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Your latest sports news, in the Philippines and around the world.

Indiana Fever Clinch 2024 Playoff Spot   

September 4, 2024

WNBA;

Following losses from the Atlanta Dream and Chicago Sky on Tuesday night, the Indiana Fever officially clinched a spot in the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since the 2016 regular season.

The 2024 postseason will be the franchise’s 14th playoff appearance as Indiana reached the playoffs 12 consecutive times from 2005-2016 and made its first postseason appearance in 2002. The 2024 WNBA postseason will begin on Sunday, September 22.

How the playoff works in the WNBA?

The top eight teams regardless of conference will qualify for the playoffs and be seeded based on their record. The first playoff round follows a best-of-three format where the teams are seeded based on their regular-season record. The first-round series games will include a 2-1 format in which the higher seed will host Games 1 and 2 and the lower seed will host Game 3 if necessary. The semifinals and WNBA Finals will each feature a best-of-five series following the 2-2-1 format with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2 and 5, and the lower-seeded team will host Games 3 and 4 in their respective series.

With their current seeding, the Indiana Fever (6th) will face the Minnesota Lynx (3rd) in the first round of the playoffs. But with seven more games remaining, the Fever could end up higher in the standings.

NBA just release a 5hr video highlights of Steph Curry

August 18, 2024
NBA just release a 5hr video highlights of Steph Curry

Watch 4+ hours of Steph Curry’s most unforgettable clutch moments, complete with his iconic ‘night-night’ celebration!

Never miss a moment with the latest news, trending stories and highlights to bring you closer to your favorite players and teams.

Stephen Curry is arguably the greatest shooter in all of basketball and even though his not as athletic as his other peers, he’s one of the most exciting player to watch in the basketball court.

To borrow Stephen A. Smith’s line – “Steph Curry is the greatest shooter God has ever created.“

Carlos Yulo to receive a brandnew Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

August 18, 2024

Toyota Motor Philippines will be gifting two-time gold medalist Carlos Yulo after successful stint in the recent 2024 Paris Olympics. Yulo bagged the gold medal for Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Floor Exercise and Vault.

The company said “We hope this vehicle helps bring you to greater heights. We are excited to see where your journeys can further take you.”

This new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is just one of the many rewards that he received for bring home two gold medals from the Paris and more than the medal, Carlos Yulo earned the admiration of every Filipino and worldwide recognition. He will forever be in the Philippines Sports history books, specially the honor that he brought to the country.

Emirates NBA Cup 2024 Groupings and Schedule Announced

August 14, 2024

If you’re wonder, what the heck is the “Emirates NBA Cup 2024”? The Emirates NBA Cup 2024 was previously named the NBA In-Season Tournament, which debut last year and LA Lakers are the inaugural champions of the NBA In-Season Tournament.

Before we can talk about the, let’s talk about the groupings first and below are the groupings for the Emirates NBA Cup 2024.

Western Conference

Group A

  • (1) Minnesota
  • (2) LA Clippers
  • (3) Sacramento
  • (4) Houston
  • (5) Portland

Group B

  • (1) Oklahoma City
  • (2) Phoenix
  • (3) L.A. Lakers
  • (4) Utah
  • (5) San Antonio

Group C

  • (1) Denver
  • (2) Dallas
  • (3) New Orleans
  • (4) Golden State
  • (5) Memphis

Eastern Conference

Group A

  • (1) New York
  • (2) Orlando
  • (3) Philadelphia
  • (4) Brooklyn
  • (5) Charlotte

Group B

  • (1) Milwaukee
  • (2) Indiana
  • (3) Miami
  • (4) Toronto
  • (5) Detroit

Group C

  • (1) Boston
  • (2) Cleveland
  • (3) Chicago
  • (4) Atlanta
  • (5) Washington

Now that we have the groupings out of the way, the schedule for the Emirates NBA Cup 2024 will every Tuesday and Fridays starting this November 12th until December 3rd. The quarter finals will be on the December 11th and 12th, while the Semis will be on December 14th . The Emirates NBA Cup 2024 Finals will be on the 17th of December. Both Semis and the Finals will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. As for the full schedule and who will be playing against who, you can checkout the full schedule published by the NBA.

If you are still clueless as how Emirates NBA Cup 2024 works, then here’s a 2 minute video;

As for the name Emirates NBA Cup 2024, NBA and Emirates, yes the Emirates Airlines based in Dubai, has signed a multiyear global marketing partnership naming Emirates the Official Global Airline Partner of the NBA.

A Closer look at the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition

August 13, 2024

Samsung have been giving Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition to athletes at the Paris Olympics, while its unclear if the S. Korean company will sell these phones, Samsung it more than generous to provide additional details of the said phones.

Packaging

The black box of the Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition features a gold line that represent the track lines of the Track and Field. The Olympic rings, Paralympic symbols, and Samsung logo can be seen at the bottom of the box highlighting Samsung’s partnership with the Olympic Committee.

Olympic Gold

Samsung’s welcome message dedicated to Athletes will appear when Olympians turn on the device.

A personalize Flipsuit Case is also included with the device, it includes a NFC-equipped Flipsuit Card that can be attached to the case and display an automatically synchronized animation of the card’s image on the cover screen.

NFC-equipped Flipsuit Card
Animated Cover Screen and Main Display in the colors of the Olympic flag. The theme on the cover screen (FlexWindow) depicts a running track from an athlete’s perspective to celebrate the significance of competing in the Olympics.

Specs of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6;

Galaxy Z Flip6
Display Main Screen 6.7-inch FHD+
Dynamic AMOLED 2X
120Hz Adaptive refresh rate (1~120Hz)
Infinity Flex Display (2640 x 1080, 22:9)
Cover Screen 3.4-inch Super AMOLED 60Hz Display
720 x 748
306 PPI
Dimension & Weight Folded 71.9 x 85.1 x 14.9mm
Unfolded 71.9 x 165.1 x 6.9mm
Weight 187g
Camera Front Camera 10MP Selfie Camera
F2.2, Pixel size: 1.22μm, FOV: 85˚
Rear Dual Camera 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera
F2.2, Pixel size: 1.12μm, FOV: 123˚
50MP Wide-angle Camera
Dual Pixel AF, OIS, F1.8, Pixel size: 1.0μm, FOV: 85˚
AP Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy
Memory & Storage 12GB Memory with 512GB internal storage
12GB Memory with 256GB internal storage
Battery 4,000mAh (typical) dual battery
Charging Wired Charging*: Up to 50% charge in around 30min. with 25W Adapter and 3A USB-C cable
Fast Wireless Charging 2.0
Wireless PowerShare
Water Resistance IP48
OS Android 14
One UI 6.1.1
Network & Connectivity 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth® v5.3
Sensors Capacitive Fingerprint sensor (side), Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, Proximity sensor, Light sensor
Security Samsung Knox with Samsung Knox Vault
SIM Card One Nano SIM and Multi eSIM
Colors Silver Shadow, Yellow, Blue, Mint
Crafted Black, White, Peach

US Women’s Basketball Team Narrowly Escapes France for Women’s Basketball Gold at 2024 Paris Olympics (67 – 66)

August 12, 2024

It was a rematch of the Tokyo Olympics medal game, but the US Women’s Basketball team took care of business and claimed the gold medal in the Women’s 5×5 Basketball Tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Unlike their male counterparts, the US women needed a bit of luck to secure the gold, as Gabby Williams’ buzzer-beating shot was just inches inside the three-point line, potentially sending the game to overtime.

A’ja Wilson led the team with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Wilson also took have the MVP awards for the tournament. Kahleah Copper and Kelsey Plum contributed 12 points apiece, both going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.

After clawing back from a 10-point deficit early in the third quarter, France kept the game close. However, Kelsey Plum’s offense and the team’s defense in the fourth quarter created a 3-point lead, ultimately securing the gold medal.

Gabby Williams led France with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Valeriane Ayayi and Marine Johannes added 9 points each, but no other French player scored more than 8 points. Fast break points (6-15), points in the paint (20-30), and bench points (20-29) were significant factors in France’s defeat.

Game stats;

Advance Stats from FIBA

Box Score from ESPN

Just like with the men’s basketball team, the United States and France could become regular rivals in Olympic women’s basketball medal games.

Steph Curry powers Team USA for a Gold Medal Finish Against France (98 – 87)

August 11, 2024

The USA Men’s Basketball team, led by Steph Curry, has won the Olympic gold medal at the 5×5 Basketball tournament. Curry scored a team-high 24 points, making 8-of-12 shots from the three-point line, and added 5 assists. Teammates Booker and Durant each scored 15 points apiece, while LeBron James contributed 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists. James was also awarded the tournament’s MVP.

It was a dramatic finish for the Americans, as France mounted a comeback by scoring 7 straight points, cutting the United States’ 14-point lead to a single possession game, thanks to a Wembanyama tip-in. But then Steph Curry showcased his greatness with a dagger three-pointer, defended by two French players. He then celebrated with his trademark “Night night” gesture while returning on defense.

Victor Wembanyama led the French team with 26 points but lacked his usual defensive presence compared to the semi-finals against Germany. Guerschon Yabusele added 20 points for France, while no other player scored more than 9 points. Considering the number of young French players entering the NBA, future Olympic medal games could become regular showdowns between the USA, France, and Serbia.

Steph Curry lead Team USA in a come-from-behind win over Serbia, advances to the Finals of the Men’s Olympic Basketball (95-91)

August 9, 2024

A Steph Curry exploding for 36 points, Lebron James triple-double and a 19-point game from Joel Embiid proved too much for Serbia to overcome, despite leading the game for the first three quarters (76-63). At one point, Serbia was ahead by as much as 17 points and seemed to be hitting every shot, especially from the 3-point line.

Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Serbian national team with 20 points, while Nikola Jokic added 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 11 assists. Aleksa Avramovic scored 15 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. However, as a team, they shot 38.5% from the 3-point line, especially in the final period when their shots started to miss.

As much offensive firepower as Team USA possessed, it was their defense that secured the win. Trailing by 13 points entering the fourth quarter, Team USA clamped down on Serbia, allowing just 15 points in the quarter after surrendering an average of 25.33 points in the first three quarters. Embiid and James made several stops that led to 9 fast-break points, and it was the bench players who helped turn the game around for the Americans.

Steph Curry led the team with 36 points and 8 rebounds, falling just one point short of tying Carmelo Anthony’s 37-point record at the 2012 London Olympics. LeBron James contributed 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, his second triple-double in the Olympics. The “crowd-favorite,” Joel Embiid, scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

Team USA will face Team France in the gold medal game this Saturday, August 10th, while Serbia will play Germany for the bronze medal.

Kevin Durant passes Lisa Leslie as the USA’s All-Time Leading Scorer in the Olympics

August 7, 2024

Kevin Durant is now the all-time highest scorer in United States Olympic basketball history, passing Lisa Leslie’s record of 488 points. Durant’s total Olympic points is 494 points. KD lead Team USA in bagging the gold medal in 2012 London Games, 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and the 2020 Tokyo Games. He averages nearly 20.6 points in three Olympics.

This is what KD said regarding the record and emphasis that winning a gold medal in Paris is more important.

Lisa Leslie also gave Durant his flowers for passing her in the USA’s All-Time Leading Scorer list.

Kevin Durant is currently the 8th post for the scoring leading in Olympic basketball history and have a chance to the move to the top 5 of the All-Time Olympics Scorer. Assuming that Team USA will advance to the Gold Medal Game, KD just need to average 18 points for the next two games to over take Argentinian national team legend Manu Ginobili is fifth with 523 points.

The leading All-Time Olympics Scorer is Brazilian basketball legend Oscar Schmidt (1,093 points), he did it in 5 Olympic Games.

Semi-Finals Bracket for the 2024 Paris Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament

August 7, 2024

We are now down to 4 teams, this sets up the Semi-Finals Bracket for the 2024 Paris Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament.

Semi-Finals of the 2024 Paris Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament

  • USA versus Serbia
  • France versus Germany

How they got here?

Team USA are undefeated (4-0) and have been winning with an average 24.75 points margin. It be a rematch against Serbia, a team they played and defeated in the Group games. Serbia on the other hand, after getting the “L” from Team USA went undefeated including an overtime win against Australia in the quarter-finals. Serbia will try and avenge their loss as they try to win and eliminate Team USA in their coming rematch.

France with only one loss, advances to the semis after defeating/eliminating Canada – the second team that has the most NBA players in their roster. Spurs Rookie Victor Wembanyama was a defensive problem for the Canadians, grabbing 12 rebounds with 3 steals and this monster block on Dillon Brooks.

Germany, just like Team USA, are also undefeated, even after facing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Greeks in the knock-out games.

Every semi-finals games of the 2024 Paris Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament will be this Thursday, August 8th at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France.

Team USA steamrolled Brazil to advance to the semifinals of the Men’s Basketball Paris Olympics (122 – 87)

August 7, 2024

Team USA advanced to the semifinals of the Men’s Basketball Paris Olympics after they defeated Brazil in the quarter finals.

The game which was decided by the end of first half after the Americans went on a 15-0 run finishing a dominant second quarter. In the second half, Team USA was never threatened as Brazil’s National Team could not cut the deficit to below 20 points.

Score by Quarter

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr Total
USA 33 30 31 28 122
BRA 21 15 35 16 87

It was a team effort for the Americans, with six players scoring in double digits. Led by Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker with 18 points, Team USA was followed by Anthony Edwards’ 17 points and 5 rebounds. Kevin Durant scored 11 points off the bench and passed Lisa Leslie (488) for most points all-time in USA Olympic history.

Game Stats via FIBA

Brazil led by Bruno Caboclo scored 30 points with 6 rebounds, Georginho De Paula added 15 points and 8 rebounds. No other Brazil players scored more than 9 points. Team USA will face Serbia in the semis this Thursday, August 7th.

Carlos Yulo Wins Second Gold Medal in the Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Vault

August 5, 2024

After bagging the gold medal for the Men’s Floor Exercise, Carlos Yulo took home the gold medal for the Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Vault.

Carlo Yulo scored a convincing 15.116 points, over Armenian Artur Davtan’s 14.966 (silver) and the 14.949 (bronze) of Harry Hepworth from UK.

“Last night I couldn’t sleep. This morning I was so sleepy.. I slept in the bus, I slept after the podium training.” Carlos Yulo said. “I slept before going to the competition area… But I did it today.”

Carlos Yulo’s first vault was a standout, earning a 15.433 points. With a top-tier difficulty score of 6.000, he flawlessly executed a handspring double front half out in pike position, setting a high bar for the competition.

His second attempt, a Kasamatsu double twist, was slightly less perfect, but he managed to control his landing and scored a respectable 14.800 points. Yulo’s final score of 15.116 points is more than enough for him to take home the gold medal.

Here’s the Quarter-Finals Bracket for the 2024 Paris Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament

August 4, 2024

Now that the group stage is done, the Quarter-Finals for the 2024 Paris Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament are now set.

As the top seed, Team USA has drawn the most favorable matchup, playing against Brazil, which only has one NBA player on its roster.

The first game will be between Serbia and Australia, followed by USA versus Brazil. On the other side of the bracket, Germany will face Greece, and the host country, France, will take on Canada.

Aside from Team USA, Team Canada has the second-most NBA players with 10.

The Quarter-finals will be on August 6th at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France.

Team USA Sweeps Group Games after a convincing victory over Puerto Rico (104 – 83)

August 4, 2024

Team USA advances to quarter finals of the men’s 5 x 5 basketball tournament after defeating Puerto Rico in their last group game. The win also earn the USA men’s basketball team the top seed giving them the best possible matchup in the Olympic knockout games.

Six Team USA players scored in double figures lead by Anthony Edwards’ 26 points, Joel Embiid added 15 points and Kevin Durant chipped in 11 points and 4 rebounds. The game was highlighted by Edwards’ windmill jam early in the 4th qtr.

No other Puerto Rico player scored more than 10 points aside from Pelican’s Jose Alvarado with 18 points, Ismael Romero with his 12 points and 10 rebounds. Then Aleem Ford with his 10 points and 5 rebounds.

Team USA will face Brazil in the Quarter finals this 6th of Aug at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France.

Carlos Yulo bags Philippines’ First Gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics

August 4, 2024

Carlos Edriel Yulo etched his name in Philippine sports history by clinching the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Floor Exercise at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Yulo defeated Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat (silver) with a score of 14.966 points and Jake Jarman of Great Britain (bronze) with 14.933 points. Yulo’s score was 15.000 points, a mere 0.067 points difference between the bronze and gold medal.

Yulo’s gold medal is the Philippines’ second Olympic gold medal since Hidilyn Diaz won the weightlifting gold in the previous Tokyo Olympics. The Filipino gymnast still has a chance to win another medal for the Philippines as he is set to compete in the Men’s Vault Finals.

Team USA cruises past South Sudan, Qualifies for Quarterfinals (103 – 86)

August 1, 2024

Just like in their first game, Team USA demolishes their opponent showing no signs that they almost lost their exhibition game against the South Sudan Men’s National Basketball Team.

Led by Bam Adebayo’s 25 points and 7 rebounds, with both Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis adding 17 points apiece, the game was decided in the first half. Team USA went on a 25-4 run that started at the 5:30 mark of the 1st quarter, where the Americans trailed by 2 points, and ended at 8:07 of the 2nd quarter (33-14), building a 19-point lead en route to victory.

But the Sudanese stayed on course and was able to cut the 19-point lead to just 10 points in the 3rd period, thanks to the hot shooting of Nuni Omot (24 points) and Bul Kuol (16), both players made a combined 7 three-point shot out of the 10 that they shot. Aside from Omot and Kuol, South Sudan also got a lot of help from Carlik Jones, scoring 18 points and dishing out 7 assists.

Team USA will play against Puerto Rico, their last opponent for the group games, while South Sudan will face Serbia.

Team USA Routs Serbia Behind Durant’s Near-Perfect Game (110-84)

July 29, 2024

Team USA routed Serbia in their first group game at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kevin Durant delivered a near-flawless performance with 23 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the field, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. LeBron James added 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists.

It was a basketball clinic by the Americans, firing on all cylinders. Offensively, they shot 62% from the field, made more than half of their 3-point attempts, and tallied 24 assists. On the defensive end, Team USA recorded 3 blocks, 9 steals, and 39 rebounds. The team also forced Serbia into 13 turnovers, converting 25 points from those turnovers.

Nikola Jokic led Serbia with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 14 points and 6 rebounds. Serbia kept the game close in the first half, but the Americans pulled away when Serbia’s outside shooting cooled down. They made only 9 of their 37 attempts from beyond the arc.

Team USA will have a rematch with South Sudan, while Serbia will face Puerto Rico on July 31st.

WNBA secures $2.2 Billion Media Rights Deals with the Walt Disney Company, Amazon Prime Video and NBC Universal

July 25, 2024

The WNBA has secured a groundbreaking 11-year media rights deal with The Walt Disney Company, Amazon Prime Video, and NBC Universal. This partnership will significantly increase the visibility of women’s basketball, with more games broadcast across multiple platforms. The 11-year media rights is reported to be worth $2.2 Billion or $200 million per year.

The new deal will start in 2026, WNBA fans can expect to see over 125 regular season and playoff games each year. Disney will air 25 regular-season games on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2, while NBCU will broadcast 50 regular-season games on NBC, USA Network, and Peacock. Amazon Prime Video will stream 30 regular-season games globally.

Disney will broadcast two first-round series each year, while NBCU and Prime Video will each air one. The Semifinals and Finals will rotate over the 11-year deal, with Disney airing more Finals and NBCU and Prime Video airing more Semifinals.

Additionally, Disney platforms will continue to telecast all events from WNBA All-Star, including the All-Star Game, and the WNBA Draft, while Prime Video will continue to stream the Championship Game of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase. Prime Video Channels will be the global channels store destination for WNBA League Pass, the WNBA’s subscription service for streaming live and on-demand games, in the U.S. and internationally.

Included in the deals, is the potential for WNBA and Media Partners to review and reevaluate the rights fees after three years, giving the league the chance to receive more money.

This announcement comes on the heels of a record-breaking season for the WNBA, with increased viewership, attendance, and merchandise sales. The league is also expanding with new teams in San Francisco/Bay Area and Toronto. With the current crop of WNBA rookies like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink, and with the influx of generational talent from the college ranks like Paige Bueckers and Juju Watkins, that $2.2 Billion could be a very good deal.

Team USA defeats Germany, sweeping the USA Basketball Showcase (92 – 88)

July 23, 2024

Team USA defeats Germany to remain undefeated in all of their 5 exhibition games. It was a close game down the stretch where the Germans were able to cut the 7-point USA lead to just a 3-point deficit (87-84) via Daniel Theis’ alley-oop.

But that’s when LeBron James went to work and scored the next 5 points for Team USA, giving them an 8-point cushion heading into the final 45 seconds of the game.

Like in the previous games, 39-year-old LeBron James carried Team USA with 20 points playing just 18 minutes. He also added 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Joel Embiid added 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, but more than his offensive contribution, he was a monster on the defensive end. His block on Issac Bonga led to a monster slam by Anthony Edwards.

Orlando Magic’s Franz Wagner led Germany with 17 points and 8 rebounds, while Andreas Obst added 17, including five 3-pointers.

“I think we can get a lot better,” U.S. Coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re getting to a place now where we are comfortable with rotations and I think guys are getting familiar with each other. But we can do a lot of things better. I thought our passing was not great tonight. They put a lot of defensive pressure on us and we turned it over a few times. I think we can tighten up our game and get better.”

Game Highlights

Olympics Men’s Basketball Schedule

Team USA is part of Group C of the 2024 Paris Olympics Men’s Basketball Tournament Groupings and they will open the tournament against Serbia on Sunday (28th July), then have a rematch with South Sudan on July 31st, and their last game to wrap up group play will be against Puerto Rico on August 3rd.

PBA to implement 4-point shot for Season 49

July 23, 2024

In an attempt to make the games more exciting and engaging, Asia’s first professional basketball league will introduce the “four-point shot” from beyond a 27-foot arc.

PBA previously adopted the “four-point shot” but it was during a PBA All-Star Games, but with this announcement, it’ll be in official games.

Newly elected vice chairman Alfrancis Chua said that it will minimize zone defense, defense need to come out and it will speed up the games.

“Nagawa na natin ito sa All-Star Game. With this rule, mababawasan ang zone defense, lalabas ang depensa at mas tutulin ang laro,”

It remain to be seen if the addition of the “four-point shot” will make the game more exciting and in turn increase their ticket sales.

I guess, we’ll just to wait and see.

Source: PBA

Team USA narrowly escape Australia in an exhibition game in Abu Dhabi (98-82)

July 16, 2024

Team USA, composed of some of the greatest basketball players on the planet today, narrowly defeated the Australian National Team. Team USA led by as many as 24 points in the middle of the 3rd quarter (65-41), but the Australians went on a 20-11 run to cut the deficit to just 15 points (76-61) by the end of the period.

Then in the final quarter, Team USA struggled with their shots while the Australians made another run, closing the gap to just 6 points. It appeared the US National Team might lose, but Tyrese Haliburton hit two consecutive three-point shots to secure a 12-point lead, despite Team USA not scoring in almost 4 minutes.

The Australians weren’t finished, managing to cut the lead to just 4 points (90-94) with only 9 seconds remaining in the game.

Anthony Davis led the team with 17 points and 14 rebounds, followed by Devin Booker with 16 points and Anthony Edwards with 14. On the Australia national team, Jock Landale lead the team with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Josh Giddey chipped-in with his 17 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists.

Team USA had six players score in double digits, dominated the boards with 45 rebounds against Australia’s 40, and made 12 three-pointers compared to Australia’s 4. Since this is an exhibition game with no bearing on the Olympic standings, it’s the pride of the US basketball team that’s at stake in these matchups.

Team USA will face the Serbia National Team, led by Nikola Jokic, on July 17th at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Full list of 49th PBA Draft

July 14, 2024

The Season 49 of the Philippines Basketball Association (PBA) draft and below is the full list of 2024 PBA Rookie Draft. Just like last year’s draft some of the most popular players who are playing overseas and suited for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 are missing.

Here are a total of 70 applicants for this years draft and below are the 47 players for the 49th PBA Rookie Class;

First Round

  1. Justine Baltazar – Converge
  2. Sedrick Barefield – Blackwater
  3. RJ Abarrientos – Ginebra
  4. Kai Ballungay – Phoenix
  5. Dave Ildefonso – Northport
  6. Jonnel Policarpio – NLEX
  7. Caelan Tiongson – Rain or Shine
  8. Felix Lemetti – Rain or Shine
  9. Jerom Lastimosa – Magnolia
  10. Mark Nonoy – Terrafirma
  11. CJ Cansino – Meralco
  12. Avan Nava – San Miguel

Second Round

  1. Francis Escandor – Rain or Shine
  2. Evan Nelle – NorthPort
  3. CJ Catapusan – Terrafirma
  4. Michael Malonzo – Rain or Shine
  5. Ahmad Hanapi – Ginebra
  6. Brandon Ramirez – NLEX
  7. Pao Javillonar – Converge
  8. Miguel Corteza – Rain or Shine
  9. Ben Phillips – Converge
  10. Paolo Hernandez – Ginebra
  11. Kurt Reyson – Meralco
  12. Jason Credo – Converge

Third Round

  1. Ronan Santos – Converge
  2. Derohn Mitchell – Blackwater
  3. Peter Alfaro – Terrafirma
  4. Calvin Payawal – Phoenix
  5. Agem Miranda – NorthPort
  6. Xyrus Torres – NLEX
  7. Jared Brown – TNT
  8. Darwish Bederi – Rain or Shine
  9. RV Berjay – Magnolia
  10. Paul Garcia – Ginebra
  11. JP Maguliano – Meralco
  12. Abdul Sawat – San Miguel

Fourth Round

1.PASS – Converge
2.Keith Pido – Blackwater
3.PASS – Terrafirma
4.Chino Mosqueda – Phoenix
5.JL Uduba – NorthPort
6.Denzel Wong – NLEX
7.Mark Cruz – TNT
8.PASS – Rain or Shine
10.PASS – Ginebra
11.Jordan Bartlett – Meralco
12.Ralph Robin – San Miguel

Fifth Round

Every one PASS except for 4, 5 and 6;

  1. Patrick Feliciano – Phoenix
  2. Germy Mahinay – NorthPort
  3. Adrian Partosa – NLEX

Sixth Round
Every one PASS except for 4, 5 and 6;

  1. Robbie Darang – NorthPort

Saudi Arabia to host the first Olympic Esports Games

July 14, 2024

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Saudi Arabia’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) have announced a 12-year partnership to host the Olympic Esports Games.

The Esports Games will be held regularly, but details like specific timing, game titles, qualification process, and venue selection are still under discussion by the IOC Session.

Saudi Arabia is currenting hosting the inaugural Esports World Cup in Riyadh Boulevard City. The Esports World Cup will be 8 week event the started last July 10th.

You can read the full text of IOC press announcement here.

2024 Paris Olympics Men’s Basketball Tournament Groupings have been Revealed

July 8, 2024

Now that the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament have concluded and we now have all 12 Basketball teams in 2024 Paris Olympics, know the group of your favorite team and their opponents.

Group A

  1. Australia
  2. Greece
  3. Canada
  4. Spain

Group B

  1. France (hosts)
  2. Germany
  3. Japan
  4. Brazil

Group C

  1. Serbia
  2. South Sudan
  3. Puerto Rico
  4. USA

Winners of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024

July 8, 2024

It’s settled, the teams for the coming 2024 Paris Olympics Basketball tournament are now complete that the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament has concluded with 4 teams emerging from each tournament.

Below are winners for each of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics;

  • For the Greece Tournament, Greece came out on top after Giannis Antetokounmpo led the national team against Luka Doncic and Slovenia national team in the semis then Croatia in the Finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a team high of 23 points and 8 rebounds.
  • In the Latvia Tournament, Brazil routs Latvia (94 – 69) displaying a balanced offensive effort, 5 Brazil players scored double-digit points and seven players made at least one or more assists. Bruno Caboclo led the Brazil national team with 21 points and 4 rebounds.
  • In the Puerto Rico leg of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the Puerto Rico National team qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics after defeating the European basketball powerhouse Lithuania. Six foot Jose Alvarado, of the New Orleans Pelicans, led the team with 23 points and 6 rebounds, he also shot 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.
  • And last but not the least, the winner of the Spain Tournament of FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament is none other than the host country, Spain, who defeated Bahamas in front their home crowd. Lorenzo Brown led the Spaniards with 18 points and 4 rebounds. He also shot 4 of 5 (80) from the three-point line.

All four teams will head to Paris to joint their respective Olympic tournament groups.

Brazil defeats Gilas Pilipinas, advances to the Finals of FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024

July 7, 2024

Brazil will advance to the Finals of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 and will be one win away to compete at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. They defeated Gilas Pilipinas in a hard-fought 71-60 victory on Saturday, July 6, 2024.

A dominant third quarter sealed the deal for Brazil. Led by Bruno Caboclo’s double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds) and Lucas Dias’ strong showing (10 points and 9 rebounds), they turned the tide. Brazil tightened their defense, limiting Gilas to just 6 points in the third while exploding for 24 of their own.

Gilas Pilipinas was missing the services of big-man Kai Sotto. Additionally, Justin Brownlee’s, the hero of the first two games, was limited to the just 15 points and 8 rebounds. Brownlee averages 27 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists, prior to the Brazil game.

Brazil will face Latvia in the Finals of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024. The winner of this game will claim one of the four remaining spots for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26th, 2024.

Despite the loss, Gilas Pilipinas can hold their heads high. They will surely have another opportunity to compete on the world stage.