As we kick off our Player Profile series highlighting the pioneers and icons of Philippine basketball, we begin with a name synonymous with scoring brilliance and resilience—William “Bogs” Adornado.
The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots captured their fourth straight victory in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup after dominating the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 118-99, on Friday, April 26, in Zamboanga.
Hometown hero Mark Barroca delivered his best performance of the conference so far, thrilling his fellow Chabacanos with 16 points (7/14 FGs), six rebounds, five assists, and one steal.
Peter Alfaro, another proud Zamboanga native, chipped in six markers and two boards while helping orchestrate the Hotshots’ offense.
Before tip-off, Barroca—who celebrated his 39th birthday yesterday, his first in Zamboanga in 20 years—expressed gratitude to his kababayans, joined by Alfaro and Phoenix’s RR Garcia in thanking the home crowd.
It’s only fitting that on Wednesday, April 16, two of the most storied franchises in Philippine basketball will collide in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup, as the league continues to celebrate its golden anniversary.
The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots and the San Miguel Beermen will square off at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in a battle for early supremacy. Both unbeaten, both hungry, both aiming to seize their third win—and with it, the solo lead in the standings.
These two titans began their campaigns with convincing victories last April 5 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. San Miguel dispatched the NLEX Road Warriors, 98–89, while Magnolia cruised past the Blackwater Bossing, 106–84.
On April 9, during the league’s anniversary celebration, both squads stayed perfect. The Hotshots used their signature defense to defeat the Converge FiberXers, 83–71, while the Beermen triumphed over the Meralco Bolts in a retro-themed showdown at the historic Rizal Memorial Coliseum, 110–98.
The San Miguel Beermen fended off a spirited comeback from the Meralco Bolts, 110-98, in a throwback-filled matchup as the PBA celebrated its 50th Anniversary on Wednesday, April 9, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Sporting retro uniforms in celebration of the league’s milestone, the Beermen secured their second straight-win in the conference, while the Bolts dropped to 2-1.
June Mar Fajardo delivered another stellar performance with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, while CJ Perez top scored with 29 markers, five boards, four dimes, and two steals.
The TNT Tropang Giga once again relied on their scoring prowess to secure a narrow 87-85 victory against Barangay Ginebra in Game 2 of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Finals to get the 2-1 series lead on Wednesday, March 19, at the Philsports Arena.
Rey Nambatac played his best game as a pro as he finished with 24 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the three-point area. He also had seven assists and five rebounds.
The Letran product also led TNT in their comeback from a nine-point deficit in the first half of play. Then, “Sting-Rey” sank a crucial three-pointer in the closing moments of the game to break the 82-deadlock.
Tropang Giga’s import, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson flirted with a triple double, tallying 20 markers, 11 boards and eight dimes, including his last dish to the wide open Glenn Khobuntin, who made his fastbreak layup to get his 10th point and put the game almost out of reach.
Calvin Oftana also ended up in double figures, scoring 16 markers, on top of his five rebounds and four assists.
Masters Pinoy Pilipinas Basketball 45-Up team is gearing up for the World Masters Tournament this coming May. Strengthening their lineup is two-time Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) All-Star Gherome Ejercito.
In an exclusive interview with Scoreline.ph, Ejercito shared how he plans to contribute to the team’s success on game day.
“I spoke with Coach Arlene (Rodriguez) and Boss Rey (Punongbayan) about what I and my fellow ex-pro players can bring to the team. Our experience playing in the PBA—alongside Roger Yap, Estong Ballesteros, and Gilbert Malabanan—will be a huge advantage,” Ejercito told us in Filipino.
“And as long as we continue our regular practices, we will be ready to compete,” he added.
That’s what former PBA player and current Lyceum Pirates head coach Gilbert Malabanan emphasized in an exclusive interview with Scoreline.ph. Malabanan is set to join the Masters Pinoy Pilipinas Basketball team, competing in the World Masters 45+ category from May 17-30, 2025 in Taiwan.
Malabanan shared that commitment is the biggest challenge he and his teammates face as they juggle work, basketball, and other responsibilities. However, as a professional, he has learned to manage his time effectively, driven by his dedication to the game—especially when representing the country.
“First of all, the most challenging part is commitment. Of course, all of us have jobs. But when it comes to commitment, how do you manage it? Especially with our practices,” Coach Gilbert said.
“We want to be complete during training because this is our preparation for the Masters tournament in May,” he added.
Barangay Ginebra moved one step closer to another Finals appearance in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup semi-finals after dominating the NorthPort Batang Pier, 127-100, on Sunday night, March 2, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Jamie Malonzo, named Best Player of the Game, led the Gin Kings with 27 points, including an impressive 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, while grabbing eight rebounds. It was a breakout performance for Malonzo, who returned to action last January after missing several months due to a left calf injury.
Ginebra’s resident import, Justin Brownlee, provided solid support with 22 points, shooting 5-of-7 from three-point range.
Veterans Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson, and Troy Rosario also contributed significantly, scoring 17, 15, and 10 points, respectively.
Off the bench, RJ Abarrientos made an impact with a double-double of 10 points and 10 assists, posting a plus-24 rating whenever he was on the floor.
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters finally broke their two-game skid, securing a crucial 103-98 victory in Game 3 of their PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Semi-Finals series against the TNT Tropang Giga on Sunday night, March 2, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Import Deon Thompson led the charge for Rain or Shine, delivering a double-double performance with 19 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block in over 44 minutes of action. His dominance in the paint and relentless effort on both ends of the floor helped RoS stay competitive throughout the game.
Caelan Tiongson also played a vital role in the win, contributing 18 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while Adrian Nocum, who started once again, showcased another impressive outing with 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Supporting the trio was Anton Asistio, who chipped in 12 points, including two clutch three-pointers, while Gian Mamuyac added nine points and was perfect from the free-throw line, sinking all four of his attempts.
Barangay Ginebra relied on their balanced scoring to capture the win in Game 1 of their PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series against NorthPort, 115-93, last night, February 26, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Justin Brownlee led the charge for the Gin Kings, pouring in 19 points, four rebounds, and four assists in just 32 minutes of play.
Brownlee was supported by his local teammates, led by Troy Rosario, who scored 15 points, followed by RJ Abarrientos with 14, while Japeth Aguilar added 11.
The first half of the match was a close battle, with Ginebra holding only a five-point lead over the Batang Pier, 56-51.
However, in the third quarter, the Gin Kings unleashed a barrage of points while locking down NorthPort defensively, outscoring them 32-14.
Heading into the fourth period, Ginebra never looked back, maintaining their commanding lead and still outscoring the Batang Pier 28-27 to secure the victory.
Despite the dominant win, Ginebra coach Tim Cone remained cautious, saying it was just one win in a long series.
Still, the victory is a big boost for a Ginebra team that struggled to get ideal training during the long break, with Cone, Brownlee, Rosario, Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Japeth Aguilar, and LA Tenorio all serving duties with Gilas Pilipinas.
The TNT Tropang Giga showcased their strong defense with crucial stops in the final moments to secure an 88-84 win over Rain or Shine in Game 1 of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven semifinal series on Wednesday night, February 26, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Despite being ahead by just three points with 1:59 left in the game, TNT shut down Rain or Shine's offense. The Tropang Giga capitalized on the Elasto Painters’ mistakes, forcing four turnovers, including a crucial steal by RR Pogoy off an inbound pass from Andrei Caracut with just three seconds remaining after a timeout.
Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao designed a play for a potential game-tying four-point shot, but the attempt was spoiled by a bad pass.
While RoS struggled in the final moments, TNT’s shooting, especially from beyond the arc, was on point. They hit 14-of-34 three-pointers, with Jayson Castro and Calvin Oftana leading the charge. Castro scored six three-pointers, missing only one, while Oftana also nailed six.
Barangay Ginebra finished the elimination round of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup with a thrilling victory against Meralco, 91-87, on Chinese New Year at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings closed the preliminaries with an 8-4 win-loss record, tying the Converge FiberXers, while the Bolts dropped to 7-4.
The game results paved the way for the NorthPort Batang Pier to earn a twice-to-beat advantage going into the quarters and they also got the No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history.
It was a close battle between the two rivals in the end after Meralco climbed back from a 17-point deficit despite playing All-Filipino as their import Akil Mitchell did not play due to back spasms. The loss halted the three-game win streak of the Bolts.
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.
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.
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 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.
