Agence France-Presse
SAN ANTONIO–Kobe Bryant scored 23 points as the Los Angeles Lakers clinched a playoff spot with a 102-95 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
The Lakers also wrapped up the Pacific Division in the final rematch this season of the 2008 Western Conference finals.
Tony Parker and Michael Finley led San Antonio with 25 points apiece.
By Esther Misa Chavez
Oakland– Thousands of Filipinos from the Bay Area showed up to give their support to the second Filipino Heritage Night during the Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers game at the Oracle Arena.
Some Filipinos bought special tickets and wore their dark blue commemorative, while some well-heeled Pinoys shelled out $150 to be at the VIP lounge. Portions of the revenue benefited Filipino American non-profit organizations.
Filipino heritage was showcased before and during the ball game, starting with a martial arts performance from the Kamatuuran School of Kalijin under Joseph Arriola. Philippine flags and Filipino sports and martial arts memorabilia were also on display and for sale.
A quartet called “Pinay” composed of UC Berkeley alumnae sang the American anthem accapela and dancers from the Likha Pilipino Folk Ensemble under Herna Cruz, were on center court during one of the time-outs dancing the Tinikling while the Warriors and Trail Blazers huddled around their respective coaches for the next game play.
Needless to say, the Warriors led most of the game and won 105-98 over Trail Blazers.
Franco Finn, the official Warriors “hype man” kept the crowds entertained with constant announcements of freebies and contests, as he tied the whole Pinoy Heritage Night into one great fun experience.
THE Golden State Warriors are holding Filipino Heritage Night #2 on Thursday, February 12 against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Oracle Arena , which will start at 7:30 p.m., the team has announced.
The first Filipino Heritage Night, which drew over 2,500 fans and created the demand for the upcoming event, was held last November 21 against the Chicago Bulls.
As part of the evening, Filipino cultural elements will be on display, including a Filipino cultural performance on-court prior to the game.
Fans can purchase a special discounted Filipino Heritage Night ticket for $30 (with additional savings available for groups of 20-or-more), which includes a seat in the Filipino Heritage Night section and a limited edition Filipino Heritage Night t-shirt.
A portion of each ticket sold as part of the Filipino Heritage Night package will be donated to Bay Area Filipino non-profit organizations.
For more information on the Golden State Warriors, log on to www.warriors.com.
By Agence France-Presse
LOS ANGELES–If Kobe Bryant was looking for an added challenge against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, then the Los Angeles Lakers superstar got more than he bargained for.
Playing through the pain of dislocated right ring finger, Bryant had 20 points, 12 assists and a half dozen rebounds in the Lakers 105-88 win over Cleveland at Staples Center arena.
Bryant sustained a dislocated finger in the opening minutes of the first quarter of Monday’s game as the Lakers finally beat Cleveland after failing in their previous five attempts.
“My teammates looked at it and looked away,” Bryant said of the injury. “No fun.”
By Agence France-Presse
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers snapped the Boston Celtics’ franchise-record, 19-game winning streak as Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 27 points in a 92-83 victory on Thursday at Staples Center arena.
Pau Gasol added 20 for the Lakers, who finished the game on a 13-2 run to give coach Phil Jackson his 1,000th career win.
“They had just won 19 straight games so they were due for one,” Bryant said. “It was a challenge to stop the streak because they were playing so well.”
Entering the game, Boston (27-3) had engineered the best 29-game start to a season in history and matched the league’s fourth-longest winning streak.
The Celtics also are trying to defend their record 17th title, which they won in six games over the Lakers last June — capping it all with a convincing 131-92 romp in game six.
In this one, Los Angeles exacted a small measure of revenge thanks to Gasol who scored seven points during the decisive fourth-quarter run.
Agence France-Presse
BOSTON — The Boston Celtics added another chapter to their storied history by setting a franchise record with their 19th consecutive victory on Tuesday.
Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo each scored 18 points in a 110-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Celtics, who surpassed the club mark set by the 1981-1982 team, now are 27-2, the best 29-game start in National Basketball Association history.
“We just want to keep playing, and we want to keep winning, and we want to try to keep getting better,” coach Doc Rivers said.
By Agence France-Presse
BOSTON — The Boston Celtics equaled a franchise record Sunday with their 18th straight National Basketball Association victory, a 124-105 thrashing of the New York Knicks.
Rajon Rondo scored 18 of his career-high 26 points in the third period, finishing an impressive 12-of-14 from the floor.
The Celtics shot a season-high 66 percent from the floor in matching the best 28-game start in NBA history.
With a win on Tuesday at home against Philadelphia the Celtics could become the first team to open a season 27-2.
Ray Allen scored 18 for the Celtics, whose winning streak tied the 18-game streak set by the club in 1981-82.
Boston’s two 18-game streaks and one built by the 1969-70 Knicks are tied for fifth-longest in NBA history.
MANILA, Philippines — At Sunday’s Game 1 in the best-of-three UAAP collegiate finals series, the Ateneo Blue Eagles drew first blood over rival La Salle Green Archers. In an article by Marlon Ramos, five suspected scalpers were caught allegedly selling tickets for P1,500–20 times the ticket’s face value of P75. Still, in another report by Jasmine Payo, two patron tickets, originally priced at P350, were sold at P25,000.
As a paradox, the blockbuster game showcased talents for game play that every fan would want to witness and be part of. Likewise, this paves way for opportunists to get into the business of selling overpriced tickets. It could be a simple case of symbiosis, or the law of supply and demand: die-hard fans buy overpriced tickets from scalpers to watch the game at the court and rally for their teams. Building up team spirit? For scalpers, this is an opportunity to sell overprized tickets to fans before the fight begins.
Genius or madness?
THE US Dream Team was unstoppable, as they dominated the game against China, 101-70.
China and the US were tied at 29 during the second quarter. But the US Team, led by Dwyane Wade, was just too fast for the Chinese team, which was missing baskets during the third and fourth quarters. Almost all US players were in double figures.
The US team’s fast transition, numerous steals, and defense proved a one-two-three punch against the host country China. Lebron James was just too awesome, as he exploded in the game, blocking and shooting over China’s tough players. Kobe Bryant also contributed points, but his steals led to crucial fastbreaks in the game.
US and China belong to Group B, which includes Spain, Greece, Germany and Angola.
Catch more news about the Beijing 2008 Olympics at the INQUIRER.net and Agence France-Presse special website.
ATENEO suffered its first defeat to Far Eastern University Thursday after Aldrech Ramos buried a key jumper with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.
In the last 47.7 seconds, Ramos’ jumper effectively clipped the wings of the Eagles, giving the Tamaraws a 67-66 lead. The game ended with the score of 72-66, in favor of the Tamaraws.
After the game, the Tams were seen huddled in one corner, celebrating a victory without forward Mac Baracael who was earlier shot by an unknown gunman. Police are now investigating the attack that almost killed Baracael
