Photo Credit: PBA.PH

The San Miguel Corporation (SMC) management started to move its players by trading point guard Jonas Villanueva of San Miguel Beermen in exchange for quick guard Paul Artadi of B-MEG Derby Ace Llamados.

In an interview with incoming head coach Ato Agustin, he says he wanted a running team while also putting premium on defense. This justifies the acquisition of Artadi who strives on up-tempo and running kind of game. He is also known for his defense harassing point guards of opposing squads.

Though many of the Beermen fans are saddened by Jonas departure, its good to know that each time Artadi transfers to a team, he usually brings in a championship like what he did when he was traded to Ginebra and later to B-MEG Derby Ace. Will he bring the same kind of championship charm to San Miguel? We’ll know as the 36th PBA season unfolds starting on October 3 starting with the All-Filipino Conference.

Full trade news from Philippine Basketball Association (PBA.PH) below:

SMB, B-MEG SWAP COURT GENERALS; MAMARIL BACK WITH THE KINGS

Fri, 09/03/2010 – 15:22 — junior

San Miguel Beer and B-MEG Derby Ace have changed the make-up of their backcourts by figuring in a trade deal involving Jonas Villanueva and Paul Artadi.

The Beermen and the Llamados, sister ballclubs under the giant SMC umbrella, consummated the deal with the Air21 Express serving as the third party.

The Express benefited from being the conduit as they acquired the Llamados’ 2014 first round pick in exchange for their 2013 second round selection.

At the same time, Air21 and Barangay Ginebra formalized a separate deal that sent Billy Mamaril back to the Kings. The Express acquired a future draft pick in this transaction.

Towards the end of the 2010 Fiesta Conference, the Express got Mamaril from the Kings in a futile bid to prolong their season.

Despite their acquisition of Mamaril and the arrival of import LeRoy Hickerson, the Express couldn’t get past the wildcard plays.

Meanwhile, San Miguel was looking for quickness and hustle in enlisting Artadi.

“The coaches talked about it. They believed it’s a win-win trade for both teams,” said Rene Pardo, the current PBA Board chair from Derby Ace.

“Kailangan ng San Miguel ng quickness. Kami okay lang pakawalan si Paul dahil meron pa kaming Chris Timberlake,” Pardo added.

Denok Miranda is staying with San Miguel, having just signed a fresh two-year pact. (SB)

1. Trade News: Joseph Yeo Joins San Miguel Beermen, Trades Bonbon Custodio to Sta. Lucia Realty Photo Credit: symbianize.com The trade rumors giving a clue that an infiltrator and a mercenary (referring to a ninja)...
2. Olsen Racela Leads San Miguel Beermen Comeback vs BMEG Derby Ace Llamados Photo Credit: PBA.PH May 2, 2010 – Down by 18 points in the third quarter and things not going...
3. Trade News: San Miguel Beermen Gets Alex Cabagnot, Sends Mike Cortez to Air21 Express Photo Credit: PBA.PH The San Miguel Corporation (SMC) management started the retooling of San Miguel Beermen and the Barangay...
4. Gabe Freeman Dominates as San Miguel Beermen Beats BMEG Derby Ace Llamados, Gains Finals Berth Photo Credit: PBA.PH With the semifinals series on the line, the San Miguel Beermen put on a determined stand...
5. Ato Agustin to Coach San Miguel Beermen Photo Credit: Jan Dizon, NCAA While the SMC Management has yet to formalize the appointment of Ato Agustin as...

Photo Credit: Jan Dizon, NCAA

While the SMC Management has yet to formalize the appointment of Ato Agustin as the Beermen’s new head coach starting next season, it’s already known that he will handle the team after former Beermen headcoach Siot Tanquingcen was sent to Ginebra to become one of Jong Uichico’s assistant coaches.

Agustin currently is completing his coaching responsibilities with the San Sebastian Stags in NCAA. Once his duties with the Stags are done, he will take control of the Beermen squad. Assistant coach Gee Abanilla was reportedly going to handle the team in practices while Agustin is not yet around.

I welcome Ato’s appointment as a new start for the Beermen who were handled for a while by Siot. I love his idea of forming a running team while also paying premium on defense. I guess we already seen this last season from the Beermen so there’s really not much changes except that the Beermen need to speed up more as well as play better defense in Ato’s system.

Kindly read the feature story below for more details.

‘Ato-m Bomb’ hopes to explode in the pro league
Source: Zean Macamay
www.journal.com.ph

AS a player, Renato ‘Ato’ Agustin wouldn’t forget his 1992 PBA season with San Miguel Beer.

If everything goes according to plan, the coming 2010-11 season may turn out to be another memorable one for the 47-year-old head coach.

Burdened with the heavy load of trying to fulfil a target San Miguel Beer failed to achieve last season, Agustin on Wednesday said that he will not concern himself with any thought steering the powerhouse franchise to an immediate championship conquest, preferring to entertain step-by-step measures first.

“Ayokong pine-pressure ang sarili ko. Pag na-pressure kasi ako baka hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko,” said Agustin with a smile shortly after guiding his San Sebastian Stags to a come-from-behind victory over Jose Rizal College in an NCAA match the other day.

Agustin admits that the team he will now mentor in the pro league has ‘very good talents,’ one that deserves a shot at a title. But the 1992 MVP isn’t thinking that far ahead.

“Mahirap isipin ang championship agad,” said Agustin. “My main and realistic goal with San Miguel is to make the semi-finals first.”

Agustin, one of the biggest surprises to come out from the Draft (11th pick, 1989 by SMB), was the one SMB management decided to tap as head coach to replace Siot Tanquingcen shortly after the 2009-10 season that ended in disappointments.

San Miguel failed to win a championship last season despite fancied to win in both the Philippine Cup and in the import-laden Fiesta Conference. The Beermen didn’t advance to the championship round in the all-Filipino tournament, beaten by sister-team Derby Ace in the semi-finals, before getting the shock of their lives in a 4-2 defeat to the Alaska Aces in the Fiesta.

In assuming the head-coaching job for the Beermen, Agustin will now dictate what kind of system he desires for the 18-time champion team.

He did not drift far from what San Miguel Beer has been known for. Agustin, who also guided the Beermen to the 1992 All-Filipino championship, wants a running team that likewise puts premium on defense.

“Ang style ko kasi is a running game, but I’m particular on defense,” said Agustin, a Lyceum product. “Ang konting kulang lang sa tingin ko sa San Miguel ay speed.”

His concern in that aspect should be resolved anytime soon since the Beermen are almost certain to acquire Paul Artadi from sister-team Derby Ace in exchange for Jonas Villanueva, the former Finals MVP (2008-09 Fiesta Conference) who was forgotten in the title series against the Aces.

The only thing that needs to be done is for the two ball clubs to find a third party that will act as a conduit since the Beermen and the Llamados cannot trade directly.

Other than the speed factor, Agustin has strong faith in his team.

“Buong-buo ang team,” said Agustin, who captured three championships in a five month period bridging 2009 and 2010, two of those with San Sebastian (NCAA and National Games) and one with Excelroof in the PBL. “It has very good talent.”

Agustin also said that San Miguel will have to take care first of keeping the core intact by re-hiring key players. Yesterday, Denok Miranda, a defensive specialist, signed a two-year deal with the Beermen.

The man known as the ‘Atom Bomb’ during his prime as a PBA player, though, will not officially assume the post until after the wars in the NCAA, which prohibits its coaches to mentor anywhere else during the duration of its tournament.

No related entries.

Photo Credit: PBA.Ph

August 18, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen provided a not good enough answer to stop an Alaska Aces crew raring to get their 13th championship as they lost game 6, 102-88 of the best-of-seven 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference Finals at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Alaska Aces suprised the San Miguel Beermen right at the start of the first quarter and they controlled the tempo most of the game. Occasionally, SMB would make mini runs but Alaska would immediately make counter runs right after time outs.

Import Gabe Freeman fought hard till the very end despite not getting much needed help from an offensively-loaded squad. The locals seem to lost focus and motivation after Alaska continued on scoring despite putting up one good defense after the other melting the clock and then surprisingly sinking last second shots.

Center Mick Pennisi was the only spark plug in the crucial fourth period where the Beermen was playing catch up of around 8-10 point-lead by Alaska. Arwind Santos also provided some needed points. The win clinched the championship for Alaska after winning the series at 4-2.

The loss will eventually give way to the rumored shake up in the SMC teams among coaching staffs and players. Watch out for the coming days as the SMC Management reveals their future plans for the 3 SMC teams including the San Miguel Beermen.

Full game story is as follows from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA.PH).

SWEET VICTORY FOR ALASKA, ACES FIESTA CUP CHAMPS
Wed, 08/18/2010 – 23:17 — junior

The Alaska Aces underscored their mastery over San Miguel with scintillating 102-88 victory in Game 6 and clinched the PBA Fiesta Conference championship at the Araneta Coliseum.

Displaying tremendous confidence and excellent teamwork, the Aces practically dominated the game, taking control with an 18-8 run midway in the first on the way to claiming the franchise’s 13th championship.

Diamon Simpson, the unselfish, versatile 22-year old, wound up his first tour of duty in PBA with a superb performance, finishing with 28 points and 19 rebounds and had five blocks that all but accentuate his domination over Gabe Freeman – the conference’s Best Import.

Alaska wrapped up the best-of-seven series, 4-2.

“This is so special considering those great teams, those great coaches. It’s so sweet when you have the chance to win,” proclaimed Alaska coach Tim Cone, who also won his career 13th championship – all with the Aces. He is just two titles away from matching his idol, the legendary coach Baby Dalupan, who had won a record 15 championships.

The final game of the series wasn’t exactly anti-climatic. The defending champion Beermen trailed by as many as 16 points but managed to pull with four points late in the second quarter.

But poor shooting and their inability to match the Aces’ intensity eventually took its toll on the Beermen.

“We defended well and shot well,” Cone emphasized.

During the awarding ceremony, team owner Wilfred Steven Uytengsu thanked SMB for a well played series, the Alaska fans and the players for winning the championship Which he dedicated to his father who passed away few months ago.

The Aces also got excellent performances from L.A. Tenorio (12 points, 11 assists) and Cyrus Baguio (24 points, 2 steals) who were named co-Finals MVP.

Freeman was the only good thing going for SMB in the first half when Alaska was slowly building on their momentum.

He poured 21 of his game-high 32 points in that stretch and his 3-point play late in the second quarter pulled the SMB to within 41-45.

Alaska led by just eight points at halftime but Tenorio opened the third quarter with a 3-point play and Baguio followed with another 3-point shot (his fourth of the night) as the Aces stretched the lead to 60-44.

Arwind Santos scored 16 points and Mick Pennisi added 12 for SMB, which shot a woeful 38 percent (34-of-89).

Successive baskets by Denok Miranda and Freeman gave SMB a 11-10 lead before Joe De Vance (14 points) knocked three treys between them during an 18-8 run that shove the Aces ahead for good. (DBC)

The scores:

Alaska 102 – Simpson 28, Baguio 24, De Vance 14, Tenorio 12, Thoss 12, Borboran 6, Fonacier 6, Robinson 0, Hugnatan 0, Cariaso 0.

San Miguel 88 – Freeman 32, Santos 16, Pennisi 12, Cabagnot 7, Washington 5, Ildefonso 5, Miranda 4, Hontiveros 4, Yeo 3, Pena 0.

Quarters: 28-19, 52-44, 77-64, 102-88

1. LA Tenorio Stars as Alaska Aces Beats San Miguel Beermen, Gets Game 4 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 13, 2010 – The mighty Beermen who showed up in Game 3 was nowhere to...
2. Diamon Simpson Stars as Alaska Aces Drubs San Miguel Beermen in Game 1 Photo Credit: PBA.PH Diamon Simpson and the rest of the Alaska Aces made sure that the San Miguel Beermen...
3. Jay Washington Shines as San Miguel Beermen Routs Alaska Aces, Takes Game 3 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 11, 2010 – Playing as if it’s a do-or-die game, the San Miguel Beermen surprised...
4. Diamon Simpson Dominates Anew as Alaska Aces Dumps San Miguel Beermen, Gets 2-0 Lead Photo Credit: PBA.PH With the San Miguel Beermen failing to stop another monster performance by Diamon Simpson and failing...
5. Gabe Freeman Dominates as San Miguel Beermen Beats BMEG Derby Ace Llamados, Gains Finals Berth Photo Credit: PBA.PH With the semifinals series on the line, the San Miguel Beermen put on a determined stand...

Photo Credit: PBA.PH

August 15, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen simply won’t let the Alaska Aces celebrate early in the series as they foiled them to get the crown on a defensive battle, 96-94 to live another day taking Game 5 of the best-of-seven PBA Fiesta Conference Finals at the Araneta Coliseum.

Just before the game started, Patricia Hizon announced that assistant Gee Abanilla will call the shots for the Beermen, a move which the SMC Management calls a “pahiyang”. Its a big gamble on the part of SMC staring at a 1-3 series deficit needing to win 3 straight do-or-die games to win the championship.

Whatever they call it, I guess its a big test for Gee Abanilla to see if he can steer the Beermen on this difficult situation. If he succeeds, I am pretty sure he will handle San Miguel’s head coaching job next season.

The win showed the Beermen’s character on a nerve-wrenching close game where the winner was decided only after the last shot was released – a failed 3 point attempt by Cyrus Baguio. There’s a lot more to improve on the Beermen’s poise down the stretch as they almost lost the game despite having a sizeable lead coming into the last 2 minutes.

Import Gabe Freeman gets on fire on the second half after a so-so performance in the first half scoring most of his points on free throws. Jay Washington performed his usual good game after a bad game on Game 4.

After 4 games of poor showing, Dondon Hontiveros finally caught fire scoring on back-to-back triples in the first quarter and provided some more in the fourth.

Mick Pennisi was a surprise package who drained 3 triples and provided tough defense to import Diamon Simpson. Guard Dennis (Denok) Miranda also came out of his shell showing his best game so far in SMB uniform. He provided stingy defense to LA Tenorio while also contributing 12 points, 5 assists on a 5/6 field goal earning him the Best Player of the Game honors.

Not to be left out is 2-time MVP Danny Ildefonso who provided key baskets when Alaska was threatening to grab the driver’s seat. His post plays reminded me of his MVP days when he used to take the ball at crunch times.

Overall, it was a good performance by San Miguel despite almost losing the game towards the end. We have to recognize that Alaska thrives on close games and its a big win if we steal a close game from them. According to Quinito Henson, 5 Beermen scored in double figures – a statistic that showed that San Miguel is sharing the ball, a strategy that will stop Alaska from concentrating its defense on a few players.

We have a BIG game ahead of us on Wednesday. If we win this one, we will tie the series at 3-3. I spotted the game schedule on TV and it says that Game 7 will be held a week after – that is on another Wednesday, August 25 for some reasons. If we reach Game 7, we have a week to prepare. That’s enough time for the coaching staffs to map out key game plans, for players to get some rest, for the whole San Miguel Beermen team to prepare for the final battle – a chance to be written on the books of history as one of the three teams (Purefoods and Ginebra) to win a best-of-seven series after being down 1-3 in the series.

1. Jay Washington Shines as San Miguel Beermen Routs Alaska Aces, Takes Game 3 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 11, 2010 – Playing as if it’s a do-or-die game, the San Miguel Beermen surprised...
2. Diamon Simpson Stars as Alaska Aces Drubs San Miguel Beermen in Game 1 Photo Credit: PBA.PH Diamon Simpson and the rest of the Alaska Aces made sure that the San Miguel Beermen...
3. LA Tenorio Stars as Alaska Aces Beats San Miguel Beermen, Gets Game 4 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 13, 2010 – The mighty Beermen who showed up in Game 3 was nowhere to...
4. Alaska Aces Beats San Miguel Beermen, Wins 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference Championship Photo Credit: PBA.Ph August 18, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen provided a not good enough answer to stop...
5. Diamon Simpson Dominates Anew as Alaska Aces Dumps San Miguel Beermen, Gets 2-0 Lead Photo Credit: PBA.PH With the San Miguel Beermen failing to stop another monster performance by Diamon Simpson and failing...

Photo Credit: PBA.PH

August 13, 2010 – The mighty Beermen who showed up in Game 3 was nowhere to be found in Game 4 and LA Tenorio and the Alaska Aces took advantage of it to whip the San Miguel Beermen, 90-83, to get Game 4 of the best-of-seven PBA Fiesta Conference Finals at the Cuneta Astrodome.

The trend continues for the Beermen who lost on Fridays for several times already this conference. And the jinx also got into Best Player of the Conference Jay Washington who played a mediocre game.

Without ample support from the rest of San Miguel’s powerhouse crew, the Aces defense have easier time beating the San Miguel squad. The Beermen’s offguard rotation was visibly missing as they were outperformed by their counterparts LA Tenorio and Cyrus Baguio.

Once again, Dondon Hontiveros is missing in action both offensively and defensively. I wonder why he is not playing at par this finals. The anchorman said that his defensive assignment with Cyrus Baguio is taking its toll on his offensive game but there might be other reasons.

I hate watching games where the Beermen are losing and I even hate more writing for every SMB’s loss. That’s all for today. Hopefully the Beermen still has the heart to finish the fight to the very end. San Miguel will be remembered in history as one of the teams to get back from a 1-3 lead fi they were able to get pass this HUGE challenge.

ONE TO GO FOR ALASKA
Source: PBA.PH

Fri, 08/13/2010 – 23:05 — junior

The Alaska Aces have a date with destiny on Sunday.

Starting guards LA Tenorio and Cyrus Baguio got things going for three quarters and the Aces preserved their efforts with strong fourth quarter for a 90-83 victory against San Miguel in Game 4 of the PBA Fiesta Conference Finals at the Cuneta Astrodome Friday.

With a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, the Aces need just one more win to clinch their first title in three years.

“The opportunity is there obviously, so we’ll go for it,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone, who could book his career 13th championship on Sunday as the Aces attempt to wrap up ther series.

Tenorio, who was named the season’s Most Improved Player two nights ago, scattered 21 points and had 10 rebounds while Baguio accounted for 15, two assists and two steals.

The backcourt duo combined for 28 points in the third quarter as Alaska managed to fend off a strong start by the Beermen even though the rest of the team struggled offensively.

“That was intense. We felt we we’re not able to raise the level of our game in Game 3. But tonight we were able to do that.

“We’ve been through the worst. We know how to respond from losses and we know how to play back to back games. So we think we can go after Game 5,” Cone proclaimed.

Alaska delivered the finishing touches in the 10 minute mark of the fourth using a 16-5 run that pushed them ahead, 82-72, with 2:29 to go.

The Defending champion Beermen, who went 3 for 11 during that eight minutes stretch, never recovered after that. They now face the specter of blowing yet another title shot.

“I think it’s all about perspective,” said SMB coach Siot Tanquingcen. “It’s how we look at things. Right now we are in a 1-3 hole but we could look at it as a challenge. I admit I made some mistakes but that’s part of growing, part of life.”

Simpson scored 14 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for the Aces, who shot 48 percent. SMB made just 37 percent of their shots (34-of-91).

Gabe Freeman scored 28 points and had 17 rebounds. Arwind Santos added 15 and Danny Ildefonso had 11 for the Beermen.

After four consecutive games with double-double efforts, Jay Washington managed just five points in Game 4 and his listless performance obviously hurt his team. (DBC)

The scores:

Alaska 90 – Tenorio 21, Baguio 15, Simpson 14, De Vance 12, Hugnatan 9, Fonacier 7, Dela Cruz 6, Thoss 4, Borboran 2.

San Miguel 83 – Freeman 28, Santos 15, Ildefonso 11, Cabagnot 8, Miranda 6, Washington 5, Villanueva 2, Yeo 2, Racela 2, Hontiveros 2, Pennisi 2.

Quarters: 20-24, 42-42, 66-63, 90-83

1. Diamon Simpson Stars as Alaska Aces Drubs San Miguel Beermen in Game 1 Photo Credit: PBA.PH Diamon Simpson and the rest of the Alaska Aces made sure that the San Miguel Beermen...
2. Alaska Aces Beats San Miguel Beermen, Wins 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference Championship Photo Credit: PBA.Ph August 18, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen provided a not good enough answer to stop...
3. Dennis Miranda Stars as San Miguel Beermen Stops Alaska Aces, Takes Game 5 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 15, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen simply won’t let the Alaska Aces celebrate early...
4. Jay Washington Shines as San Miguel Beermen Routs Alaska Aces, Takes Game 3 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 11, 2010 – Playing as if it’s a do-or-die game, the San Miguel Beermen surprised...
5. Diamon Simpson Dominates Anew as Alaska Aces Dumps San Miguel Beermen, Gets 2-0 Lead Photo Credit: PBA.PH With the San Miguel Beermen failing to stop another monster performance by Diamon Simpson and failing...

Photo Credit: PBA.PH

August 11, 2010 – Playing as if it’s a do-or-die game, the San Miguel Beermen surprised the Alaska Aces, 96-80, anchored on tough defense to take Game 3 of the best-of-seven PBA Fiesta Conference Finals at the Araneta Coliseum.

Jay Washington lead the Beermen’s attack with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 steals. The win narrowed down Alaska’s lead in the series 2-1.

San Miguel unveiled its suprise attack early in the first quarter with their aggressive defense forcing Alaska to turn over the ball many times. The Beermen were quick to capitalize on these errors with fast break attacks. The defensive ploy did not allow Diamon Simpson, Alaska’s gem in Games 1 and 2, to handle the ball too long in the post with quick double teams thrown at him.

SMB raced to an early 13-5 lead with Arwind Santos leading the pack with 10 points. Alaska, however, cut down the lead when Gabe Freeman rested temporarily. The first half ended 22-18 in favor of San Miguel after Alex Cabagnot’s buzzer-beating jumper.

In the second quarter, San Miguel’s defense continued to haunt Alaska. SMB opened the quarter with a 6-2 run. Import Gabe Freeman started to hum providing great defense to his man resulting to turnovers thereby allowing him to get free on fastbreaks. Together with Jay Washington who also waxed hot from outside, San Miguel erected a huge first half lead 49-30.

The third quarter showed Alaska making some progress but their efforts were quickly countered by the Beermen. The first period of the third period showed both teams just exchanging baskets. But late in the period, the triumvirate of Arwind Santos, Jay Washington, and Gabe Freeman started to dominate with the three conieving on scoring fast break points after every Alaska turnovers. The quarter ended with SMB still ahead 71-54.

WIth the huge lead that they have, coach Siot Tanquingcen opted for a more stable half-court offense and managing the time. He put Olsen racela on the floor who played his 900th game. Together with veterans Danny Ildefonso and Dondon Hontiveros, they fought back with Alaska comeback attempt capped by Danny Ildefonso’s raied the roof slam. Racela also showed brilliance in the fourth quarter sinking in 3 3-point baskets.

Alaska was not able to come back from there with the Beermen sustaining their stingy defense down to the last seconds of the game.

1. Diamon Simpson Stars as Alaska Aces Drubs San Miguel Beermen in Game 1 Photo Credit: PBA.PH Diamon Simpson and the rest of the Alaska Aces made sure that the San Miguel Beermen...
2. Dennis Miranda Stars as San Miguel Beermen Stops Alaska Aces, Takes Game 5 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 15, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen simply won’t let the Alaska Aces celebrate early...
3. LA Tenorio Stars as Alaska Aces Beats San Miguel Beermen, Gets Game 4 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 13, 2010 – The mighty Beermen who showed up in Game 3 was nowhere to...
4. Alaska Aces Beats San Miguel Beermen, Wins 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference Championship Photo Credit: PBA.Ph August 18, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen provided a not good enough answer to stop...
5. Diamon Simpson Dominates Anew as Alaska Aces Dumps San Miguel Beermen, Gets 2-0 Lead Photo Credit: PBA.PH With the San Miguel Beermen failing to stop another monster performance by Diamon Simpson and failing...

Photo Credit: PBA.PH

With the San Miguel Beermen failing to stop another monster performance by Diamon Simpson and failing to execute at crunch time, the Alaska Aces went on to win Game 2, 94-90, of the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference Finals at the Araneta Coliseum.

Simpson practically dominated the post even with double or triple teams thrown at him by the Beermen. He even drained long range bombs when the clock is ticking down.

San Miguel got the golden opportunity to catch up with the leading Aces during the dying seconds of the fourth quarter after Simpson got his sixth and last foul but the Beermen were not able to capitalize due to turn overs and poor execution.

Alaska started out strong in the first quarter leading as much as 10 points or more. To add more damage to the Beermen’s problems, gabe Freeman committed his third personal foul with around 3 mins in the first quarter forcing coach Siot Tanquingcen to sit him out. The locals managed to slashed Alaska’s lead after the Beermen caught fire from beyond the arc behind Joseph Yeo and Jay Washington. First quarter ends with Alaska leading by 5, 31-26.

San Miguel opened up the second quarter with a 7-0 run behind the attacks of Joseph Yeo and Arwind Santos. However, Alaska was quick to counter with its second unit on the floor. Mark Borboran contributed 6 straight points ending the second quarter with Alaska still ahead, 50-45.

Arwind Santos and Joeseph Yeo continued their attacks in the third period but Diamon Simpson continued to show his dominance in the paint. The Beermen was able to get back the lead but Alaska quickly got it back once again and closed out the third period still ahead at 75-71.

Alaska continued to show brilliance even if Diamon Simpson and LA Tenorio were sitting on the bench at the start of the fourth quarter with their second stringers providing the extra points while containing the Beermen. They even extended Alaska’s lead 79-71. San Miguel fought back with Arwind Santos providing the needed points. The Beermen even got the lead behind Olsen Racela’s jumper, 84-83.

However, San Miguel was not able to take care of this lead as they played catch up once again towards the end of the game. Alaska was able to escaoe with this win as Alaska coach Tim Cone have wanted to and is now holding a commanding 2-0 lead.

Commentaries

Dondon Hontiveros is once again missing in action. His services is badly missing by failing to contribute on offense while being a step slower with his man. He better turn in a good performance in Game 3 if the wants to help the team.

Alaska’s backcourt is dominating San Miguel’s. The Beermen should find a solution to stop both LA Tenorio and Cyrus Baguio even with San Miguel’s deep guard rotation.

Simpson’s dominance at the post is giving San Miguel a big headache. No one on San Miguel’s bench really at this time can stop him from dominating. The vaunted San Miguel defense that won them the semifinals series vanished in thin air with this big hole in the middle. This calls for new strategic adjustments to stop the bleeding. The game on Wednesday can be considered a do-or-die game for the Beermen as no team in PBA history was able to go back from a 0-3 deficit. We don’t want to be in that situation as even if we have the materials to come back from 0-3, it will be very difficult.

As for the fans, let’s keep the faith in our team. Its just 2 games but its not yet over. Winning Game 3 will be a good step for the Beermen to get back into this series. They just need to take it one game at a time.

1. Diamon Simpson Stars as Alaska Aces Drubs San Miguel Beermen in Game 1 Photo Credit: PBA.PH Diamon Simpson and the rest of the Alaska Aces made sure that the San Miguel Beermen...
2. Jay Washington Shines as San Miguel Beermen Routs Alaska Aces, Takes Game 3 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 11, 2010 – Playing as if it’s a do-or-die game, the San Miguel Beermen surprised...
3. Alaska Aces Beats San Miguel Beermen, Wins 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference Championship Photo Credit: PBA.Ph August 18, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen provided a not good enough answer to stop...
4. Dennis Miranda Stars as San Miguel Beermen Stops Alaska Aces, Takes Game 5 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 15, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen simply won’t let the Alaska Aces celebrate early...
5. LA Tenorio Stars as Alaska Aces Beats San Miguel Beermen, Gets Game 4 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 13, 2010 – The mighty Beermen who showed up in Game 3 was nowhere to...

Photo Credit: PBA.PH

Diamon Simpson and the rest of the Alaska Aces made sure that the San Miguel Beermen will not be celebrating the whole night after beating them, 89-83, in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series of the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference Finals.

Earlier in the night, Gabe Freeman beat Simpson for the Best Import Award while Jay Washington grabs the Best Player of the Conference Award beating LA Tenorio in the race. The loss gave Simpson and Tenorio enough motivation to prove themselves.

The Beermen started smoking hot in the first quarter behind solid interior defense and a red-hot Gabe Freeman, who already scored 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds at the end of the first quarter. The first quarter ended up with San Miguel leading by 6 points, 25-19.

The second quarter continued Gabe Freeman’s dominance but Alaska slowly chipped into SMB’s lead. The later part of the second quarter saw San Miguel turned over the ball where the Aces capitalized with fast break attacks. The dying seconds of the second quarter also showed several defensive lapses from the San Miguel squad creating openings for Simpson who dominated the paint in that period. He scored 6 straight points on 3 layups in that run. Alaska turned the tide and now leads San Miguel by 6, 48-42.

In the third period, San Miguel staged a mini-run and got the lead once again after Dondon Hontiveros nailed a three point shot. Unfortunately, Gabe Freeman got his fourth personal foul around 7 minutes in the third quarter and then in just a span of 3 minutes, got his fifth personal foul. That left the coaching staff to sit him out and field an all local crew. They were able to keep the game within shouting distance at the end of the third quarter.

Continuing to play All-Filipino early in the fourth quarter, the San Miguel Beermen were able to keep the game close until they tied the game at 72-all behind the daredevil moves and passing of Joseph Yeo and Jay Washington’s inside moves. Alaska fought back after that and established a comfortable lead before Gabe Freeman was fielded back in. The Beermen played catch up after that but the Aces simply would not budge. Alaska took Game 1, 89-83 and now leads the series at 1-0. Diamon Simpson got the Best Player of the Game with 28 points and 21 rebounds.

To add more damage to the injury, Gabe Freeman went to the bench limping. According to the anchormen, his knee might have been hit by someone. Hopefully this is just a minor one.

My Short Game Analysis

Gabe Freeman’s dominance in the first half took its toll on the Beermen’s offensive rhythm. Since he was handling the ball most of the time, the rest of the locals were not able to participate well. When he was pulled out for foul trouble, the locals find it hard to get their game going coupled with a so so orchestrating game from main point guard Alex Cabagnot.

I guess Alaska succeeded on their strategy of letting Freeman take over while cancelling out most of the Beermen’s locals. They also let Freeman shoot the ball from the outside and even gave him open looks from beyond the arc. This negates his rebounding presence underneath and let the Aces took the ball since no one is there to content for the rebounds. Same was the case for Jay Washington who often times took three point attempts and missing most of the time.

To get back into the series, San Miguel should work doubly hard on defense and move the ball well. Freeman and Washington should not take too many outside attempts as it leaves a hole in the middle on rebounding.

Though this has been his main problem all throughtout the conference, Gabe Freeman should somehow control his intensity so as not to get into early foul trouble. The Beermen is a different team when he is inside the hardcourt and his presence is of high importance. Finally, San Miguel’s deep local lineup should always be ready for any Gabe Freeman foul trouble.

It’s still early in the series to press the panic button but the needed adjustments should be made on Sunday to prevent us from getting into a deep hole.

1. Diamon Simpson Dominates Anew as Alaska Aces Dumps San Miguel Beermen, Gets 2-0 Lead Photo Credit: PBA.PH With the San Miguel Beermen failing to stop another monster performance by Diamon Simpson and failing...
2. Jay Washington Shines as San Miguel Beermen Routs Alaska Aces, Takes Game 3 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 11, 2010 – Playing as if it’s a do-or-die game, the San Miguel Beermen surprised...
3. LA Tenorio Stars as Alaska Aces Beats San Miguel Beermen, Gets Game 4 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 13, 2010 – The mighty Beermen who showed up in Game 3 was nowhere to...
4. Dennis Miranda Stars as San Miguel Beermen Stops Alaska Aces, Takes Game 5 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 15, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen simply won’t let the Alaska Aces celebrate early...
5. Alaska Aces Beats San Miguel Beermen, Wins 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference Championship Photo Credit: PBA.Ph August 18, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen provided a not good enough answer to stop...

Photo Credit: PBA.PH

With the semifinals series on the line, the San Miguel Beermen put on a determined stand to finish off a gutsy BMEG Derby Ace Llamados, 91-83 behind the dominating performance of import Gabe Freeman.

Freeman dished off a monster of a ballgame unleasing 26 points, 22 rebounds, and 12/14 field goals.

The win gave the San Miguel Beermen an entry to the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference Finals and a chance to win a back-to-back Fiesta Conference Championship, the last one won by Red Bull Barako.

With San Miguel leading by 9 at half-time, 51-42, Arwind Santos throws out a booming three point shot and then followed it up with an open drive to the basket enabling the Beermen to build a big 16 point lead.

However, things started to turn around in favor of Derby Ace as their defense tightened up that saw the Beermen stucked at 79 points half-way in the fourth quarter.

They were slowly closing in at 4 points after Joseph Yeo committed a flagrant foul penalty 1 on Marc Pingris. Unfortunately for the Llamados, James Yap missed both technical free throws and missed another crucial three point shot.

In the succeeding play, Jay Washington left out Rafi Reavis in a dribbling exhibition play that saw Washington driving straight to the hoop after Reavis falls down on defense. Gabe Freeman, Arwind Santos, and Dondon Hontiveros worked their way to finish the Llamados with their drives and free throws.

For full game coverage, you can check out news stories from other websites later.

—–

Finally, after having no updates for several months already, I’m back writing for this blog – probably at the right and sweetest time – the San Miguel Beermen entering the finals. As much as I can, I will write game results ahead of the other news sources.

Its good that we were able to finish the series ahead of the other one, the one between Alaska Aces and Talk N Text Tropang Texters for our players to get some rest. This will give us a little edge from the opposing team come finals. It will also give our coaching staff enough time to scout the opposition and prepare our plays.

So that’s it! It’s finals once again so keep supporting the San Miguel Beermen and keep checking this blog for updates.

1. Olsen Racela Leads San Miguel Beermen Comeback vs BMEG Derby Ace Llamados Photo Credit: PBA.PH May 2, 2010 – Down by 18 points in the third quarter and things not going...
2. Roger Yap Stars Anew as Purefoods TJ Giants Destroyed the San Miguel Beermen, Gains Finals Berth Photo Credit: PBA.PH It still puzzles me how the San Miguel Beermen were not able to adjust to the...
3. Alaska Aces Beats San Miguel Beermen, Wins 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference Championship Photo Credit: PBA.Ph August 18, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen provided a not good enough answer to stop...
4. Gabe Freeman To Win Back to Back Best Import Award? Yes, It’s Possible! Photo Credit: PBA.PH With the way Gabe Freeman plays this conference, there’s no doubt that he has a strong...
5. LA Tenorio Stars as Alaska Aces Beats San Miguel Beermen, Gets Game 4 Photo Credit: PBA.PH August 13, 2010 – The mighty Beermen who showed up in Game 3 was nowhere to...

Photo Credit: PBA.PH

With the way Gabe Freeman plays this conference, there’s no doubt that he has a strong case to win a back-to-back Best Import Award for the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference.

An article from Manila Bulletin tells us why.

July 5, 2010, 6:24pm
Source: Manila Bulletin

San Miguel Beer’s versatile import Gabe Freeman is on track of winning a second straight Best Import trophy, and become the first back-to-back winner in 18 years as he finished in the top five at the end of classification phase in the PBA Fiesta Cup.

The 6-foot-6 Freeman actually finished fifth in the race for the Best Import award, but since the Beermen earned outright slot in the semifinals of the reinforced-conference, the one-time Costa Mesa Community College star is an automatic candidate.

Freeman averaged 20.9 points and 16.6 rebounds per game in the classification, while helping SMB finish with a 13-5 win-loss record.

In San Miguel Beer’s playoff victory last week opposite sister-team and reigning Philippine Cup champion B-Meg Derby Ace, Freeman scattered 20 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked three shots to help his team claim the second outright seat in the Final Four.

Freeman has collected a total of 726 Statistical Points, or an average of 45.4 SPs.

The last import to win consecutive Best Import trophies was Shell Turbo Chargers’ Bobby Parks, who actually won a record seven straight when the league-format then was three conferences, two of which were with reinforcements.

Interestingly, Rain or Shine’s Rod Nealy, who played only a pair of games in the classification after replacing Jai Lewis, leads the Best Import race with 63.0 SPs with averages of 33.5 points, 16.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists.

Two imports are in the top five, although their respective teams were eliminated in the knockout wildcard phase, Air21’s Leroy Hickerson (No. 2, 57.6 SPs) and Sta. Lucia Realty’s Anthony Johnson (No. 4, 46.3 SPs).

At third spot is Alaska’s Diamon Simpson, who has 49.8 SPs with 26.5 points, 15.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steal and 1.5 blocks a game.

Also earning automatic nomination is Talk ’N Text’s Shawn Daniels, the dominating inside force for the Tropang Texters as they topped the classification with a 15-3 card highlighted by a franchise record of 13 straight wins.

The wide-bodied Daniels averaged 13.3 points, 13.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.2 steals and 2.3 shot blocks in the classification. He has 40.6 SPs.

Still in the race for the Best Import are B-Meg’s Cliff Brown (No. 6, 43.5 SPs) and Coca-Cola’s John Williamson (No. 7, 42.3 SPs). Sammy Monroe, whose team Barako Bull was the first to be eliminated, is at No. 9 (39.5 SPs).

Barangay Ginebra’s Denham Brown is actually in the list at No. 10 (36.0 SPs) but he was already replaced by Chris Daniels.

Meanwhile, the second do-or-die game in the wildcard round is set tomorrow between Rain or Shine and Coke at the Araneta Coliseum after both teams eliminated their respective opponents, as the Tigers beat the Realtors (100-84), while the Elasto Painters edged the Express (92-89).

In the best-of-five quarterfinals, the wildcard survivor will face B-Meg Derby Ace, while Ginebra battles Alaska.



1. Gabe Freeman Dominates as San Miguel Beermen Beats BMEG Derby Ace Llamados, Gains Finals Berth Photo Credit: PBA.PH With the semifinals series on the line, the San Miguel Beermen put on a determined stand...
2. Gabriel Freeman Explodes as San Miguel Beermen Outlasts Talk N Text Tropang Texters Photo Credit: PBA.PH After failing to finish the last two games due to foul trouble and cramps, Gabriel Freeman...
3. Diamon Simpson Stars as Alaska Aces Drubs San Miguel Beermen in Game 1 Photo Credit: PBA.PH Diamon Simpson and the rest of the Alaska Aces made sure that the San Miguel Beermen...
4. Arwind Santos Stars Anew as San Miguel Beermen Trips Sta. Lucia Realtors Photo Credit: PBA.PH May 7, 2010 – The San Miguel Beermen gave the Sta. Lucia Realtors a dose of...
5. Chico Lanete Explodes as Coca-Cola Tigers Devours San Miguel Beermen Photo Credit: PBA.PH It was the second time that import Gabe Freeman went out of the playing court but...