The NLEX Road Warriors claimed their third consecutive win over Hong Kong Eastern, 94-76, to secure at least a playoff for a quarterfinals spot in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.The Road Warriors claimed the victory over the slumping guest team during their Chinese New Year faceoff at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to finish with a 6-6 win-loss slate, in the process, ultimately eliminating traditional powerhouse San Miguel Beermen from playoff contention.Import Mike Watkins erupted a conference-high 41 points on top of 14 rebounds and two blocks.

The Philippine women's national football team will play an intersquad exhibition game at the Mall of Asia Football Field on February 25 as part of their nine-day training camp in Manila.The Filipinas' home training camp kicks off a busy 2025 as they get ready for three important competitions.The exhibition game featuring the national team will take place at the recently finished MOA Football Field, giving Filipino supporters a unique chance to watch the team at home.

PLDT returned to their winning ways after pulling off a 25-20, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22 victory over Cignal in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on Tuesday, January 28.The High Speed Hitters retaliated fiercely after the HD Spikers won the third set, gaining a 16–6 lead in the fourth set and appearing poised to win the match easily.The Cignal team, led by Vanie Gandler and Ishie Lalongisip’s aggressive performances halfway through the frame, even got within one at 22-21, but Majoy Baron and star spiker Savi Davison’s kills helped the High Speed Hitters regain their rhythm and end the game.Davison put up her usual output with 24 points along with 12 excellent digs and 10 excellent receptions as PLDT now holds a 5-3 record. 

The Creamline Cool Smashers sustained its pristine record in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference by showcasing great resolve in a 25-12, 25-21, 25-19 victory over the Nxled Chameleons on Tuesday, January 28, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.A day after receiving a special citation at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards Night, Creamline did not hesitate to get the job done and show the league who they are.Bernadeth Pons led the charge for the Cool Smashers with 13 points along with 12 excellent digs, while Tots Carlos added 10 markers behind Kyle Negrito’s 15 excellent sets.Creamline’s win streak extends to 16 games and they will try to beat their previous record of 19 games that was ended by the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in the second round of the Reinforced Conference last year. Meneses rotated all of his 14 players in the game, giving each player a chance to play and score at least one point.

Double gold medalist Carlos Edriel Yulo led the list of the awardees in the annual Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards Night as he received the highest honor of being the Athlete of the Year on Monday night, January 28, at the Manila Hotel.Yulo won two gold medals in gymnastics at the 2024 Olympics held in Paris, France, to make him the best choice of the PSA to receive the award.

A special citation has been awarded to Creamline during the annual Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards Night on Monday, January 27, at the Manila Hotel.Jema Galanza, Bea De Leon, Bernadeth Pons, and Alyssa Valdez dazzled the event in different shades of pink, together with head coach Sherwin Meneses and team manager Alan Cero.

The Choco Mucho Flying Titans overcame a first-set loss by overcoming PLDT, 21-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-18, in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig on Thursday, January 23.The Flying Titans, who were tied at 17 points apiece in the fourth quarter, went on a 7-0 run led by Sisi Rondina and Cherry Nunag’s five points apiece.Erika Santos' crosscourt hit halted the High Speed Hitters' bleeding, but it was too late as Rondina's down-the-line kill, which Kath Arado was unable to block, sealed the win for Choco Mucho.As a result, the Flying Titans moved up to 5-3 for fourth place alone after defeating Farm Fresh, ZUS Coffee, and PLDT despite missing the services of Kat Tolentino, who had surgery due to a ruptured appendix."Firstly, of course, we dedicate our victory to Kat, she is recovering now. I hope she recovers quickly and we can be together again," said Flying Titans head coach Dante Alinsunurin.

Shorthanded Akari regained its winning ways to breeze past sister team Nxled, 21-25, 25-20, 26-24, 25-18, in the ongoing 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference on Thursday, January 23, at the Philsports Arena.Ivy Lacsina powered the Chargers by posting 17 points built on 14 attacks, two aces, and a block, while Faith Nisperos and Eli Soyud both contributed 15 apiece in the winning cause.The win propelled Akari to a 4-4 win-loss record despite team captain Michelle Cobb exiting the court after suffering a neck injury during the second set. 

During the East Asia Super League (EASL) battle between the Meralco Bolts and the Ryukyu Golden Kings, where the latter won, 89-71, on Wednesday night, January 22, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig, one name stood out – it’s Chris Newsome.In a post-game interview, Ryukyu head coach Dai Oketani said that Meralco is a great team with great players, especially Newsome.“He is really, really, a good player. It was really difficult for us to stop him,” said Oketani.

The Ryukyu Golden Kings secured the B1 seed in the East Asia Super League (EASL) 2024-25 season after defeating their rivals, Meralco Bolts, 89-71, on Wednesday night, January 22, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.Ryukyu had a 12-4 start before Meralco made their run to get a 22-16 lead, but the Golden Kings regained the lead before the end of the first quarter to post a slim 23-22 advantage.In the second frame, it was another see-saw battle between the two squads until Ryuku brought a 50-41 edge at the half.Golden Kings team captain Victor Law already produced 12 points, four assists, three rebounds and one steal going to the break.Keve Aluma poured eight of his total 18 markers to lead the Ryuku's third quarter dominance and brought a 19-point lead entering the fourth, 75-56.Meralco had multiple runs in the final period, which delighted the spectators in the venue, but the Golden Kings always had an answer that led them to the victory.Law was named Player of the Game as he finished with 20 points, eight boards, five dimes and two deflections. He also shot 5-of-8 from the two-point area, 2-of-6 triples, and a perfect 4-of-4 from the line.Alex Kirk added 19 points and eight rebounds for Ryukyu, while Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki and Ryuichi Kishimoto scored 12 apiece.

Barangay Ginebra blasts off Rain or Shine, 120-92, registering their biggest winning margin in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday, January 22.Head coach Tim Cone called it the Gin Kings' "best game" of the conference as they got back on track after dropping their last two games, improving to 7-4 and moving up to sixth place with one game left in the elimination stage.“We hadn’t put a good game together this conference and tonight was one of those games where everything came together. We played well defensively, we executed really well offensively, and we shot the ball well,” said Cone.“It was really our best game of the conference and it couldn’t come at a better time right now when we’re struggling to get into that top six position and getting ready for the playoffs,” he added.

Terrafirma staged an unlikely victory over league-leader TNT, 117-108, as they concluded their PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup campaign on Wednesday, January 22, at the Ynares Center.Rookie Mark Nonoy showcased his finest PBA performance to date, posting a season-high 33 points, allowing the Dyip to close their campaign on a high note despite dropping their first 11 games."I just trusted them," said Terrafirma head coach Raymond Tiongco. “We know their strength. We made our shots earlier so we also played well, from the outside to the inside. We got the TNT off-guard. We made our shots, especially Nonoy when we ran."Nonoy was all smiles as he was able to share the floor with one of his childhood heroes. Motivated by his encounter with Jayson Castro, the left-handed guard finished with four assists, four rebounds, and a 10-of-13 shooting percentage."I was inspired by Kuya Jayson because it was our first time playing against each other. Since my childhood, I've been watching him," said Nonoy, who went 5-of-6 from three. “He is one of the PBA players I’m inspired by. I was confident because I wanted to challenge him,” he added.

Petro Gazz staged an impressive reverse sweep against Chery Tiggo, 20-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-15, 15-7, in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) on Tuesday, January 21, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.The squad improved their record to 6-1, propelling them to the top of the team standings.Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Myla Pablo played a significant part in the Angels' pivotal runs in the third and fourth sets, but Brooke Van Sickle was the star of the fifth set, earning seven points — including five in a row to begin the final — to help Petro Gazz win for the fifth time in a row.Van Sickle’s playing time was limited as a precaution due to a minor procedure on her left knee last December, but she still finished in double-digits with 10 points, along with 11 excellent digs. Coach Koji Tzuzurabara expressed pride in his wards following their stunning comeback, pointing out their enhanced communication and defense in the All-Filipino Conference.

Cignal showed no sign of depletion as they overpowered Galeries Towers in straight sets, 25-17, 25-20, 25-19, in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena on Tuesday, January 21.Despite entering a new era without key players Ces Molina and Riri Meneses, the HD Spikers kicked off their campaign with a 5-1 record.“Very thankful because we won in straight sets, and I’m proud of the team because what we’ve been working on in training is starting to show. But, of course, we still need to keep working until we master what we want to achieve and execute it in every game,” coach Shaq delos Santos said as Cignal made its way through the remainder of the conference without Molina and veteran middle blocker Meneses, who both chose not to extend their contracts with the team.Vanie Gandler led the charge for the HD Spikers, being the lone player to reach double-digit scoring. She finished with 17 points built from 13 attacks, three aces, and a block.

Creamline maintained their perfect record, securing its fifth win at the expense of Capital1, 25-19, 25-19, 25-18, in the 2024-25 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference on Tuesday, January 21, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.The Cool Smashers sustained their title as the lone undefeated team in the conference, improving their record to 5-0 in the standings.The team was dominant from beginning to end, with Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza, and Alyssa Valdez leading the defending Grand Slam champions in the third set with a 7-1 run, giving them a 16-10 advantage. Creamline kept up their momentum as Lorie Bernardo and Galanza completed the match, before Patty Orendain's error sealed the victory.

The University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses opened the inaugural Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) with a dominating 82-67 victory against the Discovery Perlas on Sunday, January 19, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Sampaloc, Manila.Freshman Karylle Sierba led UST with 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field, while Nigerian center Oma Onianwa was named Best Player of the Game as she produced 13 markers and nine rebounds.On the other hand, former national team star and now Discovery assistant coach Allana Lim delivered 17 points and issued nine assists to pace the team.Lady Tigresses Nicole Danganan made history as the first-ever player to score a point in WMPBL history when she converted one of her two free throw attempts.

A well-balanced offense pushed the Converge FiberXers to a 127-109 victory over Blackwater Bossing on Sunday, January 19, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, securing sole second place in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup.As the FiberXers edged closer to a playoff incentive with an 8-3 record, 6-foot-9 big man Justine Baltazar delivered an impressive play for the team, recording a new career-high 20 points along with 10 rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks to earn him Best Player of the Game plum.Jordan Heading provided firepower, leading the charge for Converge with 22 markers, from 3 out of 5 shooting, along with five dimes, and three boards.

The Philippine national women’s futsal team qualified for the 2025 AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup after concluding their final game in Group C against Australia, 2-1, on Sunday, January 19, at the Yunusobod Sport Complex in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.However, the setback did not hinder the country's chances of qualifying for the Asian Cup, since it finished as the tournament's best third-placed team.The Philippines qualified for the continental finale by finishing the qualifiers with two victories, one tie, and one defeat, or seven points, in Group C.

The Meralco Bolts will try to strengthen their hopes of getting to the Final Four of the East Asia Super League (EASL) 2024-25 season when they meet the Ryukyu Golden Kings on Wednesday, January 22, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.In their first meeting on October 16, 2024, Ryukyu opened their season with a narrow win against Meralco, 77-74, at the Okinawa Arena in Japan.Last season, the two teams split their head-to-head match-up with the Golden Kings winning the first encounter with a dominating 89-61 triumph behind Keita Imamura’s game-high 19 points, while the Bolts get their vengeance through Chris Newsome heroics in their second battle to get a 97-88 overtime victory.This coming Wednesday, Meralco will be determined to duplicate the feat versus Ryukyu on home turf as they aim to be part of the semifinals cast for the very first time.

The Final Four of the East Asia Super League (EASL) will be held in Macau SAR for the first time on March 7-9 at Melco Resorts Entertainment’s Studio City Event Center.It will also mark the second Final Four of EASL using the home-and-away season format that was introduced in the previous season."Asia’s best teams will battle it out in EASL’s Final Four 2025, right here in Macau,” Chief Executive Officer Henry Kerins said. “This is the Champions League of Asian basketball with outstanding talent, prime-time action, and unmatched energy. It doesn’t get better than this.”Two teams coming from Japan's B. League already secured spots in the Final Four - The Ryuku Golden Kings clinched it first when they defeated the New Taipei Kings, 82-74, on Christmas Day, while the Hiroshima Dragonflies dominated the San Miguel Beermen on January 8.