Kai Sotto has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) following an awkward landing during the Koshigaya Alphas’ game against Seahorses Mikawa on Sunday, January 5.Sotto has been relegated to the B.League Injury List, confirming that he will miss the B.League Asia Rising Star Game on January 18.On a social media post, the 7-foot-3 center shared that he considers it the most trying time in his career, but he remains steadfast in his resolve and faith despite the setback.

The TNT Tropang Giga escaped the fiery Meralco Bolts for a third win in a nail-biting 101-99 victory in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Philsports Arena on Tuesday, January 7.Despite their valiant attempt to rally from a deficit of up to 23 points, the Bolts were unable to answer on the final possession, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made the game-winning free throws with 10 seconds remaining on the clock.RHJ’s timely heroics allowed TNT to maintain its third consecutive victory. He finished with an all-around performance of 24 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks, while Calvin Oftana spearheaded the locals with 24 markers, as well as four boards.

Filipina tennis player Alex Eala concluded her bid for the 2025 Australian Open after bowing to Croatia’s Jane Fett in the first round, 5-7, 2-6, on Tuesday, January 7, at Melbourne Park, Australia. Eala fell short of advancing, especially in the second set when the 27th seed Fett further exacerbated the Filipina's problems, even though she was riding high after her first-ever WTA semifinal in Canberra prior to the Aussie Open.The 19-year-old Filipina forced a 5-5 tie after rallying from a 2-5 disadvantage in the first set, but Fett broke her serve to take the lead again.

Gilas Pilipinas is keenly monitoring Kai Sotto’s situation as they are facing the possibility of missing his services following an apparent left knee injury he sustained during Koshigaya Alphas’ loss to Mikawa Seahorses, 77-79, in the 2025 season of Japan B.League at Kariyashi Taiikukan Arena over the weekend.Sotto appeared to have suffered the injury after his left knee buckled awkwardly in the first quarter of the game while aiming a post-up move against Seahorses’ Zach Auguste. The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is hoping there is no major damage to the knee of the 7-foot-3 Gilas center. SBP executive director Erika Dy stated that they cannot make any conclusions about his status as they are awaiting the result of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on Sotto.In response to questions about the potential effect on the squad, Gilas head coach Tim Cone confirmed that Japeth Aguilar would be prepared to take Sotto's place if he couldn't play.“Well, that’s why we have Japeth. Japeth is there to replace any of the bigs that we have. And if you can tell me there’s another big (one) out there that matches Japeth’s size and ability, then I’ll be happy to look at him,” Cone said.

The Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) has named Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo as the 2024 Athlete of the Year in recognition of his gold medal achievement at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.Yulo’s achievement of becoming the first Filipino athlete to win two gold medals at the Olympics was a fitting tribute to the nation’s 100 years of Summer Games participation.The 24-year-old Yulo led the Philippines by ruling the floor exercise and vault apparatus events in gymnastics, setting a record the country has never previously achieved in the history of the quadrennial showcase. He became the second athlete to win the Olympic gold medal, following in the footsteps of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who ended the country’s search for the elusive gold during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.Yulo’s noteworthy achievement for the country made him the obvious pick for Athlete of the Year honors when the PSA hosts its Awards Night on January 27 at the Manila Hotel.

Barangay Ginebra gave a wonderful Christmas gift to their die-hard fans by defeating the Magnolia Hotshots, 95-92, in their Christmas Manila Clasico duel on Wednesday night, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.Magnolia seemed inspired to win their first back-to-back victories in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup as they erected a 55-41 halftime lead and even established a game-high 22-point lead in the third period.But the Gin Kings displayed their never-say-die attitude to put the game in a cliffhanger showdown.

The Converge FiberXers tallied their fourth straight victory after defeating the Meralco Bolts, 110-94, in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday, December 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.Jordan Heading led Converge with his 30 points, five rebounds, and eight assists to notch their fourth straight win in the conference and improve their record to 6-2.“I try to approach this game like I approach every game, which is part of being a professional: You have a routine and you try to stick to your routine every single game. Obviously, there’s a little excitement but I’m used to it for as long as I can remember,” said Heading.The FiberXers even erected a 20-point margin, 94-74, with less than eight minutes left in the game, but the Bolts trimmed the lead to 102-88 with 2:57 left on the clock.However, Converge never looked back and secured the win with consecutive baskets from import Cheick Diallo, and big man Justin Arana.

The Converge FiberXers climbed from a 17-point deficit to steal the game from Barangay Ginebra, 98-91, in the continuation of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup on Saturday night at the Batangas City Coliseum.Ginebra dominated the game in the first half and established a 57-40 lead before the break.But Alec Stockton and Schonny Winston took over in the second half to lead Converge to a third straight victory.Stockton was vital in the third period, scoring 17 of his 22 points. He also had six rebounds and eight assists.The FiberXers scored 33 in that quarter, limiting Ginebra to only 13.In the fourth quarter, Winston poured out the first seven markers as Converge established its largest lead, 89-78.

The TNT Tropang Giga notched their back-to-back wins after outlasting Blackwater as they cruised to a 109-93 victory in the 49th Season of PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.The Tropang Giga improved their record to 2-2 after opezning the conference with two consecutive losses. Coach Chot Reyes claimed during the postgame interview that they intended to block George King from the long arc. Consequently, the Blackwater import only attempted that range once out of six."During the last several days, we focused on how to stop George King. We all know his ability from the four-point line, so we really made it a point, we were very intentional in guarding the four-point line against George," said Reyes.

Converge took down Phoenix, 116-105, to post its first win streak in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Thursday, December 19, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.The FiberXers overcame an 18-point deficit in the early stages of the first period and rallied in the second half to improve their record in the standings to 4-2 to secure their first consecutive conference victory."We just stuck on. We didn't panic. We returned on how we run our system, run our offense and defense. It's nice because we have six players in double digits," said coach Franco Atienza, expressing his satisfaction with his team's effort in making a comeback.The FiberXers gradually narrowed the gap by scoring more points than the Fuel Masters. Converge eventually tasted their first lead after two free throws from Bryan Santos that placed them ahead 69-67 at 5:53 in the third session.Halfway through the fourth quarter, the FiberXers shattered any hopes of a final surge of momentum for the Fuel Master with Alec Stockton leading the 9-0 run, ending with a pair of charities courtesy of Jordan Heading, 105-94, with 3:38 left on the clock.

San Miguel suffered a 71-62 loss to Hong Kong Eastern at the Southorn Stadium in Wanchai on Wednesday, December 18, making a win in the East Asia Super League (EASL) still out of reach.The Beermen nearly overcame a 20-point deficit but ran out of steam in the fourth quarter, sliding to an 0-3 win-loss record in their second EASL campaign.June Mar Fajardo delivered 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in the losing effort that saw San Miguel collapse after getting within one possession with more than six minutes left.The Beermen were down 19-39 at one point, but they worked their way back and were within 58-60 after a hook shot by Fajardo. However, Eastern put on an 11-0 run, courtesy of a tip-in from Chris McLaughlin, to restore order.

Meralco blew a double-digit lead against the Busan KCC Egis, 68-72, in the continuation of the East Asia Super League (EASL) home-and-away season on Wednesday, December 18, at the Busan Sajik Gymnasium. The Bolts appeared to be headed for their third EASL victory and a trip to the Final Four.With 4:02 remaining, the Bolts appeared to be in control, 66-53, but their 13-point advantage was erased by Heo Ung, headlining the comeback with four consecutive three-pointers to reduce the deficit to just one.The 31-year-old Ung scored an easy layup to give Busan the lead after Chris Newsome missed a layup. The Bolts turned to the returning Akil Mitchell with four seconds remaining in the game, but he made a poor turn-around jumper that missed the basket.Ung finished with a game-high 31 points, 17 of which came in the final four minutes of the game. Deonte Burton contributed 26 markers, 14 rebounds, and five assists in the come-from-behind win. 

Chery Tiggo bounced back to the winning column after overpowering Galeries Tower in a five-set thriller, 30-28, 20-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-8, in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference over the weekend at Philsports Arena.The team led by Norman Miguel improved to a 4-2 win-loss record, while Galeries finished the year with a 1-5 record after losing in five sets for the seventh time in 15 conference losses."It was a real effort from everyone. During the first three sets, it was like that, our moves weren't right, it seemed clumsy. But it came out in the fourth set," said Chery Tiggo’s ace Cess Robles during the postgame interview.The Crossovers’ victory was bannered by Robles, who registered a game-high 21 points anchored on 20 attacks and an ace along with 11 excellent receptions and nine excellent digs.Captain Aby Maraño contributed a 15-point output, while Pauline Gaston, who assisted the team clinch the fourth set, scored a total of 14 markers.Jen Nierva took care of Chery Tiggo’s defense with 21 excellent digs and 10 excellent receptions as Jas Nabor orchestrated the team’s play, tossing 13 excellent sets.Gaston’s several attack points helped the Crossovers rally to a 9-2 run from 16-14 deficit in Set 4, tying the match at two sets apiece.

The San Miguel Beermen are seeking their second straight win under the guidance of the returning head coach Leo Austria.San Miguel returned to winning after Austria took over and brought in new import Torren Jones in their last game against the Terrafirma Dyip, 106-88.The multi-titled mentor was again called to take charge after disappointing losses to NLEX (99-104) and Rain or Shine (107-93) that followed a lackluster 107-103 come-from-behind opening win over Phoenix.Nine-time champion Austria was plucked from his consultant portfolio in January 2023 to take over from Jorge Gallent, who slid to consultant in the process.The Beermen will be facing the Blackwater Bossing, also seeking their second straight victory.

The Philippine Men’s Football team’s match against Myanmar ended in a 1-1 draw in the opening match of their 2024 ASEAN Championship campaign at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.Myanmar scored first through Maung Maung Lwin at the 25th minute mark.During the second half, Bjorn Kristenensen scored the goal through a spot kick in the 72nd minute of the game. 

It was a grind night for the defending champions Creamline Cool Smashers as ZUS Coffee pushed them to a five-set thriller, 25-22, 28-30, 26-24, 17-25, 15-13, in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference on Thursday at the Philsports Arena.The Smashers improved to 4-0, and now tied with Cignal HD Spikers at the top of the league standings heading into 2025.Alyssa Valdez fired up 17 points, while Jema Galanza had 15 and Michele Gumabao added 14. The Cool Smashers had a 72-66 advantage in kills, allowing them to offset their whopping 33 unforced errors.Also coming through were Bernadeth Pons, and Galanza who scattered 17 and 15 hits, 12 digs and 12 receptions respectively, for the dynastic champion-seeking a magnificent five-peat feat and 11th crown.

The Choco Mucho Flying Titans had a tough game win against the Farm Fresh Foxies on Thursday evening to wrap up the year with an important win in the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.Choco Mucho squandered a two-set advantage but rediscovered their touch in the final frame to pull off a tough 25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 25-27, 15-12. Sisi Rondina was the catalyst of their breakaway in the fifth set, as the explosive spiker fired back-to-back hits that gave the Flying Titans a 13-8 advantage. The former league MVP dropped 26 points,13 digs and 13 receptions.Kat Tolentino added 18 on 10 attacks, a whopping six blocks, and two aces, while Cherry Nunag finished with 10 points and playmaker Mars Alba was credited with 25 excellent sets.

Petro Gazz wins another game against PLDT.Petro Gazz got their fourth win in the PVL All-Filipino Conference against PLDT, 12-25, 25-14, 25-22, 25-20, on Tuesday night, December 10, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City .Brooke Van Sickle and Myla Pablo led the Angels to victory. Van Sickle poured in 21 points on 18 attacks, two blocks and one service ace, while Pablo added her 19 markers on 17 attacks and two rejections.“We just stayed together. We make things happen in every challenge that we face. We have a good turnaround. We just focused on our game. We know this team can be better and we showed it today,” Van Sickle said.

Akari won three straight sets after dropping the first one to overcome Chery Tiggo, 22-25, 26-24, 25-18, 25-20, on Tuesday night, December 10,  at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.The Chargers squandered a 19-11 lead in the first set to give it away to the Crossovers, but they never looked back after that and took the next three frames.Akari's victory put them back in the win column after dropping their past three games. The Chargers now have a 3-3 record in the team standings.

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters banked on their energy and aggressiveness to defeat the San Miguel Beermen, 107-93, in their PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup match-up on Tuesday night, December 10, at the Filoil EcoOil Arena in San Juan City.RoS import Deon Thompson led the charge with 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and two steals but was only limited to 31 minutes of playing time because of foul trouble.As Thompson was handcuffed, young guns Adrian Nocum, Felix Lemetti, Caelan Tiongson and Jhonard Clarito took charge, especially in the final canto where Rain or Shine posted a 37-21 quarter.Nocum scored 15 markers to go along with four boards, five dimes and four deflections, while Tiongson added 14 points, three rebounds and two assists.Lemetti had 12 points, three rebounds, five assists and one steal, while Clarito put up a double-double of 10 markers and 12 boards.Another E-Painter's youngster, Keith Datu provided solid numbers of 12 points, two boards and a block.