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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.

TNT Tropang Giga was unable to hold on to the tight defense of Northport Batang Pier, which won its fourth straight game, 100-95, on Sunday night at the Ynares Center, Antipolo City.

However, TNT managed to cut the lead to 97-95 with 1:43 left on the game clock when Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made a free throw, but Joshua Munzon successfully converted his three-point shot to keep the Batang Pier from losing the lead.

“I just take that shcot with confidence. The play wasn't even for me but [my teammates] found me. I was open and I was happy that I made that shot. I was confident in myself. Every time I shoot the ball, I think it's going in," said Munzon.

Northport Batang Pier assistant coach Renzy Bajar said the key to their win was their strong defense against TNT.

The Batang Pier also took advantage of the suspension of big man Poy Erram, who was penalized for hitting Glenn Yang in TNT’s conference-opening loss to Hong Kong Eastern this weekend. 

The San Miguel Beermen couldn't stop the fiery Robert Bolick before the end of the final period as NLEX defeated SMB, 104-99, in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup on Sunday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

The NLEX shooting guard was unstoppable and scored 20 of his game-high 39 points in the final quarter and added nine assists, helping the Road Warriors erase a 19-point deficit and secure their third straight win. 

They improved to 3-1 in the conference, while dropping San Miguel to 1-1 as the Beermen failed to build on a slim win against Phoenix in their first assignment.

The Road Warriors trailed by 19, 46-65, in the third quarter after an and-one play by Quincy Miller.

However, NLEX dropped a 23-8 bomb to put themselves back into the game, 69-73, after a layup by Bolick, with less than two minutes to go in the third.

The former point guard of San Beda Red Lion's performance left NLEX head coach Jong Uichico impressed with the skill and dedication he displayed in the game.

Mapua swept College of St. Benilde in their best-of-three Finals series of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 100th Season.

The Cardinals ended their 33-year title drought on Saturday, December 7, with a convincing 94-82 victory over the Benilde Blazers.

It will also be a fitting gift for the university, which will mark its 100th year anniversary in January 2025.

Mapua did not only sweep the Finals to establish their dominance of the collegiate league, they also went on a 12-0 blast, including a nine-game sweep in the second round of the eliminations.

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) named Justine Baltazar as the 2024 Most Valuable Player, making him the first-ever back-to-back MVP of the league.

Baltazar averaged 15.56 points, 16.0 rebounds, 5.91 assists, and 1.19 steals while playing for 30.44 minutes each game this season. 

The mobile big man also led the Mythical Five selection, together with San Juan Knights' Orlan Wamar, Zamboanga Master Sardines' Jaycee Marcelino, Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards' Will McAloney, and Batangas City Tanduay Rhum Masters' Cedric Abalaza.

The Pampanga Giant Lanterns made history by being the first-ever back-to-back champions of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League or MPBL after sweeping the Quezon Huskers, 65-61, on Saturday, December 7, at the Bren Z. Guiao Sports Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Justine Baltazar, who also made history by becoming the league’s first back-to-back MVP, led the charge with his monster double-double performance of 19 points and 19 rebounds, to go along with two assists and a block.

Archie Concepcion also scored 19 points and grabbed five boards to support Baltazar, while Encho Serrano who’s back from a one-game suspension, supplemented 15 markers, six boards, three assists and one steal to complete sweep of the best-of-five series.

Jansen Rios buried a crucial three-pointer in the dying seconds of the game to give Meralco the win against Terrafirma, 96-91, on Friday night, December 6, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The win also lifted the Bolts the share of the lead in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup team standings with NorthPort Batang Pier at 3-0.

It was a grind-out battle in the crucial stage of the game until Rios hit an unmolested triple at the right corner to give the Meralco a 94-91 lead and Chris Newsome sank two free throws after Dyip's erratic plays in the final 9.4 seconds of the game.

The game seemed like it would be a blowout game when the Bolts erected a 67-51 lead in the third quarter but Terrafirma showed resiliency and even tied the game at 91-all with 1:05 left in the fourth and final period.

Meralco coach Luigi Trillo was just glad his team hung on despite blowing a big lead.

Converge FiberXers opened the Philippine Basketball Association Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup curtain with a victory against the Terrafirma Dyip, 116-87, on Wednesday, November 27, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

The much awaited debut of former top overall pick of the special Gilas draft Jordan Heading has come to fruition already.

Heading scored his first basket in the PBA off a tip-in in the 2:52 mark of the first period. He finished with eight points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field, four rebounds, and six assists against three turnovers in almost 24 minutes of play.

The stats might not be as high as expected of the Filipino-Australian sweet shooting guard but enough to get the nod of Converge head coach Franco Atienza.

Hong Kong Eastern walloped Phoenix to notch its debut win, 102-87, in the Philippine Basketball Association, or PBA, Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on Wednesday, November 27.

HK Eastern showed no jitters right from the start and just took care of business the rest of the way for a 1-0 start, while the Fuel Masters fell to a 0-1 card. 

Familiar faces led the charge for the Hong Kong team with ex-PBA import Cameron Clark and former Bay Area player Hayden Blankley starring on both ends. 

Clark, who has played for San Miguel and NLEX in the past, recorded a double-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.

Blankley poured in 18 markers, dishing out five dimes and three rejections after making his PBA comeback nearly two years after the Dragons lost to Ginebra in the 2022-23 PBA Commissioner's Cup finals.

Converge registered a resounding 116-87 victory over new-look Terrafirma to kick off their Philippine Basketball Association or PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup campaign on Wednesday, November 27, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

The FiberXers delivered 14 three-pointers in the game, including nine in the decisive second half that completely took the fight out of the Dyip. 

Converge established the tone by defeating the Dyip 34-16 in the first period. They also showed composure by overcoming Terrafirma's third quarter storm.

Import Cheick Diallo, who played five seasons in the NBA, had an outstanding debut, dominating the paint with a monster double-double of 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting and 16 rebounds with two assists, a steal, and a block.

“When we got Cheick, we know we are getting a high-motor guy, athletic, can jump out of the gym. What we saw now is what we expected him to play like,” Converge head coach Franco Atienza said.

If Justin Brownlee were to ask, Kai Sotto has the capacity and potential to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

This was what Brownlee said after Gilas Pilipinas’ successful matches against New Zealand and Hong Kong last Thursday and Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

According to the three-time PBA best import, Sotto's performance level in their past games proved that he is capable of competing in the type and class of play in the NBA.

Apart from that, Kai also has a big advantage in having a 7-foot-3 height, and besides this, he has the strong physique and skills of an NBA player.

“Man, I've been saying, I feel like he's good enough to play in the NBA. Yeah, in my honest opinion. Of course, he's got the height, he's got the size and the skill. But he's been through so much,”  Brownlee said. 

The six-time champion also said that Kai Sotto has great potential to be included in the NBA because of the qualities he has seen since he recently played with him. He also said that Kai will go far if he can play in the oldest professional basketball league in the world.

“For me, it's just great to see, you know, a young player like him with so much potential and just to see him start fulfilling his potential. He's got a long way to go. You know, he's only in his early 20s. So, I'm happy for his progression and I'm excited to see what the future holds for him,” Brownlee added. 

It can be recalled that Sotto recorded 12 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks and two assists in Gilas Pilipinas' previous match against Hong Kong, while last Thursday in their match against New Zealand, Sotto recorded 19 markers, 10 boards and seven dimes.

The wins of Gilas in window 2 gave them a solid hold of the lead in Group B with 4-0 win-loss record.

After sweeping the second window of the qualifiers, Gilas is now qualified for the FIBA ​​Asia Cup to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in August next year.

Meanwhile, Gilas will next face Chinese Taipei in the third window of the FIBA ​​Asia Cup Qualifiers on February 20 and Gilas against New Zealand again on February 23.

Kai Sotto, Kevin Quiambao, and Carl Tamayo showed their prowess on Sunday night, November 24, at the Mall of Asia Arena when Philippines defeated Hong Kong, 93-54, to secure a ticket in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 to be held in Saudi Arabia.

Sotto delivered another double-double performance with 12 points and 15 rebounds, to go along with two assists and two blocks, while Quiambao added eight markers, five boards and four dimes.

Tamayo scored a game-high 16 points highlighted by two triples and 50 percent shooting from the field. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished off one assist.

Gilas showed their might over the Hong Kong squad after the opening quarter by establishing a nine-point lead, 25-16.

June Mar Fajardo led the Gilas domination in the opening period and finished off with 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, eight boards, one dime, one deflection, and a block.

After Fajardo set the tempo in the first quarter of play, Tamayo was on fire in the second period to add a point in their lead and finished the half at 45-35.

In the third canto, it was a total team effort by the Philippine team as they showcased their passing in skills and had a 9-0 run to erect a 27-point lead. However, Hong Kong point guard Oliver Xu made a triple on the buzzer to cut Gilas lead at 67-43.

The green light has been given to the seven-foot-three Kai Sotto to see action for Gilas Pilipinas this coming window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers on November 21 and 24. 

The development was confirmed by Gilas Pilipinas team manager Richard Del Rosario. He said that Sotto has finally been cleared to play after going through concussion protocols. 

However, Del Rosario added that AJ Edu still remains doubtful as he continues to undergo strength training and treatment for the right knee that he hurt recently in the Nagasaki Velca’s 71-68 defeat to the Akita Northern Happinets.  

“Kai is good to go, but AJ is still undergoing strength training and treatment,” said Del Rosario.

Sotto’s presence in the team is a big boost together with the 8th-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo as the Tall Blacks are coming in with a seven-footer and a couple of 6-foot-10 bigs.