Oh no! Magic Waive Mac McClung and Two Others

In the thrilling world of basketball, where the roar of the crowd and the slam of the ball echo through arenas, Mac McClung recently etched his name into the annals of dunking history with a dazzling championship performance. However, as the cheers still reverberate, news emerges of roster changes for McClung and his fellow players. According to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, the Orlando Magic have waived McClung, along with guards Brandon Williams and swingman Daeqwon Plowden. While these changes set a different tone, McClung's recent dunk championship remains a beacon of triumph.

Transitioning to the G League

The trio of McClung, Williams, and Plowden, all on Exhibit 10 contracts, are set to make their way to the Osceola Magic, Orlando's G League affiliate. The strategic move aligns with the Magic's plan for the three players to continue their development and contribute to the affiliate team's success.

Mac McClung's G League Impact

McClung, despite his limited NBA appearances, showcased his prowess in the G League, particularly during his stint with the Delaware Blue Coats. Averaging 19.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in just 26.8 minutes per game, McClung was instrumental in leading the Blue Coats to a G League title.

NBA everyday this December on S+A

Metro Manila, Philippines - It’s a glitzy Christmas for Filipino hoop fans as the stars of the best basketball league in the whole world will be seen in action everyday on ABS-CBN S+A and ABS-CBN starting Friday (Dec. 14), including the much-anticipated Christmas day showdown between the Lebron James-led Los Angeles Lakers and the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

The special December marathon fires off on Friday live at 9 a.m. on S+A with James and the youngsters of the Los Angeles Lakers going up against the veteran-laden Houston Rockets squad of James Harden and Chris Paul. After that, it’s John Wall and the Washington Wizards versus Spencer Dinwiddie and the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 15 at 8:30 a.m. live on ABS-CBN, then the coverage shifts back to S+A with the Minnesota Timberwolves – Phoenix Suns game on Dec. 16.

The next day, Dec. 17, features the battle of Eastern Conference's top seed Toronto Raptors and Kawhi Leonard and the West's number three squad Denver Nuggets, which has been in a tear behind the balanced play of their stars led by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. 

Action continues with Philadelphia–San Antonio on Dec. 18, Cleveland–Indiana on Dec. 19, and Memphis-Portland on Dec. 20.

Also to watch for this month is super rookie Luka Doncic as his Dallas Mavericks battle the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 21 at 11:30 a.m. on S+A, followed by Atlanta-New York on ABS-CBN on Dec. 22, and the showdown of two Eastern Conference giants in the Toronto – Philadelphia game on Dec. 23 at 8:30 back on S+A.

This special NBA marathon serves as a countdown to the Christmas Day battle everyone has been raving about since the free agent signing of LeBron James to the Lakers: a special date with the back-to-back defending champions, Golden State Warriors, which will air live on S+A on Dec. 26 at 9 a.m. It’s the first significant Christmas day game in Laker Land as the Purple and Gold have been on the rebuild the past years. Before this game, Minnesota and Oklahoma City will also battle on Dec. 24 on S+A.

The marathon continues until the end of December featuring matchups between Toronto-Miami, Boston-Houston, Detroit-Indiana, Golden State-Portland, and finally Sacramento-LA Lakers on Dec. 31 on S+A. Watch the games on high-definition on S+A HD and ABS-CBN HD on cable.

For more NBA stories, visit the ABS-CBN’s sports hub sports.abs-cbn.com/nba and follow @ABSCBNSports on Facebook and Twitter. Sports fans can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtags #NBAonABSCBN and #NBASabaDos.

For more information and updates, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

source manila standard

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Ravena surprised by scoring explosion

Even Thirdy Ravena was surprised by his scoring explosion which propelled the Ateneo Blue Eagles to the 81st University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball crown on Wednesday evening.

“My mission was to give everything that I can. I did not really expect to score,” said Ravena after he tallied a career-high 38 points for the Blue Eagles as they stopped the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 99-81, at the Araneta Coliseum.

This earned the Blue Eagles their second straight championship in the tournament.

Ateneo claimed its 10th crown overall after completing a two-game sweep of their best-of-three finals series.

“It (baskets) just came in. Pumapasok iyung binibigay sa akin ng mga teammates ko,” said Ravena.

Ravena finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and two blocks in Game 1 when the Blue Eagles also beat the UP Fighting Maroons.

In Game 2, he came up with a career-high on 13-of-18 shooting. And his scoring output is considered the most in a finals game since 2003. For this Ravena gives credit to teammate Matt Nieto.

“If it wasn’t for Matt—yung mga pinapasa niya sa akin—hindi magiging possible yun,” said Ravena.

Blue Eagles coach Tab Baldwin said Ravena had his time to shine after the Fighting Maroons focused their defense on him and their isolation plays.

“I think there were some strategies from UP that were fairly apparent. I think that’s why there was more individual plays from Thirdy, more isolation plays. But we understood there are certain things that they did not want us to get, and they were going to use help defense in some situations. So, we were able to identify some of that, and I think Thirdy did in those games,” said Baldwin.

The back-to-back honors that the Blue Eagles won in men’s basketball is their fifth championship of the UAAP season.

Earlier, Ateneo also won the titles in women’s badminton, men’s and women’s swimming, and women’s fencing.

This was the result of the intense preparation the Blue Eagles went through this year.

They went to Greece and Taiwan to prepare for this tournament, and have not lost a single game in their last 10 outings.

Thirdy, the younger brother of NLEX Road Warriors star Kiefer Ravena, along with fellow seniors the Nieto twins and Isaac Go, will be back for another season next year. They hope that a three-peat is possible.

source ~ manila standard

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Magnolia, Alaska clash in Game 2 of PBA playoff

The Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok and the Alaska Aces continue the championship playoff of the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup 7 p.m., today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

The two squads square off in Game 2 of their best-of-seven showdown with Magnolia looking to follow up its rousing, wire-to-wire 100-84 demolition of the Aces. 

Following a two-week break to give way to the FIBA Qualifiers, Magnolia looked the better-prepared squad as the Hotshots jumped out of the gates and smacked the Aces right from the opening bell to jump out to a 15-0 advantage.

The Hotshots got a surprise lift from Robbie Herndon who drilled back-to-back three-pointers followed by a steal by Jio Jalalon which led to a fastbreak layup by Romeo Travis pushing Magnolia to 15-0 lead to start the game.

Alaska cut the gap to 10 points after the first quarter but the Hotshots dictated the tempo of the game from thereon.

The Hotshots got a lift from their do-everything import Travis who scored a game-high 29 points. Marc Barroca, Paul Lee and Ian Sangalang were the other double-digit scorers with 16, 14 and 10 points, respectively.

Mike Harris led the Aces with 20 points. Chris Banchero chipped in 12 while Jeron Teng added 10. Vic Manuel, playing limited minutes because he was recovering from illness, was limited to just six points.

The Aces finished the game with their usual flourish. Trailing by 20 points in the fourth quarter, 64-84, the Aces ignited their trademark rally to cut the Magnolia lead.

Harris followed up a miss, then Banchero made a fastbreak layup as the Aces trailed by just eight points, 76-84, with 4:23 to go in the game. But that was as close as the Aces would get. Barroca ignited a Magnolia run which pushed the Hotshots ahead beyond recall as Alaska trailed, 76-93. 

Magnolia defeated defending two-time champion Barangay Ginebra, 3-1, in their own playoff series. 

source ~ manila standard

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Guiao: Gilas PH lacked maturity

Gilas Pilipinas needs to play a more matured game in the future.

National coach Yeng Guiao said this when he expressed his thoughts after Iran came up with a strong finish, held the Gilas Pilipinas scoreless in the final minute and pulled off a 78-70 triumph Monday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“We were holding on to a small lead. And they were on the verge of breaking out. But it just did not happen. And towards the endgame, I felt, that was a lack of maturity for our game,” said Guiao.

As the Philippines suffered its second straight setback in Group F of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers, Gilas will now have to win its last two games to stay in contention.

“It was not as cohesive as we wanted it at this point. The guys tried their best,” added Guiao.

Behnam Yakhchalidehkordi showed the way with 21 points for the Iranians, who posted their seventh victory in 10 games.

Jason Castro made 19 points for the Philippines, whose chances of qualifying are now in danger with their 5-5 win-loss record.

With the setback, Japan has overtaken the Philippines for third place (6-4) after its 86-70 win over Kazakhstan earlier in Toyama, Japan. Solo leader Australia (9-1) toppled Qatar, 110-59, in Melbourne.

Only the top 3 teams from Groups E and F will advance to the World Cup.

Gilas is slated to meet Qatar again on Feb. 21, and Kazakhstan on Feb. 24 in two must-win encounters.​

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LeBron cheered in win over Cavs

New York City - LeBron James made a triumphant return to Cleveland and received a standing ovation from supportive fans before leading the Los Angeles Lakers over the Cavaliers 109-105 on Wednesday.

James scored 32 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and made seven asasists to spark the Lakers, who closed the contest with an 18-6 run to win for the sixth time in seven games.

“We cranked up our defense in the fourth quarter,” James said. “They played a heck of a game but we kept our composure. We’re a young crew. We keep getting better.”

It was an emotional night for James in his first game back leaving the Cavaliers for the Lakers in July, but nothing like his 2010 return after departing Cleveland for Miami and fans, feeling betrayed, booed him.

He left Miami for the Cavs in 2014 and made good on his vow to make the Cavs into champions, so “King” James was treated royally this time.

There were cheers when James trotted onto the court for pre-game warm-ups, a huge standing ovation when he was introduced and, after James scored on the Lakers’ first possession, a video highlight tribute to huge applause.

“To come back and get the reception I got, it means a lot not only to myself but my family,” James said.

“My 11 years I played for this franchise I tried to give everything I could on and off the court.”

The Lakers improved to 10-7, their best record since April 2013, while the Cavs fell to an NBA-worst 2-14.

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Imports Harris, Travis want title, not awards

Both Magnolia import Romeo Travis and Alaska reinforcement Mike Harris couldn’t care less about winning the Best Import award.

That’s because their eyes are all set on potentially leading their respective teams to championship in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup.

As the Hotshots and the Aces look forward to their anticipated Finals’ encounter ahead, Travis and Harris are itching to get their teams over the hump.

Though they are figuring in a tight battle for the Best Import award, for them, it’s the championship that matters most.

“I don’t really care about that award,” said Travis, who already won a Best Import award in his first tour of duty in 2015, when he ironically led Alaska to the Finals. “I just want to win a championship.”

Harris echoed Travis’ sentiments as he stated that despite all the attention they are getting, the Finals will not be all about the imports.

“This isn’t about Mike and Romeo,” said Harris. “Championships are way more important.”

While Meralco’s Allen Durham, the two-time reigning Best Import, and Barangay Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee are also candidates for the award, it is expected that the award will either go to Travis or Harris.

The two imports get to test each other for a full best-of-seven finale showcase starting Dec. 5.

source: manila standard

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Cavaliers claim scalp of Builders; Responders edge Agriculture five

Metro Manila - Armed Forces of the Philippines continued its hot streak, claiming the scalp of National Housing Authority, 90-81, at the start of the second round of the 7th UNTV Cup held over the weekend at the Pasig City Sports Center.

The AFP Cavaliers, who topped the Group A elims, expectedly got impressive numbers from Darwin Cordero and former PBA player Boyet Bautista to extend their winning streak to six games since the first round of the tournament designed only for the country’s public servants.

AFP had a cold shooting in the first half that saw the Cavaliers fall behind by 12 points (46-34) but rallied midway in the third behind the efforts of Cordero and Bautista to help turn things around.

In other games, Philippine National Police continued its surge from a 1-2 start by chalking up its third straight win with an 82-79 win over Department of Agriculture while PITC outlasted Judiciary, 74-72, in the event offering P4 million to the chosen charity of the champion team.

For leading the team with 22 and 17 points, respectively, Cordero and Bautista shared the Best Player award. They also combined for six steals, five rebounds and two blocks.

Three other AFP players scored in double figures enough to take a 63-61 advantage after outscoring the Builders, 29-15, in the third canto.

Like the Cavaliers, the PITC Global Traders made a decisive run in the third to take command on the way to their third win in six matches in Group A.

Ollan Omiping and Ronnie Serrano led PNP’s charge in the second frame to seize the initiative before quashing DA’s fourth quarter rally.

Omiping boosted his bid for another MVP trophy in the event organized by UNTV president and CEO Dr. Daniel Razon by erupting for 25 points apart from tallying six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Serrano chipped in 13 points.

Standings:

Group A: AFP (6-0), PNP (4-2), Senate (3-2), PITC (3-3)

Group B: Malacañang-PSC (4-1), NHA (4-2), DA (3-3), Judiciary (2-4)

source manila standard

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Pacman teases rematch with Floyd Mayweather

New York City: Filipino veteran Manny Pacquiao revealed Monday he has spoken with Floyd Mayweather about a possible sequel to their 2015 superfight, but said no decision would be taken on a rematch until the New Year.

Speaking in New York to confirm details of his January 19 fight against Adrien Broner, Pacquiao said he had discussed a rematch with Mayweather during a recent trip to Japan.

“When I met up with Floyd in Japan, we talked and he said he wants to come out of retirement to challenge me,” Pacquiao said. 

“All I know is fighting in the ring and entertaining people. That’s my job. Floyd has come out of retirement and we’ll see after this fight.”

Mayweather scored a unanimous victory over Pacquiao in 2015’s “Fight of the Century”, which was largely regarded as a let-down despite being the highest-grossing fight of all time.

Since then, speculation about a possible rematch between the two welterweights has flickered, with Mayweather saying in September he was ready to fight Pacquiao.

“I’m coming back to fight Manny Pacquiao this year another 9 figure payday on the way,” Mayweather wrote on Instagram.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao, who will be fighting in the United States for the first time in two years in January’s bout, said Monday he remained solely focused on Broner before any return with Mayweather.

“We cannot underestimate Broner and this fight,” Pacquiao said. “We will discuss anything with Floyd Mayweather after that.”

Pacquiao, 39, will face Broner at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao holds the World Boxing Association’s regular welterweight crown, a step below US unbeaten WBA ‘super champion’ Keith Thurman, after stopping Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse in July at Kuala Lumpur.

“I have missed fighting in Las Vegas. It has been a second home to me,” Pacquiao said. “Returning to the MGM Grand Garden Arena to defend my world title against Adrien Broner is an exciting way to stage my homecoming.”

Pacquiao, 60-7 with two drawn and 39 knockouts in a career that began in 1995, turns 40 in December while American Broner is 33-3 with one drawn and 24 knockouts.

Pacquiao, the only fighter to win world titles in eight different weight divisions, has continued fighting after reversing a decision to retire in 2016.

Early Manny retirement?

Broner, however, said Monday he planned to send Pacquiao into permanent retirement.

“I have paid my dues in this sport, and now it’s time for me to get mine,” Broner said. “I get more views than everybody when I fight. A lot of people are going to see me pack off Pacquiao into retirement, and without his belt.” 

Last month, Pacquiao signed with adviser Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions group after being promoted by Top Rank’s Bob Arum, Haymon’s main rival, for the past 14 years.

The move ensures Pacquiao will have chances to fight the best in the welterweight division as Haymon’s fighters include Americans Thurman, 28-0 with 22 knockouts; World Boxing Council champion Shawn Porter, 29-2 with one drawn and 17 knockouts, and International Boxing Federation champion Errol Spence Jr., 24-0 with 21 knockouts.

source ~ manila standard

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