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Jaja Santiago says Japanese citizenship bid still ‘in process’

MANILA, Philippines — Jaja Santiago said her Japanese citizenship remains in process and she relished her fruitful experience training as part of Japan’s national women’s volleyball pool. The 6-foot-5 middle blocker, who started her Japanese naturalization bid last year, said her citizenship is still ongoing while receiving help from Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Tats Suzara. “Actually, walang nakakaalam kung nasaan na...

Last shot at last 8

B-Pier, Dyip in Ko Setto MANILA, Philippines — Forget about the bungled attempts to put together the needed six wins to make the quarterfinals outright. For NorthPort and Terrafirma, which finished with identical 5-6 cards, there’s still one more chance to meet their initial objective and all they have to do is make the most of it. That comes tonight at 7:30 p.m. when the Batang Pier and the Dyip engage in a knockout match for the last berth in...

Onoh's naturalization in process – SBP

(UPDATE) UAAP Season 86 Rookie of the Year Favour Onoh's naturalization is in the process to play for Gilas Pilipinas Women. Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Erika Dy confirmed that Onoh's papers for naturalization are already at play. "Yes on the women's side, we actually identified somebody who is going to be in a naturalization process, her name is Favour Onoh, and she has actually been playing here in the country for...

The secret to Timberwolves' success

THE Denver Nuggets simply demolished the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. While the games were relatively close, there really wasn't any moment when the outcome of the series was in doubt. The only question was whether it would be a regular sweep or a gentleman's sweep. The Nuggets chose to win at home. Here's a question that nobody thought to ask after Game 5: Will that be the last Nuggets' win at the Mile High City? It's unimaginable...

Eala nails career-high in WTA rankings

(UPDATE) FILIPINO tennis ace Alex Eala has achieved another career high in her Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. As of May 6, the 18-year-old climbed the world rankings yet again, from 170th on April 22 to 162nd, beating her previous best ranking, which was 169th last April 15. She also placed 239th in the doubles rankings, which is also a career best. Eala was fresh off an appearance at the Madrid Open in Spain, where she upset former...

Busy schedule ahead for Gilas Pilipinas

MANILA, Philippines: GILAS Pilipinas has drawn up a tight, busy schedule for the coming weeks as it gears up for the tough FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Latvia in July. Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Erika Dy told the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday the Nationals will first convene on June 22 at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna before heading to Turkey and Poland for tune-up games with...

Inoue KOs Nery in 6th after 1st round scare to defend titles

Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue said an early scare got him “fired up” after he stopped Mexico’s Luis Nery in the sixth round to defend his titles at the Tokyo Dome on Monday. Around 43,000 fans packed into the famous venue for the first boxing match there since 42-1 underdog James “Buster” Douglas knocked out unbeaten heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in February 1990 in one of the sport’s biggest upsets. Another...

Timberwolves maul Nuggets, Knicks outplay Pacers

NEW YORK: The Minnesota Timberwolves produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory on Monday (Tuesday in Manila). The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for game three on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards...

Olympic flame arrives in France

MARSEILLE: The Olympic flame arrives in France on Wednesday, where a highly choreographed ceremony and a crowd of 150,000 people will be a first major test for organizers and security forces ahead of the 2024 Paris Games. The transfer of the flame onshore in the southern port of Marseille will mark the start of a 12,000-kilometer (7,500-mile) torch relay across mainland France and the country's far-flung overseas territories. Organizers are...

Notable People who died in 2024

Woods named in PGA Championship field

WASHINGTON: Tiger Woods and the world's 103 top-ranked golfers were among those named Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) as the field was announced for next week's 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla. Woods, a 15-time major winner, has struggled to walk four rounds in tournaments since suffering severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash but finished 60th in last month's Masters and says he hopes to play once a month through the US and British Opens....

Choco Mucho, Creamline begin finals showdown

IN a role reversal that perhaps caught many by surprise, Choco Mucho finds itself as the slight favorite against the multi-titled Creamline, a scenario quite unlike last year when the Flying Titans were clear underdogs in their first-ever finals appearance in the Premier Volleyball League. However, the narrative has shifted dramatically with Choco Mucho's remarkable sweep of the semifinal round, proving themselves as top contenders even in the...

FEU, NU dispute last finals berth

THE FEU Lady Tamaraws and the NU Lady Bulldogs dispute the last finals berth in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament as they battle in a do-or-die Final Four match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today, May 8. FEU and NU collide at 4 p.m. with their game serving as the main event of a triple-header that starts with Game 1 between twice-to-beat NU and La Salle in the men's semifinals at 12 p.m. followed by another men's Final Four match...

Celtics, Thunder win playoff openers

LOS ANGELES: The top-seeded Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder rolled to convincing victories in their opening NBA playoff series on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila). Eastern Conference top seeds Boston laid down a marker with a 120-95 rout of the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers at the TD Garden. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, were made to work harder by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks before finally pulling clear to seal a 117-95 victory...

Collective spirit key to title drive

MANILA, Philippines: As Choco Mucho and Creamline gear up for the Premier Volleyball League's All-Filipino crown, their individual talents are sure to shine, but it's their collective spirit that will ultimately define their quest for victory. With Game One of the best-of-three title playoff set to ignite the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Thursday, anticipation is high two days before the league's most popular teams square off for the second...

Aldin Ayo's wish list for the coming PBA draft

The four players Converge coach hopes to see in the PBA draft pool

F1 champions remember Stirling Moss at London's Westminster Abbey

Former Formula 1 world champions Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell and Jackie Stewart were among those from motorsport who joined a service of thanksgiving to remember the life of Stirling Moss in London on Wednesday.

UST makes history as first fourth seed to reach UAAP volleyball Finals

MANILA, Philippines — History wasn’t on the side of the University of Santo Tomas as no No. 4 seed team has yet to reach the UAAP volleyball Finals since the Final Four era began. But the Golden Spikers overcame the odds and completed and swept league-leaders Far Eastern University Tamaraws, 25-18, 21-25, 26-24, 26-24, to become the first-ever fourth seed to reach the championship round and claim a second straight finals trip in the UAAP Season...

Has Joel Embiid’s image changed for better or worse during the 2024 NBA playoffs?

Madayag proud of undermanned Choco Mucho's resilience

MANILA Philippines: The wings of the Flying Titans remain sturdy. Choco Mucho team captain Maddie Madayag shared that her squad draws their strength from their teammates who were injured in this Premier Volleyball League (PVL) 2024 All-Filipino Conference "This is for them. I have three teammates who were down this conference. We don't have Kat (Tolentino), Aduke (Ogunsanya), and Des (Cheng). We want to play for them because even though we...

Last ticket up for grabs

Only one slot is left to round out the playoff picture in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals and the knockout game to decide the last qualifier happens at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium tonight. Squaring off in the battle to escape an early vacation are Terrafirma and NorthPort, both finishing the elims with identical 5-6 records. Awaiting the survivor is the tough task of facing No. 1 San Miguel Beer with a twice-to-win disadvantage. The loser...

NBA: Celtics’ 3-point onslaught buries Cavaliers in Game 1

BOSTON — When Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum have it going, it usually means good things for the Boston Celtics. This postseason, it’s also been opening up the floor —- and the 3-point line —- for Derrick White. That’s added a new layer to a team that was already the one to beat in the East. Brown scored 32 points, White made seven 3-pointers and added 25, and the Celtics powered past the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-95 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of...

The world stage: International prospects to watch ahead of 2024 NBA Draft

Zambales race flagged off today

MANILA, Philippines — Cambodia Southeast Asian Games double bronze medalist Ronald Oranza leads a star-studded Elite cast that Governor Hermogenes Ebdane will flag off for the second edition of the Lumba Tamo Zambales 2024 today in front of Maloma’s Barangay Hall in San Felipe town. The race – covering 150 kms and finishing at the Zambales Sports Complex in Iba – features 85 riders representing the national team and top clubs Philippine...

Ukrainian Olympic hero killed in action fighting Putin’s invasion force

NBA: Jalen Brunson on playoff roll not seen since Michael Jordan

GREENBURGH, New York — Jalen Brunson’s shot at stardom was clear to Tom Thibodeau when he was in high school. Donte DiVincenzo saw it as soon as they became teammates in college. Rick Carlisle witnessed it as Brunson’s first professional coach — and now has to figure out how to slow down a player on the longest scoring roll in the NBA postseason since Michael Jordan three decades ago. Brunson will try to help the New York Knicks take a 2-0 lead...

PBA: Terrafirma books first quarterfinals berth since 2016

Terrafirma ended its long search for a return trip to the quarterfinals and claimed the eighth and last seed Wednesday with a 104-96 victory over NorthPort in the PBA Philippine Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Javi Gomez de Liano came through in the fourth quarter before Juami Tiongson and Stephen Holt delivered the knockout blows as the Dyip advanced to the playoffs for just the second time since the franchise entered the league in 2014. It also...

Bryan Bagunas powers Cignal closer to Spikers’ Turf title

MANILA, Philippines — In his first Spikers’ Turf Finals in five years, Bryan Bagunas unleashed 26 points to put Cignal on the cusp of claiming the 2024 Open Conference title after overcoming Criss Cross, 27-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-19, in Game 1 on Wednesday at Rizal Memorial Coliseum. Bagunas, who won his second straight championship with Win Streak in Taiwan, hardly missed a beat in the biggest stage of the premier men’s volleyball club league as...

Blockbuster showdown

MANILA, Philippines — Creamline aims to save an old dynasty while Choco Mucho seeks to build a new one as they face off today in a dream Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference title showdown that is expected to break attendance records at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Cool Smashers, the reigning champions and seven-time titlists, made it through the best-of-three titular series, which is set at 6 p.m., by winning two of their three...

UAAP face-offs: NU vs UST

MANILA, Philippines — Who let the dogs out? Well, the National U itself did by breaking out of the leashes and punching a pair of return trips to the finals of the UAAP Season 86 men’s and women’s volleyball, coincidentally, against Santo Tomas squads, too, at the close of the thrilling Final Four battles yesterday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. The three-time reigning champion and No. 2 seed Bulldogs took care of business first by eliminating...

NU Bulldogs headed to UAAP volleyball Finals, eliminating La Salle

MANILA, Philippines — On the eve of his graduation day, Owa Retamar made sure to bring National University to its second straight finals in his last playing year in the UAAP men’s volleyball tournament. Facing their toughest opponent in the Final Four, the Bulldogs leaned on the star setter with 21 excellent sets to eliminate La Salle, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, in Season 86 on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. NU dominated the frontline...

NBA: Clippers facing big decision with new arena move pending

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Clippers are moving into their new arena in nearby Inglewood this summer. Just who will be on the court and the sideline for them next NBA season are among the decisions facing the team. The health of their superstar Kawhi Leonard also looms large, after he was limited to two postseason games because of inflammation in his right knee that has been surgically repaired twice. Leonard’s absence proved costly when the...

NBA: Knicks lose another key player in Mitchell Robinson

NEW YORK — Mitchell Robinson has a stress injury to his left ankle, becoming the third key player the New York Knicks have lost for their playoff run. The Knicks said Tuesday that Robinson would be evaluated again in six-to-eight weeks, essentially ruling him out no matter how far they go in the postseason. Robinson was the Knicks’ starting center for the first 21 games of the season before needing ankle surgery and missing 49 games. READ: NBA:...

Cone explains endgame benching of C-Stan, Scottie vs NLEX

Nothing to it, says Ginebra coach

LIVE UPDATES: UAAP Season 86 volleyball Final Four May 8

UAAP volleyball Final Four schedule of games (May 8) Smart Araneta Coliseum 12 nn– NU Bulldogs vs La Salle Green Spikers (men’s Final Four) 2 p.m. – UST Golden Spikers vs FEU Tamaraws (men’s Final Four) 4 p.m. – FEU Lady Tamaraws vs NU Lady Bulldogs (women’s Final Four) FULL SCHEDULE HERE. UAAP men’s volleyball Final Four Live Updates: NU Bulldogs vs La Salle Green Spikers NU, FEU battle for last UAAP women’s volleyball Finals slot The Far...

Turkey, Poland tiffs up for Gilas

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas will embark on training sorties in Turkey and Poland ahead of its stint in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Latvia in July. According to Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Erika Dy, the Nationals will first re-assemble on June 22 at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna before flying to Turkey then Poland to play tune-up games with their respective national teams. From there, coach...

Jaja Santiago to join Chery Tiggo but won’t play in PVL bronze tiff

MANILA, Philippines — Jaja Santiago will be with Chery Tiggo when it opens its bronze series against Petro Gazz in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference but don’t expect her to suit up on Thursday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Hopes were high when the 6-foot-5 middle blocker attended Chery Tiggo’s practice but she won’t risk playing with her Japanese citizenship is still in the process. “You will see me there but I won’t play. Because I’m in the...

Athletics hostilities begin

MANILA, Philippines — The best and brightest in Philippine track and field including Olympic hopefuls John Cabang Tolentino, Lauren Hoffman, Robyn Brown, Eric Cray and Janry Ubas descend at the PhilSports oval in Pasig for the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships unfurling today. Ubas will be the first to plunge into action as he competes in the men’s long jump starting at 7 a.m. in the five-day meet staking vital qualification points to the...

NBA: Jamal Murray fined $100K for tossing objects onto court

DENVER — Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was fined $100,000 by the NBA but avoided a suspension for “throwing multiple objects in the direction of a game official during live play,” the league announced Tuesday. Murray tossed a towel and a heat pack onto the court late in the second quarter of Denver’s 108-80 loss to Minnesota that gave the Timberwolves a 2-0 lead in the NBA Western Conference semifinal series that shifts to Minneapolis this...

Russia issues arrest warrant for former chess champion Garry Kasparov

Mbappe denied dream PSG farewell

PARIS: Kylian Mbappe will not get his dream farewell from Paris Saint-Germain after their shock Champions League exit at the hands of Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday deprived him of playing his last game for the club in the final at Wembley next month. The 2018 World Cup winner will leave PSG after seven years when his contract expires at the end of this season, with Real Madrid his likely next destination. He had hoped to sign off by leading the...

La Salle goes for all the marbles

MANILA, Philippines — Reigning champion EcoOil-La Salle goes for a sweep against the undermanned Centro Escolar U in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup best-of-three finals today to realize a rare three-peat dream at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig. Action erupts at 7:30 p.m. with the Green Archers also sporting a chance to complete a perfect championship run and etch their place among the greatest squads ever assembled in the D-League. Even...

Cricket world shocked by death of Worcestershire's 20-year-old Josh Baker

Terrafirma, NorthPort in KO match for 8th seed

TERRAFIRMA and NorthPort collide to dispute the eighth and last spot of the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup quarterfinals today, May 8, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The Dyip and the Batang Pier ended the single-round eliminations with identical 5-6 record, tied at eighth to ninth spots in the standings. Tournament format calls for a knockout match when two teams end up tied for the no. 8 spot to determine, which squad will advance to the...

NBA Draft: Can Zach Edey actually become a solid NBA player?

Rudy Gobert wins fourth NBA Defensive Player of the Year

Rudy Gobert made some history. Victor Wembanyama nearly did. Gobert, the Minnesota center, was announced Tuesday as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for a record-tying fourth time — joining Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace. It was the fifth time in the last 11 seasons that a French center won defensive player of the year — and it sure seems like Wembanyama will add to that country’s total before long. The San...

NBA mock draft 1.0: Not as weak as initially thought?

Bulldogs oust Green Spikers to reach finals

(UPDATE) FOR the ninth straight season, National University is in the finals. The second-ranked Bulldogs finished third seed De La Salle Green Spikers in just one game, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, to advance to the UAAP Season 86 Men's Volleyball best-of-three finale on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. NU's dominance in the division continues, as in the past eight seasons, it has secured five golds and three silvers. It is gunning for a...

The 10 most overrated NBA players right now, including one big surprise

Archers on brink of D-League three-peat

MANILA, Philippines — Reigning champion EcoOil-La Salle overwhelmed challenger Centro Escolar U in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals, 98-72, to zero in on a third straight championship in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup last Monday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. Without Abdul-Wahab Olusesi for the Scorpions, Henry Agunanne and Jonnel Policarpio dominated inside with 17 points each as the unbeaten Green Archers drew first blood in the...