76ers trade Dalembert to Kings for 2 players

source: The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — Samuel Dalembert got his wish. The Philadelphia 76ers traded Dalembert to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday for Andres Nocioni and Spencer Hawes.

Dalembert asked for a trade last year because he was unhappy with his role. Now, he got it.

"We are excited to add two players in Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni who will help us immediately and provide us with additional frontcourt depth," Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski said in a statement. "Spencer is a young seven-footer who will provide us with versatility at the center position, while Andres will provide us with a tough veteran presence."

Dalembert was Philadelphia's longest-tenured player, but he played for seven different coaches and never developed into a dominant force after being drafted in the first round in 2001. The 6-foot-11 center averaged 8.1 points and 8.3 rebounds over eight seasons, and often was mentioned in trade rumors.

He joins a team that was 25-57 and had the second-worst record in the Western Conference.

"He will certainly bring a defensive presence and increase our ability to defend around the basket with his rebounding, shot-blocking and athleticism," Kings president Geoff Petrie said. "I think he'll add a very different look to our team defensively and we're really excited about having him."

Nocioni, a 6-foot-7 forward, averaged 8.5 points for the Kings last season. He was suspended two games in March after pleading no contest in California to drunken driving.

Hawes, a 7-foot-1 center, averaged 10 points and 6.1 rebounds last season. He was Sacramento's first-round draft pick in 2007.

Nocioni and Hawes join a rebuilding team that missed the playoffs last season and has the No. 2 overall pick in next week's draft.

The Sixers have a new coach in Doug Collins, some talented players already on the roster and expect to improve significantly after an awful 27-win season.

Dalembert, the NBA's only Haitian-born player, went to Haiti in January with the aid group Project MediShare to assist with the earthquake relief effort.

The 29-year-old Dalembert was scheduled to earn nearly $13 million in the final year of his contract. He has a 15 percent trade kicker in his deal. That clause made it difficult for the Sixers to trade him sooner.

Nocioni began his NBA career with the Chicago Bulls in 2004 and was traded to the Kings during the 2008-09 season. He's averaged 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds over his career. The 30-year-old Nocioni is a rugged player who adds toughness at the small forward position.

Nocioni helped Argentina win the gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics and the bronze in '08.

Hawes, the 10th overall pick three years ago, has averaged 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in his career. He's not as effective as Dalembert at blocking shots, but fits in better at center.

Stefanski may not be done dealing. The addition of Nocioni gives Philadelphia three players — Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young are the others — whose best position is small forward. Iguodala has been Philadelphia's shooting guard, but Ohio State star Evan Turner can play that spot if the Sixers take him with the No. 2 pick.

SMB battles 'Rain' with import back

Gabe Freeman is expected to return to action tonight as San Miguel Beer plays Rain or Shine in a crucial game in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Beermen hope to regain their bearing and rebuild momentum in a bid to salvage the second outright semifinal berth after losing four of their last five games.

The Elasto Painters are also out to check their own skid to land a spot in the Top Five which means outright slot in the quarterfinals.

This could well be Jai Lewis’ last game as Rain or Shine import as the team management is reportedly set to sign former Ginebra reinforcement Rod Nealy.

Sta. Lucia Realty and Air21 clash in the 5 p.m. opener with both teams out to enhance their chances for the wildcard round.

Focus, however, could well be on a San Miguel team now handled by assistant coach Ato Agustin.

It’s interesting to see how Freeman would perform amidst speculation he tested positive for a banned substance and voluntarily sat out their last two games.

The Commissioner’s Office insisted yesterday results of the league’s random drug testing are confidential under existing rules.

The SMB team maintained Freeman didn’t play in their last two games since he was suffering from a case of flu.

The Beermen, the front-runners in the early stage of the tourney, are suddenly standing on shaky ground.

At 11-5, the Beermen are just half a game ahead of the B-MEG Derby Ace Llamados (10-5) and a full game in front of the Alaska Milk Aces (10-6).

Ginebra, at 9-7, is nursing a slim chance of finishing second.

Promoter: Oscar de la Hoya 'Misquoted' on Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao

Golden Boy CEO, Richard Schaefer, told FanHouse that Golden Boy President, Oscar de la Hoya, has been misrepresented in regard to the negotiations for a potential bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

De la Hoya reportedly has told some internet outlets that a deal is "Very close" to completion, to which Schaefer responded, "That's incorrect."

"I spoke to Oscar yesterday [Tuesday] and I wanted to know where that came from and he said that he was misquoted," said Schaefer, whose promotional company has represented Mayweather along with the fighter's Mayweather Promotions. "I saw those quotes as well, and I had no idea what Oscar was talking about. And I called him up and asked him about them and he that he was misquoted."

Schaefer said that he "I really can not comment" on the status of the negotiations.

But on Wednesday, Top Rank Promotions' CEO, Bob Arum, who represents seven-division king, Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), said that he is "optimistic" concerning a bout occurring between the Filipino star and six-time champion Mayweather (41-0, 25 knockouts).

Mayweather-Pacquiao initially appeared to be set for March 13 at the MGM Grand before talks reached an impasse in December over random drug testing for both fighters to be conducted by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

But since the original talks collapsed, a mutually agreed upon gag order is in place for all parties involved in the negotiations until the talks are complete.

"As you can see, you don't see any quotes from me," said Schaefer. "There's absolutely no comment from my side."

Smart Gilas in search of another ace guard

With top prospect Chris Banchero opting to finish his studies in the US, Smart Gilas Pilipinas said it needs another point guard to backstop the team competing in the Asian Games this year.

“He said he wants to finish school in the US but I will still talk to his agent and ask him to reconsider,” said RP team coach Rajko Toroman, referring to the flashy, 6-1 point guard at US NCAA Division II Seattle Pacific U.

“If Banchero is out, we’ll search for another point guard somewhere else, maybe in the PBA,” he added. (Chot favors Williams, Reyes for Gilas quintet)

Smart Gilas team manager Frankie Lim confirmed Smart Gilas’ plan but didn’t specifically say which PBA team they would tap for a reliable guard.

“We’re looking at the team but things have to be ironed out first,” he said.

One of the names being mentioned is Fil-Am Ryan Reyes, who was traded along with Kelly Williams from Sta. Lucia Realty to Talk n Text, Smart Gilas’ sister team, last month.

The high-leaping Williams will join Smart Gilas right after the ongoing PBA season to reinforce the Filipinos in the Asian Games in Guangzhou in November and hopefully in next year’s FIBA-Asia Championships which serves as the qualifier for the 2012 London Olympics.

There were reports, however, that Reyes won’t be available since he would need to be with his wife, who is due to give birth late this year.

Smart Gilas is also eyeing American Marcus Douthit as the team’s prospect for a naturalized player. Douthit will show his wares in the MVP Invitational slated June 24-27 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The 6-5 Williams and the 6-10 Douthit are expected to bolster Smart Gilas’ front court that also includes seven-footer Greg Slaughter, Jason Ballesteros, Japeth Aguilar, Dylan Ababou and Mac Baracael.

The need for another point guard came about after JV Casio sustained an injury, leaving co-skippers Chris Tiu and Mark Barroca to man the team’s backcourt.

“We learned from our Doha stint that we would need another point guard in case our other guards get injured,” said Toroman.

The Serbian coach, however, isn’t giving up on Banchero.

A junior at SPU, Banchero led the Falcons to a 22-6 record in a recent tournament, averaging 19.6 points, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals. He’s also a 52 percent shooter from the field. He was selected to the NCAA Division II men’s basketball All-America team.

If Banchero’s parents will agree, he will be included to the Smart-Gilas lineup in the William Jones Cup on July 13-21 in Taiwan, and probably in the tough FIBA-Asia Stankovic Cup on Aug. 7-15 in Beirut, Lebanon.

In the Stankovic Cup, the Philippines will play against the national teams of Lebanon, Iran, Jordan, Qatar, South Korea, Japan, Uzbekistan and Syria.

Lakers outlast Celtics 83-79 in Game 7, win 16th NBA title

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Purple and gold confetti raining down upon him, Kobe Bryant hopped up on the scorer's table, shook his fists and extended five fingers.

When he hopped down, Boston's legendary Hall of Fame centre Bill Russell was waiting to shake his hand.

A Game 7 classic — and this time, it finally went the Lakers' way.

Beating Boston for the first time in a Game 7, the Lakers came up champions again after trailing in the last quarter of the last game of their season.

Kobe Bryant scored 23 points despite 6-of-24 shooting and the Lakers won their 16th NBA championship Thursday night, dramatically rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 83-79 in Game 7 of the NBA finals.

Bryant earned his fifth title with the Lakers, who repeated as NBA champions for the first time since winning three straight from 2000-02.

Ron Artest added 20 points for the Lakers, who shot terribly while trailing for most of the first 3 quarters. Yet they reclaimed the lead midway through the fourth quarter and hung on with big shots from Pau Gasol and Artest.

"Well, first all I want to thank everybody in my hood," Artest said in an ABC interview right after the game. "I definitely want to thank my doctors ... my psychiatrist, she really helped me relax a lot."

With their fifth title in 11 seasons, the Lakers moved one championship behind Boston's 17 banners for the overall NBA lead.

Amid the confetti and streamers after the final buzzer, Magic Johnson rushed the court to congratulate Bryant, who now has the same number of titles, and to hug Artest, the only new addition to the Lakers' championship roster from last season. Artest has been a liability for much of the post-season, but the former head case came up with a remarkable game on the Lakers' biggest night, playing sturdy defence along with his scoring.

Paul Pierce had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who just couldn't finish the final quarter of a remarkable playoff run after a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Kevin Garnett added 17 points, but Boston flopped in two chances to clinch the series in Los Angeles after winning Game 5 back home.

After three quarters of mostly terrible offence, the Lakers tied it at 61 on Artest's three-point play with 7:29 left. Bryant's free throws 90 seconds later gave the Lakers their first lead of the second half, and the Lakers went up by five points before Bryant and Sasha Vujacic hit free throws in the final seconds to keep Los Angeles ahead.

The Lakers will relish this title because they took it from the Celtics, their greatest rivals, with fourth-quarter poise and defence. The teams have met in 12 NBA finals, but the Lakers won for just the third time.



click here for Game 7 statistics

Bob Arum is "Optimistic" about Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

Bob Arum said that he is "optimistic" concerning a bout occurring between six-time champion, Floyd Mayweather, and, seven-division king, Manny Pacquiao, sometime in the fall, the 78-year-old Top Rank Promotions' CEO told BoxingScene.com.

A Mayweather (41-0, 25 knockouts)-Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) fight appeared to be set for March 13 at the MGM Grand before talks reached an impasse in December over random drug testing for both fighters to be conducted by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

The fighters had agreed on a 50-50 split of the revenue, as well as eight-ounce gloves and a clash at the welterweight (147 pounds) limit rather than a catch weight.

But since the original talks collapsed, a mutually agreed upon gag order is in place for all parties involved in the negotiations until the talks are complete.

Arum said that he has reserved the date of Nov. 13 for the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the proposed mega fight, although it appears that the Las Vegas site is more likely.

"There is nothing to write except that I'm very optimistic," said Arum, who has said, in the recent past, "I'm going to do my darndest to make [a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather] happen."

Argentina whips South Korea, 4-1, at World Cup

JOHANNESBURG —Gonzalo Higuain scored a hat trick in Argentina’s 4-1 win over South Korea at the World Cup on Thursday, a result that put the South Americans on the brink of qualifying for the next round from Group B.

Higuain scored his first goal in the 33rd minute with a far post header after Nicolas Burdisso flicked on a cross from Maxi Rodriguez. He added two second-half goals—in the 76th and 80th minutes—to put the result beyond doubt.

“I have to congratulate the players … everything they did worked out well," Argentina coach Diego Maradona said. “I am very happy."

Argentina had gone ahead 1-0 in the 17th when Park Chu-young deflected a free kick from Lionel Messi into his own net, and looked to be comfortable after Higuain’s header. But South Korea pulled one back in first-half injury time when Lee Chung-yong pounced on a defensive mistake by defender Martin Demichelis.

Argentina now leads Group B with six points from two games, while South Korea, which beat Greece 2-0 in its opening match, has three.

With Messi playing in a slightly deeper role, Argentina lacked a cutting edge in the opening stages, its main threat coming down the left wing where Carlos Tevez was drifting into space and linking well with Gabriel Heinze and Angel Di Maria.

Higuain, who missed a string of chances against Nigeria, shot high over the bar in the eighth minute and Messi only showed occasional flashes of brilliance as he was man-marked and often found himself closed down by two or three opponents.

However, the South Korean tactics of targeting Messi, so influential in Argentina’s opening match, freed up Tevez, and the combative Manchester City striker was his team’s main inspiration in the first half.

South Korea came close to scoring in the 26th when Ki Sung-yong sent in a swerving shot from outside the box that just cleared the crossbar.

Two minutes later, Messi backheeled a free kick to Tevez, who sent a powerful shot just over the bar.

The match was played in a cold wind, and the South Koreans emerged with more confidence in the second half after they had pulled a goal back.

In the 58th, Yeom Ki-hun almost equalized following a flowing counterattack but put his shot just wide of the left-hand post.

Maradona brought on striker Sergio Aguero in the closing stages, and with 14 minutes left Messi—increasingly breaking free of his markers—skipped past two challenges and shot against the post, but Higuain was on hand to tap in the third goal.

Four minutes later, Messi played in Aguero, who crossed for Higuain to head in the fourth.

Higuain, now the tournament’s leading scorer, said he was delighted to lead his team to victory. “I’m very happy to score the goals, but we have to think of the team as a whole."

Lewis out, Nealy in as Painters make last push in PBA Fiesta Cup

Rod Nealy is best remembered for playing for the most popular team in the Philippine Basketball Association – the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings.

This time, Nealy will be tasked to change the fortunes of a young team that needs direction -- the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

The lefty, all-around player who led the Gin Kings to the semifinals in the 2007 import-laden conference, will be back for another tour of duty, this time for an Elasto Painters seeking for a berth in the quarterfinal round.

Nealy will replace Jai Lewis, the burly slotman, who was ineffective for the previous games now.

Lewis will play his final game in the tournament when the Elasto Painters meet the San Miguel Beermen Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Rain or Shine co-team owner Raymond Yu told GMANews.TV that they opted for Nealy in replacing Lewis since he’s already familiar with the Filipino brand of play.

“We need a quick change. First, we know already what Nealy is capable of doing. Second, he doesn’t need to undergo import measurement as he has played here before and third, we can establish our running game and add an additional scorer on the team," said Yu in a telephone interview.

Nealy will play the small forward position and form a deadly triumvirate alongside young resident stars Gabe Norwood and Sol Mercado.

Nealy is fresh from a campaign in the Portugese League where he emerged as the No.1 rebounder aside from averaging 18.7 points per game with the Vitoria SC Guimares.

Last season, Nealy led his CBA team Albany Patroons to the finals. His team lost to the finals against the Oklahoma Cavalry in overtime. After his CBA stint, he was called back for a return journey with Ginebra where he averaged 27.3 points per game.

Beermen welcome back Freeman, test Painters' mettle

Defending champion San Miguel welcomes the return of import Gabe Freeman as the troubled franchise tries to arrest a three-game slide when it takes on Rain or Shine Friday night in the PBA Fiesta Cup.

After racking nine straight wins and appeared headed trouble-free to the semifinals, things began to unravel for the Beermen, who lost four of their last five outings and found themselves just a game ahead of sister-team Derby Ace (10-5) with their 11-5 record in the fight for the remaining automatic berth to the Final Four.

Two of those losses came in the absence of Freeman, whom San Miguel management said failed to suit up owing to a flu, but was rumored to have been tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Last year’s Fiesta Cup Best Import ironically, appeared before the PBA Commissioner’s Office Thursday, although Sonny Barrios, the league commissioner, refused to give any detail over what transpired during the discussion.

But Freeman’s presence alone at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium for the Beermen’s 7:30 p.m. date with the Elasto Painters (7-8) is definitely a sigh of relief for a team that has also undergone coaching changes following the appointment of assistant mentor Ato Agustin as interim coach in lieu of Siot Tanquingcen.

For the second straight game, Agustin will call the shot for the Beermen despite losing in his initial foray as head coach, an 89-86 setback against Coca-Cola, which was bailed out by a timely three-pointer by Mark Macapagal.

A reliable source said Agustin, a former San Miguel great who has won championships in the NCAA and PBL as a rookie coach, is being groomed to be the next mentor of the Beermen.

Tanquingcen, officially the head coach of the winningest franchise in PBA history, eventually will be shipped to Ginebra as an assistant to Jong Uichico, the source added.

In the event Agustin is officially named San Miguel coach, the 1992 MVP winner and voted as one of the league’s 25 Greatest Players, will be forced to give up his mentoring chores in the amateur leagues since a common rule in the PBA and in the NCAA prohibits coaches from handling two teams in both leagues at the same time.

The Beermen however, are not the only ones who are in a bind.

Rain or Shine, which lost to Alaska last time out, is struggling. The team was set to part ways with Jai Lewis.

Lewis, the burly import and college teammate of Gabe Norwood with the George Mason University Patriots, has been ineffective the past few games.

Lewis finished with only 10 points in 38 minutes during the the Elasto Painters’ loss to the Alaska Aces last June 16. Several games back, the import was held down to a conference-low three points.

Sources within Rain or Shine bared that at the moment, the team is negotiating with another import, Rod Nealy, who once suited up for Ginebra.

Rain or Shine is trying to avoid a second straight appearance in the wild card and will try to make the quarterfinals outright. The Elasto Painters can still make it to the quarterfinals if they sweep their final three games and Ginebra, at 9-7, drops its last two assignments.

If not, the Elasto Painters should hope they end up tied with the Kings after the elimination round to forge a one-game playoff for the No. 5 spot.

In the 5 p.m. opener, Sta. Lucia Realty and Air21 square off in an equally-crucial game to bolster their respective chances of advancing to the playoffs.

Carrying a 4-11 card, the Realtors are on a six-game slide and have yet to win since trading marquee players Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes.

But the Realtors will be hard-pressed to beat an Express squad which is slowly coming together as a team despite coming off a 98-94 loss to Alaska.

Credit that to the entry of import Leroy Hickerson, who exploded for a season-high 46 points in the previous outing of the Express (3-12).

The match will also see Billy Mamaril making his first appearance as an Express after being traded by Ginebra last week for guard Mike Cortez.

4 teams fight for outright PBA semis slot

With the first of the two outright semifinal berths in the PBA Fiesta Cup already secured by Talk ’N Text, four teams are in the running for the other one.

Defending champion San Miguel Beer, reigning Philippine Cup champion B-Meg Derby Ace, Alaska, and Barangay Ginebra are in the thick of the fight for the second automatic semis slot.

The Beermen lead the contenders with their 11-4 card win-loss card, but not far behind are the B-Meg Llamados (10-5), the Aces (9-6) and the Kings (9-7).

Talk ’N Text claimed the first outright slot with an 85-82 win over the Gabe Freeman-less SMB last Saturday in the PBA road game presented by Phoenix Fuel in Victorias City, Negros Occidental.

The win extended the Tropang Texters’ winning streak to 13 for a 14-2 record.

"It's a big win for us,” TNT mentor Chot Reyes said. “Now we can relax.”

The Beermen are expected to face a rough sailing in their final game against the Aces on June 26 in Dumaguete City.

This Wednesday, the Beermen will face the Coca-Cola Tigers (6-9), who stunned the Kings (96-95) last Sunday. They will then take on the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (7-7) on Friday.

Even with its recent defeat, Ginebra still has a fighting chance to make it to the semifinals automatically although the Kings have to win their last two games against the Air21 Express (3-12) on Sunday and the Llamados on June 23.

But the fate of Ginebra won’t just fall on the hands of the Kings since a win by SMB will eliminate them in the race.

“Obviously, San Miguel has the inside track. Although they have tough games ahead, including us,” Alaska coach Tim Cone said, as his team will face Rain or Shine on Wednesday, Sta. Lucia Realty (4-11) on Sunday before taking on SMB.

“Our concern is to make the top five,” Cone said. “Once we get to the top five, we can now look at the possibility of making it to top two.

But making the top two is not really our concern.”

As for B-Meg Derby Ace, which won its last three games, including thrilling victories against San Miguel, (83-82) and Rain or Shine (86-84), the Ryan Gregorio-mentored squad will face Talk ‘N Text on Saturday in Tacloban City, then Ginebra and Barako Bull Coffee on June 27.

The teams who will be third to fifth places at the end of classification will also earn outright slots in the best-of-five quarterfinals. The sixth to ninth teams will play in the crossover knockout wildcard phase, while the 10th place team will be eliminated automatically.

Games Wednesday (Araneta Coliseum)
5 p.m. – Coca-Cola vs San Miguel
7:30 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs Alaska

World Cup: Mighty Brazil opens campaign vs little known NKoreans

JOHANNESBURG —A Brazil lineup bursting with global football stars will open its World Cup campaign against a North Korea squad they, and pretty much everyone else, knows very little about.

While five-time champion Brazil has won more titles than any country at football’s biggest showcase, North Korea hasn’t played in the tournament in more than 40 years and its international isolation is about its only advantage ahead of Tuesday’s match at Ellis Park.

The unpredictability surrounding the secluded Asian nation is making Brazil wary of an upset like the one the team from the reclusive communist state pulled in 1966, when it beat Italy en route to the quarterfinals in its only previous World Cup appearance.

“I don’t know anything about them," Brazil’s Ramires said Sunday. “I only watched half of a warmup match they played. We are still waiting for the Brazilian coaches to give us more information about the them."

That’s information which may be hard to find considering that the North Korea squad has been mostly secluded from public view and the media at a remote hotel in the northern outskirts of Johannesburg since arriving in South Africa.

“We have to respect the Koreans," Brazil midfielder Elano said. “When we look at history, Brazil may have many more titles than they do, but once the match starts we will need to have the same respect as we would have to any other team."

In the 1966 tournament in England, the North Korean squad defied expectations by beating Italy 1-0 to become the first team from Asia to reach the final eight. It then lost 5-3 to Portugal despite holding an early 3-0 lead.

A repeat may be difficult in South Africa after North Korea was drawn into a tough group which also contains Ivory Coast and Portugal. The opener might be the hardest test for the Koreans, as Brazil again arrives as one of the title favorites despite a team without stars such as Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Adriano.

“We know that all the players on the team are famous and that Brazil is the strongest team in the world," North Korea midfielder An Yong Hak said. “Doesn’t seem like they have any weaknesses."

Brazil has a revamped squad following its disappointing 1-0 loss to France in the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Coach Dunga began a new cycle with the Brazilian national team, picking players known for their discipline and hard work and not for their stardom or past successes. He also installed a style based on solid defense and quick counterattacking, which displeased millions and millions of football-crazy fans in Brazil.

But his team earned significant results on the field to quell many of the critics and make Brazil a favorite for the title in South Africa.

With few squad changes since he took over, Dunga helped Brazil win the Confederations Cup last year and finish first in South American World Cup qualifying. Brazil also beat Italy, England, Portugal and Argentina in friendlies ahead of the World Cup.

“The team is ready," Robinho said. “The team has been ready for a long time. We are prepared to do well in this World Cup."

Robinho, Kaka and Luis Fabiano highlight the team’s attack, but another strong point this time should be the defense featuring goalkeeper Julio Cesar, Lucio, Juan and Maicon.

Kaka arrived surrounded by doubts over his physical condition following a series of injuries with Real Madrid, but he has practiced normally and is set to start on Tuesday.

“Kaka is a very important part of our team," said striker Luis Fabiano, who also recovered from a left thigh injury entering the World Cup. “We all know how good Kaka is and we need him to be playing well."

Luis Fabiano was the Confederations Cup top scorer last year, and could be one of the top strikers again when the World Cup begins.

Brazil played only two warmup matches ahead of the World Cup, beating 110th-ranked Zimbabwe 3-0 and 108th-ranked Tanzania 5-1. North Korea—at No. 105 the lowest-ranked team at the World Cup—fell 3-1 to Nigeria but held Greece 2-2 in its warmups.

Brazil and North Korea have never faced each other before.

Llamados import Brown saves job -- for now

Clif Brown has secured his job for B-MEG Derby Ace Llamados – at least for another game.

The import, who is rumored to be replaced, has stepped up big to save his spot for a squad seeking to write a modern day grandslam in the Philippine Basketball Association.

But how far will Brown carry the Llamados? How many games will he last as the team’s reinforcement?

B-Meg Derby Ace board governor and incoming league chairman of the board Rene Pardo believes the team’s import is being evaluated on a game-per-game basis.

“If I were to ask, I have doubts on whether or not he could carry us and play big in the playoffs, but there would be no problem as long as the team keeps on winning," said Pardo.

B-Meg Derby Ace coach Ryan Gregorio did not hide the fact that his team is always on a lookout for a standby reinforcement for security purposes. But the multi-titled coach explained that there are no names on the table as possible replacement for Brown.

And the most important thing is Brown was able to impress Gregorio in the Llamados’ 86-84 win over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters last Friday.

“There were no names yet as possible new import for us. Brown was able to give a good account of himself in our game against Rain or Shine. He finished with 18 points and 23 rebounds, including 15 offensive boards, and did a masterful job limiting Jai Lewis to a conference-low three points," Gregorio told GMANews.TV via a text message.

For Gregorio, it would be unfair if the team decides to find a replacement import at this time, especially with Brown doing positive things for the Llamados, who have won three straight games and went on 7-3 since acquiring the services of the University of Niagara standout.

“It is hard to drop the ax on him now since we have won three in a row. I liken his situation to the situation of Shawn Daniels of Talk N Text. Both of them are not explosive scorers. They’re limited, offensively, but they knew exactly when to fit in and do whatever it takes to make the team win. But I do hope that we keep winning though," said Gregorio.

Alapag gets scribes' nod as PBA Player of the Week

Once again, Jimmy Alapag stood out among the star-studded cast of the streaking Talk N Text Tropang Texters.

The ace playmaker of the Tropang Texters was adjudged as the Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the period June 7 to 13 as his team racked up back-to-back wins that propelled them to an automatic semifinals seat in the Fiesta Conference.

“One of the best clutch players today who simply refuses to lose," quipped TNT coach Chot Reyes of the 32-year-old Alapag, who was instrumental in the team emerging unscathed from a “killer stretch" capped by tough games against Alaska and San Miguel Beer.

Alapag was also cited along with new teammate Kelly Williams for the May 17-23 week. This time, though, the former national team standout edged out teammate Ranidel de Ocampo (11 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists) by tallying averages of 13 points and 7.0 feeds.

The 5-foot-8 product of Cal State-San Bernardino had 15 points and seven assists in an 85-82 decision over SMB last Saturday, following his 11 and seven in a 76-75 squeaker of Alaska just four days before.

Against the Aces, Alapag almost became the goat by being pressured into a turnover in the last 10 seconds. He made sure there would be no such repeat against the Beermen.

Before a good weekend crowd at the Victorias City Sports and Amusement Center, the man nicknamed as “Mighty Mouse" left his indelible print by having a hand in 14 of TNT’s last 16 points.

He had seven points, capped by four free throws in the dying seconds, and fed De Ocampo for seven more markers in the final five minutes of the match.

The Texters thus clinched an outright shot at the best-of-seven semis as they jacked their overall win-loss record to 14-2, while extending the franchise’s record roll and the league’s best streak of the season to 13.

RP rowers bag gold, silver in Taiwan Festival

Competing in their first international tournament this year, the members of the Philippine Dragon Boat men’s team quickly made their presence felt when they bagged a gold and silver in the 2010 Taiwan Dragon Boat Festival held over the weekend at Dajia Riverside Park in Taipei.

The 25-man rowing team sent by the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF), edged Asian Games rival and host team Chinese Taipei in the 500-meter distance race to serve strong notice of its readiness in the quadrennial meet to be held in Guangzhou, China in November.

Led by skipper Uzman Anteriola, the team negotiated the distance in a minute and 57.80 seconds to dominate the host national team, which submitted a time of 1:58.06 seconds. Another local entry settled for third place with 2:00.30 time.

The team also saw action in the mixed event with lady rowers from other Philippine club teams namely Triton and PDRT. The combined group settled for a silver-medal finish.

PBDF technical delegate and national coach Nestor Ilagan praised the efforts of the men's team which started training seriously only last month.

“It was a good exposure since we went up against Chinese Taipei, which will also compete in the Asian Games," said Ilagan. "Our gold medal time was not that fast because we were using heavy boats. But I'm satisfied since they performed to our expectations."

The team arrived early Monday morning, but left again to compete in Macau. The event is slated June 15 to 17 before the squad travels to Chao Quing in China for another tournament.

The women's team will be competing with the men's rowers this time. Both squads are eyeing to dominate races set in the 500 meters and 1000 meters distances against top teams from South East Asia, Asia and Europe.

The dragon boat team is one among the potential medal producers for the country in the Asian Games. The squad already accounted for the country’s gold medals in big international tournaments.

The men's team is the back-to-back world champion in the 250-meter sprint distance and owns the world record in the distance with 40.03 second in last year's edition held in Prague, Czech Republic.

Big cast seen in Team Woman Run

Lady runners will take centerstage and fill up the Venice Plaza of McKinley Hill for the Team Woman Run slated June 27.

The event is a four-woman team relay spread over 21k or half marathon distance and divided into four legs – a 10k run, a 5k and two 3k races.

What makes the race interesting is that each team captain will be given the option to choose who to field in the longer route, the middle distance and the shorter ones.

The event is being held to encourage women, including those achievers in their respective fields, to take up running as an inexpensive, convenient sport for a healthy lifestyle.

Each team members will be composed of three or four individuals aged 18-45 years old.

A participant is allowed to run twice only in the first and last legs of the event.

Registration is ongoing and will end June 24 at Timex North Edsa, Timex MOA, Timex Southmall and Runner Bonifacio High Street.

Online registration is also available on www.teamwomanrun.com.

Spicing up the novel footrace is an open 5K run event.