Alleged Tiger Woods mistress arrested in LA area

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — A woman who said she had an affair with Tiger Woods was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of driving on a suspended license in West Hollywood, authorities said.

Jaimee Grubbs was taken into custody after a random license plate check of her 2004 Ford Mustang showed she had three outstanding warrants for driving on a suspended license, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Gordon said.

Grubbs was issued a new citation after it was determined she was still driving on a suspended license, Gordon said.

Grubbs was being held at the West Hollywood sheriff’s station on $30,309 bail. She’s scheduled to appear at the Beverly Hills courthouse Thursday morning on the outstanding warrants.

Grubbs, a Los Angeles cocktail waitress, told Us Weekly she had a 31-month affair with Woods and had the text messages and a voice mail to prove it. She also provided the magazine with a voice mail she said came from Woods.

The Woods’ scandal erupted following a Thanksgiving weekend car crash and allegations that he had trysts with multiple women.

Kubica plays down Ferrari speculation

SHANGHAI — Renault driver Robert Kubica has played down fresh speculation he will move to Ferrari, saying it was too early to think about his plans beyond this season.

The Polish driver had long been considered a target of Ferrari, and his surprisingly strong start to 2010 prompted new reports of interest from the Italian team.

Kubica acknowledged Thursday, ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, there were rumors last year about Ferrari and rumors this year “so we will see."

He said it was too early to discuss a move, saying “I don’t think for any seconds or any minutes about next year."

Japan football official concerned about World Cup ticket sales

Junji Ogura recently returned from a FIFA meeting in Switzerland on stadium security for the World Cup in South Africa and was briefed on ticket sales.

"Ticket sales in the United States are good, they are also good for Europe but Asia is bad, we need more Japanese to go," Ogura told Thursday's Nikkansports newspaper.

A large number of Japanese went to Germany for the 2006 World Cup, but travel agencies are expecting a big drop off in tours to South Africa.

A sluggish economy, concerns over security and the recent poor performance of Japan's national team are cited as reasons for the slow sales.

"At this point, tour sales are about 25 percent less of what they were for the World Cup four years ago," said Hiromi Nishikawa, a travel agent at Nishitetsu Travel, one of four Japanese agencies offering World Cup tours.

Nishikawa said the cheapest tour being offered was $5,300 for one game, but the company is planning on cutting the price.

Japan, which has never won a World Cup match on foreign soil, has been drawn in Group E with the Netherlands, Denmark and Cameroon.

Kevin Durant becomes NBA's youngest scoring champ

OKLAHOMA CITY – Kevin Durant scored 31 points to finish the season as the youngest scoring champion in NBA history, and the Oklahoma City Thunder survived a sloppy second half to head into the postseason with a 114-105 win Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Oklahoma City let most of a 27-point lead dwindle away before closing out its 50th win of the season. The Thunder will meet the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

Rudy Gay scored 25 points and Zach Randolph had 21 points and 11 rebounds for his 57th double-double of the season as the Grizzlies lost for the ninth time in their final 11 games.

Durant had the scoring title all but locked up after a late-season surge that included three 40-point games in April. It became a certainty when Cleveland decided to rest reigning MVP LeBron James, the only player with even an outside shot at catching Durant.

The 21-year-old finished with an average of 30.1 points, 0.4 ahead of James, and supplanted 22-year-old Max Zaslofsky of the 1947-48 Chicago Stags as the youngest scoring champ in NBA history.

Oklahoma City strayed from the league-wide trend of resting stars, even with nothing to gain but the momentum lost while dropping four of their previous five games. James, the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, Miami's Dwyane Wade and Boston's "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce all took to the bench to finish the season. Even San Antonio — which had room to gain in the West standings — played without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

Durant helped the Thunder put on a show in front of their 28th sellout crowd of the season at the Ford Center — at least for a half.

Oklahoma City used a 17-4 run to extend its lead to 19 on James Harden's 3-pointer early in the second quarter and then tacked on a string of seven straight points — including Durant's right-handed dunk on a fast break — to go up 54-32 with 4:42 left before halftime.

Serge Ibaka piled up four blocks in the second quarter and also had a two-handed jam on a fast break, and Durant added a two-handed slam off an alley-oop that pushed the edge to 25 with 1:15 to go in the first half.

The teams that started the season as the two youngest squads in the NBA ended up with the largest improvement from last year. Oklahoma City won 27 games more than last season and made it to the playoffs for the first time in five years. Memphis improved by 16 victories but fell just short of finishing at .500

Aces end slump

Alaska halted a 6-game losing dating back the previous conference as it walloped the struggling Air21 team, 105-95.

The Aces were swept by Derby Ace in the Philippine Cup finals, 4-0, and started the tournament with 2 more losses before ending their woes Wednesday night.

Diamon Simpson had 29 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks while getting enough support from the locals for Alaska's first win after three starts.

Sonny Thoss had 16 while Tony dela Cruz and Willie Miller each had 15 markers for the Aces, who spoiled the league debut of Jason Forte for the Express.

Forte, who replace Keena Young, had 20 points and 14 rebounds but was 6-of-16 from the field in his first game for Air21, which absorbed its 3rd defeat for a 1-4 win-loss mark. - www.abs-cbnnews.com

Scores:

Alaska 105 - Simpson 29, Thoss 16, Dela Cruz 15, Miller 15, Tenorio 10, Cabalay 9, De Vance 6, Fonacier 5, Eman 0, Hugnatan 0.

Air21 95 - Forte 20, Buenafe 19, Cortez 11, Belga 10, Billones 10, Matias 9, Ritualo 7, Gonzales 5, Rodriguez 2, Alvarez 2, Williams 0, Kramer 0, Sharma 0.

Quarterscores: 18-23, 49-41, 73-70, 105-95

Coca-Cola stops Derby Ace in heated game

Coca-Cola inflicted Derby Ace its first loss in 2 months, 79-76, during a tension-filled KFC-PBA Fiesta Cup game Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

After losing import James Penny to a nasty cut above his right eye, the Tigers showed character and poise down the stretch in pulling off a pulsating victory to tie San Miguel Beer for the lead with a 4-1 win-loss mark.

"It was really a character-defining game for us to get back in the game," said Coke head coach Bo Perasol, who drew 20 points, 18 rebounds and 6 blocks from Penny before leaving with 5:08 left in the game.

Penny left the game with a one-and-a-half inch wound above his eye caused by Lorenzo Wade’s wayward elbow.

"The energy of the players and their determination were really there when James left. Everybody contributed in their own little ways," he added.

Gary David took charge when Penny left as he drilled in 12 of his 18 points in the 4th including 2 difficult reverse lay-ups, the last one giving the Tigers its first taste of the lead at 70-68.

That sparked a 9-4 run to give the Tigers a 77-72 lead with 51 seconds left in the game.

But missed free throws and a key turnover by Tigers skipper Dennis Espino allowed the Llamados to close the gap by scoring 4 straight points, threatening at 76-78 with 20.5 ticks remaining.

Espino redeemed himself by winning a jump ball over Wade, leading to David pegging the final score by split charities.

Mark Macapagal added 15 points while Taulava chipped in 11.

Wade had 26 points and 12 rebounds for Derby Ace, which hasn’t tasted a defeat since its 76-88 loss to San Miguel Beer in Game 3 of their semifinal series in the Philippine Cup last February 14.

Yap had 11 markers but struggled all night. He was 4-of-14 from the field, 1-of-5 from the free throw area in just 25 minutes of play. - www.abs-cbnnews.com

Scores:

Coca-Cola 79 - Penny 20, David 18, Macapagal 15, Taulava 11, Lanete 5, Ross 4, Gonzales 4, Rizada 2, Allera 0, Cruz 0, Espino 0.

Derby Ace 76 - Wade 26, Yap 11, Canaleta 9, Yap 7, Simon 6, Reavis 5, Maierhofer 4, Artadi 4, Allado 4, Pingris 0.

Quarterscores: 20-17, 34-33, 50-57, 79-76.

Kerby Raymundo is skipping the All-Star Game because his right knee is under rehab.

The B-Meg Derby Ace superstar has been voted by fans to start for the North along with Mark Pingris, JC Intal, Jayjay Helterbrand and Paul Artadi in the annual classic scheduled on April 25 in Puerto Princesa City.

To date, Raymundo has already missed his team's two games in the ongoing PBA Fiesta Conference.

His recovery may take a while according Derby Ace coach Ryan Gregorio, who said, “there is no timetable for his return.”

Raymundo's absence paved the way for Rain or Shine's Gabe Norwood to start for a team blessed with height, quickness and good shooters.

Gregorio, who led the Purefoods TJ Giants to the Philippine Cup Championship last conference, has been assigned to coach the North that also has rookie Rico Maierhofer, Willie Miller, Ranidel de Ocampo, Sol Mercado, Ryan Reyes, Mac Cardona and Arwind Santos.

Starting for the South are Kelly Williams, Erik Menk, Asi Taulava, Cyrus Baguio and James Yap, who received the most number of fan votes with 47,156.

Alaska coach Tim Cone will call the shots for the South. Completing the team are Jimmy Alapag, Roger Yap, Reynel Hugnatan, Dondon Hontiveros, Sonny Thoss, Joe Devance and Ronald Tubid.

The All-Star Weekend, now on its 21st edition, also features the Rookies vs Sophomores Blitz Game, Slam Dunk contest, Obstacle event and the 3-Point Shootout.

The Rookies are composed of Marcy Arellano, Jervy Cruz, Ogie Menor, Chris Ross, Chris Timberlake, Joshua Urbiztondo, Ronnie Matias and Mike Burtscher.

Beau Belga, Mark Borboran, Jason Castro, Jeff Chan, Bonbon Custodio, Jared Dillinger, Larry Rodriguez and Mark Yee complete the Sophomore roster.

Westwood holds off sizzling Mickelson, Tiger Woods lurks

AUGUSTA, Georgia – Britain's Lee Westwood held off a spectacular charge by Phil Mickelson on the back nine to hold a one-shot lead after Saturday's third round of the Masters.

While Tiger Woods clawed his way back into contention after losing his cool early on, Westwood fired a four-under-par 68 in glorious spring sunshine to post a 12-under total of 204.

Mickelson, a double champion at Augusta National, carded a 67 to lie alone in second with world number one Woods and his playing partner KJ Choi of South Korea a further stroke back at eight under after carding matching 70s.

"I haven't played this well in a long time and I feel like my game's as good as it's been," a beaming Mickelson told reporters after covering 13, 14 and 15 with a stunning eagle-eagle-birdie run.

"I love this tournament more than any other," added the American left-hander, who briefly led by one before slipping back with a three-putt bogey at the 17th.

"Today was a good day. I've been playing well and shot a good number that got me right in it. I'm excited about Sunday."

Woods, playing his first tournament in nearly five months after his double life was exposed at the end of last year, was also delighted be in contention for a 15th major title.

"I was fighting it all day," Woods said. "I really struggled with the pace of the greens, fighting my swing. It was a tough day.

"But it was nice, after struggling, to fight back into the ball game. At one point, I was seven back. To claw my way back to three. I'm in good shape."

Mickelson, Masters champion in 2004 and 2006, treated the Augusta galleries to one of the most spectacular exhibitions of golf ever seen at the year's opening major.

He became only the third player to record successive eagles when he holed out from 139 yards at the par-four 14th, his ball pitching six feet beyond the hole before rolling back down the slope into the cup.

In disbelief

Mickelson, who had knocked in a six-footer to eagle the par-five 13th, raised his arms skywards in disbelief as the crowd packed around the green roared its approval.

Fellow-Americans Dan Pohl, in the third round of the 1982 Masters, and Dustin Johnson, in the fourth round last year, had previously posted back-to-back eagles at Augusta.

Mickelson came agonizingly close to a third successive eagle at the par-five 15th, his wedge approach there ending up six inches from the cup to give him a tap-in for birdie.

Woods made a flying start to the third round with long-range birdie putts at the first and third, closing to within a stroke of the lead before losing both momentum and his temper.

He bogeyed the par-three fourth after hitting his tee shot into a greenside bunker and also the sixth, where he three-putted from the bottom tier of the green.

The mounting frustration showed when he swore on the sixth tee and he dropped another shot at the seventh where he pulled his drive into the first cut of rough on the left and cried out: "Damn it."

Woods, watched for the third day in a row by his mother Kultida wearing a floppy white sun hat, birdied the par-five eighth after chipping from just off the green to three feet and knocking in the putt.

Out in level-par 36, the 14-times major winner also bogeyed the 10th, where he three-putted, before recovering with birdies on the par-five holes on the back nine.

Although he bogeyed the 17th after hitting a wild drive that ended up on the neighboring 15th fairway, Woods finished in style, hitting his approach to three feet at the last and calmly sinking the putt.

Gilas continues search for naturalization candidate

Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas manager Frankie Lim said they are not losing hope in finding the right import that would give them the needed inside presence.

"We’re not giving up," said Lim after prospective imports Dwayne Jones, Brian Butch and Earl Barron signed up with NBA teams.

"In less than a week we’ll come up with names of the players we’re targeting and we hope we could successfully get one this time," he added.

The Philippine developmental squad is looking for an import that they hope to naturalize and help them in their bid to earn a spot in the 2012 London Olympics.

Jones, who is top on Smart Gilas’ Serbian coach Rajko Toroman’s list, is reportedly signing up with the Phoenix Suns while another D-League standout Butch is close to inking a contract with the Denver Nuggets.

Barron, a former PBA import, was picked up by New York and posted a 17-point, 18-rebound performance in the Knicks’ 104-101 victory over the Boston Celtics on April 6.

Courtney Sims, Toroman’s original choice, however, turned out available after his contract with Capitanes de Arecibo of the Puerto Rican League expired last month.

But Lim said the Sims may not be a logical choice because he could be acquired by an NBA team NBA anytime soon. "He (Sims) is a player the team wants but we have to make sure because he might go to any NBA team anytime."

47-year-old Holyfield stops Botha in 8th

LAS VEGAS — Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield stopped Frans Botha in the eighth round on Saturday.

The 47-year-old Holyfield (43-10-2) knocked the 41-year old Botha (47-5-3) down with 2:36 left in the round with a right to the chin.

Botha beat referee Russell Mora’s count, but with 2:05 left Mora stopped the fight with the South African backed into a corner. It was Holyfield’s 28th career knockout.

Two judges had Botha ahead 67-66 when the fight was stopped. The other judge had it 69-64 for Holyfield.

There were only about 2,200 people in the stands at the Thomas & Mack Center, most rooting for Holyfield.

Holyfield briefly lost his balance, stumbling into a corner after a right from Botha with 2:04 left in the second round. After that, Holyfield started taking control.

Botha was warned by the referee twice in the first three rounds for hitting behind the head. Botha also was warned in the first round for a double hit to the head during a clinch.

This was Holyfield’s first fight in Las Vegas since 2003, when he lost to James Toney at Mandalay Bay.

Before Saturday, Holyfield was only 10-6 in Las Vegas, including the infamous ear-biting incident against Mike Tyson in 1997, when he won by disqualification.

Berto stops Quintana in 8th to defend WBC belt

SUNRISE, Florida — American Andre Berto retained his WBC welterweight title with a stoppage of Carlos Quintana on Saturday, boosting his chances of a bout against the premier fighters in the weight class.

Berto stopped Puerto Rico’s Quintana in the eighth round for his fifth successful defense of the WBC crown.

Berto (26-0, 20 KOs) did heavy damage from the third round through the eighth. He finally stopped Quintana, a former WBO champion, with a succession of hard rights before referee Tommy Kimmons ended the bout at the 2:16 mark.

Now, the question is how long it will take before Berto, 26, gets a shot at the high-profile welterweights such as WBO champion Manny Pacquiao, WBA champion Shane Mosley or former champion Floyd Mayweather.

"My knockout was pretty vicious," Berto said. "It may open up their eyes a little bit. But then again they have to look at I've been off for a long time so it’s only going get better from here." Promoter Lou DiBella, who handles Berto, said he'd like a fight against Pacquiao but he also admitted Berto, who had an 11-month layoff, might need another bout or two before taking on the best.

Quintana (27-3) had Berto looking tentative in the first two rounds. Berto sustained a right biceps injury sometime in the opening two rounds, but he finally found his comfort zone and began teeing off on the Puerto Rican.

Berto began landing combinations and had Quintana against the ropes in the third round. In the fifth round, he rocked Quintana again, this time with a straight right.

Berto landed a couple big rights in the sixth and seventh rounds.

Both fighters complained about their opponents' tactics during the fight. Early, Berto claimed Quintana was hitting him in the back of the head, and Quintana eventually had a point deducted. But Quintana also had a complaint.

"The ref let Berto hit me in the back and it took me out of my rhythm," he said.

Part of the proceeds of the fight will benefit the Haitian earthquake relief fund. Berto’s parents were born in Haiti.

After the Jan. 12 earthquake, Berto canceled his Jan. 30 fight against Shane Mosley and went to Haiti to aid the relief effort. Part of his job there was holding down semi-conscious people while they had limbs amputated because there wasn't enough anaesthetic to go round.

On the undercard, Panama’s Celestino Caballlero (34-2, 23 KO) defeated Indonesia’s Daud Cino Yordan (25-1) by unanimous decision to claim the WBA interim featherweight title to go alongside his IBF and WBC belts. Caballero dominated the fight although Yordan managed to score regularly.

"It wasn't an easy fight," Caballero said, "but when it comes to the world championship, if they want my belt they have to be prepared."

San Miguel tests Alaska Milk

Games Sunday (Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
4 p.m. - Sta. Lucia vs Talk 'N Text
6:30 p.m. - Alaska vs San Miguel

Alaska Milk lost its conference debut last week, but that's not an indication that the Aces will be easy opponents in the PBA Fiesta Cup.

"From time to time it happens, maybe they're still not in shape," said San Miguel Beer head coach Siot Tanquingcen, referring to Alaska's disappointing 92-100 setback to Talk 'N Text last week to start its campaign in this reinforced-conference.

The Beermen, currently tied for second with the Coca-Cola Tigers with identical 3-1 win-loss records, test the mettle of the Aces (0-1) at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium at 6:30 p.m.

The TNT Tropang Texters (2-2) and Sta. Lucia Realtors (1-3), meanwhile, clash at 4 p.m.

Barangay Ginebra came through with a big fourth quarter push to beat Air21, 100-98, last night in the PBA on the Road presented by Phoenix Fuel at the Victorias City Sports and Amusement Center in Negros Occidental.

The Gin Kings trailed the Express three-fourth of the way and was down, 70-85 going into the final period but went on a 30-13 spree in the final 10 minutes to turn the tide around and register their third win in four games.

The Express absorbed their second loss against two victories.

Fresh from a 106-92 win over Barako Bull Coffee, SMB is gunning for its third straight win and fourth in five starts as it tries to take the solo second in the standings.

Behind Dondon Hontiveros' 20-point output and import Gabe Freeman's double-double finish of 17 points and 13 rebounds, the Beermen flexed their muscles to rout Barako.

The Beermen started strong opening a 25-7 lead, but it was trimmed to, three, 64-67 late in the third. SMB, however, unleashed a 31-8 blast to finally settle the outcome, 95-72, with 5:32 left in the game.

While it had a relatively easy going against Barako, SMB should not take Alaska for granted especially that the Aces are actually coming off a five-game losing slide dating back to the previous Philippine Cup Finals where they were swept by B-Meg Derby Ace (formerly Purefoods) in their best-of-seven series.

"Alaska is always a tough assignment. Knowing coach Tim Cone, he'll come to the game well-prepared," Tanquingcen said.

Silva clowns UFC and Maia on his way to decision win

The UFC broke new ground all night long in with its first show in Abu Dhabi and its first show outdoors. Until Anderson Silva hit the cage, at least. That's when Dana White should've told everyone, "You can leave if you want, we're going to show the champ's fights from UFC 90 and UFC 97."
Silva, clearly not challenged nor feeling threatened at all, by Demian Maia, danced, clowned and fooled around for the United Arab Emirates' royal family and the fans who paid up to $1,007. But he didn't do what the truly great fighters do: Go for the finish.
The champ cruised to a listless decision victory which had the very polite crowd exploding into boos at the end of the fourth round. Even White walked over to Silva's manager Ed Soares before the final round to express his displeasure. Silva (26-4, 11-0 UFC) defended his UFC middleweight title but probably lost some fans with his antics.
Update: White embarrassed, leaves Silva fight after four rounds
Update II: Silva unapologetic, says Maia disrespected him!
What's next? Who knows. Hopefully something that will interest Silva, who set a record for UFC title defenses with six in one reign and added to his record win streak, now at 11.
Maia looked rough at the end of the fight. He may have suffered a broken nose. His left eye was completely closed in the final round. But Maia still brought it, swinging for the fences. Silva was tired from playing most of the fight and did nothing in the final two minutes. He was even scolded by referee Dan Miragliotta to stop stalling and fooling around. A slightly active final round brought the crowd back a little bit but it's hard to convince anyone this was the way to intro MMA to a new fanbase.
Silva seemed to get the message, from either the crowd or White in the corner.
"Demian actually surprised me with some of his punches," Silva told UFC analyst Joe Rogan when asked why he coasted over the final three rounds. "I don’t know what got into me tonight. I wasn't as humble as I should've been. I can guarantee you it won't happen again."  

That sounds great, but it's now happened three times. Silva hasn't been challenged in  11 UFC fights but two of the last four went the distance with little action. The fight at UFC 90 was very similar ending after three rounds when Patrick Cote blew out his knee. At UFC 97, White was livid when Silva did the same thing against Thales Leites. White said he wanted to put his head through a table during the fight and during the post fight, he said he was embarrassed.

Storey inspires Kings' win

Awvee Storey came through with a huge double-double game last night and Barangay Ginebra pulled off a stunning 100-98 come-from-behind win over Rain or Shine for a share of lead in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference.

Storey poured in 40 points and grabbed 25 rebounds in powering the Kings to the pulsating victory over the Elasto Painters in a road game at the Victorias City Sports and Amusement Center in Victorias, Negros Occidental.

Rain or Shine had a chance to salvage the game or force overtime but the Elasto Painters failed to execute a play while having possession of the ball in the last 13.3 seconds.

"We're really just lucky tonight. We were down by eight at the half and by 15 at the end of the third quarter. We played better defense in the end and luckily we won," said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.

Mark Caguioa had clutch shots helping the Kings win the contest serving as the second leg of the Phoenix Fuel PBA on Tour.

Ginebra tied San Miguel Beer and Coca-Cola for the lead on identical 3-1 cards while Rain or Shine slid to joint fourth with Talk n Text at 2-2.

Meanwhile, the league continues its 35th anniversary weeklong celebration by making a first-ever visit at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium today.

The weekend presentation at the PSC-run stadium inside the sprawling Rizal Memorial Sports Center features reigning Fiesta Conference champion San Miguel Beer versus Alaska Milk and Talk 'N Text against Sta. Lucia Realty.

The league will raffle off one 21-inch JVC flat TV courtesy of Anson's Appliance Center, one short-term scholarship plan from Informatics and Molten basketballs. TV personality Say Alonzo will be a special guest performer.

The Kings struggled in the first three quarters, trailing by as many as 16 before waging a hot chase.

Jayjay Helterbrand nailed back-to-back baskets as Ginebra finally surged ahead at 93-90 with 2:36 left to play.

Eddie Laure converted a three-pointer as Rain or Shine pulled even but Storey and Caguioa answered with crucial shots giving Ginebra a four-point cushion at 100-96.

After Ryan Arana canned in a short jumper to make it 98-100, the Elasto Painters got a chance to win or to tie as the Kings committed a shot-clock violation with 13.3 ticks to go.

Alas, the Elasto Painters themselves failed to execute a play with the buzzer sounding and the ball still on Jai Lewis' hands. - www.philstar.com

Scores:

Ginebra 100 � Storey 40, Caguioa 14, Villanueva 13, Helterbrand 8, Menk 7, Cruz 6, Mamaril 6, Baguio 2, Hatfield 2, Tubid 2, De Ocampo 0, Salvacion 0.

Rain or Shine 98 � Mercado 24, Lewis 18, Arana 16, Norwood 15, Reyes 9, Laure 7, Chan 4, Tang 3, Cruz 2, Telan 0.

Quarterscores: 25-29, 50-58, 70-85, 100-98

Express send import Young home, bring in Forte

Air21 sent its ineffective import Keen Young back home and replace him with Jason Forte when the Express face the Alaska Aces on April 14.

Express team manager and PBA chairman Lito Alvarez told GMANews.TV that the decision of replacing Young after failing to guide Air21 to an impressive start early this season.

Air21 lost its first game, 92-87 against defending champion San Miguel then scored a 113-108 victory over Barako. They dropped their next two games, 100-96 against Coca-Cola and a lopsided 92-75 thrashing from reigning Philippine Cup titlists Derby Ace.

Young's replacement is Forte, who was supposed to suit up for Coca-Cola this conference until being replaced by James Penny.

"Jason had a notable game during our tune up match against Talk 'N Text," said Alvarez. "He will be given a two-week contract and then we will see if he fits our system."

During Air21's game against Derby Ace, Young was held to only 13 points. He was even scoreless in the first period and could only produce two points in the fourth much to the dismay of coach Yeng Guiao.

Forte, a Euro League veteran, also played for the Yakima Sun Kings in the Continental Basketball Association where he had per game averages of 16.9 points and seven rebounds.

According to US scouts, Forte possesses an extremely high basketball IQ that could rub on with his teammates and has good outside shooting skills.Wii Sports Resort