half. The 2009 MVP winner finished with 18 points.







For the third straight game, the Barangay Ginebra Kings found themselves in another tight battle.



This time, the Kings found a way to escape as they survived the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 89-88, in the second of two out-of-the-country games of the 37th PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Al-Shabab Sports Clu in Dubai, UAE late Friday night.



Rain or Shine missed the chance of sweeping its Dubai- sojourn when import Duke Crews committed a telling mental lapse in the closing seconds of the game.



The Painters, who went into the game riding the crest of their 99-95 win over the Barako Bull Energy, battled from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit and had a chance to steal the win in the final seconds.



With his team down by a hairline, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao instructed his wards to call a timeout should they retain possession in the waning seconds.



The Painters came up with a big defensive stop when they forced Mike Cortez to miss a jumpshot in the final five seconds.





Duke Crews secured the defensive rebound but instead of following Guiao’s instruction, he threw an outlet pass to Gabe Norwood, whose desperation shot went awry.



Before leaving for Dubai, Ginebra absorbed a deflating 74-76 loss to the Alaska Aces . Before that two-point loss, the Kings barely survived the Petron Blaze Boosters.








Source: inquirer.net, pba.ph

Kerby Raymundo... Gin kings perfect match..

www.ginebrafanpage.blogspot.com




Despite of the 3 crucial missed freethrows last game with alaska, Kerby Raymundo is still the missing link that the Gin Kings is looking for...


MANILA, Philippines—Kerby Raymundo is never one to back down from big statements. After all, this was the same guy who declared on national television that he was denied a conference MVP award once.

So it did not come as a surprise that he added one last twist to the trade that shipped him out of the team he had led for so long and into one that he followed as a child.

As he put it, Raymundo wanted that trade.

“Actually, I requested to be traded to Ginebra because ever since I was a kid, Ginebra was my team,” said Raymundo, who led the Llamados to several championships including the 2002 PBA Governor’s Cup where he was named the Finals MVP.

“I’m blessed and happy to be here.”

A 12-year veteran with a handful Mythical first team selections under his belt, Raymundo knows the trade will force him to explore different facets of his game. Long the marquee big man of the B-Meg franchise, the former Letran standout knows he’s in a different situation now.

“Everyone knows Jayjay (Helterbrand) and Mark (Caguioa) are great scorers and I just need to set solid screens for them to get free,” added Raymundo. “Not much in the scoring, but in the other departments.”

The six-foot-six forward didn’t have a spectacular debut donning his favorite team’s jersey, but he did contribute just enough to help the Gin Kings nip Petron Blaze last Sunday.

Raymundo logged 31 minutes and netted 10 points to go along with six rebounds, four of which were offensive boards. However, he shot poorly, missing 11 of his 16 shots from the field and had three errors.

“He’s still feeling his way through what we’re doing. It’s really a process. The attitude is great but he needs to jell with his teammates and it hasn’t happened yet,” said Ginebra head coach Siot Tanquingcen. “But

hopefully it will happen, since he’s very receptive to his teammates.”

“I was excited, I was too eager but I’ll do my best to get better and hopefully I can adjust faster,” Raymundo said of his first outing as a Gin King.

Raymundo was part of a three-team deal that sent athletic wingman JC Intal to B-Meg along with the 2012 second round pick of Barako Bull while Ronald Tubid, Reil Cervantes and Ginebra’s 2014 second round pick went to the Energy.

Apart from Raymundo, the Gin Kings also landed former Smart Gilas Pilipinas mainstay Dylan Ababou.

“Kerby is great, he gives us another big man presence as well as Ababou, even though he didn’t play to his capabilities tonight, that kid can play and I’m glad he’s on our team. Good trade on both sides,” said Helterbrand, who hit a sensational buzzer-beating leaner that salvaged the thrilling win for the Kings, 84-82.

Helterbrand said he’s glad to have the caliber of Raymundo “on their side” but also admitted that it’s going to take a lot of time before his new teammate gets to jell with everyone.
“So far he’s doing pretty good,” added Helterbrand.
Knee injuries may have robbed Ginebra of the opportunity to unleash a full-strength Raymundo on opponents. The former national player has logged several basketball miles already and the Kings are getting the star at the tailend of his career. But Tanquingcen believes his newly acquired forward still has a lot left in his tank.
“He just has to play who he is. Who Kerby is, he can’t change how he looks at himself. He just has to be himself. He just has to be that guy,” said Tanquingcen.

This is what Raymundo used to be: NCAA MVP, a 10-time PBA All-star, a Finals MVP and a champion. How much of that will Ginebra get? Raymundo just might give an answer that will surprise everybody.

Source: http://sports.inquirer.net
www.ballerspilipinas.com

Ginebra gin kings still the crowd's favorite...

I'll just keep this post short because I think, the PBA Commissioner Mr. Chito Salud's statement below is enough to prove that the Ginebra Gin Kings is still thecrowd favorite in the PBA. 

According to our beloved Commissioner, Ginebra is still the crowd favorite followed by Petron which is the 2nd most liked team and then B-Meg and Talk 'n are fighting for the 3rd most liked team. His basis is the Gate Receipt last Conference.

Here is the Commissioner's statement:

‎

"Crowd Favorite pa rin ang Ginebra, ikalawa ang Petron, naglalaban sa ikatlo ang Bmeg at Talk N' Text." Yan ay base sa Gate Receipt last Conference !"

Going on, I was surprised that B-Meg was not listed as the number crowd favorite team because if I'm not mistaken their fans were able to make a gate attendancerecord in one of their games last Conference. But then again, that was just in one game. That was still an inferior gate attendance record compared to Ginebra's. The Ginebra fans perhaps were more consistent in supporting their team. This just goes to show that Ginebra's charisma is really on a different and higher level.

Ginebra vs alaska... a match to watch..

BARANGAY Ginebra's Chris Alexander and Alaska counterpart Adam Parada, admittedly, have yet to reach full game-shape. Just how far the reinforcements' progress have gone should be known when the Gin Kings and Aces collide in the first PBA Commissioner's Cup road game Saturday at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City. A win by Ginebra in the Phoenix Fuel-sponsored setto puts it alongside idle leader B-MEG while Alaska is bidding to grab solo second place with a second straight victory. "A very crucial game against a very dangerous team," said Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen. As in their past outings the teams' locals should play major roles, but their imports remain the key. Especially for Ginebra, which is set to play minus Rudy Hatfield. The hard-working forward had to go back to the US to attend the funeral of his grandparent. Hatfield had seven points and nine rebounds before being ejected for an early technical and a third quarter flagrant foul-penalty 1 in the Kings' game against Petron Blaze but the perennial crowd favorite still won, 84-82, thanks to a last-second shot by Jayjay Helterbrand. Alexander did not do so bad in his own return stint with 21 points and 24 rebounds despite being forcefully laid off for close to nine months. He needed the time to recuperate after his eye was injured in an accident back home. "Admittedly, he came in not in the best of shape, but he is working himself back somehow," said Tanquingcen. One thing is sure about the man who led the Kings to the 2008 Fiesta Conference title and copped the Best Import award to boot. "Basta ang attitude niya parang Ginebra," said Tanquingcen. "Lalaban at lalaban siya." It would take some doing. Alaska is coming off a cruising 109-102 win over Rain or Shine after Cyrus Baguio scored 25 points and Parada added 24 points to go with 20 rebounds. Those numbers, along with the ones he put up in a 78-98 loss to Barako Bull on opening day, jacked the seven-foot Mexican's averages to 20.0 points and 17.5 rebounds. Not bad for someone who got sidelined by a calf muscle injury for two months and came into the tourney just a week before it started. "I hope he continues to get in shape," said Alaska coach Joel Banal, who originally chose bland American-Hungarian Matt Hayasz before opting to replace him with Red Bull's 2008 Fiesta reinforcement. "We were looking for a versatile import, one who can play inside and outside and I feel we found it in Adam," added Banal. It is not only Parada and Baguio who nag at Tanquingcen. The Aces also boast of other towering frontliners in Sonny Thoss, Sam Eman, Jayr Reyes and Paolo Bugia, not to mention guards LA enorio and Bonbon Custodio. "It's a big challenge," noted Tanquingcen. "Their front line is so huge so we will see how we match up against a huge front court, how we would compete."

source : www.pba.ph