Showing posts with label james yap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label james yap. Show all posts

The Victory Ride

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , - Thursday, March 4, 2010

"Chapter closed, destination reached. Now we can celebrate." -- These were the words of Purefoods' first 2-time Philippine Cup Champion Coach, Coach Ryan Gregorio as his Giants finally won, in a 4-0 sweep against the Aces, the KFC Philippine Cup Championship title after a roller coaster ride in the 18 games of the elimination round and playing 15 tiring games in the play-offs last March 3, 2010 at the country's basketball capital - the Araneta Coloseum. (Do you know that no team has played as many games in a conference as the Giants, who played 33 games?) Now, they finally have the bragging rights; they can finally be named as the best team in the land.


It was a night of odds and defeating the odds. In fact, the odds were against Purefoods; for the past 4 conferences, the teams to which the BPCs belong lose the game in which they were awarded as such. That night, "Big Game" James Carlos Yap was named as the KFC Philippine Cup's Best Player of the Conference. That was, sort-of, a jinx for them and as the game ended, James Yap said that he wanted to prove that "jinx" non-applicable to them.


Aside from being the BPC, James Yap was also named as the Finals MVP of this conference.


Words would never be enough, but I'd love to express my feelings for a few people. :]


* Chris Timberlake (31) & Jonathan Fernandez (12) - Though you weren't able to play, I'm sure that if you'd work harder, you'll get your break. Wait and see what the future holds for you. :) Good luck with your professional careers and I do hope that I'd see you both grow as players in the same squad.

* Rommel Adducul (10) - You're a great person and that's why God has given you another chance to live. I'm sure that He has plans for you and all you have to do is to wait for Him to unfold His plans. I'll be very glad to see you next conference as The General we have known and loved. :)

* Don Allado (41) - I'd be a liar if I'll say that I love you and that I'm your biggest fan. Though I'm not, I'm so proud of how you have grown as a player in PF. I also love how you show appreciation for your teammates and how you make the crowd roar during timeouts because of your funny antics. See you next confe! :D

*Jondan Salvador (61) - I just love you! =)) Need I say more? :)) Kidding aside, I'm so happy that, even though you were on the floor for very limited minutes, you were able to contribute for the team. The rebounds, the basket, the defensive moves, and the magnificent block made my larynx go tired. :)) I hope that PF would find a way to bring you back to the player you were before and that they'll always make you play. See ya! :)

*Niño Cañaleta (9) - I'm so happy that you were traded to PF! :D I never thought that you're a wonderful shooter in the inside and in the rainbow country. I'm super duper proud of you! PF has made you a better player than before. :) I'll be watching out for your possible entry to the Slamdunk Competition in the All-Star Weekend! :)

*Paul Artadi (11) - Mr. Energy and Play-maker! :) That's who you are to me. I'm so happy that they finally found a way to bring you back to the squad. I really love how you make everyone work their hardest when you're on the floor. You're the man! :) Practice more on your threes and everything's good. :)

*PJ Simon (8) - "Wala ng injury injury, finals na eh." I'm sure that that statement of yours touched the hearts of your Simonatics so much. All PF fans are surely so thankful that you played to the best of your ability despite the injuries. Hope that you'll be playing your best next conference once your injury's completely healed. Go Supersub!! :)

*Rico Maierhofer (1) - Though you're a rookie, that doesn't make you work less than the rest of your teammates and that makes all PF fans so proud and happy that you're part of this team. Your energy and momentum keeps the team and the fans alive every time you play. Congratulations on your first PBA Championship! :)

*Rafi Reavis (4) - At first, I have to admit, I didn't like the trade that involved you. But now, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who's very thankful to have you traded to PF. You work like an import! Minus the foul trouble, of course. :)) And that's what everyone likes about you. See you next conference!

*Roger Yap (13) - As PBA's site says, you're now playing your best game in 9 years. You're a great, great player and we hope that, somehow, you could extend your stay in the PBA and in Purefoods. :) Good luck!

*Kerby Raymundo (5) - Many games (more like referees) tested your patience and your professionalism. Yet, you showed everyone that your "anger" was righteous. :)) You made every PF fan proud by showing us your perseverance especially during the games' crucial moments. You really are a captain. :) Hope to see you receive MVP titles in the future! :D

*James Yap (18) - King, Man with a Million Moves, Big Game James. So many titles for one amazing player who has just won another Finals MVP and BPC title. PF is very very proud of you, James. 'Cause despite all the problems you face, the controversies thrown at you, you never ever give up and still play your very best. Congratulations! You deserve all the awards, praises, and love from your fans. :)

*Coaching Staff, esp. Coach Ryan Gregorio - Congratulations! So many people doubted your abilities, but you proved everyone wrong by outsmarting one of the best, if not the best, coaches in the PBA now - Coach Tim Cone. I'm so proud specifically of Coach Ryan Gregorio. Can I insult your haters now? :)) I've always been a supporter and now that you won your third championship for Purefoods, no one can ever blame you for anything. Good luck with your coaching careers and hope to see the complete staff next conference!


To end this, let me quote the Champion Coach, Coach Ryan Gregorio of the Purefoods TJ Giants who humbly said, "What makes this championship sweet is that this was close to impossible but we did it. It can be a preview of what life can be. We never gave up and we were rewarded." Again, congratulations to the whole Purefoods team! :)

All-Star Skills Competition

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , - Sunday, May 3, 2009

I had a great time watching the All-Star Week! It was my first time, you know. I've watched an All-Star Skills Competition but that was in the NBA (the most recent one). So, you'd expect me commenting on everything once again. :)) I'd say that the whole thing was nice, not flawless though. In the 3pt shoot-out, Larry Fonacier ran out of basketballs which forced him to try the whole thing again. In the slamdunk competition, a few players missed dunks. Kelly Williams, the defending Slamdunk Champion wasn't able to show up due to food poisoning. :( Ah well, what's done is done. Anyway, I got so entertained especially with Jared Dillinger and Gabe Norwood in the Slamdunk Competition. Here are the stats and some videos, enjoy. :)


Powerade Obstacle Challenge:
1st Round: LA Tenorio (AA)  -- 34.6 sec
   Sol Mercado (ROS) -- 46.8 sec
   Warren Ybañez (BB) -- 56.8 sec
    Bonbon Custodio (SMB) -- 48.6 sec
   Paul Artadi (BGK) -- 30.7 sec
   Norman Gonzales (SLR) -- 46.7
   Egay Billiones (BK) -- 34.3 sec
  Jason Castro (TNT) -- 1.03 min
  Alex Cabagnot (CCT) -- 43.7 sec 
  Willie Miller (def. champ) -- 37.4 sec
Final Round: LA Tenorio -- 37.4 sec
       Paul Artadi -- 36.7
       Egay Billiones -- 40.6
WINNER: Paul Anthony Artadi of the Barangay Ginebra Kings :]





Vitwater 3pt Shootout
1st Round: Larry Fonacier (AA) -- 10 pts
   Donald Dulay (ROS) -- 11 pts
   Jeff Chan (BB) -- 15 pts
   Dondon Hontiveros (SMB) -- 16 pts
   Ronald Tubid (BGK) -- 11 pts
   Norman Gonzales (SLR) -- 9 pts
   Gary David (BK) -- 18 pts
   Jimmy Alapag (TNT) -- 14 pts
   Ronjay Buenafe (CCT) -- 13 pts
   Renren Ritualo (def. champ) -- 15 pts
   James Yap (PF) -- 17 pts
Final Round: Dondon Hontiveros -- 15 pts
       James Yap -- 21 pts
       Gary David -- 8 pts
WINNER: James Carlos Yap of the Purefoods TJ Giants :]







Vitwater Slamdunk
Import Division:
first round: Dave Noel -- 9+8+9+8+9 = 43
   Gabe Freeman -- 9+9+10+9+10 = 47
   Anthony Johnson -- 6+6+6+7+7 = 32
2nd round: Noel -- 7+7+8+9+9 = 40
   Freeman -- missed dunk, automatic 25 pts
   Johnson -- missed dunk, automatic 25 pts
WINNER FOR DIVISION: David Noel of the Barangay Ginebra  Kings :)

Local Division:
first round: KG Cañaleta (PF) -- 9+9+10+9+9 = 46
   Gabe Norwood (ROS) -- 7+9+10+9+9 = 44
   Jared "Pacman" Dillinger (TNT) -- missed dunk, automatic 25 pts
--> whatever, he was very entertaining. I actually think that he knew he won't be able to hold the ball with boxing gloves. he probably just wanted to entertain the fans. I'd say, he succeeded. :D
2nd round: Cañaleta -- 8+8+9+9+9 = 43
   "Mr President" Norwood (ROS) -- 9+9+10+9+10
--> he was with Sol Mercado to assist him. It was another entertaining dunk. :D 
    Dillinger -- 8+8+9+8+9 = 42
WINNER FOR DIVISION: Gabe Norwood of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters :)

Local vs. Import
Noel -- 50+50 = 100
Norwood -- 46+48 = 94
CHAMPION: David Noel of the Barangay Ginebra Kings :]





Gregorio beats Garcia, at last.

Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , - Sunday, March 8, 2009

Ever since Coach Caloy Garcia took over the Elasto Painters, Purefoods has never won against the said team. As Mico Halili said, "He is the only coach he has not beaten yet." And yes, it is true. I started watching the PBA in 2008, during the Philippine Cup Championship Game 3 between PF and SLR. I continued this passion for PBA and ever since I started watching, I never saw Purefoods win over the franchise. As we all know, Rain or Shine was formerly known as Welcoat and during the 2008 Fiesta Conference, the team won only 4 games in the entire conference, 2 of those games were won against the Giants. Last Conference (2009 Philippine Cup), Purefoods suffered the same feat, losing 2 games against Rain or Shine in 2 Thursdays.


But, this time, the tables were turned. However, turning the tables was pretty hard for the giants as the first half ended with the Giants' 5 point lead at 45-40 and with a total of 8 lead changes. Since the venue was not airconditioned, both imports were not dominant in the game. Because of that, the locals had to work extra hard to win; especially the locals of Purefoods because their import, Brian Hamilton, got ejected early in the 3rd quarter due to a flagrant foul penalty 2 against Rob Wainwright. Good thing that Kerby Raymundo, Don Allado, James Yap, and PJ Simon stepped up and brought in points for the Giants while Al Vergara, the former import for the Singapore Slingers, brought the energy and the momentum that lifted their all-Filipino lineup. They actually did very well. They had a 15-2 run against ROS and had 29-11 turnover points even without Hamilton.


Although the 4 were very active for their team, 3 people from Rain or Shine also had the "hot hands" for shooting field goals; namely, Gabe Norwood, Sol Mercado (who was suspended in their last game), and Don Dulay. Norwood had three 3pt fieldgoals, Mercado had 11 points (6 in the 2nd qtr?), and 4 shots from rainbow country went in for Don Dulay. Their import, Charles Clark, had 12 points and was not given much playing time in the second half. While they enjoyed knocking shots in, one guy remained unfortunate and that was Jireh Ibañes who had 5 misses in a row. (?)


So, how did Purefoods win without their import? Well, they had the momentum, they showed that they "had the bigger heart" as Don Allado has said. It was a very hard-earned win as Purefoods had to win it without their import like in Coke's 1st win against Barako Bull. Actually, it was more difficult for them since they weren't able to win it in regulation; the game was sent into overtime with the score of 87 all. This is due to the missed freethrows by Wainwright and missed buzzerbeater by James Yap.


Nonetheless, the game was for Purefoods and Purefoods alone. The momentum was completely in their favor in the overtime period. Simon had 5 straight points while Roger Yap and Allado knocked in 3 straight charities. The game ended with an 8 point lead for the giants at 102-94.





The scores:
Purefoods 102 Allado 22, Raymundo 21, Yap J. 19, Simon 17, Canaleta 6, Hamilton 5, Yap R. 5, Vergara 4, Adducul 2, Villanueva 1.
Rain or Shine 94 Norwood 14, Reyes 13, Dulay 12, Clark 12, Mercado 11, Wainwright 11, Isip 10, Arana 9, Laure 2, Andaya 0, Ibañes 0.
Quarterscores 23-25, 45-40, 68-60, 87-87 (reg.), 102-94 (OT)



**credits to pba.ph (scores)**

Jondan. :(

Labels: , , , - Sunday, March 1, 2009

I' m looking at a picture of one of the people I admire most. I love looking at his picture, I feel like I' free from all the pain because of his smile that seems pain-free. I love Jondan Salvador. Corny no? Senxa na, nagmamahal lang. xD Kasi naman, bitter ako ngayon because I was told by a POL-iner (from pba-online.net) told me that he's going to be in the reserved list together with 2008 Purefoods' Draft Pick Jonathan Fernandez.


The former Davao Montaña player and PBL MVP captured my heart in the 2008 Philippine Cup Game 3 of the Championship. Please, don't ask me why. I don't know either! He was one of the first players I noticed in the PBA, ever, together with James Yap since I already knew him as Kris Aquino's husband at that time. I was watching this new program and it was so different from what I watched before. It was PBA, a show for basketball fans and I never was one! Yet, there I was, watching. Then, I saw that tall player, that tall handsome player in his jersey which bears the number 5. From then on, I was encouraged to watch PBA.

I watched other games and all I did was to look for that familiar man, that Salvador. He was the one who brought me to this love for the Philippine Basketball Association, along with his wonderful teammates. Now, here I am, not knowing what to feel because of this sad sad sad news. He brought me to my obsession and now, he's just gonna be reserved? I never knew what a reserve does until today, when I asked a poliner to explain it to me. He can be taken by any other team without any player to replace him? Gosh, doesn't that show how the team has taken him for granted? I was hurt, that's a fact. It's all pain and sorrow and sadness. However, there's some part of me that says, "Hey, it's ok. He's injured. He'll need some time to bring back his skills." Yet, you can't prevent thoughts like "How will I see him again? It's not like he goes to SM Southmall everytime I go there. What if he won't play ever again?" go inside my head.

I feel bitter, that's all. The essence of this post is actually to remove the bitterness by writing about my feelings right now.

Here I am, looking at the picture of that man again.

A Message for Coach Yeng?

Labels: , , , , , - Sunday, November 16, 2008

CARDONA LEADS TNT OVER RED BULL WITH CAREER-HIGH GAME

Talk ‘N Text 103 - Cardona 42, Peek 14, Castro 10, Dillinger 9, Carey 8, De Ocampo 8, Allado 6, Ritualo 5, Alapag 1, Escobal 0, Reyes 0, Aljamal 0.


Red Bull 93 - Cruz 15, Espinas 14, Rodriguez 11, Najorda 10, Sharma 10, Baguio 10, Chan 9, Hubalde 6, Duncil 4, Hrabak 4, Ybanez 0.


Macmac wants to convince RP Team Coach Yeng Guiao to give him a spot on the Powerade Team Pilipinas. This isn't just a presumption, he actually said that it was really his main purpose.

"I work hard, I play hard, kaya ang game na ito parang message ko na rin kay Coach Yeng na I deserve to be in the national team," said Cardona after his explosive performance which led Talk 'N Text to a 103-93 win which brought them to a 5-5 win-loss card.

"Hoping pa rin ako," he stated. "Gustong-gusto ko kasing mag-national team. Minsan-minsan lang iyon eh."

Cardona's fans think so too. Actually, many people are still wondering why the tactician did not choose Captain Hook. Well, I'm sure he has his reasons. We just have to find out.


Quarterscores: 24-29, 44-50, 82-70, 103-93



SECOND GAME: Brgy. Ginebra Kings vs. Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants

Ginebra 90 – Helterbrand 23, Tubid 17, Menk 11, Artadi 9, Salvacion 8, Escalona 6, Wilson 5, Mamaril 5, Crisano 4, Valenzuela 2, Holper 0.

Purefoods 80 – Yap, J. 16, Villanueva 14, Belga 10, Robinson 10, Raymundo 10, Lanete 8, Alvarez 8, Aban 2, Salvador 2, Fernandez 0.

Quarterscores: 18-22, 35-37, 61-61, 90-80.

PF vs. RB: the Sequel

Labels: , , , , , , , , , - Saturday, November 15, 2008

It was just any other day in everyone else's life, probably. But for James Yap and the Purefoods Squad, it was the opposite of an ordinary day. It was a huge win for them against the Barakos and it was won the hard way. I was fortunate enough to be able to watch the wonderful first meeting on the 8th of October live and the second meeting was not boring either. PF enjoyed a good time with an 11 point lead with about 7 minutes remaining. Sadly, they went scoreless for about 3 minutes and the Barakos woke up from slumber. They had completed a 13-0 run and led by 2.

James Yap, a born 3-point shooter, led his team to a 10-0 run which removed RB's hopes of winning. He had a game-high 27 points, having shot 11 field goals out of 16 attempts which includes 5 out of 8 from rainbow country. Kerby Raymundo, who just came from sickbay, and Enrico Villanueva had 14 points while former RB player Topex Robinson had 4 assists and 4 steals.

It was Gabby Espinas who stepped up for RB. He had a career-high 21 points while his teammate, Larry Rodriguez, chipped in 12 points for the Barakos who now have a win-loss card of 4-5.

Both teams played badly in the game's first half. Poor shooting and a combined 25 turnovers from both sides were the half's features.PF shot 34% from the field while RB shot 35%. PF finished the game with 25 errors overall, one more than RB.

Purefoods Team Coach Ryan Gregorio said that it is hard for his team's depleted line up to play efficiently. PJ Simon and Roger Yap are still out on sickbay as of the moment.
Scores:
Purefoods 80
Yap J. 28, Villanueva 14, Raymundo 14, Alvarez 8, Robinson 5, Bugia 4, Belga 2, Lanete 2, Salvador 2, Aban 1
Red Bull 72
Espinas 21, Rodriguez 12, Duncil 7, Chan 6, Ybanez 6, Sharma 5, Cruz 5, Baguio 5, Hrabak 3, Hubalde 2, Najorda 0
Quarterscores:
20-9, 31-31, 57-51, 80-72.

Loss of Kerby is too much.

Labels: , , , , , , , , - Monday, November 10, 2008

The Purefoods TJ Giants had proven it can hold on even without PJ Simon and Roger Yap. However, the loss of the team captain, Kerby Raymundo, is something too much for the team to handle.

Alaska won against the depleted lineup of Purefoods, 95-80, to stretch its winning streak to three regain solo league leadership in this conference.

“You take away LA, Sonny and Joe, and it would also be so difficult for Willie. They lost a lot minus Simon, Yap and Kerby. It’s really very difficult for them to compete with the lineup they had,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

Even the coach was impressed with the team's energy at the beginning of the game. Yet, he was quite confident that they'll be able wear the Giants down.

And they did as Alaska closed out its stint in the first round of the elims with a 7-2 win-loss card.The Giants came out strong but faded out quickly with Raymundo joining Simon and Yap out in sickbay. The Aces coach admitted that they were not aware that Kerby’s out until about six minutes of the game and when they did, they concentrated on guarding James Yap who actually had 2 straight games with 30 plus points. Beau Belga, the rookie, led the Giants with 16 points.

starting units:
  • Purefoods -- Beau Belga, James Yap, Topex Robinson, Rico Villanueva, Richard Alonzo
  • Alaska -- Joe Devance, Sonny Thoss, LA Tenorio, Willie Miller, Tony de la Cruz.

top scorers per team:
  • Alaska – Devance 20, Fonacier 16, Thoss 14, Ferriols 11, Tenorio 10,
  • Purefoods – Belga 16, Yap 16, Villanueva 12, Bugia 8, Salvador 6


** note: this is an editted post from pba.ph **

my heart's beat. xD

Labels: , , , , - Saturday, November 8, 2008

Magtatagalog muna ako ah.. Haaay... I'll share some stuff first. Una, inasar ako ng inasar dahil sa pagkatalo ng Ginebra nung Sunday. Second, mas inasar ako ng inasar since kahapon dahil sa pagkatalo naman nung Wednesday. Grabe. Sa sobrang asar ko, may inaway ako.. Jamships, si "kapal muks" po ung inaway ko. Air21 kasi siya. Parang nanalo sila eh no.. Haha. Nainis talaga ako kasi lagi niyang binibring up.

Katatapos lang ng game. Purefoods vs. Talk N Txt. Sus ko. Hindi na nakapahinga ang puso ko! Grabe.. kapagod sumigaw, tumili, mag reklamo, tumayo kasi hindi ko kayang umupo sa kaba. Naka 3 baso ako ng tubig, puno. Record na yun. :))

Tapos biglang nawalan ako ng pag-asa. Kasi siyempre, konti nalang yung time tapos two digits pa ung lamang. Tapos un. Ewan ko. Bigla nalang nakabawi ang PF. Si James nagtres! Tapos naging 87-86 yung score. Nag timeout si Coach Ryan G.

Nung timeout, walang ibang sinabi si Coach kundi "James.":)) nung game, eto ang napakaunexpected na nangyari.

Nagkapasahan. Si Kerby, tinry magshoot kaso hindi pumasok. Nakuha ni Villanueva ang rebound, nagkaagawan ang 2 taga-TNT at si Chico Lanete. Nagshoot si Chico, 1 sec nalang.. PASOK!

Shaming talaga. Siya yung unexpected person na gumawa nun. Everyone expected James to do it. Kung hindi siya, si Kerby siguro. Tapos biglang si Chico Lanete na ang bida sa game! :) Si Coach Ryan G. naman, nagmukhang bata sa kakatalon! Buong PF pumunta kay Chico. Yan talaga ang PF eh, isang brotherhood talaga. Success ng isa, success ng lahat. Kaaway ng isa, kaaway ng lahat. :)

Ininterview sina James at Chico. I think pareho silang best player. James had 30 points and 5 rebounds. Si Chico naman, 24 points and 6 rebounds. :)

Ang saya ng game. SOBRA! hindi ko kinaya yun! Sobrang nanginginig na kaya ako nun! Buti nalang hindi agad ako kumain. Or else nagchoke siguro ako or something. :))

Bukas naman, game ulit ng Ginebra vs. Coca-Cola. As usual, kinakabahan ako. But I know na kaya nila. I have confidence in both BGK and PF kahit kinakabahan ako. Nasa sistema ko talaga yun eh. Pero manalo matalo, I don't blame anyone. :)

GO PUREFOODS! GO GINEBRA! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

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