F4: Baltimore Dragons stops Excel, 75 - 58, grabs finals seat.

Report by Jun Rana

With his team threatened in the first half by Dynamics Excel, Isaac Brooks unloaded his three point shooting ammunitions to power the Baltimore Dragons to a 75-58 win over Excel. With the win, the Dragons secured the first seat in finals of the 2009 PAAD Palaro Basketball Championship on August 15, and avenged an earlier round loss to Excel.

Coach Mike Sanchez charges of Excel could have not wished for a better start. Baskets by Will Imperial and Joe Miranda pushed Excel to an 8-0 lead, 18 minutes to go in the first half. The Dragons Coach Ed Padilla then took a timeout and the Dragons answered back with a 19-6 run including three rainbow shots from Brooks, and grabbed the lead at 19-14, 12 minutes remaining in the first half.

With heads up plays from Imperial and Will Barnes, Excel stayed toe to toe with the Dragons down by only two, 29-27 with 3 minutes remaining in the first half. However, Souk Gumatay connected on a layup and Brooks hit another triple to put the Dragons ahead 34-27, 2 minutes to go in the first half. After a basket by Excel in the next possession, Gumatay and Brooks hit back to back triples to end the half at 40-29 for the Dragons. By the end of the first half, Brooks, who electrified the fans with his three point shooting exhibition, already had 20 points for the Dragons.

In the second half, a layup by Miranda of Excel cut the lead of the Dragons to nine, 50-41 with 12 minutes remaining. However, this proved to be Excel’s last hurrah as Edgar Edades of the Dragons answered back with a triple for a 53-41 Dragons lead, time down to 10 minutes. At this stanza, Julio Concepcion and Frank Delgado of the Dragons took over the scoring chores from Brooks and ignited a 20-10 blast which put the game beyond recall at 73-51 for the Dragons, 2 minutes remaining in the game. It was in that decisive stretch that Miranda and Justin Mercado of Excel tried to stop the Dragons onslaught, but to no avail and to the dismay of the Excel fans, one of the loudest in the arena.

Brooks top scored for the Dragons with 24 points including 6 triples, followed by Delgado with 14. For Excel, the top scorers were Mercado, Miranda, Imperial and Barnes with 15, 14, 12 and 11 points, respectively. In the battle of the boards, the Dragons outrebounded Excel, 16-10.

The Dragons will now face the unbeaten GK Warriors who routed them, 99-54 in the opening day. The Dragons however is now a much improved team and has won their last six games of the tournament in convincing fashions. The stage is now set for a dream finale and high drama on Saturday, August 15 between the powerhouse GK Warriors and the surging Baltimore Dragons. And the basketball fans will surely be in for a treat.

Game 8: The Final Four

From the Magic 8, we're now down to the Final Four. While many observers have cast their predictions over their favorites, there is still a lingering thought that maybe a dark horse will emerge in the finals.

Here are the highlights of the Final-Four games:

GK vs. WSA

Wala Sa Ayos has been playing the role of "David" in the last 4 rounds of their pairings. Game after game, WSA was always voted to be booted out by our blog-surveys. Amazingly, they have stood tall after each crucial game beaming with victory smiles. Their last loss was in Game 3 against MARICAS Oriental Store, since then the breaks have been with WSA.

But their next hurdle will be the most daunting of all, against crowd-favorite, GK Warriors. Man-for-man, GK Warriors appear to be superior in every match-up, but in the area of "Spirited Hearts", Wala Sa Ayos has the edge. WSA has proven that whatever lack in manpower, they filled it in with a lot of heart.

Will the WSA team sling the biggest "GOLIATH" of all?

Dynamic Excel vs. Baltimore Dragons

After dropping their first 2 games, the Baltimore Dragons cleaned their acts together and won the next 6 rounds. In those 2 lost games, one of them came from the Dynamic Excel team, who won by a squeaker point in the dying minutes, 63 -62. Tounges kept wagging after that game as observers noted how the Dragons could have won it with a complete line-up.


On the other hand, Dynamic Excel is rarin' to go and hungry to face the GK Warriors in the finals. They won't give the Dragons an easy time, that's for sure. They know they're facing an explosive Dragons squad who can shoot it from the rainbow stripe as well as penetrate Dynamic's stonewall defense. If the first meeting between the Dragons and Dynamic Excel is a good indication of what to expect, then this game will be decided down to the dying seconds.


Will the Dynamic Excel team make it to Finals enroute to a possible 2-peat year (FACAA & Paad Palaro champions)?


Or, will the Dragons push to Excel team aside and say, "try again next year boys!!"?


Be there when it happens!!!

G7: Dynamic Excel thwarts Maricas surge, 66 - 40

Report by Jun Rana

Dynamic Excel pulled away from a tight first half behind the juggernaut quartet of Rich Bandoy, Joe Miranda, Will imperial and Mark Pr’Out to beat Maricas 66-40 and earned a seminal spot in the playoffs. The loss eliminated the Cinderella team of the tournament Maricas Oriental Store which was unbeaten at the elimination rounds.

Early in the first half Excel built a 20-9 lead with 11 minutes remaining behind the lay ups and jumpers of Will Imperial, Will Barnes and Mark Pr’Out. However, Maricas egged on by its loyal fans and led by El Persons, Dave Setters, Joseph Tanseco and Alex Alday, showed its fighting heart and answered back with an 11-2 run to cut the lead to 22-20 at halftime.

In the second half however, a 21-6 scoring blitz led by Bandoy, Miranda and Imperial gave Excel a commanding 43-26 lead, time down to 8 minutes. At this point, it was clear that Excel’s running game and good defense had taken its toll on Maricas who could not muster enough offense to threaten Excel. Maricas tried all the tricks in its arsenal including lay ups, jump shots and three points shots, but it was not clearly their day. BJ Advento, its top scorer averaging 14 points a game was held to only 5 points in the entire game. The reliable Marlowe Ulit did not score in the entire game after several attempts in the basket most of them lay ups.

And for Excel’s coach Mike Sanchez who rotated his players well specially down the stretch, it’s all smiles for him and his players who now play the Baltimore Dragons in the semifinals.

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Box Scores:

Dynamic Excel-Phi:

Imperial, Will, 13; Miranda, Joe, 11; Pr'Out, Mark, 10; Bandoy, Rich, 10; Balagtas, Dennis, 7; Barnes, Will, 5; Valera, R.J, 4; Holcomb, Jeff, 3; Sanchez, Mike, 3

Maricas Oriental Store:

Persons, El, 11; Setters, Dave, 10; Alday, Alex, 6; Advento, BJ, 5; Tanseco, Joseph, 4; Lizardo, Jay, 2; Aquino, Norman, 2

Game 7: Road to the Finals

View the Video Highlights of Games 5 & 6. Click here.
View updated Photos for Game 6. Click here.

As the games wind down to the Magic 8 enroute to the Final Four, intensity has pervaded the matches. The biggest twist coming to the second round of the play-offs is the elimination of last year's runner-up, TFC Mainline and the surprising entry of Team Force to the Magic 8. Will there be new twists and turns in Game Seven that will surprise us?

Here are the highlights for Game Seven:

• Despite their loss to Red Bulls in the last game, Casa Rap gets a new lease on life on their hopes of a first finals appearance as they face the mighty GK Warriors, who have yet to lose a game since 2008. Will the Antonio-led Bomb Shells ignite the league with a monumental upset?
  
• Maricas, who suffered its first loss to Team Force, gets a second chance at their hopes to enter the Final Four by facing powerhouse Dynamic Excel-Phi. While the odds may be against Maricas, a win will solidify their claim as the Pilipino-division leaders.


• Former Palaro champions, Red Bulls (2007) and WSA (2006) square it off in the "Battle of Champions". Both teams have lingered in the middle ranks this season and their steady plays have brought them at the brink of a Finals showdown. When the smoke clears, who will be in the Final Four?


• Team Force, who was left for dead by the blog voters, springs to life as they face rainbow artists, Baltimore Dragons. The Dragons who lost its first two games got their bearings going by winning 4-straight. Will Team Force douse the Dragons' fire and enter the Final Four?
  

Who will be in the Final Four? Vote now on our blog surveys!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

PAAD PALARO YOUTH BASKETBALL

PAAD Palaro 2009 is proud to launch its first PALARO Youth Basketball this coming Saturday, August 1, 2009. Youth games start at 11:30 AM alongside some festivities to warm-up the playoff games. Please join us in the fun as we support our Fil-American youth!!

G6: Dynamic Excel trounces Delaware Titans, 64 - 46

Report by Jun Rana

With excellent defense, Excel put a clamp on the DelawareTitans top scorer Jesse Fabian and the rests of the Titans, enroute to a 64-46 victory that sent Excel to the second round of the playoffs and eliminated the Titans. Excel held Fabian to only 9 points in the entire game to the dismay of the Titans fans.

After an 11 all tie in the early going, Excel pulled away in the first half behind a 15 -5 bomb by Will Imperial, Mike Sanchez and Justin Mercado and led 26 -16 at the half. The 10 points separation proved to be the turning point of the game as Excel gained more confidence and widened the lead to 42-21, time down to 11 minutes of the game. Mark Pr’out of Excel led the scoring rampage in the second half with 9 points.

The never say die Titans tried all they can only to be frustrated by the good defense and good shooting by Excel. No players for the Titans scored doubled figures to underscore Excel’s defense. Willie Fontano contributed 8 points for the Titans including two triples.

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Box Scores:

G5: TFC edges Dynamic Excel in the dying seconds to win by 1, 42 - 41.

Raymond Mendoza scored a solitary point for TFC in their revenge match against Dynamic Excel. But this single shot made from the foul-throw line was enough to transform Mendoza from zero to HERO. His single-point production came at the most important time of the ballgame - with 2 seconds left, Mendoza fouled and both teams tied at 41. Everyone on the court had their focus on Mendoza as he made 1 out of 2 pressure-packed shots that sent the TFC bench and fans into wild jubilation.

Prior to Mendoza’s free throw, Justin Mercado of Excel tied the game with, yet again, two free throws with 15 seconds remaining. In the ensuing play, Dennis Balagtas, fouled a jump shooting Mendoza with 2 ticks remaining, that paved the way for Mendoza’s game-winning shot.


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Box Scores:
TFC: Santos A., 10; Nicdao, 9; Dazon, 8; Sanchez, 7; Liga, 2; Esquerra, 1; mendoza, 1;
Excel: Mercado, 10; Balagtas, 8; Miranda, 8; Valera, 5; Pr'Out, 4; Mann, 3; Sanchez, 2; Bandoy, 1;

G4: GK Warriors clobbers Dynamic Excel, 57 - 44

There was no love lost between FACAA champions, Dynamic Excel and defending titlist, GK Warriors as their heated blog exchanges flowed over to the hard court come game time. Playing coach, Mike Sanchez, of the Dynamic Excel Team was given the boot by game officials with 2 technical fouls, as he relentlessly argued with the referees on crucial calls. It was the first double technical foul called this season, which resulted to Coach Mike being thrown out of the ball game and the playing area.

Despite the hardcourt drama, the Warriors remained focused on clobbering Dynamic Excel, as they cruised to their 4th victory in as many games. Throughout the game, the GK Warriors led by as high as 20 points under the firepower of Yogi "The Stallion" Veranga, who produced a game-high, 23 points.

In the second half of play, spitfire Joe Miranda led an 8-2 scoring rampage that almost ignited a semblance of a rally for the Physical Therapists. But the spurt turned out to be short-lived as the Warriors covered the paint well with their Twin Tower defense to douse Excel's hope for a comeback.

GK's win solidifies their lead in overall and division rankings, with a 4-0 card. They are currently tied with Pilipino-division leader, Maricas. Excel's loss slides them to 3rd place over-all and second place in the Americano Division.


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Box Scores:
GK Warriors: Veranga, 23; De Gracia, 10; De Guzman, 7; Clemente (22), 6; Clemente (13), 4; Yanogacio, 2; Llave' 2; Clemente (23), 2; Clemente (41), 1.
Dynamic Excel: Miranda, 11; Pr'Out, 9; Mercado, 9; Imperial, 7; Bandoy, 5; Mann, 3.