Mixers topple Aces to complete semis cast

 

MANILA, Philippines – San Mig Coffee smothered Alaska in their series-decider, 79-65, to oust the defending champion and arrange a semifinal duel with Air21 in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

PJ Simon paced the Coffee Mixers with 21 points, doing much damage in the third quarter for San Mig Coffee’s 53-35 lead.

Mark Barroca and Marc Pingris were the two other locals who were able to dish out double figures for the Mixers. The "Coffee Prince" scored 14, while Pingris added 10.

James Mays had 17 points and grabbed 24 rebounds against Alaska, which just could not solve San Mig Coffee’s defense.

Rob Dozier paced the Aces with 23 points and 16 rebounds.

San Mig Coffee will meet Air21 Express in a best-of-five semis showdown starting Tuesday.

Box scores:

San Mig Coffee 79 - Simon 21, Mays 17, Barroca 14, Pingris 10, Sangalang 6, Devance 5, Mallari 4, Melton 2, Reavis 0, Yap 0.

Alaska 65 - Dozier 23, Casio 14, Jazul 8, Hontiveros 7, Espinas 5, Baguio 4, Thoss 2, Manuel 2, Reyes 0, Dela Cruz 0, Abueva 0.

Quarterscores: 21-15, 35-27, 57-45, 79-65

source: abs-cbnnews.com

MACAO (April 22, 2014) – A press conference in Manila on Tuesday announced the details of Featherweight Fury – a championship event with three featherweight world title main event fights to be hosted by The Venetian^® Macao on Saturday, May 31 at the Cotai Arena.
The world-class event is headlined by three spectacular featherweight title matchups: four-division world champion and 2012 Fighter of the Year NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE will challenge World Boxing Association (WBA) undisputed featherweight world champion SIMPIWE “V12” VETYEKA; undefeated WBA world featherweight champion NICHOLAS “The Axe Man” WALTERS will defend his title against two-division world champion VIC “Raging Bull” DARCHINYAN; and undefeated International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion EVGENY “The Mexican Russian” GRADOVICH, making his third consecutive featherweight title defense at the Cotai Arena, will be battling No. 1 contender ALEXANDER MISKIRTCHIAN. 
The Donaire-Vetyeka title fight will be televised on the same day in the U.S. on HBO, beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET/PT.  The telecast will also include the world super middleweight title rematch between defending champion Carl Froch and top contender George Groves, which will take place at Wembley Stadium in London.
- See more at: http://www.toprank.com/news/boxing-promotions-three-world-title-bouts-on-one-card-may-31#sthash.7opHY103.dpuf

Mike Dunleavy scores 35 to help drop Wiz, give Bulls new life

WASHINGTON -- Mike Dunleavy was making so many 3-pointers the Washington Wizards overguarded him at the arc and let him drive for a three-point play instead.

The points were coming so easily Bradley Beal guaranteed at halftime Dunleavy wouldn't score again -- and then clobbered the Chicago Bulls veteran during a 3-point attempt during the third quarter. The ball went in anyway, and Dunleavy completed a four-point play.

"He was in the zone, man," Beal said. "I guess the hoop looked like an ocean to him."

The Bulls needed a go-to guy after their offensive struggles put them in a 2-0 hole in their Eastern Conference first round series. For one night, at least, they found him. Dunleavy scored 35 points, one short of his career-high, and Jimmy Butler hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 24 seconds remaining Friday for a 100-97 Game 3 win.

"Coach mentioned some stuff about getting me some more catch-and-shoot situations, and we did that tonight," Dunleavy said. "A couple of easy layups early on got me going, and I just had one of those nights."

Dunleavy went 12 for 19 from the field, including a career-high eight 3-pointers on 10 attempts. Not bad for a 33-year-old who was playing in only his 12th playoff game. His teams' records in those games before Friday: 1-10. He had almost become a forgotten man in this series, scoring 20 points combined in the first two games.

"These chances have been few and far between for me," he said. "But like I told somebody this morning, especially on the road in the playoffs, it's where you can thrive. It's a hostile environment, and I like that."

Derrick Rose has been injured for so long that the Bulls are accustomed to patching together a plan that somehow creates enough points to win. They'll have to keep it up: Game 4 is Sunday in Washington as Chicago attempts to become only the fourth NBA team to win a seven-game series after losing the first two at home.

"We've got to get Sunday, for sure," Dunleavy said. "No question. It's a quick turnaround, one o'clock start. We put ourselves in a hole, we're starting to dig ourselves out, but we're not near there yet."

Beal scored 13 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, but he'll be more remembered for a walkoff interview with CSN at halftime, when he guaranteed Dunleavy wouldn't score in the second half.

Wall added 23 points and seven assists for the Wizards, who will have to wonder whether they'll have Nene for Game 4. The Brazilian forward was ejected in the fourth quarter after a forehead-to-forehead confrontation with Butler. Nene grabbed Butler by the back of the neck and the side of the head before they were separated.

Nene is almost certain to get fined, and a suspension is possible.
"I have nothing to regret," he said. "I'm a warrior right there. What I did, I'm supposed to do."
Nene has been called the "X-factor" by Wall. It sure didn't help that he wasn't available for the final 8:28 of a close game.
"It looked like an MMA move to me," Dunleavy said. "It was one of those headlocks. It was great that Jimmy kept his cool. I think a lot of people put in that situation would've started throwing blows."
After avoiding the ejection, Butler made two 3-pointers down the stretch and finished with 15 points. He had struggled with his shot in the first two games, shooting 8 for 21 from the field.
"Short-term memory loss," he said. "It's a new day, new game, new possessions. My team needs me to step up and take the open shot when it's there and definitely knock it down when it's needed."
After Butler's final 3, the teams traded fouls and free throws over the final two dozen seconds. Washington had a chance to tie when Taj Gibson missed a free throw with 3.1 seconds to play, but Trevor Ariza threw the ball out of bounds after grabbing the rebound in a miscommunication with Wall.
"We definitely have to play like a desperate team," Ariza said. "We didn't do so tonight."

Game notes

After a plea from owner Ted Leonsis to show up on time, the Wizards fans did a better job getting to the arena for the opening tip of their first home playoff game in six years, although there were still sections with plenty of empty seats. Fans were given red, white or blue T-shirts, and Leonsis did his part by showing up in a blue coat, red sweater and white shirt. ... Bulls C Joakim Noah got into a confrontation with a Wizards security official during the Bulls' shootaround Friday morning. Washington coach Randy Wittman said his team was to blame. "That's got to be something from our side that shouldn't happen," the coach said.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
Source: ESPN.com

Raptors' late run comes up short as Nets hold on, take 2-1 series lead

NEW YORK -- Paul Pierce climbed high for the dunk, Kevin Garnett went to the floor for a loose ball, and Brooklyn suddenly looked and sounded like Boston.

The Nets brought the two champions here so it would be like this, not the way it was for their last home playoff game.

"This is a totally different team, totally different feeling," guard Deron Williams said. "I think we're poised to make a run."

Joe Johnson scored 29 points, Pierce and Garnett brought a charge to their first playoff game in Brooklyn, and the Nets held off the Toronto Raptors 102-98 on Friday night for a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.

Johnson made the clinching free throws with 3.1 seconds left after the Nets blew almost all of a 15-point, fourth-quarter lead. Williams added 22 points and eight assists for the sixth-seeded Nets, who host Game 4 on Sunday night.

Pierce had 18 points, and he and Garnett provided the game's signature plays late in the second quarter, a reminder that the Nets brought the veterans here as much for their bravado as their basketball.

But all that experience almost didn't matter after the Nets made a series of mistakes down the stretch.
DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points for the Raptors, who have lost 13 straight road playoff games. Patrick Patterson added 17 points but missed two free throws with a chance to tie for Toronto, whose last postseason victory was May 6, 2001, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Philadelphia.
"I missed. First big free throws I've ever missed in my life like that," Patterson said. "Unfortunately, it (stinks) but all I can do is look forward to the next opportunity."
Kyle Lowry fouled out with 15 points, forcing the Raptors to try to complete the comeback without their point guard. And they almost did.
"This team tried to throw haymakers at us and go at us, and we did a good job of battling back and staying in the game," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.
Toronto charged back and was in position to tie when Patterson went to the line with 19 seconds left. But he missed both and Pierce knocked down two to make it 100-96, and Johnson then made two with 3.1 seconds to go after Amir Johnson's follow shot as Brooklyn held on.
"It feels good to win, but at the same time you know you can be a lot better," Pierce said. "I'm looking for down the road, I'm looking for when it's like that Game 6 or 7, if we're ever in that situation with this team, it's going to come to those little things and we can't afford those small mistakes."
The Raptors beat the Nets in their first trip here this season, one of only four home losses for Brooklyn in 27 home games since Jan. 1. Toronto had a franchise-record 22 home victories during the regular season, and Casey hoped his team could handle its first road playoff test.
But the Nets' experience was evident for the first three quarters, especially once Pierce and Garnett made their impression on the game.
The Nets' last playoff game here was a disappointment, a Game 7 loss to Chicago in the first round last year in which they came out with surprisingly little fire in a do-or-die game. They traded for Pierce and Garnett on draft night, and on Friday they brought to Brooklyn the playoff passion they showed for so many years together in Boston.
Toronto led 23-19 after one and held a small lead until late in the second. Joe Johnson's free throws tied it, Pierce knocked then a pair, and then he left Tyler Hansbrough standing still near the foul line, driving for a dunk that made it 45-41.
The dunk got the fans on their feet, but Garnett's intensity really got them in a frenzy. He dove on the floor for a ball that had been kicked, wrestling it away from Amir Johnson, and when he got up, held the ball high and screamed toward the fans behind the basket, then pulled out the part of his jersey that read "BROOKLYN" toward them.
Pierce later had a three-point play and a 3-pointer in the Nets' big finish to the third, his jumper with 2.7 seconds left making it 77-66. That felt like a huge lead in a series where neither team led by more than five points after three quarters in their four regular-season games and first two in the playoffs.
But after the Nets extended it to 15 in the fourth, Toronto began its comeback that fell just short.

Game notes

Toronto is 3-16 on the road in the playoffs. ... The NBA announced Friday that Barclays Center would host the draft on June 26. Tickets go on sale May 21.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

Troy Daniels' 3-pointer in overtime sends Rockets past Blazers

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Troy Daniels hit a 3-pointer with 11.9 seconds left and the Houston Rockets narrowed Portland's first-round playoff advantage to 2-1 with a 121-116 overtime victory over the Trail Blazers on Friday night. 

               James Harden broke out of a slump with a career playoff-best 37 points and Dwight Howard added 24 points and 14 rebounds for the Rockets. 

                  LaMarcus Aldridge had more than 40 points in each of Portland's victories in the first two games in Houston. But Omer Asik did a good job of shutting him down in Game 3, holding the All-Star forward to 23 points. The Blazers were led by Damian Lillard with 30 points. 

 Portland trailed by as many as 11 points in the final quarter but Nicolas Batum hit a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left to tie the game at 110. Harden missed a half-court shot at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Lillard's layup gave Portland a 116-112 lead with 3:08 left in the extra period. Jeremy Lin hit a jumper from the top of the key before Harden's fadeaway tie it with 1:51 to go. 

 Aldridge missed a jumper over Howard but Lin missed a 3-pointer on the other end before Daniels nailed his 3-pointer. Batum missed a 3 with 4.9 seconds left and Harden made free throws for the final margin. Only three teams have come back to win after losing the first two games of a seven-game series at home: The last was the 2004-05 Mavericks, who came back against the Rockets. 

Houston is 0-7 overall when falling behind 0-2 in the first round since the 1983-84 expansion. Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday at the Moda Center. The Blazers hadn't opened a playoff series 2-0 since 1977, when they got the early jump on the Lakers en route to the Western Conference title. Portland went on to beat Philadelphia for its lone NBA championship. Houston coach Kevin McHale, who acknowledged before the game that his team was frustrated, tinkered with the lineup and started Asik in place of Terrence Jones. Asik did a good job in keeping Aldridge out of the paint and the Rockets responded by coming out with intensity. Patrick Beverley's 3-pointer gave the Rockets and early 19-13 lead before Harden finished off the first quarter with a 3-pointer to put Houston up 35-24. 

Harden and Beverley each finished the first quarter with 11 points. Harden was the league's top shooting guard in the regular season, but he was 14 of 47 from the field in his opening two playoff games for his worst two-game stretch of the season. Lillard's 3-pointer tied it at 38, but Mo Williams and Robin Lopez each hit baskets to put Portland in front and cap a 16-point run. Lillard led all scorers with 16 points at the half and the Blazers had a 55-54 edge. Harden and Chandler Parsons made consecutive 3-pointers to give the Rockets a 71-65 lead midway through the third period. But Portland -- bolstered by a raucous hometown crowd -- kept Houston's lead in single digits until Harden's 3-pointer made it 90-80 with 10:18 to go in the game. Harden's jumper gave the Rockets a 100-91 lead with 6:21 left, but Lilliard made free throws that closed Portland to within 103-98 before a falling-down jumper and a foul shot to make it 103-101 with 4:05 left. Lillard scored on a layup to put Portland in front 107-106 with 1:59 left. 

After Harden made four straight free throws, Batum made the 3-pointer to tie it. Game notes Houston's Terrence Jones went to Portland's Jefferson High School, leading the team to three straight Class 5A championships before playing for Kentucky. ... Among the fans in the crowd for the Blazers' first home playoff game since 2011 were Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who grew up in Portland. ... The Blazers have made at least eight 3-pointers in the in three straight postseason games for the first time in franchise history.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press 

Source: http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400553101