David likes chances of winning against Ginebra because of Hill

The failure of a replacement to take over the spot of Ginebra import Herbert Hill certainly brings a smile on the face of Globalport top gunner Gary David.

Speaking to Spin.ph Thursday night, the Batang Pier offensive ace said he likes his team’s chances against the Kings with Hill around when the two teams meet Friday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

“Kung si Herbert Hill ang paglalaruin... medyo maganda ang tsansa namin,” the league’s three-time scoring champion said bluntly.

Like most PBA fans – majority of them Ginebra supporters – the 6-foot-10 Hill didn’t leave a lasting impression on the scouts of Globalport when they watched him go up against counterpart Michael Dunigan and the Air21 Express Sunday.

“Sinasabi sa amin nung mga scouts namin... mukhang talagang bano raw,” said the outspoken shooting guard from Dinalupihan, Bataan, who nonetheless, remained mystified at the true capabilities of Hill.

“Pero nagtaka kami kasi sa third quarter pumukpok eh.”

The 34-year-old David was also told that Hill had a sleepless night on the eve of his debut game.

“Napuyat daw kasi `yun eh. Na-excite siguro masyado kaya nawala sa rhythm.”

David, however, expects a much-improved Hill against the Batang Pier.

“Sa viewing nakita ko `yung galaw niya, siguro ganun na rin talaga yun. May galaw naman kaso... wala sa timing...

“Pero tignan natin, mahirap diyan biglang gumaling,” David added.

Asked what he will be suggesting to management had Hill been their import, the national team player replied with a straight face, “eh sasabihin ko palitan na yan.”

But David has all the respect on Globalport import Justin Williams, who had been a workhorse for the team by averaging 21 rebounds, 15 points, and three block shots in two games with the Batang Pier.

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Hill stay strong despite of Ginebra fans criticism

Herbert Hill knows there are consequences when you don't meet the expectations of the popular Brgy. Ginebra team and its multitude of fans.

And he has vowed to rise above it.

Coming off a sub-par debut performance in Ginebra's loss to Air21 on Sunday, the 6-foot-10 Hill admitted getting not only rude comments from fans, but likewise hate messages on his mobile phone.

Hill was a bit emotional when he made the stirring revelation to Spin.ph on Thursday, four days following the cold reception he got from Ginebra fans in the aftermath of his modest 17-point production – on 7-of-24 shooting - in a 70-74 loss to Air21 Express.

“I try not to pay attention to what people say. This is the most popular team, and if it loses a game … people’s gonna be upset about it,” said Hill, well aware of the passion of Ginebra fans.

A source from the Kings organization confirmed to Spin.ph that indeed, to their surprise, Hill received some negative text messages on his phone, mostly in Filipino.

“Huwag ka mag practice… Wala ka rin namang silbi,” read one of the messages the source recalled to have been sent to Hill.

Ginebra officials themselves are at a loss on how some fans were able to track down Hill’s personal number.

But the 28-year-old American seemed bent on ignoring the negativism.

“It’s not a big deal to me. I just have to show what I can do. I didn’t play the way I wanted to in the beginning of the game,” said Hill, who was once drafted by the Utah Jazz.

“It’s (the game) over now, there’s nothing I can do about it but learn from it.”

He added: “I was like zero percent of the old me in our last game. I was a little excited and nervous, that’s why I missed shots in the beginning. It comes with the territory. I’ll just play my best and play for my teammates, coaches, and people that support me.”

But Hill vows to be a better player in the Kings’ game against Globalport Batang Pier on Friday.

“I am so excited about our game tomorrow (Friday)... Whatever happens after that, I’ll just leave that on the court. You can’t change what people see in you,” he said.

In the wake of reports about his impending exit from Ginebra, the big man out of Providence replied, “honestly, I don’t really worry about that. I just worry about the job at hand. Right now, I’m (still) here and hopefully we will win tomorrow (Friday).

“If it doesn’t work out and they (Ginebra management) decide to make a move, it’s not yet the end of the world. There are other leagues to play. This is not the only league in the world.”

Hill has not denied that following his stint with the Incheon Elephants in the Korean Basketball League last April, the game against Air 21 was his first competitive one in nine months.

But he said he’s been giving himself extra training to bring his old form back.

And to his critics who had judged him according to what they saw in his first game, Hill has this one urgent message.

“Stay tuned,” he said.

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San Mig Coffee in negotiation with Bowles

San Mig Coffee is now deep in negotiations with former PBA Commissioner’s Cup best import Denzel Bowles.

No less than team governor Rene Pardo revealed to Spin.ph that San Mig has revived its bid to lure the former best import awardee after the Mixers' 73-98 loss to Petron on Wednesday night.

"Depende sa availability ni Denzel, siya ang priority namin na papalit (kung magpapalit) kasi proven na yan eh," said Pardo. “If he’s available, there might be a possibility that we will replace Matt (Rogers)."

Pardo admitted that he immediately asked team manager Alvin Patrimonio to get in touch with Bowles on Wednesday night after Rogers was completely outplayed by Renaldo Balkman in the loss to the Boosters.

Rogers, who missed San Mig's debut game against Barako Bull due to food poisoning, finished with 20 points on 7-of-19 shooting to go with nine rebounds against Balkman and Co.

Pardo, however, revealed that San Mig has the luxury of time in weighing its import situation since its next game won't be until February 22 against Philippine Cup semis tormentor Rain or Shine.

Like most of the team's fans, Pardo was honest in his assessment of Rogers' performance.

“I’m sure he can do a lot better than what he did last night," Pardo said. "Pero para sa akin, hindi siya post-up guy. Post-up center ang kailangan namin... like Denzel.

“Mabigat ang competition dahil lahat halos ng imports malalaki at nakikipag-banggaan."

The hard-banging Bowles, a San Mig fan favorite, is now in the US after a stint with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in the Chinese Basketball Association.

San Mig officials are hopeful that Bowles has already been given a release by the CBA team, which became an issue when the Mixers first tried to sign him up before the start of the mid-season conference.

“Bukas, I will give you a better answer on whether Bowles will return or not," Pardo promised.

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San Mig Coffee now with Rogers clash with Petron; Alaska and Meralco seek lead

Meralco and Alaska square off for a share of the lead in the 2013 PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The Bolts and the Aces try to follow up their huge opening wins as they collide in the opener at 5:15 p.m. to be followed by the game of winless squads San Mig Coffee and Petron Blaze in the second offering at 7:30 p.m.

Last Saturday, Alaska came from behind and beat Rain or Shine in its first assignment, 83-81, on Cyrus Baguio’s buzzer-beating lay-up, while Meralco beat Talk ‘N Text, 99-92, on Eric Dawson’s monster performance.

“If there is one team that I think is underrated it is Meralco. They have in my mind a Best Import candidate,” said Aces coach Luigi Trillo.

Dawson had 37 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks against Tropang Texters to lead the Bolts. He will be pitted against ex-Miami Heat draftee Robert Dozier, who tallied 21 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks in his PBA debut.

The locals of Meralco also contributed enough to snatch the win from the undermanned Talk ‘N Text five.

“They added athletes in (Vic) Manuel and (Rey) Guevarra and they seem to have better chemistry. I am worried for this game,” Trillo added.

Bolts coach Ryan Gregorio said their first win gave them the confidence they needed in facing the challenge especially after trading top player Sol Mercado to Globalport.

“We are upbeat after winning against Talk ‘N Text despite making road major roster changes one week before the tournament,” said Gregorio.

“Team defense is what we have focused on in our preparations. If we come out with the same effort on defense and match the energy of the Aces, then we are in a good match.”

The winner of the Meralco-Alaska encounter joins Barako Bull in the early lead at 2-0.

In the main game, the Mixers will finally have an import when they clash with the Boosters, who will be losing key player Chris Lutz for six weeks because of a rib injury.

Matt Rogers did not play in San Mig Coffee’s 79-75 loss to Barako Bull due to food poisoning. Petron lost to GlobalPort, 94-92, in its opening encounter.

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Tenorio blame himself in Gin Kings’ loss to Air 21

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel star guard LA Tenorio had a nightmare start to his Commissioner’s Cup.

He missed all 11 of his attempts from the field and was a non-factor in the Gin Kings’ loss to the Air 21 Express Sunday night.

Tenorio took the blame for his team’s setback.

“Aminado naman ako, masama talaga yung laro ko at kitang-kita naman ng mga tao,” Tenorio told InterAKTV in a telephone interview. “Siguro kung nakagawa man lang ako maski six points, mananalo pa kami.”

A cerebral point guard, he already knows what he did wrong in the last game.

“Bad shot selection is the main reason. Marami rin kasi akong iniisip. Iniisip ko kung paano ko isi-set up yung mga teammates ko kaya ang nangyari tuloy yung laro ko naman ang naapektuhan at apektado rin yung team ko dahil ako ang missing link,” he said.

“Ito na yung pinakamasamang laro sa career ko.”

Tenorio believes he can bounce back from the setback.

“Nangyayari naman talaga yan sa player. Even nung nasa Alaska ako, may mga times na masama laro ko, pero bumabawi agad ako,” he said.

“Next game, magiging aggressive kaagad ako sa umpisa, especially sa offense para rin mataas kaagad yung kumpiyansa ko. Baka kasi kapag hindi ako naging agresibo, mahirapan na naman ako maka-score.”

Tenorio knows that although he sets up the plays for his team, he is likewise tasked to produce points.

“Kailangan rin kasi yung scoring ko, hindi lang ako, pati rin yung mga kasama naming,” he added. “Kailangan tulong-tulong kami sa scoring.”

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Referee suspended after the missed call on Bruno Sundov’s shot

The contact on Bruno Sundov’s shot in the final play against Alaska last Saturday was a foul, the PBA told Rain or Shine.

The league also informed the Elasto Painters that referee Emmanuel Tankion, who missed the call, has been suspended for 10 playdates because of the error.

Rain or Shine team executive Mamerto Mondragon confirmed the news to InterAKTV.

Sundov’s final attempt was foiled by the Aces, leading to a loose ball recovery. Cyrus Baguio capped the play with a buzzer-beating layup that gave Alaska the win.

Elasto Painters coach Yeng Guiao asked for a review of the play, contending that Sundov was hit more than once on the play.

“Parang ang nangyayari referees na yung nagdi-decide ng outcome because of the judgment call or non-call,” said Guiao.

“I think substantial yung ipinakita naming mga evidence that Bruno was hit several times and no foul was called against him.”

Guiao said he wasn’t protesting the reversal of the result, but said it’s up to the PBA to clarify its stance on the rules about whether an official should call a foul or not.

“Parang ang nangyayari kasi, referees lang ang nakakaalam how a foul is beign called or not,” Guiao added. “They should give clearer definition how a foul is being called based on the rule we’re implementing right now.”

The coach added that the PBA should take it upon itself to educate not just the teams, but the public too.

“Kasama rito yung mga audience. They have the right to be educated how a foul is being called or not called. They should know bad officiating from good officiating in the same way they should know what’s a good game and a bad game,” he said.

“Gusto natin ng consistent officiating. Ayaw naman natin na magiging masaya tayo dahil nakinabang tayo sa bad officiating dahil you know pwede ring mangyari sa iyo yan na ikaw naman nasa receiving end ng bad officiating. Everyone has the right to know.”

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San Mig Coffee back to start with Matt Rogers

After playing without an import in their opening game, San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone is looking forward to their second assignment at full strength.

“I guess we can throw that first game out the window,” said Cone, referring to the Mixers’ 79-75 defeat to Barako Bull with import Matt Rogers sitting out because of food poisoning.

“But our import, who ran into some bad luck (and some bad food), will be available this time around and we’ll get a chance to see where we are at this point.”

Rogers’s anticipated debut on Friday did not happen because of the illness, leaving the defending champions without a player who can match up Barako Bull reinforcement Evan Brock.

Despite playing without an import, San Mig Coffee managed to hang around against Barako Bull throughout the match.

Two-time Most Valuable Player James Yap carried the scoring load for the Mixers while new recruits Leo Najorda and Alex Malari had decent debuts with the team.

Najorda had eight points on 4-of-6 shooting off the bench while Mallari finished with five points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Cone said the game against Petron on Wednesday will give him a better idea about his team’s true strength.

“Petron and Talk ‘N Text are still favorites despite losing their first games so we obviously have our work cut out for us,” he said.

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Caption this: Herbert Hill and Michael Dunigan getting entangled

Michael Dunigan, who finished with 26 points and 19 rebounds as the Express outlasted Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 74-70. Dunigan scored 18 points in the second half to rescue Air 21 as he completely outplayed his counterpart Herbert Hill, who scored 17 points but shot a woeful 7-of-24 (24 percent) from the field. The Ginebra import also committed six turnovers.

 

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Last minutes explosion of Air 21 defeats Ginebra

Air 21 got the kind of debut it needed from import Michael Dunigan, who finished with 26 points and 19 rebounds as the Express outlasted Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 74-70, in the main game of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum Sunday night.

Dunigan scored 18 points in the second half to rescue Air 21 as he completely outplayed his counterpart Herbert Hill, who scored 17 points but shot a woeful 7-of-24 (24 percent) from the field. The Ginebra import also committed six turnovers.

Hill was held to just two points in the first 24 minutes of play, but picked up his scoring in the second half, as the Gin Kings fought their way back from a 12-point deficit.

But Dunigan conspired with former Ginebra stalwarts Mike Cortez and John Wilson, who scored 13 points apiece, to seal the win for Air 21 in the fourth quarter.

“It’s always a nice feeling beating Ginebra, especially because of their star-studded line up,” said Air 21 coach Franz Pumaren.

“If you look at our lineup, man for man, we’re the weakest in terms of local line up because most of the other teams have upgraded their line ups.”

Pumaren said that beyond his scoring, Dunigan has shored up the team’s interior defense. Air 21 allowed just 19 points for Ginebra in the first half.

“We won this game because of defense. Michael is a big factor. His intimidation underneath is a big plus for us and when the time comes we needed to score, he provided it. He just needs to get used with those pushing and shoving in the PBA,” added Pumaren.

The loss spoiled the effort of Mark Caguioa, who finished with 26 points to lead Ginebra.

The scores:

AIR21 74 – Dunigan 26, Wilson 13, Cortez 13, Reyes 7, Isip 7, Custodio 5, Menor 2, Canaleta 1, Sena 0, Baclao 0, Omolon 0, Ritualo 0, Arboleda 0.

GINEBRA 70 – Caguioa 26, Hill 17, Helterbrnd 10, Wilson 7, Ellis 3, Tenorio 3, Baracael 2, Mamaril 2, Taha 0, Jensen 0, Maierhofer 0, Hatfield 0.

Quarters: 17-13, 31-21, 48-50, 74-70

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Barako Bull overtime victory over GlobalPort

Barako Bull’s finish kick was so strong, the GlobalPort Batang Pier didn’t quite know what hit them.

The Energy Colas finished the game on a 22-2 run spanning the fourth quarter and overtime period, hacking out a 98-88 victory over GlobalPort Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Barako Bull looked dead in the water trailing by 10 points, 86-76, heading into the two-minute mark of regulation. But the Energy Colas locked down on defense and finished the fourth period with a 10-0 run capped by a three-pointer by a corner three-pointer Mark Macapagal to force overtime.

They finished the job in extra time, outscoring GlobalPort, 12-2, for their second straight victory and an early spot atop the Commissioner’s Cup team standings.

Import Evan Brock led the charge with 25 points and 18 rebounds, while Josh Urbiztondo added 24 points on six three-pointers for Barako Bull, which saw five players — Brock, Urbiztondo,, Macapagal, Jonas Villanueva, and Allein Maliksi — logging at least 35 minutes with a shorthanded roster missing five key players.

Villanueva chipped in 18 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while Danny Seigle added 16 points, including a slam dunk over GlobalPort import Justin Williams in the fourth quarter that fired up the Energy Colas.

The loss spoiled the fine efforts of GlobalPort’s top guns.

Japeth Aguilar led GlobalPort in scoring with 23 points and added 10 rebounds. Sol Mercado finished with 19 points and 16 assists, while Williams posted 12 points and 27 rebounds before leaving the game in overtime because of an apparent leg injury.

Gary David added 19 points for GlobalPort, whose win-loss record dropped to 1-1.

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