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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.

After a dazzling debut game in their East Asia Super League win last November 13 against Busan KCC Egis, 81-80, Meralco’s midseason addition, Akil Mitchell, has quietly put together one of the most impressive EASL campaigns in history.

On Wednesday, January 22, Mitchell will again have the toughest test against the Ryukyu Golden Kings, and he is expected to deliver another standout performance against their opponent's versatile frontcourt of Jack Cooley, Alex Kirk, and Keve Aluma. It will also depend on head coach Dai Oketani how to rotate his big men in challenging Mitchell.

It will be a crucial game for the Bolts as they try to vie for a playoff spot in their remaining games (including this one).

Mitchell will also be tested inside the paint as Ryukyu’s second-chance opportunities always help them to win, secure a spot in the Final Four, and now lead Group B in the standings.

Mitchell will be needing the support of his teammates and as well as his captain Chris Newsome for Meralco to stand a chance. Newsome must step up and boost their record and move one step closer to securing a spot in the semifinals.

During Mitchell’s stint in this season's EASL, he collected an average of 25 points, 20 rebounds and two assists, and this upcoming match-up will prove his toughness to the league's elite.  

He also helped the Bolts to get back on track after they absorbed a 74-77 loss to the Japan B. League club last October.

Meanwhile, Ryukyu is holding onto the top spot, but still their position isn’t entirely secure. They might have secured a Final Four spot already, but a loss to Meralco, combined with either the Bolts or the P. LEAGUE+’s New Taipei Kings winning out, could see them slip to the second seed in Group B.

The Golden Kings will look to build on that success and secure control of the B1 seed heading into the next round.

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.

The NLEX Road Warriors kept their hopes of making the playoffs alive after defeating the Phoenix Fuel Masters last night, January 19, at the Ynares Center, Antipolo City, 108-94.

Their previous match against TNT Tropang Giga served as inspiration for the Road Warriors to regain their victory in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.

NLEX head coach Jong Uichico also couldn’t help but be happy and praise his local players for their contributions to achieving their victory.

“Everybody had their mindset to contribute in today’s game. Alam nila gaano ka-importante yung laro ngayon. Everybody had the mindset and the will na maka-contribute maski papaano sa larong ito. Then malaking bagay [sila]. Tony was great, he was able to come back and was a big help to us. Kay Herndon naman, nabigyan ko ng minuto. Kaya nanalo, maganda yung contribution ng lahat. Hindi naman namin kontrolado yung result, pero yung tsansa manalo today, binigyan nila yung sarili nila ng tsansa,” said coach Uichico. 

Uichico was also satisfied with Jonnel Policarpio's performance, which helped Robert Bolick win the match. 

According to the former La Salle Green Archer, he just did his best and gave his all in the opportunity given by his coach.

“Binigay ko lang yung best ko sa opportunities na binigay sa akin ni coach. Hindi ko lang sinayang. Talagang sinunod ko lang yung game plan namin nila coach kanina,” said  the former La Salle Green Archer player. 

Robert Bollick led NLEX in the win with 26 points, nine rebounds and one steal, while Jonnel Policarpio had 17 points, nine rebounds and one steal. Tony Semerad had 15 points, while Rob Herndon scored 11 points.

NLEX must overcome the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Hong Kong Eastern, and they now have the cards to make the most of the remaining opportunities they need to make sure of a place in the playoffs.

The Scores:

NLEX 108 – Bolick 26, Watkins 22, Policarpio 17, Herndon 15, Semerad 11, Torres 9, Ramirez 5, Nieto 3, Mocon 0.

PHOENIX 94 – Smith 36, Rivero 13, Muyang 8, Perkins 8, Tio 7, Tuffin 6, Jazul 5, Alejandro 3, Ballungay 2, Manganti 1, Salado 0, Ular 0, Verano 0, Camacho 0.

Quarter Scores: 25-17, 45-48, 86-73, 108-94.

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 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 Hong Kong Eastern captured their third straight victory in the East Asia Super League (EASL) 2024-25 Home-and-Away season against the San Miguel Beermen on Wednesday night, January 15, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Eastern started the game with an 11-1 run and finished the opening period with a 30-11 lead, highlighted by slam dunks and three-point play opportunities.

The Beermen tried to bounce back in the second period as Jericho Cruz, June Mar Fajardo, and Don Trollano led SMB's 8-2 blast to trim down the lead, but HKE weathered the storm and still had a 16-point lead at the half.

In the third canto, SMB cut down the lead once again to 10 but the grit of the Hong Kong team was too much as they brought a 20-point advantage entering the fourth quarter of play, 50-70.

The Converge FiberXers defeated the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 103-96, in their match-up last night, January 14, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Converge victory gave the squad the solo second spot with a 7-3 card in the team standings, just a half-game behind the lead-leading NorthPort Batang Pier (7-2), who just lost their game earlier against the Meralco Bolts, 94-111.

Jamie Malonzo made a triumphant return as Barangay Ginebra eked out an 86-63 win over the Blackwater Bossing in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday night, January 12, at the Ynares Center Antipolo.

The Gin Kings missed the services of the 6-foot-7 athletic wingman due to a calf injury that had sidelined him for nine months. 

Malonzo registered eight points on top of three rebounds and a steal that saw the return of the crowd darling back to the win column, sitting at 6-3 in the team standings, tied with Converge and guest team, Hong Kong Eastern. 

Ginebra head coach Tim Cone admitted that they are still gradually reintroducing Malonzo into their lineup, with limited to just 10 minutes of action off the bench.

The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots survived the grit of the Terrafirma Dyip to carve out an 89-84 victory in their battle last night, January 10, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Magnolia improved their record to 3-5 and still held on to their chance of making it to the playoffs of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup.

The win also gave the Hotshots their 20th straight triumph against the Terrafirma, which fell down to 0-9 in the conference and officially put them out of contention in the next round.

The Hiroshima Dragonflies became the second team to qualify in the East Asia Super League's Final Four after defeating the winless San Miguel Beermen, 94-63, at the Hiroshima Sun Plaza on Wednesday night, January 8.

Hiroshima joined their B.League rivals, Ryuku Golden Kings, as the only teams assured of a playoff spot.

The win of the Dragonflies also put the Beermen out of contention in the next round.

Kerry Blackshear Jr. was instrumental to the win as he delivered 12 points, 15 boards, nine assists, and three steals to lead Hiroshima's cause.

Nick Mayo led the Japanese team in scoring with his 18 points. He also added eight rebounds and two assists to his output, while Keijiro Mitani also put up 18 markers with three steals.

On the other hand, SMB import Torren Jones led the team with 24 points and 13 rebounds, while June Mar Fajardo added 12 markers and nine boards.

The Northport Batang Pier exhibited steady resolve as they nailed their first win against Ginebra in five years following a thrilling 119-116 victory on Wednesday, January 8, in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

The Batang Pier maintained their lead in the rankings, hiking a 7-1 win-loss record, demonstrating the kind of resolute effort typically seen by traditional contenders.

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 Phoenix Fuel Masters crashed Terrafirma Dyip in their matchup last night, January 7, 2025, at the Philsports Arena in the continuation of the PBA Season Commissioner's Cup, 122-108.

Donovan Smith led the team where he recorded 37 points, seven rebounds, three assists and five blocks.

Smith says that they come into work every day with the same attitude regardless of whether they have won five straight or lost. What matters is that they just keep that positive mindset within the guys to make sure that they have the same goal, and they all worked together to win this game.

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.

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 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.

The Hong Kong Eastern relied on their new import Chris McLaughlin who delivered a monster 32 points and 23 rebounds in his PBA Season 49 Commissioners' Cup debut to defeat the Blackwater Bossing, 84-75, on Tuesday night, December 10, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

It was the fourth win for the Hong Kong-based squad in their first five games in the league.

The 6-foot-10 McLaughlin took over the reinforcement chores from Cameron Clark, who was sidelined by a hip flexor muscle injury.

Clark led the Eastern squad in their three wins of the conference, including the 105-84 domination against TNT Tropang Giga last Friday.

Eastern seemed like missing Clark in the first half of play as Blackwater erected a 10-point lead at the break.

But the Hong Kong squad posted a 27-9 third quarter surge to grab the lead and maintained it until the final buzzer.

McLaughlin, who averaged 22 markers and 13 boards in Eastern's two assignments in the East Asia Super League, continued what Clark started in the PBA's mid-season tournament.