HOWITZERS GALORE

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The San Antonio Spurs drained 14 three-pointers in a convincing 105-83 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in Sunday's (Monday in Manila) opening game of the NBA's Western Conference finals.
Tony Parker scored 20 points and handed out nine assists for the Spurs, whose stifling defense held Grizzlies' top scorer Zach Randolph to only two points.
Randolph came in averaging 19.7 points per game in this post-season, but finished just 1-of-8 from the field for a Grizzlies team appearing in the conference finals for the first time.
The Spurs, meanwhile, showed the poise to be expected from a team making their eighth appearance in a conference final in the last 15 years.
But Parker, for one, was mindful of the fact that last year, the Spurs took a 2-0 lead over Oklahoma City in the Western finals, only to lose the series to the Thunder.
"We still have a long way to go," Parker said, adding that the Spurs expected Randolph and the Grizzlies to bounce back in game two in San Antonio on Tuesday.
"We tried to make it hard on him, double team, obviously, their best scorer," Parker said of the Spurs' strategy against Randolph.
"He's a beast inside. We know he's not going to play like that every game. Sometimes it happens. It's a long season, the playoffs are tough.
"So he had an off night, but I know he's going to come out strong in game two."
The winners of the best-of-seven series advance to the NBA title series against the Eastern Conference champions.
Reigning NBA title-holders Miami host Indiana in game one of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday.
Kawhi Leonard and Matt Bonner scored four three-pointers apiece as San Antonio set a club record for three-pointers in a playoff game.
Leonard finished with 18 points, while Bonner scored 12 off the bench and San Antonio handed Memphis their first double-digit loss since game one of the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Tim Duncan scored six points for the Spurs and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
Quincy Pondexter led the Grizzlies with 17 points, making five three-pointers.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol added 15 and Mike Conley added 14, but Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said his team would have to do better.
"San Antonio played extremely well, and we did not," he said.
The Grizzlies scored the first basket of the game, but San Antonio scored the next five to take a lead they never relinquished.
The Spurs led by 17 by the end of the first quarter and led by as many as 20 in the second before taking a 14-point lead into halftime.
The Grizzlies produced a 10-0 scoring run in the third as they trimmed the deficit to six points.
Pondexter was the key contributor, making two of his three-pointers in a spurt that was capped by Jerryd Bayless's dunk that made it 62-56 with 3:43 remaining in the third.
However, San Antonio's Manu Ginobili shook off his scoring woes long enough to drain a three-pointer — his first basket of the game — that ended the Memphis run.
The Spurs relentlessly rebuilt their lead, connecting on 65 percent of their shots in the final quarter to seal the win.
"Our ball movement was great tonight and we shot the ball very well," Parker said. "It's just one game. We'll try to do the same thing in game two. I'm sure they're going to make some adjustments and they're going to try to do different stuff, so we'll see what happens."                

The streaking San Miguel Beermen and the victorious Philippine Volcanoes will be the two special guests in today’s session of the PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate.
Bannering the San Miguel side in the forum aired live over dzSR Sports Radio 918 and presented by Shakey’s and the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. are coach Leo Austria, players stalwarts Asi Taulava and Chirs Banchero, along with import Brian Williams.
The Beermen are expected to talk about the coming Asean Basketball League playoffs where they are seeded as the no. 1 team after finishing their elimination round campaign behind an amazing 16-game winning streak.
The Volcanoes will be represented in the 10:30 a.m. session by coach Jarred Hodges and team captain Michael Letts.
The Philippine rugby team is going to discuss what prospects await the Volcanoes after they kept their spot in the A5N Top 5 following their win over United Arab Emirates during the weekend. 

Bacolod ace Toni Rose Raymundo pulled off a gutsy 6-4, 7-5 victory over second seed Alyssa Bornia to barge into the semi-final round of the girls’ 16-and-under division in the Palawan Pawnshop age-group tennis circuit presented by Babolat at Consolacion Tennis Courts in Cebu yesterday.
Raymundo broke Bornia once in the opening set then outlasted her rival with a gritty stand in the next to complete a straight-set win and seal a Final Four duel with No. 4 Zethley Alferez, who booted out Kristin Salimbangon, 6-1, 6-0.
Top seed Shyne Villareal of Cebu held off Anjelica Mosqueda, 6-4, 6-3, to arrange a semis clash with third seed Alexie Santos, who ousted Averille Sacapano, 6-0, 6-1, in the upper bracket of the Group 2 tournament.
No. 2 Elgy Dasian walked over Ritchll Galeos to advance to the finals of the girls’ under-18 against the winner of the Hannah Espinosa-Raymundo duel being played at presstime.
Bornia, meanwhile, survived Salimbangon, 7-6(4), 6-4, to reach the semis of the 14-and-U class against Villareal, who repulsed Mosqueda, 7-6(4), 6-0, while Santos and Alferez will dispute the other finals berth after beating Sacapano, 6-2, 6-1, and Mary Cobarde, 6-1, 6-0, respectively.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will require the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines field in its athletes in the Philippine National Games (PNG) on Friday, denying the Abap's request for exemption in the competitions.
PSC chairman Ritchie Garcia yesterday said all members of the national team are required to see action in the upcoming PNG since it serves as the national tryouts for national athletes to prove they deserve government support.
Garcia said the only exception are those who are either set to compete abroad or still nursing an injuries. But before they would be given the green light to skip, hurting athletes will have to justify their injuries and should seek medical certificates from the Philippine Center for Sports Medicine.
Among the 41 participating NSAs, only the national athletes from wushu are set to fly to China for an international tournament.
"The attendance in this event applies to all sports, either subjective sports or contact sports," Garcia said. "All members of the national team should show up. If they cannot win here, then they must look for other jobs. They have no business being part of the national team."
Last week, Abap executive director Ed Picson warned pitting national boxers against aspiring pugs. He said the Nationals are in top shape and ranging them against new boxers would result in injuries to the newbies.
But Garcia said the challenge doesn't lie on the national boxers, but on how Abap would run the event.
"Abap should come up with able referees to ensure the safety of all participants," he said. "If something unfortunate comes up, then it's not our fault. All technical officials would be coming from them (Abap), so it would be their responsibility to keep everybody safe."
Aside from boxing, other sports on tap are centerpiece athletics and swimming as well as other medal-rich sports like gymnastics, billiards, arnis, taekwondo, wrestling, judo, muay thai, dancesport and shooting.
Basketball would not be played after Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas begged off due to its heavy schedule.
"We want all members of the national team to win, especially those coming from priority sports. Because if they lose, we have no choice but to adjust their allowance. There's no favoritism here. They all have to go out there and defend their slot in the national team program."

Juvic Pagunsan, Jay Bayron, Tony Lascuna and Elmer Salvador have confirmed participation in the ICTSI Orchard Golf Championship, guaranteeing a stellar cast and a fierce title clash in the P2.5 million event unfolding tomorrow at the Orchard’s Palmer Course in Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Pagunsan, on a break from the Japan PGA Tour, saw action in the last ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour leg at Calatagan two weeks ago and is keen on improving his joint third place finish and logging his first victory on the local circuit in two years.
The 2011 ICTSI PGT Order of Merit champion vied in just six of the 15 tournaments here last year but had an impressive campaign in Japan where he finished runner-up in the Japan Open while placing in the top 10 in two other events.
But he will be facing the toughest challenge so far in the early going of the local circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. with Asian Tour campaigner Angelo Que joining the title hunt for the first time and the winners of the first three legs raring to nail a second victory in the 72-hole championship offering a top purse of P450,000.
Bayron, who rallied from behind to edge ICTSI Sherwood leg winner Miguel Tabuena on the second playoff hole for the ICTSI Camp John Hay crown last month, and Tabuena are out to bounce back from their joint 24th finish at Calatagan, which Lascuna ruled in convincing fashion.
Salvador, the OOM winner in 2010, is also expected to bounce back strong following a joint ninth finish in Baguio and a share of seventh in Calatagan.
Others tipped to crowd the favorites are Edward Reyes, Jhonnel Ababa, Charles Hong, Rufino Bayron, Mars Pucay, Japanese Toru Nakajima and Richard Sinfuego.
Meanwhile, the leading pros test the Palmer layout in today’s pro-am tournament where they will be paired with officials and guests of the sponsoring ICTSI and the event’s chief backers Nike Golf, Empire Golf and Sports Shop, Mizuno, Titleist, Srixon, Foot Joy, Callaway, Pacsports, Custom Clubmakers, Cleveland Golf and Sharp.

Boracay Rum and Fruitas aim to clinch spots in the semifinals when they battle separate opponents today in the quarterfinals of the PBA D-League Foundation Cup at the Blue Eagle Gym in Ateneo.
 The Waves take on EA Regen at 2 p.m. while the Shakers go up against corporate rival Big Chill at 4 o’clock in a pair of interesting match-ups that clould go either way. Boracay Rum and Fruitas enjoy twice-to-beat edge over their rivals.   
 Boracay Rum dominated EA Regen, 85-75, in their first meeting but Lawrence Chongson, the Waves’ coach, expect a tough rematch as Team Delta try to stay alive.
 “EA was a newly-formed team the first time we faced them. Today, two months since the conference began, it’s a totally different EA team that we see today. The potential of their manpower build up and expensive acquisitions have surfaced,” Chongson noted.

NEXT STOP: MIAMI

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — Lance Stephenson scored a career playoff-high 25 points on Saturday to lead the Indianapolis Pacers to a 106-99 victory over the New York Knicks and into the NBA Eastern Conference finals.
The Pacers withstood 39 points by Knicks star Carmelo Anthony to win the best-of-seven Eastern Conference second-round series four games to two and will now battle reigning NBA champions Miami for a place in the NBA finals.
The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since falling in 2004 to Detroit. Last year they fell to the Heat in a bitterly fought six-game second round series.
The Heat, led by NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James, finished off the injury-hit Chicago Bulls in five games, and will be well-rested when they host the Pacers in game one of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday.
New York native Stephenson said he was eager to prove himself after what he considered a sub-par outing in game five, in which the Knicks fended off elimination at Madison Square Garden.
"Last game I felt like I played not to my ability," said Stephenson, who also grabbed 10 rebounds. "I couldn't wait for this game. I was very focused... we took care of business."
Paul George added 23 points for the Pacers. Roy Hibbert scored 21 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked five shots.
Pacers point guard George Hill returned after missing Thursday's game with a concussion sustained in game four. He scored 12 points and handed out five assists in 42 minutes.
Anthony scored 35 points through the first three quarters, but added only four in the fourth period -— he missed his first five shots from the floor in the final frame and had a dunk blocked by Hibbert and committed three turnovers during a decisive 9-0 Pacers run.
"He had shots," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. "He felt like he got hit on some shots and there was no call. All we can do is put Melo in position to be successful. I thought Melo played a solid game for us."
New York's J.R. Smith, winner of the Sixth Man of the Year award as the league's top reserve, again struggled offensively. He scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, but connected on just 4-of-15 shots from the floor.
Iman Shumpert scored 19 points in the defeat.
The Knicks were leading 92-90 when Hibbert denied Anthony. Stephenson scored at the other end, then it was Stephenson who converted an Anthony turnover into a layup and was fouled, converting the three-point play.
"I just wanted to be aggressive, just try and penetrate and dish or just try and make it to the basket -— just try and make smart plays," Stephenson said.
Stephenson added two more free throws before David West capped the run with a tip-in that gave the Pacers a 99-92 lead with 2:35 remaining.
New York had erased a 10-point third-quarter deficit with four three-pointers in less than two minutes. Shumpert drained three straight threes before Smith concluded a 12-2 run with a three-pointer to knot the score at 72-72 with 3:10 left in the third.
It was 81-81 going into the fourth quarter, and Smith connected on another three-pointer to put New York up 92-90 before the Pacers launched their game-changing run.        

Due to the huge expenses, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) scratched the idea of using a chartered flight in transporting the national contingent to the 27th Southeast Asian Games.
According to PSC chairman Ritchie Garcia, traveling to Myanmar for the biennial meet in a chartered flight will be more expensive and impractical since the national delegation will be brought to their respective competition venues by batches.  
He explained that the SEA Games will have three venues with the main hub being set up in the new Burmese capital of Naypyidaw. The main bulk leaves before the opening ceremony on Dec. 11 — and should the PSC hire an aircraft to bring the athletes, coaches and other officials there, the chartered plane will have to fly back to Manila to pick up the next batch without any passenger.
The PSC chief stressed that although it is quite more difficult with the travel time obviously a little longer, flying via a commercial flight is the most logical option for both the PSC and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
"Transporting our contingent via a chartered flight will be very impractical for the simple reason that athletes, coaches and delegation officials have to be sent to the sites of the competition on a staggered basis," Garcia said.
"The bulk of our delegation leaves before the opening ceremony. After that, babalik ang eroplano na walang laman pero may bayad. And it's something we don't want to happen."
The PSC allotted only P30 million for the actual participation of Team Philippines to the SEA Games. But if somebody presses them to spend for the chartered flight — just what they did in 2009 when the national contingent travelled to the SEA Games in Laos — Garcia said their entire budget will be spent on airfare alone.
Actually, things are not rosy for the Filipinos in the upcoming Games.
Aside from marching with a limited budget, Team Philippines also has to contend with the host country that is ice-cold on the Filipinos attempt to duplicate — or even surpass — their sixth place finish in the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia.
The PSC boss reiterated that the surefire solution to work around this problem is to send a token delegatioN — or a team of around 50 athletes — to send a strong message to the organizers that Philippines is not happy with the way it was treated, especially in the selection of events.
"No, I'm not advocating a boycott as earlier reported," Garcia said. "What I was saying is that we have to send a small delegation na may chance na manalo ng medalya para sa bansa kesa sa malaking delegation na mahihirapan naman manalo.”
"Masyado naman yata tayong inapi, both by the host country and the SEA Games Federation."

National University utilized its vaunted firepower and stonewall defense to subdue Adamson, 24-26, 25-20, 25-15, 25-22, and clinch a first-ever stint in the finals of the Shakey’s V-League Season 10 First Conference before a big Sunday crowd at The Arena in San Juan.
Myla Pablo rattled off three off-the-block hits to defuse a fiery Adamson fightback in the fourth set, shattering a 22-all count and completing the Lady Bulldogs’ own comeback from 0-1 series deficit to claim their best-of-three Final Four duel, 2-1.
NU recovered from a big first-set meltdown with emphatic victories in the next two frames and looked headed for a cruise in the fourth after storming to a 19-12 lead.
But just when they thought they had heard the last of the Lady Falcons, the San Marcelino-based squad roared back and took nine of the next 10 points to force a tie at 21.
NU’s Aiko Urdas and Pau Soriano of Adamson then traded hits to force another standoff, but Pablo took over and unleashed those powerful spikes that the Lady Falcons failed to return, sending the Lady Bulldogs to a dream championship against the equally fancied Ateneo Lady Eagles.

LONDON — English football will witness the end of an era on Sunday when Alex Ferguson takes charge of Manchester United for the 1,500th and final time in their last game of the season at West Bromwich Albion.
Having waved goodbye to Old Trafford in an emotional 2-1 win over Swansea City last weekend, Ferguson will close the door on his managerial career at The Hawthorns — 26 years, six months and 11 days since his first game at the United helm, a 2-0 loss at Oxford United on Nov. 8, 1986.
It promises to be a day rich in nostalgia for Ferguson, who will be succeeded by Everton manager David Moyes on July 1.
In his final pre-game press conference, he cast his mind back to the very beginning of his journey as a manager, with Scottish minnows East Sterling in 1974.
"I have had 39 years as a manager," said the 71-year-old.
"On that day in 1974 when I started at East Stirling, I had eight players and no goalkeeper. Today I have six goalkeepers and about 100 players.
"I remember the old chairman, Willie Muirhead. He was a great chain smoker. When I asked him for a list of players, he started to shake. His cigarette was going 100 miles an hour.                     
"I had to remind him a couple of days later. He gave me a list of  afpeight players and no goalkeeper. I said: 'You know it is advisable to start with a keeper — are you aware of that?'"