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Basketball

NBA

Spurs takes a 2-1 lead over the Miami Heat by having a blowout game in from of their home court. 113-77. It was not the expected Big 3 of the Spurs who took lead but it was the young bloods of Danny Green and Gary Neal who took control of the game by dishing out 11 3's!

ABL

San Miguel Beermen swept the Indonesia Warriors and took home their first ABL Crown. They defeated the defending champs 70-55. Chris Banchero was named the MVP of the league. As I have watched the game, I was really impressed with Asi Taulava. Boy, he still got the moves! I seriously think he can really help our Gilas team. He is in his youth shape. He even lead the team in scoring.

SAN MIGUEL 70 – Taulava 19, Banchero 10, Avenido 10, Acuna 9, J. Williams 7, B. Williams 6, Fortuna 5, Hubalde 2, Menk 2

INDONESIA 55 – Wuysang 22, Daniels 15, Pringle 11, Thomas 5, Smith 3

FIL-OIL 

Probably the biggest upset, everyone really thought NU have this in the bag but UE came out to play and eventually win the championship game against a very strong and determined NU team! They have defeated the defending champions 81-68 with Roy Sumang leading the team. He was later named the Finals MVP.

Credits to the UE twitter account for this photo

Mythical 5 of FilOil Flying V Premiere Cup: Roi Sumang of UE, Kiefer Ravena of ADMU, Ray Parks and Aroga of NU, and Rodney Brondial of ADU.

Volleyball

Our very own Philippine Team just arrived on Vietnam for their Southeast Asian qualification tournament set from June 14-16 in Quang Tri, Vietnam. After seeing the lineup, I am very sure that we have sent a very competitive line up. I hope we can win against Vietnam(first game)! As the trend says, One for the country!

Keep the Faith.

Paolo

Ginebra needed that loss against TNT.

As much as I wanted Ginebra to really go straight to the Finals, I honestly think that their loss came on the perfect time. Why? I have listed some reasons why I believe Ginebra needed that loss:

1. Reality Check. 

They were successful in winning against Rain-Or-Shine despite their twice-to-beat disadvantage and won their first match against TNT in a very convincing manner. This loss will really challenge them to be better and improve on a lot of things. Fix their flaws, and do the necessary adjustments. It's better to lose at this stage rather than to be caught surprised during the Finals game. Hopefully, this will be their last loss this conference! Heads up!

2. Revenge is Sweet.

You don't want to mess with the wounded Ginebra Kings. In fact, that was a close game. It could have gone either way. And now that they have tasted defeat once more, they will remember the time when they started this conference with an 0-4 record, then 1-5, 6-5 and eventually 7-7. They know how hard it is to lose and they don't want to experience that defeat once again. 

Rudy Hatfield will be back in action on May 8

3. Perfect comeback time for the King. Mamaril, Hatfield back in action too.

Mark Caguioa will return for Game 3. You don't want to play with Mark Caguioa at this point. After sitting on  the bench for the last 5-6 games, his urge to really play and win is really above among all Ginebra players. He was the league's top local scoring leader before he went down with injury. And now that he's back, TNT will really have to prepare very well for him. 

Billy Mamaril will be suited up to play again.

After suffering injuries, big men Rudy Hatfield and Billy Mamaril will be back in action. All things come in perfect timing. With the return of the confidence from JJ Helterbrand and Kerby Raymundo, it will be very hard to stop a somehow complete Ginebra line-up. A lot is at stake in Game 3 that's why both teams will really play and give it their all. Also, props for TNT for also playing excellent Basketball as well. Their talent is really undeniable. I just hope that there will be no more injuries for both teams for the rest of this series.

Photo caption: "Guess who's back? Back again?"

Game 3 will resume on May 8.

Do you believe that Ginebra needed that loss too?

(Credits to Google for the pictures)

Keep the Faith.

Paolo

The Ginebra Experience (Part2)

And for the second part, some of the answers are really funny but very realistic!:) I hope you enjoy reading as much as I did!

Ever got into a fight because of supporting Ginebra?

-> Yes. With my mom. Fan kasi sya ng SMC(San Mig Coffee). Badtrip na badtrip ako nun. Hindi ako kumakausap ng tao kapag binabastos nila yung team na gustong-gusto ko eh. =))) <3 (Trisha Verdadero)

-> All the time. Haha. Hindi makapagtimpi basta may nagbash kailangan gerahin. Haha(Jen)

-> Yes, with my guy classmate then. He likes Purefoods and we had a bet who will won. Luckily Ginebra won. He paid me P20. (Carmilina de Dios)

->  Nakipagsuntukan pa ako sa mga classmate ko dahil wala na daw pag-asa dahil na-injured si Chris King. Hahaha! (Darelle)

-> Always. hahaha. My bestfriend even got mad at me becaus laban ng Ginebra that day and nasa bahay siya. He wants to say his problem to me. And hindi ko siya pinapansin. Wala talaga ako sa loob ko nung araw na yun. And then, BOOM! Nagalit siya. He walked out. And He didn't even go to my Despedida party, umalis tuloy ako sa Pinas na mgkagalit kami. . :( Nagalit talga siya sa'kin. But ganun talga ang effect sakin ng Ginebra eh. :)(Irene Madeline)

-> yes. A lot of times,specially when i was in highschool during that Gordons Gin vs Alaska championship game.i was even ask to go to our guidance office and meet the guidance councilor (Joy Villon)

-> Not an actual fight. Haha! :D tampuhang tropa lang. Tnt kase siya e ginebra ako. :D tapos walkout tnt, ayun, napikon nung inasar ko. :D (Julius Fernando)

-> I got into a fight because of supporting Ginebra. It was Ginebra-Alaska game and Ginebra lose because of the last shot of LA Tenorio three point shot, and then my brother keeps teasing me that Ginebra is "WEAK" and I don't want to hear it, but he keeps saying it. So I punched him many times in his arm. And told my mother what I did to him. hahaha..

What is the best thing on being a Ginebra fan?

-> MAJORITY ANSWERED: Never Say Die Attitude :)

-> Yung tipong lahat ng players na ata sa PBA gusto maging Ginebra fan dahil sa ating mga fans. (Eler Villegas)

-> Yung excitement and happiness na binibigay nula every game.. Whether manalo or matalo.. At yung alam mo na never kang mag iisa sa laban (Lovely Digno)

-> You go crazy and everyone loves it. You can chant, scream and shout GI-NE-BRA together with a thousands of people the louder you scream more happiness you get!! (Eca Domingo)

-> It makes you feel hopeless to hopeful. It would always make you feel proud because of the way they play their games. I personally am inspired by how things goes about Ginebra. It makes you believe that there would be some kind of miracle and that they would be able to win, just like what happened between Ginebra and Rain or Shine. Twice to beat, yet they successfully conquered that trial. (Jean Singian)

-> Being a Ginebra fan, I never feel like I'm losing. Despite Ginebra losing some games, I feel like I'm still a winner because a lot, and I mean a lot, of people still makes me feel high about it and constantly reminds me of how awesome Ginebra is. So, win-win :) (Liezl)

-> Best thing of being a Ginebra fan is that every player is nice to us and they love the fans. They always play hard not for theirselves, but for us who is supporting them, win or lose.(Cazzandra De Guzman)

How has Ginebra changed/influenced your life? 

-> Actually, when I was a kid, my parents said "nilalagnat" daw ako kapag natatalo Ginebra lalo kapag close games lol (Jaisac Masangkay)

-> Met friends because of ginebra. True friends. Thats one thing that i am thankful for sa ginebra. (Nessa Sacapulo)

-> Ginebra changed my life in believing that every loss means another chance to win. Another chance to risk. Yes, my dad and I always ponder on what happened every after the game and I tell you we also do fasting before the game. Well, if they win we usually celebrate it! (Jean Singian)

-> I won't say that Ginebra changed my life. Because as I grew up watching Ginebra, it became more of an ingredient that made my life how it is today. I wasn't changing while with Ginebre, it's defining me and how I look at things.

Na-overcome ko na yung emotional breakdown tuwing natatalo. Dati talagang di moko makakausap. Pero as I became a more mature Ginebra fan, mababaw na yung di makatulog, dapat direcho inuman na. Joke. Haha! Di kasali yon. :D

Also, as an admin of @barangayginebra for almost 3 years, I learned to control my emotions every after defeat. Kasi may mga nagbabasa ng tweet ko, at emosyonal sila. Di ko na sila puwedeng sabayan. You have to give them what they need when they need it. Pag panalo, ganun din. They expect to read good things so you give it to them. (Kaye Cabal)

-> Oh. Lagi na 'kong nanonood ng TV. Haha! Tuwing natatalo sila, the same pag inaasar ang team, wala akong kinakausap. Haha!! :))) when they win, unstoppable ang bibig ko kakakwento kung gaano kagaling ang mga players! Proud ako eh, bakit ba! :) (Trisha Verdadero)

The Legend with the future Legend. Jaworski and Caguioa

 Who is your Favorite Ginebra player of all time and why?

-> The Big J. lol not because he was in my name but because of his approach of the game. Even if you're not that athletic but just give it your best on the court. Play with all your heart and you'll be fine. Oh and also, I like Noli Locsin lol he was my favorite since I was a kid. The Tank! (Jaisac Masangkay)

-> Jaworski of course. Lahat ng meron ang ginebra ngayon dahil sakanya yun. Kung baga sa showbiz si Jaworski ang fernando poe, dolphy at kuya germs nang ginebra..ang hari at nagmold ng character ng isang ginebra(Jen)

-> Mark Caguioa! Siya na kasi naabutan ko sa generation ko. (Briant Signo&Eler Villegas)

-> Mark Caguioa. He's the face of Ginebra and the PBA right now. I grew up watching him carrying Ginebra on his back and that's just an awesome feat on its own.(Jess)

-> Noli Locsin. With his heft, who would have thought he had moves in the paint like that? I cant forget the spin move he did against Purefoods, i think he spun off Jerry and did a reverse layup.(Randall)

-> Pwedeng dalawa? Heehee. Mark Caguioa and Bal David. Una, nagulat ako sa pinili ng Ginebra nung 2001 draft. Sinaba yang blondi na yan? Pero nagbago yung tingin ko kay Mark nung binuhat niya yung team sa Game 5 semis against Shell. At yung career high in points niya against Air 21. 47 points. Yes, 47. Si Bal naman dahil yung mga clutch baskets niya. Gusto ko yung almost full court shot niya against SMB. Do-or-die din yun. (Darelle)

What do you think about our chances against TNT tomorrow?

-> Just play with your heart. We'll win! (Briant Signo)

-> Nanalo na tayo sa kanila. At mananalo tayo uli. Iba magdasal amg dugong ginebra at iba den ang puso ng isang ginebra. Pwedeng mahirapan tayo pero hindi imposibleng manalo tayo sa kanila. Mas malaki ang puso ng ginebra.(Jen)

-> Mathematically speaking, we have 50% chance to win tomorrow over TNT. However, as an observant Ginebra fan, I am thinking an 80% chance of winning the game tomorrow over TNT. (Rap)

-> As long as they keep playing with heart, I think we have a pretty good shot at overcoming TNT. It's something that's uniquely Ginebra. Also, I think the key here is consistency.(Jess)

-> TNT is a Better Team, in PAPER. They definitely have a better chance to win, I admit. BUT HEARTS and the SPIRIT of the TEAM will never be gone. I have faith the GINEBRA will WIN this series. :) Never Say Die. #GodsWill(Irene Madeline)

-> were underdog as what they say. But I believe in our Never Say Die attitude.with our players big heart,nothing is impossible, as what the saying says "WALANG MALAKI NA NAKAKAPUWING" :) (Joy Villon)

-> I am confident to say that they will win the game tomorrow because they are GINEBRA. even we are the underdogs of the series we can win the series by outworking TnT players on the court, and Ginebra must have the endgame poise which the TnT is known for the past 5 years.(Kento Gonzales)

-> The momentum is ours. We have big chance of winning. (Darlene Cervantes)

Lastly, what can you say about your Ginebra experience? :) Thank you for the time! I enjoyed talking to you. Let us keep on supporting Ginebra!

-> My Ginebra experience have always been extremely bittersweet. Extremely bitter and extremely sweet. Ganon ka intese sa Ginebra. Haha! (Kaye Cabal)

-> Masayang masayang masaya ako! Haha! Alam mo yan kuya Paolo. =))) hindi ko alam sasabihin ko kasi napaka saya talaga po. :) (Trisha Verdadero)

-> I am enjoying the new side of being a Ginebra fan which is to meet and talk to fellow fans through twitter. I hope you will appreciate my input in your survey. (Alyana Capiral)

-> It made me reminisce a lot of my childhood days and made me proud as a loyal fan of Ginebra. (Carmilina de Dios)

-> A treasure that can never be stole by anyone, and that's GINEBRA. Thanks KaBarangay! :))))) (Irene Madeline)

-> One word ! UNFORGETTABLE (Jerico Rubio)

-> Proud. Haha! :D hndi dahil nasa semis sila this conf. Pero dahil alam kong maraming kagaya ko na never say die fans. Na hndi sinusuko yung team nila kahit na nasa pinakababa na ng standings. Thank you also and i enjoyed this survey in a way na nakapagshare na dn ako ng experiences ko about ginebra! Goodluck to our team and NEVER SAY DIE. :)) (Julius Fernando)

-> My ginebra experience cannot be compared with others, almost in my 29yrs of existence, i know and i admire them already, its like theyre already part of me, my family.. :) (Eugene Apostol)

Thanks for the help everyone! I really enjoyed your answers! Let us show our full support tomorrow for our team! #BeatTNT

I hope to finally see them play together again tomorrow....

Shoutout to Barangay Ginebra esp to Kaye and to Gsmpanatiko esp to Nessa. I owe you guys!:)

What's your Ginebra Experience?

Keep the Faith.

Paolo

The Ginebra Experience (Part1)

First of all I would like take this opportunity to thank everyone who read my blog. Ginebra fans are truly intense! It really feels good to relieve all the hardships and triumphs of the team! I've received a lot of suggestions on what should I feature on my blog and I've taken everything into consideration.

I've asked a number of Ginebra fans about their #GinebraExperience. Barangay Ginebra crowd can be considered as the 6th man on the floor. All the teams said that it is much harder to fight against Ginebra because of the presence of the crowed. I honestly enjoyed doing this questionnaire and I wanted to ask more, maybe in some other time :) I would like to say thank you to all those who answered and for those who tweeted and shared how long they have been supporting Ginebra! It's awesome!

I asked for the help of . & . for this survey and I chose the top answers for each question. It was really hard and fun as well! :) This was really fun! #GinebraExperience thanks for the time!

Teacher Darlene Cervantes(Photo from interaksyon)

 You've been a fan of Ginebra for how long? How did it all started?

-> Since birth. My family was a ginebra fan in the 90s. They actually coined my name out of Jaworski and Leo Isaac (Jaisac Masangkay, 22)
-> since nun buhay pa si papa ginebra na kami and still di nagbabago 😊 im sure si papa kahit nasa heaven na he still support BGSM (Angelica Garimbao)

-> I grew up to a family who loves Ginebra. Especially my mother. But it was my uncle/s who really introduced me on watching Ginebra games. Nung mgkaisip ako ng 5y/o ako, I always remember them to cheer, laugh, and jump every Ginebra wins. While I'm geting older and older, I really love listening stories about basketball and Ginebra. I always intend to her stories about my mother ans uncle's favorite players.(Irene Madeline)

-> Since 7 years old, my Dad used to bring me to Ginebra Games and taught me how to play basketball since I also have three brothers. (Carmilina de Dios)

-> Since I was 5 or 6. (not sure) Its all because of my father!! He was a Ginebra fan. (Rachel, 15)

->  am a fan of Ginebra for 11 years now. It started when I was Grade 3 then. I was watching with my father and nagtataka ako kung bakit sumisigaw palasgi si papa sa basketball. Ginebra na pala yun.(Rap)

-> I'm a fan of Ginebra maybe since birth and had sense to understand things. One time My father always tells me I'm always behave when Jaworski is on the tv and clapping and clapping when I hear Jawo's name. And since then I never stop watching PBA especially if there's a game of Jawo team.(Michelle Abao)

-> I became a fan when last conference started after drafting the rookies, I became an instant fan when I watched Chris Ellis, don't even know him. In a blink of an eye I became hooked to the crowd favorite Brgy.Ginebra I don't even missed one of their games! Really loving the "never say die" attitude of the Gin Kings! (Eca Domingo)

Do you play Basketball as well? I know how to play the game, but I am really not good. Haha!

-> Yes. I played basketball back in highschool. varsity of Laconsolacion highschool. idol ko nun si bal the flash david talaga. and PIDO:) and the catchy ginebra song diko makalimutan:) (Jennycoco)

->Yes, I play basketball (Briant Signo)

-> Yeah. Just like you, I play and know how to play basketball but I'm not a good player. Haha!(Rap)

-> I played basketball on my college days during intramurals pero.. Larong babae yun :) hehe.. I know how to shoot but Im not good :) :) :) (Lovely Digno)

-> Yes I do though not that active anymore. I was a college varsity player before.(Randall)

-> Haha. I play the game and played in leagues here in our subdivision but unfotunately did not excelled in the field. :D haha! Until now i practice but still not able to be a good one because of my height. Hahaha! :D (Julius Fernando)

-> I play basketball and I play very well because my father taught how to.And I watched so many moves on the PBA and also NBA. I continue to play but I am not confident enough to take on big guys because I am a short guy but I think I have what it takes to be a basketball player.(Kent Gonzales)

-> I do play basketball, most of the time playing pg with a good shooting touches, 3pts ofcourse.. :) (Eugene Apostol)

-> Since 1993..my dad is a huge fan of Ginebra. He loves Robert Jaworski so much. Actually i started as a purefoods fan. They were really strong, always winning. Ginebra on the othethand was always at the bottom of the team standings. but my dad never gave up on Ginebra. i saw how happy my dad got whenever Ginebra would steal a win. I realized its more fun to be a ginebra fan! :) i told myself i wanna be one of the legion of ginebra faithfuls. that was when i first know the meaning of NEVER SAY DIE!(Darlene Cervantes)

How does it feel to support and cheer the most popular  team in the PBA?

-> Nothing else feels like supporting Barangay Ginebra. It's not even about being the most popular PBA team in the league. Ginebra fans take pride in whatever we do all for the love of the team. (Kaye Cabal)

-> It feels great! Ginebra brings a lot of joy to me. Pinagpapalit ko pa nga girlfriend ko sa Ginebra eh. Hahaha! (Darelle)

-> Exciting. Kc alam mu marami kayo, laging home court, Kung baga maraming resbak. (Renncee)

-> It feels like i belong to one family who holds on to one dream and believes in one saying "Never Say Die".. Overwhelming. (Sheila De Chavez)

-> Aaaaah! Heaven!!! Ang saya maging fan ng Ginebra! Grabe! Tuwing may laban sila tutok ako. Pag namimiss ko laban nila naiiyak ako. Haha! Iba kasi talaga. Unexplainable pag nananalo't natatalo ang team. Ginebra all the way! :) (Trisha Verdedaro)

-> It feels I am one small voice that belongs to a huge family, a family with heart and the team reflects the filipino spirit resilient, and unwavering faith to what we love and believe in. (Alyana Capiral)

-> It is part of my system. Even though I've noticed that PBA has gone through "Dark Ages" , I was glad that they are able to overcome it and little by little they are able to revive the sport again.(Carmilina de Dios)

What made you decide to support Ginebra instead of the other teams? What is it with Ginebra itself?

-> Ginebra is Ginebra, there is that spirit..the passion..and the heart that made them standout among the other teams.(Sheila De Chavez)

-> For that one reason that the team plays with sheer heart and unbelievable guts and that same reason will make you realize, even if seeing them play for the first time, that this team is definitely above the rest.(Kaye Cabal)

-> The team signifies that even we face hardships we still have to stay strong, also probably because of the legacy of the living legend to us fans. The name of the team from way back to the early stage of the league up to now. It is more of the branding and yes, the Ginebra team brand has always proven their worth of the hype of the fans.(Alyanna Capiral)

-> I cant remember the date.. But its Game 6 Finals.. Ginebra vs TNT. They lost the Championship :( uwi kaming malungkot ng mga friends ko... pero proud to be Ginebra fan.. What's funny on our first time ehhh... yung inupuan pala namin... Puro TNT fans.. Inaaway na kami.. haha! Pero walang makakabago :) Ginebra fan ako (Lovely Digno)

Eric Menk

-> I just don't know. Seriously, my dad was a great fan of Jaworski and all of us got hooked with it. Ginebra have this certain passion and charisma that never fades. Whatever happened I am a forever Ginebra Girl.(Carmilina de Dios)

-> sa totoo lang po d ko din alam bakit ko nagustuhan ung ginebra sa una,, basta ang alam ko lang ay kung san ang papa ko dun ako!! pero ngayon na medyo may alam na din ako about sa basketball.. nakita ko sa ginebra ung discipline . disiplina sa sarili at disiplina bilang teamate! nakita ko ung disiplina lalo na nung may mga bago silang player from other team.. nabago ng ginebra ehh,, tulad ni baracael,, tingin ko sakanya nung nasa ibang team sya ay mayabang siya,, pero nagbago siya at naging player of the game pa sa isa nilang laban.. ganun ang ginebra ehh ang team na walang yabang,, kaya dapat ang mga player nito ay down to earth din,, meron din silang solid team chemistry, mabilis nilang na a adopt ung play ng bawat isa kaya nakakapag adjust sila,, tulad nalang ni urbiztondo.. newly player of BGSM pero magandang laro ang nagawa nya with other player ng ginebra! un ang wala ang ibang team na meron ang ginebra,, meron man sila ng mga yun,, pero hindi kasing solid ng sa GINEBRA! (Oliver Gonzales)

Can you still remember the first time you watched live to support Ginebra? When and who are they up against?

-> I watched Ginebra on a Christmas special. They are against Talk 'N Text. They won! (Briant Signo)

-> khit kailan hndi pa tlaga ako nakapanood ka c taga cebu ako ehh.. (Goldie Pardillo)

-> 2001 I think, game 2 vs purefoods, winning from a ronald magtulis miracle shot, ginebra having a twice to beat disadvantage...(Eugene Apostol)

-> January 23, 2005 – a day before my dad's 34th birthday. Hahaha! They were up against the San Miguel Beermen… and sad to say, Ginebra lost.(Cristine Victorino)

-> yun naaalala ko pa ung unang napanood ko sila sa big dome! against TNT un,, ung import pa ng ginebra si VROMAN! astig un! ung nasa no.1 spot ung TNT tapos tinalo sila ng ginebra!!!! ahahahah!! akala ko dati korny ng papa ko at kuya ko sa mga kwento nila na pag andun ka daw mismo ehh tlgang mapapatayo ka at mapapasigaw! un pala totoo nga.. madadala ka sa sobrang saya lalao na pag nakikita kong sumasalampak si idol VROMAN! astig! naaalala kopa nga ung tipong hanggang sa hall way ng araneta eh nag sisigawan ang mga fan! ung tipong may sumigaw lang na isang fan ng "GINEBRA!" lahat na sisigaw ng "GINEBRA! GINEBRA! GINEBRA!" at naalala ko pa noon ung may sumisugaw na fan ng BGSM na "talk n text!" biglang "BOOOOOOOOO!" naman ang mga ginebra fans.. hahahahaha so enjoy kaya ngayon nagpaparesere na ang kuya ko ng ticket kaso sold out na pero manonood kami one of this fight against TNT!! (Oliver Gonzales)

Are there any interesting stories or encounters you have experienced with the players?

-> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJrH7JdbDIA&feature=youtube_gdata_player (got to interview Ginebra player/s) (Darlene Cervantes)

-> The first time I went to the practice was the first time I saw Ginebra in person. Mark Caguioa was still recovering from his knee injury. June 2009. The practice just ended, tapos na rin yung mga photo op with the players, then Mark Caguioa offered us to stay and talk with him habang nagth-therapy siya. And then there he was, my basketball superhero, right in front of me, answering all our questions and sharing with us his thoughts not only as a basketball player but also as a person. Hobbies, interests, favorites, lahat na. We were with him for over an hour. I was with Panatiko that time. May video nun somewhere online. Nagupload ako haha. My goodness. Unforgettable moment with my idol. (Kaye Cabal)

-> Getting a high five from each and every player of Ginebra on a PBA opening… That's the only one I can remember. Ugh, I badly want a picture with them!(Christine Victorino)

-> Once, we ate in Dad's Kamayan and we did not know that Ginebra will have their press conference this was way back to 2008 I think. I saw my ever crush Eric Menk. I asked for a picture but then I felt butterflies in my stomach and my mom was not able to take a good picture of us. sayang. But I smiled the entire week, feeling that Ginebra players are as real as they could (Alyana Capiral)

-> First time I visit the practice is the birthday of Jc Intal that was 2011 That was memorable because that was the first time I saw the team though they're not Jawo's era but it was aweaome experience, I'm shaking when I had my girst pictures with them.(Michelle Abao)

-> Bal David's son and I have the same pediatrician if I remember. We usually see each other in the hospital for regular check-ups (Jaisac Masangkay)

-> I've seen the spark caguioa sa galleria with lauren hudson twice i think. naka salubong ko sa elevator. jay jay's RR enriquez most of the time RT's our favorites my tweet pati sa IG account ko naglilike players when i post about them. And nakaka usap ko din yung mga popular fans like badet cardona or @petiksmode :) she's nice... i've met her sa forum days pa ng pba site as MOD MCDO ata. (Jennycoco)

Photo credits to google.

What's your Ginebra Experience?

Keep the Faith.

Paolo

Ginebra's long and rocky road to success (part3)

0-4 to 5-5? Who saw that coming? And they did some of those games without Mark Caguioa. Their #1 local scorer. The heart and soul of the team. The team felt the loss of their main man but it is the fans that got hurt the most. Tweeting #PrayforMC47 was really overwhelming and very heartwarming. Caguioa was an inspiration not just for a Ginebra fan but for anyone who knows and plays Basketball. Before coming down with an injury, Caguioa was the leading candidate for the best player of the conference.

Mark Caguioa was really touched with the messages coming from the fans.

Life must go on and hopefully as the winning streak as well. Ginebra faced Air 21 for their 5th straight win and was successful on defeating Air 21 with the score 90-84. Macklin scored heavily with 32 big points while Tenorio is slowly getting back to his old scoring form with 18 points. After Tenorio stepped  up, it was the young bloods of Elmer Espiritu and Chris Ellis who provided the much needed support by scoring 10 points each. Everything's looking good for Ginebra right now.

Tenorio stepping up in the absence of Caguioa

Mark appreciates the effort of his team

Ginebra finally made their mark on this conference but I am personally still looking for the presence and production from JJ Helterbrand and Kerby Raymundo. Both Helterbrand and Raymundo are MVP calibres and can definitely be the perfect replacement for Mark Caguioa. But they're still missing. Will they come out and prove their skills? Soon. What's important is Ginebra finally clinched to a playoff slot.

Wala paring tatalo sa Alaska?(No one can beat Alaska). This will be a very good game but one of our main guys Billy Mamaril will be out for this one because of his fractured hand. Alaska maybe on the top of the standings but Ginebra got momentum. But this one's a case of all things must come to an end. Alaska's defense was just too much to handle for the Kings. It also crashed Ginebra's chances for the twice to beat advantage.

Rob Labagala tries to escape the tight defense of Encinas and Abueva

Ginebra's last game on the eliminations are against the very strong but struggling Talk and Text. Caguioa and Mamaril will still not play and TNT will be parading their new import Jerome Jordan. Ginebra won against TNT on their first meeting with Caguioa leading the scoring chores. Caguioa's loss was felt on their game against TNT. Vernon Macklin was held to just 12 points on that game. It was a real meltdown for the Brgy. Ginebra. Ginebra finished the eliminations with a 7-7 card.

With Meralco winning against Rain or Shine, Ginebra will be facing the team of Coach Yeng Guiao, the Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters. Since the ROS is ranked second, they have the twice to beat advantage. 

Twice to beat disadvantage? No problem for Ginebra! This is the time for the stars to really play and show what they got. The fans deserve to be on the finals! Ha! Yeng Guiao underestimated the hearts of the Gin Kings! It haunted him until the end.

Before the quarterfinals started, Ginebra decided to let go of Keith Jensen and acquire the very talented Josh Urbiztondo of the Barako Bull. Urbiztondo was a perfect addition and boost to the lineup of the Kings.

And true enough, the Brgy. Ginebra Kings successfully eliminated Rain Or Shine to proceed to the semifinals. The second game was one of the most exciting games on this conference with Vernon Macklin delivering the last four points, 2 of which came from the free throws which as well know is not the strength of  Macklin. Other teams even have a Hack-A-Mack play for Macklin. Ginebra just proved that they are really known for being a NEVER SAY DIE team. It was a very big and emotional win for the Kings as Helterbrand and Raymundo played bigtime and showed their old strong form by leading the team on both games. It was a very special game for everyone. Credits also to Rudy Hatfield who played a very important role and to the rest of the team as well!

Best news? LA Tenorio now leads the Best Player of the Conference statistics.

Ginebra will be facing Talk and Text this coming Friday. Teams are currently 1-1 against each other. What are the chances of Ginebra and what must they do to win against TNT? Share your thoughts.

Thanks for reading!

PS: Thank you to Barangay Ginebra and GSM Panatiko for helping me promote my blog! Thank you guys! I was able to meet new friends because of you!

Credits to google for all the pictures. Thanks to pba news and youtube for the infos.

Last thought:

When will we see this starting 5 again?

Ginebra's long and rocky road to success (part2)

0-3 start. What happened to the Never Say Die attitude of the Gin Kings? A lot of questions are being raised asking what the hell is wrong with the team, where are the contributions of JJ Helterbrand and Kerby Raymundo? Can Mark Caguioa carry the team on his own? Will Vernon Macklin be the right guy for the struggling Ginebra?

Vernon Macklin was the 2nd round 52nd overall pick and was drafted by Detroit Pistons before flying to the Philippines to play for the Brgy. Ginebra, he played for  Rio Grande Valley Vipers on NBA D-League. The pressure was definitely on Macklin to deliver right away especially that the team has yet to win a game. 

Alaska took advantage of Macklin who is still adjusting to the system of Ginebra and won their fourth straight game via a 84-69 win against the Kings. Once again, Mark "The Spark" Caguioa led the team with 20 big points while Vernon Macklin scored 16 points on his first game as a Ginebra player.

Both the efforts of Mark Caguioa and Vernon Macklin were not enough to get Ginebra on the win column. They now find themselves at the rock bottom of the team standings. 

As for the fans, they would like to believe that when you're down there is no other way but to go up. Will this be the start for the return of Ginebra? Is it too late? 

Finally! Ginebra breaks into the win column and they did it convincingly against the Barako Bull. All the frustrations and desperation showed on that game as they  gave the Barako Bull their second loss. Mark Caguioa continues to lead the team with 23 big points while Vernon Macklin performed better with 21 points. He was felt more in the game. Ginebra also got big support from Baracael, Tenorio and Ellis.

Everyone thought that this will be the start of the late run that all Ginebra fans have been waiting for but the surging Rain Or Shine team have a different plan. It was a very close game but at the end Ginebra bowed to Rain Or Shine with the score 96-93. It was the combination of Belga and Lee on the end time that caused trouble for the Kings. For the first time in 6 games, another player led scoring in behalf of Caguioa. Macklin scored 27 big points while Caguioa still led the locals with 18 points and got their 1-5 standing. And Ginebra's back at the end of the standings.

Ginebra's next game was against SMC Mixers and probably one of the most anticipated games of the whole conference. Manila Clasico as they fondly called it. And what a way for Ginebra to get their 2nd win, and this came in a very needed situation. Ginebra played as if its their last game. They deserved that win and the fans surely enjoyed that game. Nothing beats a Manila Clasico game! 

#ManilaClasico

Ginebra doesn't want this to become another 1 game win so after winning against San Mig Mixers, they cruised their way to win against a very strong and complete team of Talk And Text. Mark Caguioa proved once more why he is the heart and soul of the whole Brgy. Ginebra community by winning via 107-100. Caguioa scored 28 points and provided couple of assists and rebounds to lead Ginebra get their 3rd game and their second straight. There's no team that can stop Ginebra as of this moment. Ginebra continued to perform better and better each game, on their game against Meralco Bolts they looked good by giving a 21-lead but at the end, Meralco gave Ginebra a run for their money by coming back and almost stole this game against the Kings.

A win is a win as what Coach Alfrancis Chua said but Mark Caguioa went down on the last 3 minutes of the game and never returned. It was very alarming since Mark Caguioa has been leading the team from the very start even though they are down. Caguioa was the only consistent player for Ginebra. It was later determined that Caguioa suffered a sprain MCL and have to rest for a couple of weeks.

The bench knew that they have to step up and that's what they did against Barako Bull. No Caguioa proved to be no problem for Ginebra as veteran LA Tenorio went to play his old role on his former team. He scored big and boosted a 27 point performance, his first as a Ginebra player while Macklin and Raymundo provided 33 and 10. Ginebra is now at 5-5.

Will the No Caguioa, No problem continue to work?

(Photo credits to Google. Thank You!)

Keep the Faith.

Paolo

Ginebra's long and rocky road to success

Before Ginebra battle Talk And Text this coming Friday, let us do a recap of how did Ginebra end up being in the semis.

Ginebra's New Head Coach: Mr. Alfrancis Chua

Everyone was really pumped up to see Ginebra play at the start of the conference, with the powerhouse lineup of Coach Alfrancis Chua, Ginebra seemed to be one of the strongest teams in the league. Parading their complete and strong line-up with: Billy Mamaril, Yousef Taha, LA Tenorio, Rob Labagala, JJ Helterbrand, Herbert Hill, Kerby Raymundo, Elmer Espiritu, Willie Wilson, Keith Jensen, Rico Maierhofer, Dylan Ababou, Chris Ellis, Mac Baracael, Mark Caguioa and Rudy Hatfield. The fans expected that the Brgy. Ginebra will be dominating this league.

Their first game was with Air 21 and they lost against them with the score 74-70. Mark Caguioa carried the scoring load with 26 points. It was Air 21's import Michael Dunigan who damaged Gin Kings both on offense and defense. Definitely not the way the players and fans wanted their PBA 2013 campaign to begin.

Ginebra lost their first game against Air21

Ginebra's next game was against the star-studded GlobalPort lead by their big men Justin Williams with strong local supports on Gary David, Japeth Aguilar, Sol Mercado and Willie Miller. On this game, Ginebra suffered an 89-80 loss against GlobalPort despite the efforts of Hill and Caguioa who provided 22 and 20 points respectively. Hill provided decent numbers but still can't give Ginebra their first elusive win. 

Mark Caguioa's 20pt output isn't enough to beat GlobalPort

By this time, we are all sure that Ginebra will bounce back harder and try to win one game at a time but their fate isn't telling them the same thing. Ginebra tasted their third straight loss in as many games against Petron Blaze Boosters. Before this game started, talks have been made that the management of Ginebra decided to replace Herbert Hill with Vernon Macklin a 6'10 guy from Florida to hopefully help them on their very bad campaign start. Ginebra management gave Herbert Hill one last chance to prove his worth by letting him play against Petron but the result is still the same. Ginebra was outscored by Petron 105-90. It was once again Mark Caguioa who top scored the team with 24 points with the help of LA Tenorio with 19 points. Hill struggled on his last game and finished with 16 points.

I will discuss what happened to Ginebra's campaign with the arrival of Vernon Macklin. Stay tuned.

(PS: All photos came from Google. Thank you!)

Keep the Faith.
Paolo

Houston Meltdown

Still in awe that the Houston Rockets lost against the Los Angeles Lakers. It was a good game, but the officiating is really bad! NBA clearly needs Lakers for their own benefit! Questionable calls every time, favoring the Los Angeles Lakers. But Lakers did a great job to be honest, after Kobe went down, players stepped up and did gave more energy than before. They are all playing inspired Basketball.

(Photo credits to: Houston Rockets fanpage)

Even with the disappointment because of their loss, I still believe in them. They're the youngest team in the league right now so they still need a lot of learning to do. They've proven they can beat the toughest teams and I believe they can do it against last years finals' runner up, the Oklahoma City Thunders. It would be really interesting since James Harden will play against his former team!

Focus: playoffs #beatOKC!

Here are the game results on the last day of elimination:

BOS 90 - TOR 114

DET -99 - BRK 103

ATL 92 - NYK 98

CLE 98 - CHA 105

ORL 93 - MIA 105

PHL 105 - IND 95

WAS 92 - CHI 95

UTA 70 - MEM 86

NOH 87 - DAL 99

MIN 108 - SAS 95

PHX 98 - DEN 118

HOU 95 - LAL 99

LAC 112 - SAC 108

GSW 99 - POR 88

Here are the final team standings for both Western and Eastern Conferences:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Miami

2. New York

3. Indiana

4. Brooklyn

5. Chicago

6. Atlanta

7. Boston

8. Milwaukee

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Oklahoma City

2. San Antonio

3. Denver

4. LA Clippers

5. Memphis

6. Golden State

7. LA Lakers

8. Houston

Keep the Faith.

Paolo

Must win situation for both Rockets and Lakers tomorrow.

Who would have thought that Lakers now have the chance to be at the 7th seed? After Kobe suffered torn Achilles and will be out for the rest of the season, the Lakers are still fighting and playing inspired basketball. They have won their last 4 games, and their latest victim was the San Antonio Spurs who are seeded #2 on the Western Conference. They did it without Kobe Bryant!

The Houston Lakers on the other hand, have the chance to be on the 6th seed, but for some reason, played really bad against the Phoenix Suns. Phoenix won 112-119. It was supposedly an easy win but the Rockets did not play their full potential. Now they are faced with the possibility of being the 8th seed if they lose their game against the Lakers later.

Here are the scenario which will affect the two teams:

HOUSTON Rockets:

HOU beat LAL + GSW loss = Houston will get 6th seed.

HOU beat LAL + GSW win = Houston will get 7th seed.

LAL beat HOU = Houston will get 8th seed.

LOS ANGELES Lakers:

MEM beat UTA = Lakers would be assured of at least 8th seed; even if the loss against Houston.

LAL beat HOU = Lakers will get 7th seed.

both LAL and UTA wins = Lakers will get 7th and Utah will still be out.

Although their final seed will also depend of the games of the other teams, I am sure they don't want to rely on the other chances. They will definitely want to win this one.

I'm hoping for the best for my team. Harden, Asik, Lin and Parsons must really play really big later if they want to lock on this one. #rednation

Keep the Faith.

Paolo

Tracy McGrady is back!

He is back! I thought he already gave up his NBA career. I am very happy to see my favorite Rockets player back! It's sad to see that he will play for San Antonio Spurs, but I will still take it. Who doesn't want to see Tracy McGrady play again?

If I remember it right, Tracy McGrady has never won a playoff series, I think this is the perfect team for him. Spurs would definitely need him. But the question is, can he still play as good as he was before? His latest league was Chinese Basketball Association where he played for Qingdao Eagles and he averaged 25 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Not bad at all! 

I just hope he won't face the Houston Rockets come playoffs. That would be epic and dramatic at the same time! I am not a Spurs fan, but he will be a very big boost on their NBA campaign! The Spurs are currently at 58-23, making them the 2nd seed on the Western Conference

Welcome to the Spurs Nation Tracy McGrady!

(for the complete news: Spurs sign Tracy McGrady)

Keep the Faith.
Paolo

Pray for Kobe

I am not a big fan of LA Lakers(Houston Rockets fan), but I'm a big Kobe Bryant fan. A big reason of it is because of his big heart and will to win. Playing with same intensity every night is hard especially if you are on the verge of not making it into the playoffs. Now that he is down with an injury, we have possibly seen the last game of Kobe this season. And the fate of LA Lakers making it into playoffs are now up to the rest of the team.

During their game against Golden State Warriors, he still played even though he is obviously hurting until the 3:06 mark of the game, where he injured himself and went straight to the dug out. This is a very bad situation for the Lakers as Kobe has somehow been carrying the load for the team. Kobe will have an MRI exam this Saturday.

Kobe Bryant's final 2012-13 per-game statistics: 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists.

Here is the latest tweet of Kobe Bryant:

I am praying for him and I hope he will come back strong, I've read that he might torn his achilles but I believe that will not be the last time that we will see Kobe.

Here is his interview:

You really got to feel what Kobe Bryant is feeling right now! :(

Here is his latest Facebook status:

I know you'll be back Kobe! Come back stronger!

It's now up to the rest of the team to not put Kobe's effort into waste. 

#PrayforKobe

Keep the Faith.