Wohoo! A DVD Edition of my favorite mini-tv series, "Harper's Island".
I can't surely wait for it to come out. I will really save money to buy the original one (of course, original is always the best).
They said it will be released this September 8. I hope they deliver it immediately here in the Philippnes.
So, other fans of the show out there, let's start saving right now!
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The Beermen fought with great resolve with their one foot in the grave, stalling the Barangay Ginebra Kings, 98-84, and forging a deciding Game Seven in their Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference title showdown at the Araneta Coliseum Wednesday night.
Gabe Freeman and his teammates frustrated the Kings and their huge throngs, pulling off an emphatic win to bring the best-of-seven series to full distance.
One goes home with the championship and the other the runner-up trophy as the two teams clash in a do-or-die setto at 7 p.m. Friday in the same venue.
Ginebra has a perfect record in two Game Seven engagements. San Miguel, on the other hand, is 2-4, losing their last three outings.
"We haven't done anything yet because we just tied the series. God put us in the situation to test us. It's how we respond to adversity. That would define us as an individual and as a team," said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.
"It didn't happen tonight and we now have to do it Friday. It's a jump ball. A 50-50 percent chance of winning isn't bad at all," said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.
The Beermen battled with a resolute defense and a massive offense as they seized control in the second period and held on to the finish.
"Hindi sila maka-convert and we really had a hand in practically all their shots. It boiled down to defense and rebounding tonight," said Tanquingcen.
"Plain and simple, we failed to convert our shots," said Uichico.
Freeman went 9-of-13 from the field and finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds for his 21st triple-double game -- the most by any player in the tourney.
Making the job easier for the Beermen was Danny Ildefonso, Mike Cortez, Dondon Hontiveros, Jonas Villanueva, Jay Washington, Marc Pingris and Mick Pennisi all rising to the occasion.
The Beermen shot better from the field and dominated the boards as they got back at the Kings for the third time, thus, preserving the yours-and-mind trend in the series.
The Kings shot only 39.7 percent from the field with main man Jayjay Helterbrand among those doing bad, going 0-of-5 from the three-point arc and 4-of-5 from the two-point zone.
The Beermen cut loose from a see-sawing contest towards the end of the first half, racing to a 13-point lead before settling for a 44-34 spread at the turn.
The two teams both came out playing with great determination, fighting through nine lead changes before the Beermen established control.
Hontiveros sank two triples, highlighting a 16-2 salvo that opened a 44-31 advantage for the Beermen.
Sunday Salvacion made it a more manageable deficit for the Kings as he rifled in a trey coming off the bench in the closing seconds of the first half.
The Kings were ahead at 29-28 before going on a dry spell, making only five points in the last five minutes of the opening half.
The Beermen broke away while shooting 47.4 percent in the second period. The Kings, on the other hand, struggled with a 28.6-percent clip in that stretch.
SMB closed the half with a spirited run despite Freeman on the bench with three fouls.
Freeman, however, had his hand as the Beermen stretched their lead to 15 at 61-46 midway through the third. The fiery SMB import tossed in 12 points in the period, including seven straight through a three-pointer and back-to-back slams. (NC)
The scores:
San Miguel 98 - Freeman 24, Ildefonso 18, Cortez 12, Hontiveros 11, Villanueva 9, Washington 8, Pingris 6, Pennisi 5, Pena 3, Racela 2, Custodio 0.
Ginebra 84 - Noel 16, Menk 15, Tubid 13, Pacana 9, Helterbrand 8, Wilson 7, Salvacion 6, Reavis 6, Lanete 2, Baguio 2, Artadi 0, Mamaril 0.
Quarterscores: 17-19, 44-34, 68-61, 98-84
SOURCE: http://www.pba.ph/topstories/san-miguel-forces-game-7
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Noel rifled in six triples and a total of 29 points, with 13 coming in the payoff period, as Ginebra pulled off a 106-98 victory over a stunned San Miguel side for the pivotal 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven championship series.
Jayjay Helterbrand and Eric Menk endured pains and had significant contributions in the crucial Game Five win fashioned out before a crowd of over 12,000 at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Kings become the first team to successfully defend a championship if they can wrap it up in Game Six Wednesday or in Game Seven Friday.
"Game Six will be a hell of a game. For sure, gusto nilang tumabla kami naman gusto ng tapusin ang series," said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.
The Ginebra players said their biggest motivation is for them to no longer return to practice after Game Six.
San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen, however, remained confident they can force a deciding Game Seven.
"I'm still optimistic about it. God gave us the opportunity to be here. The eight other teams would kill themselves to be here. No big reason to feel down. They still need to win a game to get the championship. We just have to get even in Game Six then take it from there," said Tanquingcen.
"Good thing Jayjay (Helterbrand) and Eric (Menk) were able to play. And David, being a real competitor, made up for his crucial free throw misses in Game Four in a big way tonight," said Uichico.
"We like to be up 3-2 but we know what San Miguel is capable of doing. We hope we can play better and be luckier Wednesday," Uichico added.
Outplayed by Gabe Freeman Wednesday, Noel turned things around by stepping up early and playing aggressively throughout this time.
He sent his SMB counterpart to the showers early by fishing his sixth and final foul with 3:01 left in the contest.
"David doesn't want to leave a bad taste in the mouth. He really wanted to redeem himself from that Game Four missed free throws," said Uichico.
Freeman got into foul-trouble situation early and finished with only 16 points and 10 rebounds in only 24 minutes of action.
The Kings, the reigning Fiesta Conference champions, pummeled the Beermen with Freeman on the bench, erecting two 16-point margins before settling for a 56-42 spread at the half.
In the first four games of the series, the biggest lead Ginebra enjoyed in the first half was only 13.
"Basically, everybody were off tonight and we dug a hole so deep for us to overcome," said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.
The Kings stretched their lead to 18 early in the third quarter and showed great poise and confidence in fending off a San Miguel rally in the final canto.
David saved his best for last, pouring in 13 in the payoff period to personally quash the Beermen's comeback bid.
Noel, Helterbrand, Menk and Chico Lanete combined for a 7-of- 9 three-point shooting to highlight Ginebra's torrid assault in the second period.
Back-to-back treys by Noel and Lanete gave the Kings their first double-digit spread at 44-33 with 2:26 left in the first half.
They went on a roll with the team enjoying a remarkable 61.9-percent field-goal shooting in the second quarter, compared to San Miguel's 38.1-percent clip.
The Beermen, however, waged a searing in the third period, riding largely on the exploits of Bonbon Custodio and Mike Cortez as they charged to within one at 68-69.
They came back to life even as Freeman returned to the bench after picking a fourth foul with 4:42 left in the quarter. (NC)
The scores:
Ginebra 106 - Noel 29, Menk 18, Lanete 14, Tubid 14, Helterbrand 9, Wilson 8, Mamaril 6, Reavis 5, Salvacion 3, Pacana 0, Baguio 0.
San Miguel 98 - Cortez 23, Freeman 16, Ildefonso 14, Villanueva 9, Hontiveros 9, Pennisi 7, Custodio 6, Washington 6, Pena 5, Racela 3, Gonzales 0, Pingris 0.
Quarterscores: 23-18, 56-42, 71-68, 106-98
SOURCE: http://www.pba.ph/topstories/ginebra-win-away-successful-fiesta-defense
GABE Freeman is not the Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference Best Import for nothing.
Freeman came up with the most crucial plays down the stretch as San Miguel Beer scored a 106-104 escape over Barangay Ginebra Wednesday to bring their championship series at the Araneta Coliseum to square one anew.
Freeman's basket off his own offensive rebound and pair of charities in the last 13.5 seconds gave the Beermen a 105-101 lead that would prove critical when one is playing a team like the Kings.
And Ginebra reprised its never-say-die attitude once more, with Noel draining a clutch triple off a timeout, putting the crowd favorites within one, still 10.7 ticks left.
Then all went for naught after Mike Cortez split his charities just one second later.
In the frenetic series of events that ensued, Ginebra coach Jong Uichico was not able to call his lone remaining timeout and Chico Lanete and Ronald Tubid, instead of going for a mere equalizer, each missed their respective three-point try.
The victory should be a sweet one for SMB coach Siot Tanquingcen, coming as it did on the heels of a 103-116 loss in Game 3. Yet he first opted to lash out at the game officials for what he termed as being drawn in by the predominantly pro-Ginebra crowd.
“Not taking anything away from Ginebra because they played really hard and they shot very well. But we're not getting any breaks from the refs,” he said, partly referring to the 28 fouls called against them.
“Konting kanti kami, foul agad ang tawag. Pag nakanti mo kahit balahibo lang nila, nasa foul line na sila,” he said. “Pero it's human nature. We just have to deal with it.”
Uichico said it all boiled down to SMB's 24 offensive rebounds which the Beermen translated to 23 points.
“Just take two or four points off those we could have won it,” he said.
Freeman wound up with 23 points and 21 rebounds, with Dondon Hontiveros adding 19 points and Cortez and Danny Ildefonso combining for 33.
Newly-crowned season MVP Jayjay Helterbrand and Noel each had 22 points for Ginebra, although the former had to sit out the game's last three minutes when his injured hamstring acted up, prompting Uichico to rest the newly-crowned MVP.
Noel also had 18 rebounds and four assists, but missed three straight free throws in the last 16.2 seconds, following Freeman's putback.
The game had 18 deadlocks and 17 lead changes, the most in a PBA championship game since Talk 'N Text and Red Bull forged 13 and 23, respectively, in their 2002 Commissioner's Cup finale.
Despite Tanquingcen's post-game insinuations, SMB actually held sway for majority of the fourth quarter, building on what Hontiveros started in the period by posting the game's biggest difference at 99-92, off Cortez's triple, still 3:16 left.
But Ginebra tenaciously crept itself back into the game, led by Eric Menk, who spiked his 21-point output with five points in a 9-2 counter capped by Noel's free throws that tied it up at 101, 37.6 remaining.
“At least we had a shot,” noted Uichico.
Earlier, Hontiveros made a mockery of newly-named All-Defensive Team member Ronald Tubid, hitting three straight triples to rally the Beermen from a 71-73 deficit and propping them to an 81-76 lead.
Sunday Salvacion's triple gave Ginebra a 61-56 lead inside the first five minutes of the third period, but the trend that begun in the first half continued as the two teams remained entangled in a tight embrace.
The return of Ildefonso and Marc Pingris, fined and suspended the last time out for trying to go after a Ginebra fan, was expectedly greeted with derision by the predominantly pro-Kings crowd who repeatedly jeered the two.
Still it was SMB which took the half, 47-46, mainly due to Cortez, who went 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and 3-for-4 inside it for 12 points in the second period.
Freeman was no slouch either as he already teetered on the brink of a double-double with nine points and 12 boards at the half.
Helterbrand and Noel prevented Ginebra from falling too far behind as the former scattered 12 of his 14 first half points in the second period with the latter notching 12 points and eight rebounds.
The Beermen actually led by as much as 22-16 early but no immediate breakaway was forthcoming as the two teams battrled through 10 deadlocks and eight lead changes in the first 24 minutes of play.
The scores:
San Miguel 106 - Freeman 23, Hontiveros 19, Cortez 18, Ildefonso 15, Villanueva 9, Washington 9, Pena 7, Pingris 6, Racela 0, Pennisi 0.
Ginebra 104 - Helterbrand 22, Noel 22, Menk 21, Tubid 10, Reavis 10, Baguio 9, Salvacion 5, Lanete 2, Mamaril 2, Wilson 1.
Quarters: 24-26, 47-46, 71-73, 106-104.
SOURCE: http://www.pba.ph/topstories/san-miguel-pulls-even-2-2
Like what he did Sunday, chipping in a bit of a coaching suggestion which proved crucial and enabled the Kings to fashion a come-from behind 116-103 win over San Miguel Beer in their Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference championshiop duel at the Araneta Coliseum.
David Noel notched a first PBA career triple double with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, but Helterbrand's coaxing of coach Jong Uichico to try a defensive maneuver helped Ginebra rally back from what was once a 13-point deficit and into a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“I thank him for suggesting we use Willy Wilson on Jay Washington,” related Uichico. “I said yes because what I was doing wasn’t working. He said, 'Let’s play Willie and see what he can do.' So I started him in the second half and it worked out well.”
Excellent, in fact, as Wilson anchored the defense that held Washington to just four second half points after the former already had his finals average of 18 points in the first two quarters.
The Kings' defensive stance also proved critical as they forced the Beermen to commit eight of their total 15 turnovers in the fourth period, all during the quarter's first nine minutes that helped fuel the former's charge.
Offense was simply no problem as the likes of Noel, Cyrus Baguio and Helterbrand joined hands in giving Ginebra as much as a 106-93 lead, a difference they maintained until the end.
Even SMB coach Siot Tanquingcen had to admit those turnovers were costly. So did getting outscored by 68-42 in the second half, inclouding 40-25 in the final period.
“We shot ourselves in the foot. We can't expect to give up 40 points in one quarter and win,” he said.
The defense on Washington, as well as the absence of the suspended Danny ldefonso and Marc Pingris, could also not be used as an alibi, Tanquingcen added.
“If we play our defense, it's not gonna be an issue,” he maintained. “We've got enough people to fill up what is needed. If we, as a unit, don't defend it's gonna be difficult for us.”
As it did so well in the series opener, Ginebra made up for its lack of size with its quickness and speedy ball movement to whittle what was a 13-point halftime lead to the game's first deadlock at 71, before it went into the final quarter behind by just 76-78.
And there was also hustle, which Baguio typified most in the fourth with some looseball recoveries and offensive rebounds that Noel and Billy Mamaril translated into baskets for a 10-0 run.
Helterbrand actually started that surge with a fastbreak basket, before Baguio and Noel each drained a triple and Noel a short jumper for a 90-82 spread, 8:46 left, leaving the predominantly pro-Ginebra crowd of more than 13,500 delirious.
Jonas Villanueva's penetrations usually led to Freeman baskets, but the Kings kept their poise and even stretched their lead to 13 pointson back-to-back treys by Noel and Baguio, only 3:12 left in the game.
Earlier on, Tanquingcen's words about not missing the services of Ildefonso and Pingris, who were suspended for the game and fined for trying to go after a Ginebra fan right after a 95-78 Game 2 win, would be proven correct.
Not with Washington and Mike Cortez inflicting the most damage early, enabling the Beermen to seize control and take a 61-48 lead into the break.
Washington has already reached his average in only 17 minutes of first half action, scoring 13 straight that was spiked by three triples and highlighted SMB's charge from an already imposing 54-48 lead.
Ginebra could have been in a deeper hole if not for Ronald Tubid and Noel.
After not even making any attempt in a six-minute relief stint in the first period, Tubid sprang to life in the second with nine points while Noel mostly carried the fight for the Kings in the opening quarter with 10.
The scores:
Ginebra 116 - Noel 32, Menk 16, Tubid 13, Baguio 12, Salvacion 11, Helterbrand 9, Wilson 8, Reavis 7, Mamaril 4, Lanete 3, Intal 1, Artadi 0.
San miguel 103 - Freeman 25, Washington 22, Cortez 15, Hontiveros 12, Pennisi 10, Villanueva 9,Pena 6, Gonzales 4, Eman 0, Racela 0.
Quarters: 21-29, 48-61, 76-78, 116-103
SOURCE: http://www.pba.ph/topstories/noel-td-propels-ginebra-2-1-lead
The Beermen got back at the Kings, 95-78, in a game with an ugly finish seeing Danny Ildefonso and Marc Pingris attack a heckling fan at the gallery.
The two SMB players are likely to get stiff sanction because of the incident. They're summoned to appear at the PBA office Saturday morning.
"The lesson we got is that we really have to keep our composure whatever the situation is. We can't show any mental weakness. We have to be strong every step of the way. It's a given that they would have the crowd on their side," said SMB coach Siot Tanquingcen.
For the Beermen, it's a sorry finish to a splendid showing.
The Beermen fought with limitless energy and enthusiasm, overcoming limited minutes played by import Gabe Freeman because of fouls.
"Basically, we just came out more prepared tonight," said Tanquingcen.
"We're mentally prepared and obviously we're able to defend better. We were badly beaten in rebounding in Game One and that's one concern we made sure to take care of," Tanquingcen added.
The Beermen dominated the boards, cashing in heavily on offensive rebounds.
Freeman came through with 23 points and 17 rebounds though playing in and out after picking a fourth foul early and Jay Washington, Marc Pingris and Dondon Hontiveros had their contributions as the Beermen rebounded strong from a 96-102 defeat Wednesday.
The Beermen established control on a 17-6 attack in the first half and went on to dominate the Kings all the way to the finish.
SMB lorded it over the boards, grabbing 57 rebounds to Ginebra's 40. And even with Freeman on the bench, the Beermen got the rebounds.
Pingris pulled down two offensive rebounds leading to back-to-back three-point plays that sparked an attack, breaking the Kings' back at 90-76.
Jay Washington knocked in three triples and a total of 17 points while Freeman added 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks as the Beermen took the half at 50-44.
As in Game One, Paul Artadi got the Kings to a quick start but the Beermen managed to make the right adjustments early, seizing control in the second period.
The Beermen unravelled a 17-6 run bridging the first two quarters to surge ahead at 25-22.
The two teams figured in a fierce shootout midway through the second period highlighted by an exchange of electrifying slams from David Noel and Freeman.
The Ginebra import drove through the middle and executed a two-handed jam then his SMB counterpart answered with a right-handed throw-down off an alley-oop pass by Mike Cortez. Both plays drew tremendous applause from the crowd.
The Beermen led by 11 at 44-33 but the Kings drew within six at the turn on an 11-6 closing run by Artadi and Ronald Tubid.
Artadi capped his 11-point first-half production with a three-pointer then Tubid scored all of Ginebra's last eight points in the second quarter. (NC)
The scores:
San Miguel 95 -- Freeman 23, Washington 17, Pingris 14, Hontiveros 14, Villanueva 8, Ildefonso 6, Racela 4, Pennisi 4, Pena 3, Cortez 2, Eman 0, Gonzales 0, Calaguio 0.
Ginebra 78 -- Noel 20, Helterbrand 15, Tubid 12, Artadi 11, Baguio 7, Reavis 5, Mamaril 3, Salvacion 3, Menk 2, Lanete 0, Intal 0.
Quarterscores: 20-22, 50-44, 71-64, 95-78
SOURCE: http://www.pba.ph/topstories/san-miguel-gets-back-ginebra-series-tied-1-1
It was way back first year college when I started to commute and travel to Manila by myself. It was indeed a very different feeling compared to my previous life: travelling with my family. Well I guess that's how life goes, besides, I'm already in college.
My college life began as early as 4:00 in the morning. Well, I needed to woke up that early since my class starts at 7:00. Yes, it was quite difficult and very tiring to do it everyday. As I said, that's how life goes.
I only had one hour to prepare: which includes taking a bath, eating breakfast, brushing my teeth, and suiting up for school. Luckily, we really don't have polos and black pants for uniform, a shirt and pants were enough. At 5:00 A.M., I'm ready go.
The skies were really dark. The wind was so cold. I was just like travelling at night. But although it was too early, there were already a lot of fellow commuters, young and old.
By the time I rode the famous Jeepney, all I think was just to have a safe travel and never be late at school. I didn't imagined there were going to be a lot of surprises that awaits me.
Day by day, different people, different faces. But there was, indeed, an exception: a young lady which seems to be a fellow college freshman. Hmm... Why exceptional? The story begins here:
At first, she was just a common fellow commuter which also travels from TMC, Cavite to Lawton, Manila.
Yes, she also studies in Manila, just like me. But she was wearing civilian clothes, that's why I didn't know from what school she was.
But as days passed by, that young lady became a very familiar face. Most of the time, we traveled in the same jeepney and bus. The problem was, I really don't have the guts to introduce myself to her. I felt that time, she already noticed the same thing: I also became a very familiar face.
Two and a half months had gone by, nothing really happened. I still continue to travel alone every morning. But the girl with the familiar face wasn't there anymore. I really blamed myself why I wasn't able to know her. I even wished and prayed to God for me to see her again. But again, that's how life goes.
The End?
Hmm... not really.
It was in second term when I got a first glimpse of a concert at Mapua. But due my very, very far home, I needed to live by 8:00 P.M. I went home with my dad since he went to a place nearby our school.
I even forgot that Ginebra had a game that night. Luckily, the TV in the bus was on and it shows the PBA. The game was finished just before we went off board. I was glad Ginebra won that game.
When we're inside the jeep, I really felt sleepy so I tried to rest and close my eyes for a while. We were already near the town proper, about 2 kilometers away, I heard a very familiar voice.
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