Stephen Curry to play in 2020 Olympics

Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry watched what happened to the worst finish of Team USA in international competition. He knows that his presence should have helped USA in making the outcome different.

According an ESPN interview, Curry has committed himself to play in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan next year.

“That is the plan, for sure,” Curry said . “You know, obviously knock on wood, you don’t want any injuries or things like that to interfere.”

“Definitely wanna go,” Curry said. “I’ve never been on the Olympic team. I’ve been on two World Cup Championship gold medal teams. But the Olympics is the experience that I want. And next year will hopefully be it.”

Curry was part of the Team USA 2010 and 2014 World Cup teams that captured both gold. However, the superstar hasn’t played in Olympics yet.

The entrance of Curry to play in the Olympics will absolutely boost the chance of Team USA. In the recent debacle, Team USA needed an outside shooter and a go to guy. Both of those needs can be addressed by Curry alone.

His willingness to play by committing himself early could attract other superstars also to join him bring back the glory of basketball in international competition.

Paras leads as UP beats NU in a thriller

Kobe Paras scored 25 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the UP Fighting Maroons to an 80-79 win over the National University Bulldogs Wednesday.

Dave Ildefonso made a three-pointer to make it 80-79 with 11.6 seconds left. David Murrell missed two free throws for UP and it was rebounded by Shaun Ildefonso for NU. However the three-pointer by John Lloyd Clemente that supposed to win the game for NU was short.

Bright Akhuetie delivered two important freethrows with 16.1 seconds left to have the Maroons a breather, 80-76.

Dave Ildefonso made one of two free throws with 32.3 left, 78-74. Akhuete missed two free throws for UP with 24.9 seconds left that enabled the Bulldogs to have a chance to even cut the deficit to two through Dave Ildefonso’s two free throws with 17.4 left, 78-76.

NU wanted to bounce back in the fourth quarter through Enzo Joso who shaved it into five points 78-73 with 1:30 left. However, in the next position after NU made a stop, Joson missed two crucial free throws.

JV Gallego’s third quarter performance immediately decreased NU’s deficit to a point 46-45 with 7:45 left in the third. Gallego was attacking the basket with precision in the third as he scored nine points. Dave Ildefonso also was part of the uprising from the Bulldogs in the quarter.

Meanwhile, Paras again stopped the bleeding to have a 52-47 with 4:55 left in the third. Paras scored seven points in the third quarter that enabled the Maroons to bring back some of the points they lost. After three quarters, the Maroons have a 67-59 lead.

The Fighting Maroons started the game strong through the 14-point first half performance of Kobe Paras. The Fighting Maroons posted a 44-36 at the half. UP even had a 41-27 lead but NU continued to be aggressive to cut its deficit.

Dave Ildefonso scored 25 points to lead National University in a losing cause.

NU leads 44-36 at half-time.

Fighting Maroons with Kobe Paras to challenge Ateneo

The 82nd season of the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament will kick off today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum as the eight teams will again have the chance to show their forces.

Ateneo de Manila University is the pre-season favorite because of its current roster. Absolutely, a three-peat scenario is on the horizon for the Blue Eagles. With last season’s Finals MVP Thirdy Ravena in the roster, Ateneo has the capacity to thrive in every game.

While all the other coaches pointed on Ateneo as the favorite, coach Tab Baldwin downplayed the buzzed by saying,

“I know expectations are high for our team. But it is our job to come out with our best basketball that we can and continue to promote our players for their future careers. I’m sure, it will be a tough challenge for us against all the other teams”.

Baldwin also added that Adamson will post the threat to the Blue Eagles three-peat dream.

“For us, it’s pretty simple, it’s Adamson because they’re the next team. I don’t want to be caught up in trying to predict who’s gonna be the top teams. We have a job to do. And it starts on Wednesday so it’s not gonna be easy for anybody,”

Though Adamson was on the eyes of Baldwin, the UP Fighting Maroons is not that far with the addition of Kobe Paras. The 21-year old will bring forth his talents after spending time in USA playing for UCLA and Creighton.

UP coach Bo Perasol has the talent to match other teams in this coming UAAP 82nd season.

The UP Figthing Maroons will be tested as they play the Far Eastern University Tamarawas at 12:30 PM. Ateneo will take on the Adamson Soaring Falcons at 4:00 PM. Also, University of Santo Tomas will face University of the East at 10:30 AM.

Gilas Pilipinas suffers another blowout loss against Serbia

Gilas Pilipinas bowed out of contention as it was overpowered by Serbia, 126-67, Monday night at the GB International Sports and Cultural Center.

The Philippine National team was able to have a strong start but Serbia managed to bounce back quickly in the first quarter and never looked back. With the loss, Gilas’ chances of advancing to the next round is cut. Serbia and Italy will enter the next round coming from Group D. With that in mind, Gilas Pilipinas will have a showdown with Angola on Wednesday.

PBA rookie CJ Perez once again showed that his first game against Italy was not a fluke at all by scoring 16 points. With the help from Paul Lee who scored 15 for the team, Gilas Pilipinas played better at least at the first few minutes of the game.

In spite of the good start from Gilas, Serbia was determined to grab the lead by posting a 21-4 spurt through Nemanja Jelica, Miroslav Radujica and Nikola Jokic. There was no answer from Gilas when the Serbians imposes their wills in the basketball court.

For Gilas, five-time PBA MVP contributed eight points and six rebounds but the numbers were not enough to help the team to play closer in the scoreboard. Robert Bolick and Japeth Aguilar each scored seven points for Philippines.

Serbia is considered the best team to unseat the United States in this FIBA World Cup. Bjelica scored 20 points coming from the bench. As a matter of fact, Bjelica didn’t play against Angola.

Bogdan Bogdanovic had 17 points while Jokic added 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

The Scores

Serbia 126 – Bjelica 20, Bogdanovic 17, Raduljica 13, Guduric 12, Jokic 11, Micic 11, Milutinov 10, Marjanovic 9, Simonovic 7, Bircevic 6, Jovic 6, Lucic 4.

Philippines 67 – Perez 16, Lee 15, Fajardo 8, Bolick 7, Aguilar 7, Ravena 5, Blatche 5, Rosario 2, Pogoy 2, Norwood 0, Almazan 0.

Quarters: 28-13, 62-35, 99-48, 126-67

Gilas Pilipinas vs Serbia: FIBA World Cup 2019 Live Stream, TV Channel, Odds, Preview

After a disappointing 108-62 loss to Italy, Gilas Pilipinas hopes to be more accurate in offense and aggressive in defense against one of the favorites Serbia on Monday night at the FIBA World Cup 2019 Group D.

Gilas Pilipinas knows what is at stake in this game. A loss would mean an almost an early exit in the tournament except that Angola would beat Italy and later on, Gilas would prevail. There’s not much scenario right now for Gilas Pilipinas as the team embarks to face the Serbians who are one of the teams anticipated to dethrone the United States in the tournament.

In the game against Italy, Gilas was outscored 37-8 in the first quarter alone. Gilas had found no way to be back into the competition as the Italians pounded inside an out offensively.

Andray Blatche scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds but his nine turnovers revealed it all the lack of chemistry in Gilas’ game. One of the bright side was the emergence of EJ Perez who scored 15 points in 17 minutes of play. PBA five-time MVP contributed nine points and six rebounds in 21 minutes of playing time.

Gilas Pilipinas doesn’t have the speed and the height to play against Italy. In connection with this, it would be improbable for the Filipinos to topple Serbia unless they would be making all their shots from outside the arc which was not imminent against Italy.

Head coach Yeng Guiao summed it all by saying,

“They have the size with their guards that we didn’t have and they had the quickness with their bigs which we didn’t have.”

Guiao also was perfectly correct in his observation against Italy when he said:

“They moved the ball really well. Anywhere the ball landed was a threat. So we just had to keep recovering to whoever was gonna catch that ball,”

“The problem there was that we didn’t have that kind of speed. So the problem is when you rotate and your bigs can’t cover that quickly, somebody’s always gonna be open on the third, fourth or maybe fifth pass.

“On the other hand, they just kept switching us. Their guards could guard our bigs and their bigs can guard our guards,” he continued. “So it’s really a dead end for us especially if you’re not making your three-point shots.”

The Serbians dismantled Angola, 105-59, in the opening game. NBA players who are playing for Serbia did the damage as Bogdan Bogdanovic led the way with 24 points while Nikola Jokich added 14. Boban Marjanovic had 12 points while Marko Guduric contributed 12.

How could Gilas Pilipinas be able to beat Serbia?

Gilas Pilipinas vs Serbia game schedule info:

Date: September 2, 2019
Start Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV Channel: ESPN5
Live Stream: ESPN5.com
Odds and Point Spread: -35 Serbia
Prediction: The point spread is too huge but the Serbians have the height and speed advantage to beat Gilas. Serbia will cover the spread.

USA leads at halftime, 43-29, over Czech Republic

The defending champion United States is being tested by the Czech Republic in the FIBA World Cup 2019 in China at halftime with the score of 43-29.

With a fallible roster that is expected to have no margin of errors to defend the title, the Americans find themselves having the advantage against Czech Republic after 12 minutes of play.

Jayson Tatum scored 10 points while Kemba Walker added eight points for the USA national team which is ranked No. 1 in FIBA. Harrison Barnes added seven points while Donovan Mitchell played sharply with five points.

Tomas Satoransky led the scoring for Czech Republic with 10 points while Vojtech Hruban had eight points. Czech Republic understands that how powerful the opponents that halfcourt setup is being added into the weapons to neutralize the defense of the Americans.

It will be a big upset if Czech Republic will be able to find ways to tame the offense of the Americans. USA vs Czech Republic is televised on ESPN5 live. Stay tune for the FIBA World Cup updtes here at Philsportsnews.com.

Gilas Pilipinas to play as underdog against Italy



When Gilas Pilipinas started its journey to the international scene, the motto has always been, “PUSO”. It’s not about height but heart! Gilas Pilipinas basketball team understands the importance of the opening game against Italy. It is very important that the Filipinos will end up victorious to bring more chances of getting into the next round. Watch Live Gilas Pilipinas vs Italy live at ESPN5.com.

With the best possible roster that the Samahang Basketbol the Pilipinas has to offer, will this be enough to neutralize and to outscore the Italians? Currently the Philippine national team is a big underdog with +18.5 according to oddschecker.com. This is how the oddsmakers perceive the talent level of each team.

Surely, the Philippines vs Italy game continues to create buzz to the Filipino fans worldwide. The team is being led by naturalized player Andray Blatche who played with the team in the previous World Cup. Blatche will be alongside June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar as the formidable big men of Gilas. In addition, the defense of Gabe Norwood is needed to contain the scorer of Italy.

To fill up the entire Gilas Pilipinas roster, Kiefer Ravena, Mark Barroca, Paul Lee and Roger Pogoy can play at the point as well as shooting guard positions. Raymond Almazan and Troy Rosario are included in the roster as they can play the No. 3 and No. 4 positions if coach Yeng Guiao wants a versatile team. Robert Bolick and CJ Perez have made the team to the surprise of thousands of basketball fans. Surely, both Bolick and Perez never played in the World Cup qualifiers at all.

Will Gilas be able to make an upset against Italy?

The Philippine national team or popularly known as Gilas Pilipinas is highly capable of winning games. However, with the roster that it has right now, the team has a margin of error. Gilas team has to play strong from the start until the last two minutes, hoping to beat their opponent in a close match. The outside shooting of Lee and even Rosario must be clicking to spread the defense of Italy. Moreover, the speed of Gilas will determine how it will be able to stay neck-to-neck to the end.

Italy has NBA players Marco Belinelli and Danilo Gallinari as the core of the team. It is interesting to note how the Italians are going to dismantle the defense of Gilas through these two caliber NBA players.

Gilas Pilipinas will not have Marcio Lassiter and Matthew Wright to rely on the outside shooting. The perimeter shooting of Gilas will absolutely play an important role for the outcome of the game against Italy. Though Gilas have Pogoy and Lee, the absence of Wright and Lassiter will be missed.

“The three games that we won in Spain, we were really shooting well. And that was without Marcio. The guys shot well. That was without Roger Pogoy in Spain, but we still shot well,” said coach Guiao.

When is the Philippines vs Italy FIBA 2019 game?

Philippines vs Italy basketball game is scheduled on Saturday, August 31, 2019.

When does the Philippines vs Italy game start?

The game starts at 7:30 PM (Philippine Standard Time)

What is the current odds and point spread of Philippines vs Italy game?

Philippines vs Italy FIBA odds: +18.5 Philippines

How to watch Philippines vs Italy live stream?

The game is televised on ESPN5 and it is also available in livestreaming at ESPN5.com

Prediction: Gilas Pilipinas has a great chance to start strong. How long will Gilas be able to stay tight against the opponents? Italy will win the game because of their speed and height advantage but it will not cover the spread.

Gilas Pilipinas faces Italy: FIBA World Cup 2019

The Philippine national basketball team will have a gigantic collision against Italy in the opening dya of the FIBA World Cup 2019 on Saturday, start time at 7:30 PM, Manila Time. Gilas Pilipinas vs Italy FIBA World Cup live stream is available on ESPN5. Also, Gilas vs Italy live stream is available also on ESPN5 Youtube and FB pages. Gilas vs Italy World Cup 2019 tv channel schedule is on ESPN5.

With the buzz continue to heighten as the game draws near, Gilas Pilipinas is certainly ready to play with such enthusiasm knowing the fact they it has a chance winning. Gilas coach Yeng Guiao understands what it takes to beat a powerful Italy team that all the angles of what would transpired had already been discussed.

Naturalized player Andray Blatche, June Mar Fajardo, Gabe Norwood and Japeth Aguilar, and Paul Lee, who played in 2014 World Cup, are capable of making the difference in substantiating both the offense and defense against the Italians. Blatche can provide the offense for Gilas just like the way he played in the past. However, it is a major challenge for Blatche guard one of the two stars of the opposing team. Absolutely, NBA veterans Marco Belinelli of the San Antonio Spurs and Danilo Galinari of the Oklahoma City Thunder will be the determining factor in this game, and Gilas should be able to defend them both.

While Gilas Philipinas is considered a 18 point underdog in this game, the team has the number when it comes to the World Cup qualifiers. Gilas averaged 80.8 points per game and allowed 77.9 points per game. Gilas also shot 43.4 percent from the field. However, Gilas averaged 13.1 turnovers per game.

For Gilas, the offense has to win the battle especially from outside the arc. Roger Pogoy and Paul Lee could be the key when it is all about the three-pointers. While guard Kiefer Ravena provides the speed, the inside game of Fajardo must be felt by the defense of Italy. It’s just a matter of winning the battle outside and controling the game for Gilas Pilipinas.

When we talk about international games, the Philippine team always lack the preparation for the players to create the atmosphere of knowing each other. Was the time given in building this Gilas 2019 team enough to overpower Italy?

Make no mistake about it. Gallinari is coming from his best career in the NBA by averaging 19.9 points per game with the LA Clippers last season. Moreover, Gallinari averaged 43% from outside last season that would make him difficult to defend. Also, he stands 6-foot-10.

Belinelli is a monster in international competition. Since joining the Italian team in 2006, Bellinelli averaged 19.9 points per game. He averaged 10.5 points per game in Spurs uniform. By his numbers alone, Belinelli can take good care of the offense of Italy when needed.

Aside from the two, Jeff Brooks is also playing as a naturalized Italian player. He played at Penn State in his collegiate years. A 6-foot-8 in height, Brooks can provide the needed shooting prowess for the Italians.

How to watch FIBA World Cup 2019 Gilas Pilipinas vs Italy game?

There are so many ways to watch Gilas vs Italy basketball game. It is televised live on ESPN5. Gilas vs Italy live stream is on ESPN.com, ESPN5 Youtube channel, ESPN5 FB page and FIBA.com. Scores and results of Italy vs Gilas Pilipines is available here. Will Gilas be able to make an upset?

Steelers chase perfection in preseason against Panthers

The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Carolina Panthers in the final week of NFL preseason on Thursday, kick off time at 7:00 PM ET, at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC.

The Steelers (3-0) are riding in a three-game winning streak after beating the Tennessee Titans 18-6 last week in which Ben Roethlisberger completed 8 of 13 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown while Mason Rudolph added 75 yards and a touchdown in 6-for-9 passes.

In rushing, James Conner ran for 41 yards in five carries while Diontae Spencer added 29 yards in a carry.

In receiving, James Washington caught for 41 yards and a touchdown in a catch while Brandon Reilly added 41 yards in two receptions. JuJu Smith-Schuster contributed 37 yards and a touchdown in four catches.

Offensively, the Steelers are averaging 21.7 points and 332.0 total yards per game. Defensively, the Steelers are yielding 13.7 points and 342.3 total yards per game against the opposing teams.

The Panthers (1-2) are coming from a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots in which Will Grier completed 4 of 8 passes for 44 yards while Cam Newton added 30 yards in 4-for-6 passes.

In rushing, Jordan Scarlett ran for 24 yards in 10 carries while Christian McCaffrey added 16 yards in three attempts.

In receiving, Reggie Bonnafon caught for 31 yards in two receptions while Curtis Samuel added 16 yards in two catches.

Offensively, the Panthers are averaging 13.3 points and 208.7 total yards per game. Defensively, the Panthers are yielding 16.7 points and 313.3 total yards per game against the opposing team.

FIBA 2019: Gilas Pilipinas chance hinges on Italy’s game

All eyes on Gilas Pilipinas as it seek to advance to the next round after failing to do so in the previous World Cup. With the mindset of playing the best possible game, the Filipinos are in a tough situation at large because of the teams ahead of them.

Before going deep into the next round, Gilas Pilipinas has to hurdle first Italy in what is considered to be the hinge to the next round. By beating Italy, it means that Gilas will have a clear path with Serbia and Angola in the schedule. Beating Serbia, which is ranked No. 2, would be an impossible task at all while Angola is not that a strong team. Thus, the game against Italy will be the key for Gilas.

The Philippine national team is a big underdog against Italy. Oddsmakers see Italy as 18.5 favorite in this competition. The spread seem to high that the game is expected to be a blowout.

Coach Yeng Guiao admitted that the game against Italy is what the entire team is thinking about.

“Yun lang muna talaga. We have materials already on Serbia and Angola but we don’t want to distract the focus of the players from the Italy game,” Yeng Guiao said.

Italy is known for its outside shooting and speed. Of course the Italians’ advantage will be their height against the Filipinos. Italy’s average height is 6’6″ while Gilas is 6’4″.

While Gilas Pilipinas may not have the height to deal against the Italians, it has the players to make one of the biggest upsets. However, the preparation of Gilas could be the key factor in the upcoming showdown against Italy. The roster are talented but they haven’t played together long enough at all. The players just have known each other in two weeks time?

In world basketball, the outside shooting plays a major role in determining a victory. Gilas Pilipinas’ current roster does not provide us the weapons to make their opponents defense in disarray. In 2014, Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro and LA Tenorio were the key players in delivering the shooting advantage. Roger Pogoy and Lee are the legitimate three-point shooters this time.

Will Gilas Pilipinas be able to mount a big upset?