Saturday, July 19, 2008
Amal McCaskill Leads Magnolia Into Semifinals
Defense really wins a basketball series or a championship, whatever is being contested. Rejoice Magnolia Beverage Masters basketball fans as our basketball team advanced to the semifinals of PBA Fiesta Conference for the second straight year under coach Siot Tanquincen's leadership.
The Coca-Cola Tigers struggled all night long under intense defensive pressure capped with their horrible shooting that sealed their doom in the season-ending Fiesta Conference.
Next in line are the offense-minded Air21 Express whom we will engage starting this Sunday, possibly without their prolific import Steven Thomas. I like our chances for this basketball series and if our vaunted defense clicks once again, I won't be surprised if we trip back to the Finals and possibly win the championship against an equally strong foe from the other bracket contested by Barangay Ginebra and Red Bull Barakos.
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MAGNOLIA BEVERAGE MASTERS BARGES INTO FINAL 4
Magnolia Beverage Masters take on Air21 in best-of-7 affair
Source: Philippine Basketball Association
Friday, 18 July 2008
ANTIPOLO -- The Coca-Cola Tigers put up tremendous basketball intensity and energy but seemed to forget how to shoot, enabling the Magnolia Beverage Masters to book the last slot in the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference Final Four.
The Magnolia Beverage Masters beat out the Tigers, 78-60, in their knockout tussle last night at the Ynares Center here, gaining the right to challenge the Air21 Express in a best-of-seven semifinals basketball showdown.
The Final Four begins Sunday at the Astrodome in Pasay with Barangay Ginebra and Red Bull pitted in the other semis basketball match-up.
"We’re tight offensively but our defense held on," said coach Siot Tanquingcen as they overcame the Tigers for a second straight Fiesta Conference semifinals and sixth semis in the last eight PBA basketball tourneys.
The Magnolia Beverage Masters did struggle at the start but slowly picked up their rhythm, winning the battle without yielding the lead at anytime in the basketball contest.
It helped that the Tigers practically threw bricks in the basketball contest.
Coca-Cola shot a league all-time low of 20 percent in the entire contest and franchise-lows of 9.5 percent in the first quarter and 17.5 percent in the first half.
"I think it’s a result of a little of our basketball defense and their poor shooting. We had a hand in their every shot," said Tanquingcen.
Amal McCaskill, Lordy Tugade and Dondon Hontiveros played well on both ends of the basketball court, leading the team to the semis against the Express.
McCaskill said he’s well familiar with Steven Thomas’ basketball gamme, expressing confidence Magnolia Beverage Masters will emerge victorious.
Tanquingcen thought it’s difficult to play Air21, believing their only advantage against the Express is their being the more experienced basketball team.
Chances are Air21 will play minus Thomas at the start of the semis Sunday as he’s been invited to attend the Cleveland Cavaliers’ basketball training camp. His original plan was to return Saturday after attending just the basketball tryouts for the Korean basketball league in Las Vegas.
"Minus Steven, it would be very difficult but not impossible to make an upset. It would depend on how my players are going to take it mentally," said Air21 basketball coach Bo Perasol.
Magnolia Beverage Masters and Coca-Cola figured in a tough defensive basketball battle in the first half ending in the Magnolia Beverage Masters’ favor at 29-25.
The Tigers trailed by as many as nine points but scored five charities in the last 20 seconds to narrow the gap to four going into the final half.
Largely behind McCaskill’s efforts, the Magnolia Beverage Masters pulled away in the final half en route to sending the Tigers to the basketball season exit.
Coca-Cola joined in the sideline deposed Fiesta Conference champion Alaska, All-Filipino ruler Sta. Lucia, Talk n Text, Purefoods and Welcoat. (NC)
The scores:
Magnolia 78 – McCaskill 18, Tugade 14, Hontiveros 14, Cortez 9, Pingris 6, Ildefonso 6, Racela 5, Pena 3, Bono 2, Gonzales 1, Villanueva 0, Tolomia 0.
Coca-Cola 60 – Buenafe 22, Dixon 16, Taulava 9, Belasco 4, Macapagal 3, Dean 2, Cabagnot 2, Telan 2, Catli 0, Dimaunahan 0.
Quarterscores: 15-12, 29-25, 52-41, 78-60
The Coca-Cola Tigers struggled all night long under intense defensive pressure capped with their horrible shooting that sealed their doom in the season-ending Fiesta Conference.
Next in line are the offense-minded Air21 Express whom we will engage starting this Sunday, possibly without their prolific import Steven Thomas. I like our chances for this basketball series and if our vaunted defense clicks once again, I won't be surprised if we trip back to the Finals and possibly win the championship against an equally strong foe from the other bracket contested by Barangay Ginebra and Red Bull Barakos.
--------------------
MAGNOLIA BEVERAGE MASTERS BARGES INTO FINAL 4
Magnolia Beverage Masters take on Air21 in best-of-7 affair
Source: Philippine Basketball Association
Friday, 18 July 2008
ANTIPOLO -- The Coca-Cola Tigers put up tremendous basketball intensity and energy but seemed to forget how to shoot, enabling the Magnolia Beverage Masters to book the last slot in the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference Final Four.
The Magnolia Beverage Masters beat out the Tigers, 78-60, in their knockout tussle last night at the Ynares Center here, gaining the right to challenge the Air21 Express in a best-of-seven semifinals basketball showdown.
The Final Four begins Sunday at the Astrodome in Pasay with Barangay Ginebra and Red Bull pitted in the other semis basketball match-up.
"We’re tight offensively but our defense held on," said coach Siot Tanquingcen as they overcame the Tigers for a second straight Fiesta Conference semifinals and sixth semis in the last eight PBA basketball tourneys.
The Magnolia Beverage Masters did struggle at the start but slowly picked up their rhythm, winning the battle without yielding the lead at anytime in the basketball contest.
It helped that the Tigers practically threw bricks in the basketball contest.
Coca-Cola shot a league all-time low of 20 percent in the entire contest and franchise-lows of 9.5 percent in the first quarter and 17.5 percent in the first half.
"I think it’s a result of a little of our basketball defense and their poor shooting. We had a hand in their every shot," said Tanquingcen.
Amal McCaskill, Lordy Tugade and Dondon Hontiveros played well on both ends of the basketball court, leading the team to the semis against the Express.
McCaskill said he’s well familiar with Steven Thomas’ basketball gamme, expressing confidence Magnolia Beverage Masters will emerge victorious.
Tanquingcen thought it’s difficult to play Air21, believing their only advantage against the Express is their being the more experienced basketball team.
Chances are Air21 will play minus Thomas at the start of the semis Sunday as he’s been invited to attend the Cleveland Cavaliers’ basketball training camp. His original plan was to return Saturday after attending just the basketball tryouts for the Korean basketball league in Las Vegas.
"Minus Steven, it would be very difficult but not impossible to make an upset. It would depend on how my players are going to take it mentally," said Air21 basketball coach Bo Perasol.
Magnolia Beverage Masters and Coca-Cola figured in a tough defensive basketball battle in the first half ending in the Magnolia Beverage Masters’ favor at 29-25.
The Tigers trailed by as many as nine points but scored five charities in the last 20 seconds to narrow the gap to four going into the final half.
Largely behind McCaskill’s efforts, the Magnolia Beverage Masters pulled away in the final half en route to sending the Tigers to the basketball season exit.
Coca-Cola joined in the sideline deposed Fiesta Conference champion Alaska, All-Filipino ruler Sta. Lucia, Talk n Text, Purefoods and Welcoat. (NC)
The scores:
Magnolia 78 – McCaskill 18, Tugade 14, Hontiveros 14, Cortez 9, Pingris 6, Ildefonso 6, Racela 5, Pena 3, Bono 2, Gonzales 1, Villanueva 0, Tolomia 0.
Coca-Cola 60 – Buenafe 22, Dixon 16, Taulava 9, Belasco 4, Macapagal 3, Dean 2, Cabagnot 2, Telan 2, Catli 0, Dimaunahan 0.
Quarterscores: 15-12, 29-25, 52-41, 78-60
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