Breaking Down Ginebra TNT Game 4

The antagonists of the now-infamous walkout game have dragged statistics into the conversation, and that makes me happy because, well, we at Patay Ang Butiki love us some statistics. Now, TNT coach Chot Reyes started this all off by stating the free throw disparity between the teams during Game 4, which was 14-5 in favor of Ginebra. And while I agree with Jaemark of Fire Quinito that free throw disparity doesn’t really tell us much, it’s a good starting point for discussion.

I find it interesting that Ginebra governor Robert Non said that Reyes was “only quoting the statistics that he wants to serve his and his team’s ends” when his own head coach in an attempt to respond to TNT’s allegations, does exactly the same thing. Jong Uichico cites that “Talk ’N Text is No.3 as the most fouling team with 27.17 per game while Barangay Ginebra is the least fouling team at 25.67 per game.”

But just as a disclaimer before everything else, we aren’t out to prove or disprove anything. Biased refereeing is very difficult to prove and as such, we aren’t even going to attempt it. What we will do is present some of the relevant statistics, explain what we can, and point out anything that looks out of place. It won’t prove anything, but it helps in understanding the context of things.

Look, a lot of the numbers being thrown around really doesn’t mean much. Take Uichico’s numbers, for one. He cites rankings – TNT at no. 3 and Ginebra at dead last – when it comes to fouls per game. But look at the quantities. There’s a difference of just less than two fouls per game between TNT and Ginebra. That’s not a very convincing difference. At best, you can say that Ginebra is expected to foul slightly less than TNT if they play in a series. But TNT isn’t complaining about being screwed over slightly. In Reyes’ mind, there’s a rather large disparity.

There are two things I wanted to find out from the numbers. First, was there a large difference in the TNT numbers and Ginebra numbers? And second, how did the quarterfinal series numbers compare to the regular season numbers and especially in games between TNT and Ginebra? That probably tells more about how games were called than looking at TNT and Ginebra’s games against the other PBA teams.

Also, you have to know that I prefer using advanced statistics than the regular ones. Important terms you have to know:

FP100: Fouls Per 100 Possessions. Basically just fouls per game adjusted for pace.
FTR: Free Throw Rate. This is what is used in the Four Factors, which measures a team’s ability to get to the free throw line. It’s basically FTA divided by FGA since it assumes one needs to take a shot to get free throws. And that’s what makes the penalty situation so valuable, it gives you points out of nothing.

Let’s get to the numbers.

I took my statistics from PBFantasy.com, so it may differ slightly from the figures Uichico cites, but they’re pretty damn close.

REGULAR SEASON
Ginebra:
27.11 FP100; 27.98 FP100 (Opp)
36.3% FTR; 34.2% FTR (Opp)

TNT
27.76 FP100; 25.09 FP100 (Opp)
33.0% FTR; 37.1% FTR (Opp)

So what do these numbers say? Basically, what Uichico was trying to point out. Ginebra is slightly above average at drawing fouls and getting to the line. And TNT is below average at that. But how far away are they from each other?

Now, assuming this is how TNT is called for almost 3 fouls more than the average team, and allows opponents to get to the line about 4 percentage points more, how would they perform against a slightly above average team like Ginebra? From a quick glance at the numbers, one would expect TNT to be called for about 4 or 5 more fouls against Ginebra, and maybe down 8 or 9 percentage points in FTR. And the regular season numbers seem to support that.

REGULAR SEASON (Ginebra vs TNT head-to-head; 2 games)
Ginebra
23.93 FP100
38.8% FTR

TNT
29.14 FP100
27.9% FTR

So yes. From the numbers, one would expect Ginebra to fare better than TNT when it comes to the fouls and free throw metrics, advanced or otherwise. And Ginebra did indeed prove to have the advantage in the regular season matchups. Nothing out of the ordinary here.

Now let’s check out the numbers from the games in the quarterfinal series that led to the walkout.

QUARTERFINALS (Games 1-3; 3 games)
Ginebra
26.89 FP100
54.0% FTR

TNT
36.64 FP100
30.1% FTR

So obviously, a lot more fouls being called here when compared to either the regular season schedule against all other 9 teams, or to the head-to-head games between TNT and Ginebra. Both teams were called for more fouls but TNT’s fouls get bumped up by 9 more fouls from their season norms, while Ginebra actually fouls less. When compared to the head-to-heads, which is a better comparison, Ginebra’s FP100 goes up by about 3 fouls while TNT’s go up by 6.

That’s a small red flag there. Just a teeny tiny one. But the problem is, those extra fouls in the game probably mean the difference between having fouls to give and penalty. And that shows up on the FTR.

Ginebra’s FTR goes up by a whopping 16 percentage points, while TNT’s goes up by about 3. Now that’s a bigger red flag right there. Something definitely out of the ordinary happened in the series.

Now I said in a previous post that I was already bugging about Game 3 – the way it was so easy for Ginebra to get to the line. So let’s look at Game 3 as well.

GAME 3 (1 game)
Ginebra
31.0 FP100
61.1% FTR

TNT
42.4 FP100
26.6% FTR

So for whatever reason, Game 3 was even more lopsided than the already lopsided quarterfinal series. Now let’s take a look at Game 4, which was the game TNT walked out on.

GAME 4 (1 game)
Ginebra
12.2 FP100
87.5% FTR

TNT
40.7 FP100
20.8% FTR

Wow. That 87.5% is insane. And the fact that Ginebra was on pace for just 12 fouls for 100 possessions when they averaged 27 in the eliminations? So it’s pretty safe to say that Ginebra got to the line A LOT, and was called for an incredibly small amount of fouls. You can’t say the refs were calling it tight on this one or there is no way one team would be on pace for 12 FP100. That’s half of Ginebra’s normal averages.

Now all these come with usual caveats about sample size, etc. Very likely, if TNT does not get into penalty in the next quarter, then that 87.5% of Ginebra will take a dip. But then, it doesn’t change the fact that these numbers are so far off from anything one can project.

But like I said, I’m not out to prove referee bias or anything like that. Stats can’t do that, sadly. But I can go over the numbers and point out things that look out of place.

And the walkout? Happened in an out-of-the-ordinary first quarter, preceded by an out-of-the-ordinary game, in an out-of-the-ordinary series. That much, we can see.

Now, someone has to look at it play-by-play if there’s bias to be proven. The stats can tell us there are red flags all over the place, but not why. They can be caused by a change in TNT strategy (that leads to more fouls), or Ginebra personnel (the return of Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand from injury), or it could be referee bias. It could be anything.

And like I said, I don’t Iike that TNT walked out of the game. It’s disrespectful to the sport and to the fans, on some level. But if you have to understand why they felt they were handed the short end of the stick – well, here it is. The Game 4 disparity was worse than Game 3, which was worse than the rest of the series, which was worse than the past head-to-heads, which was worse than the regular series.

The two things I wanted to find out? Yes, there was, and rightfully should be, a difference between Ginebra’s and TNT’s numbers. They’re better at drawing fouls, period. But was there a difference with how the regular season and head-to-head matchups went as compared to the quarters? Yes, and I fully understand how that can frustrate TNT. Even as they won Games 1 and 2, they must have felt this was nothing like the past games they’ve had with Ginebra.

And like I said, you gotta feel for them.

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Talk N Text walk out mars quarterfinal with Ginebra

Talk N Text walked out on their Game 4 matchup against Ginebra, and forfeiting the game in the process. Now, I'm not a fan of walk-outs. In fact, I will almost always side with the team that stayed on court. But I have to say, I can't blame Chot Reyes and company for taking a stand on this one.

This wasn't a game TNT could win on the basketball court. And if they had played on and put the game under protest instead, people would ask why they stayed on if they thought they being cheated. Look, Ginebra draws a lot of fouls. I understand that. But even with that in mind, you can't help watch Game 3 and think, man, Ginebra's drawing A LOT of fouls. And a 14-5 advantage in free throw attempts in Game 4? It wasn't the bogus Ranidel de Ocampo Flagrant-2 that caused the walkout. No, that was just the tipping point. It's these fouls, the sheer volume of them.

It's kind of like that 2nd round meeting between San Beda and Letran in the 2009 NCAA tournament. Everybody knew Letran was a team that thrives on physicality. Knowing that, the referees still decided to call the game extremely tight which obviously put the Knights at an extreme disadvantage. Predictably, Letran lost a lot of guys to foul trouble early in the game, AND were forced to play a meek brand of defense the rest of the way.

Why call a game in a manner that so obviously skews it in favor of one team over the other? Ginebra gets a lot of calls with their aggressive play, yes. But why make it even easier for them to get to the line by being so quick with the whistle? Why rob the PBA fans of a well-played basketball game that Ginebra could very well win even without the rules playing in their favor? I know refs get the freedom to choose how they call a game, but sometimes you just need to let the players decide the outcome.

I won't comment on the referee's agenda. Those things are impossible to prove, anyway. But the Commissioner's Office will have plenty to think about before Sunday. My opinion is that Sonny Barrios got it wrong when he awarded the San Miguel-TNT-wrong-uniform game to the Tropang Texters when they should have forfeited there.

Now, it's either a replay of the game or a forfeit win for Ginebra. That's all up to Barrios now. Either way, these two teams are playing again on Sunday. Here's to hoping the referees let them, this time around.

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Butiki Bullets: Smart Gilas invited back to Dubai

• Smart Gilas, fresh off their impressive performance in Dubai, has just been invited back by the organizers for a four-team invitational. Joel Orellana of the Business Mirror reports that Smart Gilas has been asked to participate in the Al Ahli Cup from March 23-28. There may be a conflict in schedule because Gilas is expected to be in Australia for some tuneup games this March, but I think it's worth a visit just to get another crack at CJ Giles and his Al Riyadi team.

• More on Smart Gilas. Kelly Williams on the national team is beginning to look more like a possibility, although the SBP top brass have yet to make a formal request to the PBA. And a prospect for naturalization is in town to try out for Smart Gilas. Darian Townes who, according to Basketball-Reference.com, played 31 games for the Erie BayHawks in the NBA D-League, had a tryout last night.

• The Philippine Patriots are the first team in ABL history to make it into the Finals. Considering they scored the first basket (Rob Wainwright), the first victory, and the #1 seeding in the first regular season, the Pats really are amassing quite a haul in the very young record books of the league. Let's hope first championship is also in the offing for the squad.

• Purefoods sat out vets Kerby Raymundo, Peter June Simon and rookie Rico Maierhofer in their 95-93 loss to Rain or Shine Wednesday. Think Ryan Gregorio would like to take that one back? Look, I know they're hurting, but you usually rest players after winning a series, not one game. Yes, they were up 2-0 and could afford to lose one or two games. But now, it's 2-1, and one bad game could send you to a virtual Game 7 (do-or-die Game 5 doesn't quite have the ring of a Game 7) where every basketball fan knows, anything can happen. In game 3, Sol Mercado had a bad game, and if you play Kerby and Rico in stretches, maybe you pull through with a win. They could be resting now while Ginebra and Talk N Text dispute their series. Instead, they play a more confident Rain or Shine team that knows they can beat Purefoods.

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Ginebra has a new weapon

Brgy Ginebra, when they have their full complement of players, is dangerous. This team is just loaded. Actually, even without the full house, Ginebra is pretty good. Ronald Tubid, Cyrus Baguio and Eric Menk have held the fort admirably this year while backcourt stars Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand struggle with injuries. The Fast and the Furious have combined to miss 31 games this conference, and yet the Kings are a top-4 team in the PBA.

And that only makes the development of JC Intal – ‘the Rocket’ – even scarier.

Intal has always been a prospect. Very few players have that combination of skill and athleticism that he has for his size. At 6’4”, he can almost pass for a big man in the PBA (barely), but with the quickness of a guard. And the hops. Ah, the hops. Intal is a perennial favorite at whatever slam dunk contest he chooses to enter. That’s how he got his monicker in the first place. He makes dunking the ball look like the easiest thing in the world to do.

Intal has always been a bundle of potential. There were rumors in the past that San Miguel Beer had wanted to acquire Intal as a long-term replacement for the aging and oft-injured Danny Seigle. The opinion of many is that once JC develops a reliable three-point shot, he can be close to impossible to guard. Intal’s shown flashes of brilliance through the years, but never quite put it together.

Not until now, at least. Granted, he had that sweat gland disorder that kept him off the floor for a long stretch in his development years. But man, does he look good now.

He’s scored 10 points or more in 16 of the team’s 22 games, including the last nine. In fact, since Ginebra’s December 25 win over Coca-cola, Intal has been averaging 20.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists over a 7-game stretch. He averaged only 5.3 points and 3.1 rebounds last conference. In their quarterfinal series against TNT, he’s upped his scoring to 22.3 points per game, to go along with 7.0 boards and 1.3 assists. He’s getting good balance on his shot attempts, too. He’s made 9 three-pointers in three games against TNT, and averaging an impressive 9.5 free throw attempts per game. They’ve needed his output badly, with Tubid shooting .288 eFG% and .365 TS% for the series.

He was it again last night. Eric Menk is going to get the attention for his 20-point performance (only the second time this conference he’s reached 20) and the game-clinching free throws he made. But Intal’s 25 points (.531 eFG%; .667 TS%) and 10 rebounds were big in their first win of the series.

Caguioa and Heltebrand played limited but quality minutes last night. Down 0-2 in the series, that may have been their last chance to play this conference. Now, they’re down 1-2, still with their backs to the wall, still facing elimination, still needing to win two-in-a-row to advance. It’s tough, but if JC Intal keeps his play up, Ginebra might just stand a chance.

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Butiki Bullets: Kelly Williams on Smart Gilas?

• Smart Gilas head coach Rajko Toroman may have expressed interest in Sta Lucia forward Kelly Williams, but Philippine basketball fans better not get their hopes up. At least not yet, seeing as PBA officials have remained lukewarm on the subject. Sta Lucia governor Buddy Encarnado seems open to the idea, but maintains the need for "balance between the team and being patriotic." PBA chairman Lito Alvarez thinks Smart Gilas has no need for a PBA reinforcement. PBA commissioner, Sonny Barrios, meanwhile, is concerned that "their players have already sacrificed a lot tapos kung kukuha pa sila sa amin, baka sumama pa loob nila."

• A Smart Gilas insider recently lent his two bits on Fire Quinito. On Chris Tiu's defense: "It would seem that it is his fault when the guards score but truth is, he does everything coach Raijko asks him to on defense. He follows their defensive philosophy to the letter and often enough it is due to his teammates' mistakes in following their help side rules on defense that lead his man to score."

• And for those keeping tabs, Chris Lutz statistics. Most of his numbers are down from last season, but the ones that probably matter to Gilas the most - FG%, FT% and especially 3p% - are all slightly higher this year. Interesting to note, though, that his FG% is inversely proportional to the number of points he scores.

• In the off-chance that these naturalization problems continue, is it too much to hope for Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter to develop into a legitimate frontline combo? They seem like such a good fit, at least defensively. Slaughter's size is a perfect match for the high-flying help defense of Aguilar, if they can only figure out how to use their talents properly. They have an 80-game schedule before competing in the 16th Asian Games in November and a couple more months after that before the 2011 FIBA Asia Championships. Is it wishful thinking to hope that, in a year's time, those two blue-chips are playing better than the gutsy but undersized Jason Ballesteros for Smart Gilas?

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Video: Jared Dillinger buzzer beater against Ginebra

Jared Dillinger gave the Talk n Text Tropang Texters a 2-0 lead in their best of five series against Ginebra after scoring off of an alley-oop inbounds play (starting from the 3:20 mark of the video).

The play was reminiscent of the one San Miguel drew up to force overtime against Alaska in their second round meeting, and the almost identical one that Alaska ran themselves a week later against this TNT team. TNT coach Chot Reyes admits to taking inspiration from those plays, saying "that's the way basketball is; you learn from other coaches."

It's a fairly simple play. Reyes had Renren Ritualo act as a decoy on a strong cut to the basket while Dillinger quietly snuck in a backdoor cut for an uncontested shot. It seems, though, that unless your team runs a similar play in the endgame, the players aren't prepared to defend against that kind of play. That's probably why it enjoys a pretty good success rate.

The other PBA coaches better start teaching their guys how to defend against these set plays.

But Jared, wow.

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Butiki Bullets: Sunday January 31

• All eyes are going to be on Rain or Shine guard Solomon Mercado tonight, who averaged 27 points per game in three games going into their quarterfinal match-up against Purefoods. The Elastopainters can be a pretty tough out when Mercado is on his game offensively. If Roger Yap can contain him, this will be a short series.

• Fans of the Chris Tiu-Jvee Casio bromance will be disappointed to know that the two are no longer roommates in the recent Smart Gilas trip to the Middle East. Tiu reveals in his blog that he bunked with new acquisition Marcio Lassiter, who fit in quite nicely with the Gilas boys in their Dubai stint.

• ABL action today. Gabe Freeman and the Philippine Patriots take on Rudy Lingganay's KL Dragons. Okay, so Lingganay isn't exactly the best player on that squad. The 4th ranked Dragons will be a dangerous foe for the Patriots. Coach Louie Alas once called the Dragons "the best defensive team in the league." KL owns wins over each of the top three teams, including a 77-59 rout over the league-leading Pats.

• Newly-minted Smart Gilas team manager Frankie Lim is heading to the US to find a new naturalization candidate. To be honest, the exercise is getting fans, including me, impatient. If Lim comes up empty-handed on this trip, should the Gilas boys consider going All-Filipino and turn their efforts into getting Coca-cola star Asi Taulava instead? Asi has always been a willing player for flag and country, and it would be nice to see him playing in relevant games for a change.

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Nate Robinson: the great hope for Philippine basketball?

Nate Robinson is by no means the perfect recruit for the Philippine basketball team. Smart Gilas Pilipinas coach Rajko Toroman, who recently steered the team to a 3rd place finish in the Dubai International Tournament where they faced some of their likely competition in the Olympic qualifiers beefed up with American imports, rued his team’s lack of an imposing big man. He did, however, proclaim his wards ready for the upcoming Asiad tournament.

Nate Robinson is the furthest thing from an imposing big man. He stands 5’7” without shoes, making him, quite possibly, the smallest player on a team that needs size badly. 6’11” naturalization candidate Jamal Sampson sat most of the tournament out with an injury, prompting calls to replace the ailing big man with either a new American recruit or with PBA star Asi Taulava.

Robinson isn’t perfect as a guard either. He’s a pure scorer who needs the ball in his hands to be effective. He’s great at getting to the basket, but while he is a skilled passer, he prefers to take shots himself. That might pose a problem for Gilas, a team that relies on a system to get points more than individual talent. They’ve been spending all this time trying to develop chemistry, and Robinson, especially as a late addition, will surely affect that. On occasion, Nate will also do something like this.

But quite frankly, Philippine basketball has never had a talent quite like Nate Robinson. Look, Gabe Norwood looks like such a talent in the PBA. But the guy was a bit player in his US NCAA days, on a Cinderella team that grabbed national attention by knocking off favorites in the NCAA tourney. He was never an NBA prospect. Former PBA MVP Kelly Williams didn’t even play college ball in Division I. He was even less of a prospect. The imports who dominate our leagues here are either ex-pros who are too old to play or longshots trying to play their way into the NBA. They may get invited to training camps, or even play in summer leagues but who was the last guy who even actually made the roster, much less get significant playing time? Ansu Sesay? Richie Frahm?

Nate Robinson isn’t some borderline NBA player like those guys. This is a guy who can easily score double figures on quality NBA defenses. He’s averaged 10 or more points every season except for his rookie year where he played just 21 minutes a game. In 2008-09, he had career highs in points (17.2) and assists (4.1) last season and was in contention for the league’s sixth man of the year award. Though his numbers have dropped this season (12.6 and 3.4), it’s more due to a lack of minutes and being on his coach’s doghouse than a dip in performance. In fact, his per-36 numbers this year are practically identical to last season’s. Robinson is excellent at getting in the lane (although his size keeps him from being an elite finisher), and has pretty good range on his shot, too.

You know how Smart Gilas guard Mark Barroca dropped 18 of his 21 points in the 4th quarter against Syria in the third place game of the Dubai tourney? That’s something Robinson can do every single quarter he plays for the Philippines. Not even the best players in Asia (excluding Yao Ming, of course, but he hardly plays on the Asian level anymore) can claim to be on Nate’s level. Hamed Haddadi of Iran and the Memphis Grizzlies and Yi Jianlian of China and the New Jersey Nets aren’t going to be able to stop Nate.

Because, oh yeah, Nate Robinson can do this.

Nate signing on for the 2011 FIBA Asia Olympic qualifiers is unlikely, though. Reports say that Smart Gilas management has reached out with feelers to the Knicks guard, but it’ll be tough to get him to commit spending any time this summer, not when he’s got a contract to chase. And that’s probably for the best, too. The boys of Gilas have been tasked with the goal of qualifying for the Olympics. And after years of turmoil and disappointment, this has been the one national team program in recent years that’s been doing it the right way. Best not to mess with the chemistry and the preparations that the boys are working so hard for.

But if they do qualify for the 2012 Olympics? There’s no reason not to pursue Robinson as a real option. Look, the world level is different from the Asian level. Practically every team has an NBA player (or one that plays as well, anyway). Earning a spot there would be awesome, but everything after that is just gravy at that point. We won’t be in contention for a medal. Heck, we might not even win a single game there. And that’s fine. It may take many years and even with experience, there’s no guarantee we’ll ever be competitive on the world stage. Just being back there would be beyond expectations.

Nate, at the very least, will garner attention and excitement. A legitimate NBA player, not to mention a 5’7” wonder that can dunk with ease, leading a small team of unknown first-timers on the big stage? That’s a Mighty Ducks story if I ever heard one. I’d be surprised if we didn’t become the most loved team there. And isn’t Robinson the embodiment of everything we Filipinos love about basketball? We always root for the ragtag underdogs. And we always root for guys who make exciting plays. That’s what was endearing about the old Ginebra teams. Robinson is all of that. All of his career, he’s been slammed for being undersized (something that’s always been said of Filipino ballers too) but here he is. A two-time NBA slam dunk champion, a sixth man of the year candidate, a 20-point per 36-minute scorer.

The more you think about, isn’t Nate Robinson a perfect embodiment of Philippine basketball?

And guess what, it’ll be good for the NBA. David Stern has already acknowledged that the Philippines is an important asset for the league. “The two places that we know we are the number one sport,” he once said. “Are the Philippines and China.” They’ll likely see a rise in Nate Robinson jersey sales. (Although they might want to sell them at discounted prices so Pinoy fans won’t buy the fake ones off the street). With Robinson and Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who also has Filipino roots, the NBA will make itself even more attractive to Pinoys. It’ll be good for the country, too. That kind of international exposure will surely put us on the radar of other countries. After Smart Gilas won their quarterfinal game in Dubai against Egypt, forward Mac Baracael was said to have received an offer to play as an import in Egypt. The attention Robinson will bring to the team will surely give other players an opportunity to shine. Scouts from other countries might even want to check out the PBA for imports. That might eventually open up opportunities for the Philippines’ best to play in Europe or, dare I say it, the NBA. Having a Filipino in the NBA would be like having 82 Manny Pacquiao fights in one year, plus extra if they make the playoffs. That’s a win-win for both the NBA and the Philippines

And It will be good for Nate, too. Gilbert Arenas once said he wanted to play one season in the Philippines after his NBA career is over, because Pinoy fans treat basketball idols like gods here. Imagine how they’ll treat someone they can claim as their own. And seriously, this might be his only chance to play in the Olympics. Not with Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo all vying for that Team USA spot. We aren’t bringing Nate over to save Philippine basketball or anything. The SBP and the PBA can do that on its own. Like Toroman says, a quality big is the priority need. But if the country does qualify, I don’t see how we can afford not to go for Nate Robinson.

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We haven't been around in a while...

but man, has basketball been interesting without us.

• The PBA playoffs have begun. Alaska and San Miguel clinched outright spots in the semifinals. Ginebra, Purefoods and TNT are all in the quarters waiting for the winner of the wildcards. The Coca-cola Tigers, who recently acquired slasher Gary David from Burger King, and the erstwhile disappointing Rain or Shine Elastopainters took care of their wildcard assignments last night to stay in the hunt. Interestingly enough, last night's losers Sta Lucia and Burger King were said to be in trade talks before the wildcards took place. The Realtors were interested in picking up a couple of bigs to back up the aging Marlou Aquino. That won't help either team now that they join Barako Bull in the eliminated pile.

• Smart Gilas, who saw expectations drop after a lukewarm stint in the PBA, came up with an impressive performance in the Dubai International Basketball Championship. Despite playing with a short-handed, all-Filipino crew (naturalization candidate Jamal Sampson was often injured) the young bucks of Gilas finished 3rd in the tournament, dropping their semifinal game to a CJ Giles-led Lebanon squad that boasted of several American reinforcements by just three points. Good signs for the team trying to take us back to the Olympics.

• In ABL news, the Philippine Patriots clinched the #1 spot in the ABL playoffs. After dropping two games in a row away from home, the Pats replaced import Brandon Powell with PBA Best Import Gabe Freeman. The RP squad closed out its last two games behind Freeman's 20.5 pts and 16.5 reb average to finish the season on top of the leaderboard. This gives the team homecourt advantage in the playoffs, which could mean a lot since the Pats are 8-0 on home soil.

• And earlier this year, New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson was outed as part-Filipino. Considering that Krypto-Nate doesn't have a shot with Team USA, here's to hoping he can be convinced of playing for us in international competition.

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Butiki Bullets: the comeback edition

We haven't had much time to blog about the Pinoy basketball scene lately, but basketball has certainly been busy in that time. Let's jump right into the headlines.

• The PBA has been very interesting. The San Miguel Beermen have gone on to win nine straight games and are just a step behind Alaska in the standings. The last team to beat SMB? Smart Gilas in a no-bearing encounter. Meanwhile, Rain or Shine is finally starting to put things together. After being the last team to earn a victory in the conference, they've rattled off three wins in their last four games, including victories over last year's finalists Alaska and TNT.

• Speaking of nine-game streaks, Mapua saw its own winning run snapped as they lost by 2 points in the PCCL quarterfinals against the San Beda Red Lions. The Cardinals put up nine in a row bridging the second round of the NCAA tournament, the wildcard phase of the PCCL and their first round victory over Greg Slaughter and the UV Lancers. Some measure of revenge, too, for the FEU Tamaraws. They advance to the semis of the PCCL after defeating the UE Red Warriors, the team that knocked the Tams out of contention in the UAAP. The PCCL has been fun to watch since the Philippine Patriots and Smart Gilas players were allowed to play for their schools. Nice to see the top programs beginning to take the tourney seriously.

• The U-16 Nokia Pilipinas team missed the medals by one win, but finishing fourth behind the controversial Chinese squad, the Koreans and the much taller Iranians is pretty respectable. Kiefer Ravena continues to impress as he finished the FIBA U-16 tournament with a 17.6 point average.

• Some great reads for you: check out the Fire Quinito post on Filipino racism framed in the context of CJ Giles departure from the Gilas squad. And Toff Rada's musings on who could be our next "baller-in-chief".

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