Stephen Curry leaves Daniel Padilla speechless, basketball fans roaring at MOA arena in 1-day Manila visit

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry left the Philippines wanting for more of him, and indeed, he said this will not be his last trip to the country as he finished his one-day only trip to Manila for his Under Armour promotional tour on September 5, Saturday.

He capped the day with a media question and answer at Raffles hotel in Makati followed by an exhibition game with selected high school cagers at the Mall of Asia Arena in the afternoon. Philippine actor and teen heartthrob Daniel Padilla had a meet-and-greet with him in a VIP lounge at Raffles Makati. “That might have been the first time, I’m guessing, he was speechless”, said Curry in the media press conference. It was reported recently that Stephen Curry surprisingly  followed Daniel Padilla on Twitter because the actor posted his collection of the champion layers’ signature shoes and merchandise.

Asked by this reporter if there is pressure going into the regular season being the efending champion and reigning MVP, the baby-faced Curry said “We feel like we’re still the team to beat. It’s going to be a different challenge for us. We’ve never defended an NBA championship before so it will be a new experience for us. All eyes are on our team and every other team is trying to knock us off our throne, so we have to be even better than we were last year to get back to the top.”

Wardell Stephen “Steph” Curry II or popularly known as Stephen Curry was born on March 14, 1988. He is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6’ 3” tall, Curry plays the point guard position and is considered by some to be the one of the greatest shooters in NBA history.  The 2015 NBA Most Valuable Player and a two-time NBA All-Star, is the son of former NBA player Dell Curry. In this year’s NBA finals, Curry carried his team into the championship, something that the Golden State Warriors franchise hasn’t repeated since 1975.

LeBron’s Kingdom arrive at doorstep of Conference Finals, win series 4-2

By: Paul Daniel Flores

Hustle, teamwork, and tenacity – three words that define the Cavaliers’ outstanding victory over the Bulls after a scorching battle, 94-73, last night at the United Center.

James did not dominate, he struggled to score his 15 points, Irving was even limping off the court, yet somehow, teamwork carved their way to the Eastern Conference finals.

Game 6 began with a lot of shots fired from all sides. Cleveland grabbed an early lead although Chicago kept hanging behind them, fueled by Jimmy Butler’s hot shooting touch as they end the quarter 33-31, Cavs lead by two.

Kyrie Irving twisted his left knee and left the game with 6 points in 12 minutes, he did not return. However, Cavs managed to spark a 20-2 scoring run composed of three-pointers, following a lay up to end the first half, 58-44 with the Cavaliers holding the chain of command.

The second half started slowly, both teams now struggling to shoot, and running out of stamina, although Cleveland took advantage of maintaining the lead for the quarter, ending it 73-60.

The final quarter began with the Bulls trying to do everything to save themselves from an early playoff exit, but the Cavaliers’ guard Matthew Dellavedova led the scoring surge as the Cavs outscored the Bulls 21-13 to close them out the series, 94-73 as they pave their way to the Eastern Conference finals.

“I do everything for my team, do everything for my teammates.” Says LeBron James, “I want them to feel this moment. That’s why I came back here for.”

Cleveland:
Matthew Dellavedova – 19 points, 2 rebounds.
LeBron James – 15 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists.
Tristan Thompson – 13 points, 17 rebounds.
Iman Shumpert – 13 points, 7 rebounds.

Chicago:
Jimmy Butler – 20 points, 5 rebounds.
Derrick Rose – 14 points, 6 assists.

Austin Rivers runs through it: Doc’s son steals show in Clippers win

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule

Chris Paul returned, Blake Griffin had another double-double night, JJ Redick had the game best 31 points, but it was Austin Rivers who wrote the story for the Clippers’ emphatic win against the Rockets, 124-99.

At Staples Center where we watch history unfolds as the first NBA player to play for his father, a rare player-coach tandem in NBA history. Austin Rivers scored 12 points at the end of the first half, and coming off the bench substituting for point guard Chris Paul, the son of LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers electrified the crowd in the third quarter with a blast from the three point line and an impressive and-1. The crowd even rose to its feet at some point of the third canto, with chants of Rivers’ name. He finished with 25 points off the bench on a 10-13 field goal shooting.

In game 1 of their best-of-seven series against the Houston Rockets, Austin Rivers fired 17 points, while in game 2, he chipped in 10 points. Chris Paul even told coach Doc Rivers, “This is one time you can be a dad and not just coach.”

 

Austin James Rivers was born on August 1, 1992. He was drafted with the 10th pick in the NBA draft by the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans), playing three seasons there before being traded to the Clippers. On January 16, 2015, Rivers became the first player in NBA history to play for his father, coach Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers.

If he plays with this kind of grit and aggressiveness on the court, and with the guidance of his father, he definitely has the potential to curve a niche in the sports’ pantheon of greatness. Well, the playoffs can really be a good start.

email the author at paolomanuelfule@yahoo.com or text 09184059751

Flores picks Westbrook; Paliangayan selects Curry for MVP

Why Russell Westbrook should be this season’s Most Valuable Player?

By: Paul Daniel Flores

Russell is currently averaging 27.4 points, 7 rebounds, and 8.1 assists; stats better when compared to his other MVP competitors. He has been better since the start of the season, and is not stopping on getting better. He has fulfilled his role as the leader of the team following KD’s absence and shown superiority on both sides of the floor.

He has won the All-star MVP after scoring 27 points in the first half, an all-star game record, and a total of 41 points (5 assists), 1 point shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 42 points.

He also suffered three injuries this season. (Knee, metacarpal hand, and face, respectively) But he has shown significant endurance to injuries, coming back even more stronger than ever. Compared to point guards that have multiple injuries, like Derrick Rose, Westbrook is not fragile, he always came back to make up for the games he missed with incredible stats.

He has made 4 straight triple-doubles this season, the last one to make that was Michael Jordan in his 88-89 season with 7 straight triple-doubles. The stats don’t lie:

Russell Westbrook – The Last 4 Games:
• 20 Pts, 11 Reb, 10 Ast.
• 39 Pts, 14 Reb, 11 Ast.
• 40 Pts, 13 Reb, 11 Ast.
• 49 Pts, 16 Reb, 10 Ast.

Has anyone in the MVP race done that? None. When it comes to the team needs, Cavs can win without LeBron, Warriors can win without Curry, and it is unsure if the Rockets can win without Harden. But I am sure, OKC cannot pull off a string of wins without Westbrook. And that is the importance of Westbrook to the team. His value is conditional to the team success.

When against the other point guard in the West, most people prefer Curry over Westbrook. Well, I prefer to reconsider. Westbrook IS BETTER than Curry. Curry can shoot the three-ball better, I can say, but Westbrook can layup, dunk, pass, and defend better. Russell can even play one-on-one better. Russell has better defensive stops on the floor. He performs better every single day.

I believe, he should be this season’s MVP. The Masked Marauder.

Who says white men can’t jump? Stephen Curry is the real deal

By: Tom Joel Paliangayan

If I have the power to cast a vote for the NBA regular season MVP as of this writing, hands-down I will pick Stephen Curry.

First, the length of his magnificent performance wasn’t just the spark of the month, but at the very beginning of the season, he already solidified his chances in the MVP ladder talks. In January, he is at the top of the ranks while Lebron James is at fourth spot, and Westbrook was then tied with team mate Kevin Durant at 10^th place. That is why it is called MVP of the Regular season, and not just for a month or two. There should be consistency and I believe Steph delivers.

As of now, Stephen Curry is averaging 23.8 points on 48.4 percent shooting from the field to go along with 7.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game this season. When it comes to carrying his team, it is a no brainer why I pick Curry to be MVP as of this writing. Golden State Warriors is the Western Conference’s best team at 49-12. Where is Oklahoma City Thunder? Ehem, there at the 8^th spot. Yes, the Cavs are doing better but consistency is their nemesis. They are no. 2 in the East for now, but their winning streak seems to be on the rocks.

Let’s get to individual performances. Yes, that four straight triple doubles are a feat that is commendable. Yes, Lebron is amazing his year but only quiet lately. He is not as dangerous as he was three or four years ago. Stephen Curry’s amazing 51-point performance against the Dallas Mavericks is just the latest testament why he continues to top the list in the MVP race. Curry’s work as a prolific scorer and facilitator has been unmatched. And by the way, I just saw it now against the Clippers, my idol Stephen Curry dribbled around his back and through three defenders, (yes, three defenders) stepped behind the arc and lofted an off-balance 3-pointer from the top of the circle that swished. His moves and shots are just out of this planet. Now, try topping that.

* Paul Daniel Flores is a 4th year high school in Infant Jesus Montessori Center while Tom Joel Paliangayan is a grade 8 high school student in Liceo de San Pedro. Both are English Sports Writers in their campus.