Thursday, December 29, 2011

B-meg New Import (possible) Denzel Bowles

If we follow clues from Noli Eala, Denzel Bowles is possibly the B-meg Derby Ace Llamados new import next conference. Watch here the higlights of the aspirant PBA import




Saturday, December 24, 2011

B-Meg Will Be Back with a Bang, Raymundo Said



MANILA, Philippines - For B-Meg star forward Kerby Raymundo, losing to Powerade in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals was a painful blow but the early vacation gives him time to focus on helping out those who were badly affected by the flash floods in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City as his Christmas mission.



“It was difficult to accept losing at first,” said Raymundo yesterday. “After we were eliminated, I felt bad for two days then I realized it was time to move on. We’re going to bounce back for sure. We’re getting more and more comfortable with coach Tim’s (Cone) system, just a little more adjustment and we’ll be okay. I really admire coach Tim for apologizing to management, our team and the B-Meg fans. I think it was us players who should apologize, not coach Tim, because it was our defense that broke down in the end. It had nothing to do with coaching. But that’s the mark of a good coach. He took the blame and shielded us.”


Raymundo, 30, said he never expected to go out in the quarters. “Our expectations were high,” he went on. “We were hoping to make it to the finals. Our No. 1 seeding didn’t pressure us. We didn’t even think of it in defending our twice-to-beat advantage against Powerade. In Game 1, we were too confident. We thought we would win easy. In Game 2, we fought it out but Powerade played incredible basketball. We challenged their three-point shooters but their shots still fell in. It was their time. It was destiny. Gary (David), (Marcio) Lassiter and Josh (Vanlandingham) delivered – they played so well. That happens in basketball. It’s a reality that we must face. In the 2006 Philippine Cup, we were down 1-3 to coach Tim and Alaska in the semifinals but came back to win three straight then beat Red Bull for the championship. It was our time before. Now, it’s the time for others to shine.”


Raymundo said the early exits of B-Meg and Barangay Ginebra are signs of the times. “It’s good for the PBA and the fans,” he noted. “There is more parity in the league. Rain Or Shine and Powerade used to be in the bottom of the standings. Now, one of them is going to the finals. I’m happy for them. They used to get knocked out of contention early but now, they’re getting the chance to win the championship. It only goes to show that in the PBA, you can never be sure who’s going to win or lose. The competition is very balanced and that makes for a lot more exciting games.”


As for the semifinals, Raymundo said the Rain Or Shine-Powerade series is a toss-up and picked Petron to beat Talk ‘N’ Text, more because the Tropang Texters are hobbled by injuries. “Both series are exciting,” he said. “The Rain Or Shine-Powerade series is 50-50. They’re playing so well that you can’t tell who’s favored. Talk ‘N’ Text has a lot of injuries but if they get healthy, their series is also 50-50 with Petron.”



Raymundo said B-Meg resumes practice on Jan. 9 with the Llamados’ import arriving Jan. 15 at the earliest. “I was told our import is 6-10, a legitimate big man who plays inside,” he continued. “According to coach Tim, I’ll be playing wing. Joe (De Vance) will stay at three, Ping (Marc Pingris) will play four and Rafi (Reavis), Yancy (de Ocampo) and our import will rotate at five. I’ll play three and also four. As a team, we could use a guard stopper, someone to limit wings like Gary. We use P. J. (Simon) as our stopper but he’s more suited for a role like James’ (Yap) because he’s a scorer. Roger (Yap) also helps out on defense at guard.”



This Christmas, Raymundo said he’s taking a break from basketball to enjoy the holidays with family. “Even if we’ve been eliminated, it’s still a Merry Christmas for us because our family is complete,” he said. “We’re counting our blessings. We still made No. 1 in the eliminations although we’re not content with that since we were eliminated early. We’re spending the holidays in town. We’re doing our share to help out those who were affected by the floods in Mindanao. My Christmas wish is for all of us to do our share to give to our less fortunate countrymen.”



Raymundo said B-Meg will be back with a bang. “I think I’ve got three to five more years of playing left and my goal is to win more championships,” he said. “I know it can be done. We’ve got a good coach who can lead us.


Source: Joaquin Henson, The Philippine Star 

Friday, December 23, 2011

Veteran Coach Tim Cone Takes Responsibility for Bmeg Collapse against Powerade

After a rip-roaring start to their Philippine Cup campaign, the B-MEG Llamados now find themselves with a lengthy vacation, thanks to the upset axe of Gary David and the Powerade Tigers.

B-MEG coach Tim Cone took responsibility for the debacle.

“Obviously, we didn’t get to where we’re supposed to achieve so we were really disappointed,” he said. “Although we have just started this season as a team, I felt we could have done better with a veteran-laden squad and I think the fault falls on coaching.”
The 13-time PBA champion coach joined the Llamados amid much hype prior to the season. Cone initially cautioned against expecting too much, and B-MEG stumbled out of the gate, beginning the conference with a 2-4 win loss record.
But the Llamados, led by veteran stars James Yap, Kerby Raymundo, and Peter June Simon, quickly got their bearings, rattling off eight straight wins to finish the elimination round on top of the team standings. B-MEG was heavily-favored going into its matchup with lowly Powerade.
Cone gave credit to David and the Tigers, who shot the lights out against his team.
“Powerade really shot very well from long-distance, 22-of-42 from the three point line,” he said. “Certainly made the difference in our last game.”
A couple of days removed from the loss, the coach is still shaken, and expects to remain so for the time being.
“Things like this one stick with you for quite some time.”
The veteran coach expects his experienced squad, however, to bounce back from the defeat.
“I’m sure we will get through this.”

source: http://www.interaksyon.com

Without Bmeg and GInebra, PBA is Still Confident of Fan Support

Ginebra and B-MEG, two of the most popular teams in the Philippine Basketball Association, may have been eliminated already, but the league remains confident that the Philippine Cup semifinals will still bring in fans to the games.


With an interesting pair of matchups featuring old rivals on one side and new blood on the other, PBA commissioner Chito Salud believes that the quality of the games will be enough to draw the crowds.

“Yes, Ginebra and B-MEG are the biggest crowd drawers in the PBA, but fans have better reasons of coming to the games in the semis,” he said. “This will be an exciting and interesting semis, which I’m sure our fans will truly love.”

The best-of-seven semifinals kick off on January 4, with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters facing the Powerade Tigers, two teams that pulled off upsets against higher seeds in the quarterfinals. The other semis bracket kicks off on January 5, which features the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters and the Petron Blaze Boosters, bitter rivals who figured in two finals matchups last season.

Instead of the traditional doubleheader, the PBA is rolling out one semis game each night from January 4 to 11, a format reminiscent of conference finals in the National Basketball Association.

New era

Former PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios, who now serves as executive director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, said that having new blood in the semifinals can be a positive for the league.

“The entry of Powerade and Rain or Shine is a sign that the league is now becoming more balanced and unpredictable,” he said, adding that parity among the teams is great for the PBA.

“Kung puwede nga lang na all 10 teams competing in the PBA will be competitive enough to vie for a semis or a championship seat, that would be much better for the PBA, which remains the No. 1 basketball league in the country.”

The final four semifinals also feature no sister teams in the brackets for the first time since the 2009 Philippine Cup, which saw Alaska battle Sta. Lucia and Talk ‘N Text take on San Miguel.

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao said that the entry of two previously unheralded teams into the semis signals a “new era” in the PBA. The thrilling wins by Powerade against B-MEG and Rain or Shine in its first game against Ginebra, he said, will be remembered and appreciated by the league’s supporters.

“I’m sure these type of games will bring in the fans to the coliseum. Matalino ang mga PBA fans natin.”

Winning support

For Rain or Shine co-owner Raymond Yu, it’s an opportunity for his players to showcase their game to a bigger audience and win not just games, but more support.

“This will be the emergence of new stars playing in the big scene,” he said. “But this will be an opportunity for younger fans to see what our team is capable of doing. I’m sure Rain or Shine and Powerade will give their all to bring the fans to the coliseum.”

Powerade governor JB Baylon said that the presence of top draft picks in the Rain or Shine-Powerade series should make it a classic.

“I hope the PBA fans will like what they will witness, despite the absence of the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings,” Baylon wrote on his Facebook account.

Shift to sister team?

Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes said that the semis will be able to capture the attention of fans simply because of the quality of the teams.

“The semis will be interesting because it features the four best teams this conference, period,” Reyes wrote in a text message.

Reyes added that he expects fans of Ginebra and B-MEG to support Petron, their sister team under the San Miguel Corporation umbrella.

Ginebra and B-MEG supporters online, however, seem to indicate more interest in the Rain or Shine-Powerade matchup. Fans of Ginebra, which was swept by Rain or Shine in the quarterfinals, want Powerade to win to avenge the Gin Kings’ loss to the Elasto Painters. B-MEG fans, meanwhile, seem to be rooting for Rain or Shine to defeat Powerade, the conquerors of the Llamados in an epic upset.

http://www.interaksyon.com
AKTV/Pranz Kaeno Billones

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Knock Out Game Between The Llamados and the Tigers



Surviving their first do-or-die game Wednesday, the Powerade Tigers are confident they can make it two in a row to steal a seat in the semifinals.


Pushed to the wall, the B-Meg Llamados, meanwhile, express readiness to overcome adversity and preserve order in the playoff seedings.


The Tigers and the Llamados knock each other out in a lone game in the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.


Game time is 6 p.m.



Powerade forced the sudden death in stopping B-Meg, 97-88, at the start of the Philippine Cup post-elims plays Wednesday.


“Our first win was one of the measures of how far we have gone as a team. Our ability to close out the series against the No. 1 team would be a testament to our character,” said Powerade coach Bo
Perasol.

“We believe that we have what it takes to win this game,” Perasol added.


“The team was caught by the law of averages after winning its last eight games. But I’m hopeful they will bounce back Sunday,” said B-Meg top official Rene Pardo.


Talk n Text secured the first slot in the semis in nipping Barako Bull, 81-79, also on Wednesday.


The Tropang Texters now await the winner in the Petron Blaze-Meralco confrontation. The Boosters are 1-0 up following a 91-84 victory Friday.



Gary David scattered 32 points -- all in the first three quarters, Marcio Lassiter added 24 points while Doug Kramer contributed 13 rebounds and 10 points to lead the Powerade charge versus B-Meg
Wednesday.

The Tigers handed the Llamados the sorry loss on the day coach Tim Cone turned 54.


On the eve of the match, Cone said the key would be to be sharp right at the get-go. Coming out sharp, however, were the Tigers.


David and company outworked and outfought the Llamados, taking the half at 50-39 and were hardly threatened the rest of the way.


James Yap hit his strides a bit late, topscoring for B-Meg with 21, 15 coming in the final half.



The two-time MVP winner bled for his points in the first half, going 2-of-11 from the field. (SB)

Source: PBA

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

B-meg 9-0 in SMART Araneta Coliseum



The B-MEG Araneta Coliseum?

The historic venue may currently have a naming rights deal with SMART, but in the ongoing Philippine Cup, the Llamados have made the Big Dome their homecourt.
Believe it or not, B-MEG was a perfect 9-0 during the eliminations at the Cubao, Quezon City venue.
In the Llamados’ current eight-game winning streak, the last seven were carved out at the Big Dome.
With a 10-4 win-loss record, B-MEG only won once outside the coliseum, on November 11 at the Cuneta Astrodome, a 95-79 rout of Meralco.
On the other hand, its four defeats happened at different venues: at the San Juan Arena (84-78 to Meralco last October 15), in Panabo City, Davao del Norte (87-84 in overtime to Barako Bull), and at the Cuneta Astrodome twice (73-69 to Petron Blaze on October 5 and 96-94 to Talk ‘N Text on October 21).
The second-best record at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum, curiously does not belong to the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters, which is tied with B-MEG for the best win-loss slate in the conference. The honor belongs to the Tropang Texters’ sister team Meralco, which has a 7-2 record (.778) at the Big Dome.
The Tropang Texters have the third-best record there at -4.
The Big Dome was formally renamed the SMART-Araneta Coliseum during the SMART Ultimate All-Star Weekend last July, when an array of NBA superstars came over and played exhibition games against a PBA selection and the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team.
Prior to the venue’s change of name, Talk ‘N Text had won the 2010-11 PBA season’s first two championships — in the Philippine Cup and in the Commissioner’s Cup. After the the Big Dome was rechristened, however, the Tropang Texters came up short in their quest for the Grand Slam.
Just saying.
Fidel Mangonon III is the head of statistics for the Philippine Basketball Association. His column, The PBAologist, appears exclusively on InterAKTV. For more discussion on the ins and outs of the league, follow Fidel on Twitter.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

B-meg Derby Ace llamados Clinches Twice To Beat, Shuts Shopinas

B-MEG secured the twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinal round with just one sizzling first quarter performance.


The Llamados banked on a 28-11 start in the first 12 minutes in booking a spot in the top two with an expected 86-74 win over Shopinas.com in the 2011 PBA Philippine Cup Thursday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

James Yap, Josh Urbiztondo and Marc Pingris were responsible in erecting that huge lead as B-MEG never looked back and stretched its winning run to a season-high eight games and finished the elimination round with a 10-4 slot.
For the Clickers, it was a forgettable maiden conference as the Bert Lina franchise registered the all-time longest losing streak in one conference with 14 games.

They are four defeats away of matching the all-time losing streak in PBA history in one season recorded by Great Taste in 1980.
“We played a very good first quarter. We wanted to make a statement early,” said Llamados head coach Tim Cone, who drew 18 points from Joe Devance.

“We had to go through this to focus on the playoffs. It’s still a waiting game on who we will play,” he added.
B-MEG could end up No. 1 and play Powerade in the quarterfinals if Talk ‘N Text (10-3) loses to Ginebra on Sunday. The Llamados have a better quotient over the Texters in case they end up tied at 10-4.

Urbiztondo added 11 points while Pingris also had 11 and collared 12 boards for the Llamados, who won despite Yap’s five-point performance, his lowest output in the tournament.

B-MEG never relinquished that double-digit lead and even padded that advantage to as high as 23 points, 59-36.

The closest Shopinas could get was at 11, 72-83, with 2:14 remaining left in the game.
“It was a tough conference for them but they showed character all the way through,” said Cone of the Clickers, who finished their first tournament with 0-14 mark. “Hats off to Franz (Pumaren) for keeping his guys playing.”

James Sena led Shopinas with 20 points and 13 rebounds while Elmer Espiritu added 16. Clickers enforcer Ogie Menor did not play due to a fractured hand.
Scores:

B-MEG 86 – De Vance 18, Urbiztondo 11, Pingris 11, Simon 10, Acuna 6, Barroca 5, Yap J. 5, Reavis 5, Raymundo 5, Yap R. 4, De Ocampo 4, Ferriols 2.

SHOPINAS.COM 74 – Sena 20, Espiritu 16, Escobal 12, Ritualo 7, Jazul 6, Sison 5, Duncil 4, Aquino 2, Hubalde 2, Canlas 0, Se 0.
Quarters: 28-11, 53-36, 72-56, 86-74


Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Monday, December 5, 2011

Player of the Week: James Yap of B-Meg

MANILA, Philippines - B-Meg's star guard James Yap copped his second Player of the Week award in the PBA Philippine Cup after leading his Llamados team to back-to-back victories in the past week.




According to PBA.ph, Yap scored 21 points, grabbed 3.5 rebounds, and dished 3 assists per game in B-Meg's wins over the Talk N Text Tropang Texters and Barako Bull Energy.






Yap had 27 points on an efficient 11-of-17 shooting in their 114-104 victory over the league leading Texters. He also showed off his ability in the clutch in that game, making 5 of his 6 field goal attempts in the final canto to help the Llamados pull away.






He then had 15 points in B-Meg's 91-90 win over Barako.


B-Meg head coach Tim Cone says Yap's scoring feats is all the more impressive as he is doing it against the PBA's top defenders.






"You know, every team has such able defenders. He's been facing some tough defensive schemes, and still finding ways to be productive," Cone said.






The Llamados are riding a 7-game winning streak and are tied for second place in the league standings with Petron Blaze. They still have a chance of getting a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.


Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/12/06/11/b-megs-james-yap-named-player-week

B-meg Llamados Stretches Winning Streak to 7, Survives Against Barako Bull

The quarterfinals of the PBA Philippine Cup won’t start until Dec. 14 but already the B-Meg Llamados are playing like a playoff team.

The Llamados dominated Barako Bull for most part of the game but had to summon their championship experience and poise in the closing minutes to weather a fiery charge by the Energy and escape with a 91-90 victory on Saturday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Rookie Mark Baroca sealed B-Meg’s seventh consecutive win,. driving past Barako Bull guard Wynne Arboleda then scoring the marginal basket – a lay-up – off Mick Pennisi and fellow rookie Dylan Ababou with 4.9 seconds remaining. He was fouled on that play but missed the bonus free throw.

“Mark is a gutsy player. He doesn’t fear the wrath of coach. He does what he has to. He does the things that are good and 99 percent of times he’s right,” B-Meg coach Tim Cone said of Barroca, who showed the way for the Llamados with 18 points. The Energy had a chance to win the game but Willie Miller’s desperate 3-point shot over Rafi Reavis bounced off the rim as time expired.

That Barako Bull nearly turn the game around down the stretch caught the crowd by surprise.

B-Meg got off to strong start with excellent shooting that worked almost flawlessly until the third quarter. And the Energy, who appeared overmatched, seemed headed for a blowout loss when Yancy de Ocampo made a basket that gave the Llamado’s their biggest lead at 78-62 with nine minutes remaining in the game. “We made the game a lot more exciting than we should have. We’re not doing the little things anymore in the fourth. I don’t know if we got tired or we started playing lazy on defense. We fouled a lot, they got the momentum and turned the game around,” said Cone, recapping how they squandered the big lead and nearly lost the game in the end. “We were fortunate, honestly, to win that.”

But he also revealed that he left his team on their own especially at the time when they were making mistakes one after the other.

“I wanted our guys to work through it. I left it in their hands to win it, to withstand the storm on their own,” he explained.

James Yap scored 15 points, PJ Simon had 13 while Joe Devance and Kerby Raymundo added 12 apiece for B-Meg, which improved to 9-4 and remained in contention for one of the coveted top two spots that means a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

“Its good to see that we could still win without James having an absolutely great game. That’s good for us,” Cone said. Willie Miller led Barako Bull with 25 points. Danny Seigle, displaying the form that made him one of the league’s top gunner, collected 12 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including eight straight that pulled Barako Bull within 86-87 with `1:33 left.


After James Yap made two free throws to make it a three-point game, Seigle scored on a baseline drive off Devance before Miller knocked a key-hole jumper over James Yap to put the Energy ahead, 90-89 with 13.7 second left. After a time out, B-Meg worked the ball to PJ Simon, but he couldn’t get a shot off so he passed off to Barroca who desperately attacked the lane. Barako Bull fell to 6-6 on the night Raymundo, Arboleda and Miller made great leaps in their respective careers.

Raymundo added another feather to his cap by becoming the 41st player in league history and fourth this conference to collar at least 1,000 rebounds. He accomplished the feat with 7:46 remaining in the third by rebounding a miss by James Yap.

Arboleda and Miller also had a great night. Arboleda moved past Willie Generalao to eighth spot in the all-time career steals list with 640. He recorded the milestone with 5:02 left in the first quarter. Miller on the other hand, became the seventh player in the league with at least 700 3-points. He joined the club by knocking one with 3:23 to go in the second quarter. Then in the fourth quarter he made a steal with 4:29 to play to become the 20th member of the 500 steals club. (Dave Coros)

The scores:


B-MEG 91 - Barroca 18, Yap J. 15, Simon 13, De Vance 12, Raymundo 12, Reavis 7, Urbiztondo 6, De Ocampo 6, Yap R. 2, Pingris 0.


BARAKO BULL 90 - Miller 25, Seigle 22, Pena 11, Ababou 10, Najorda 8, Pennisi 7, Gatumbato 3, Allado 2, Arboleda 2, Artadi 0, Salvacion 0.
Quarterscores: 18-18, 45-33, 72-59, 91-90

source : http://www.pba.ph