George King: Student of game

Manila Times - Oct 16, 2026

AMERICAN sharpshooting import George King is making the most of his stint with the San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup. Tapped to reinforce the Beermen in their quest to win what could be a record-setting 32 league championships, King upped the ante by using his laptop in trying to understand the team’s plays as the team gets into the playoff mindset. “He was really concerned with this game ... because going to the playoffs, everybody should be on the same page. That’s why he’s asking all the details of the plays,” San Miguel coach Leo Austria said, whose team whipped Terrafirma, 135-105 last Wednesday. King was in his usual element, unloading 44 points that saw him knock down four of his six attempts from four-point territory.  The Phoenix Suns’ second round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft also made all three of his shots from the three-point zone against a porous Dyip defense, while adding five rebounds and five assists for the Beermen, who improved to 8-3 overall to stay at second spot. The former Colorado standout did say his laptop contains the offensive sets of the Beermen, marking his seriousness in helping SMB end the PBA’s golden season with another...

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Higher-seeded Shnaider up next for Eala at Ningbo Open

Oct 21, 2026

Higher-seeded Shnaider up next for Eala at Ningbo Open

FILIPINO tennis ace Alexandra “Alex” Eala tries to get a winning streak going when she battles a higher-seeded Russian in the round of 16 at the WTA 500 Ningbo Open on Thursday. In her previous two tournaments in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour, Eala lost in her opening matches against lower seeded players.Eala, ranked 20th in the world, bowed to No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova of Russia at the Singapore Open and No. 217 Shi Han of China at the Wuhan Open. She also bowed to No. 85 Wang Xiyu of China at the semifinal round at the Asian Games.On Monday, Eala ended the slump and claimed her first win in the ongoing WTA Tour Asian swing with an easy 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 34 Diane Parry of France.Eala’s next assignment, however, will not be an easy one as she faces No. 13 Diana Shnaider of Russia for the first time in her career.The 21-year-old Eala and 22-year-old Shnaider did not cross paths even in their playing years in the juniors division.Shnaider sealed her place in the round of 16 after denying No. 66 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan on Wednesday, 7-5, 7-6(4).If Eala gets past Shnaider, she will face either No. 12 Iva Jovic of the United States or No. 35 Jasmine Paolini of Italy.Eala has not won against Jovic in three matches but has a 1-1 head-to-head record against Paolini.The lefty Eala last battled Jovic at the US Open third round and bowed in three sets, 5-7, 6-3, 5-7, last September.Eala also bowed to Paolini at Wimbledon in the fourth round, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, the last time they met in July.Eala defeated Paolini at the Dubai Tennis Championships, 6-1, 7-6 (5), last February at the height of her winning run.

Clamor tapped as head coach of Altas Spikers

Oct 21, 2026

Clamor tapped as head coach of Altas Spikers

LAS PIÑAS CITY — Multi-titled volleyball coach Dexter Clamor took over as the new head coach of the University of Perpetual Help men’s volleyball team in preparation for NCAA Season 102 this year. He replaced Michael Cariño, who handled the Altas Spikers for the past two seasons. Clamor is bringing along former Perpetual Help players Sandy Montero and EJ Casaña as part of his coaching staff. Clamor, who hails from Mariveles town in Bataan, was a public school teacher by profession before he transitioned as coach for the Cignal HD Team that won six Spikers’ Turf championships. “Well, when they called me and offered the position, honestly, I was surprised. But at the back of my mind, I felt that maybe it’s time to give back to my alma mater,” Clamor said. “I want to share my knowledge and experience that I gained from playing and coaching volleyball to the Altas team. I want to help them grow, not just as volleyball players, but also as individuals.” Returning for the team this year are John Castil, Dexter Arrozado, Klint Mateo, Charles Pallasa, James Pascua, Justin Favila, Ike Jolaton Nash Abenoja, 2nd Best Middle Blocker awardee Jester Bornel and last season’s Rookie of the Year Marc Tangon. They are joined by rookie players Daryll Torio, Dave Borasca, John Penaroyo, JP Noblefranca, Steven Corpuz, Josh Cubar, Dino Espiritu and Marius Calijan. “One of my biggest goals is to bring back the championship culture here, the same legacy that Coach Sammy [Acaylar] had left us,” Clamor added. “For the past two seasons, we failed to reach the semis, so I know this is a big challenge for the coaching staff. But I see it as an opportunity to help rebuild the program, develop the players, and bring Perpetual Help back to where it belongs.” “For me, it’s more than just accepting a coaching position. It’s about giving back to the school that helped shape me, and doing my part to bring pride and success back to the Altas program,” he said. Clamor led Perpetual Help win back-to-back NCAA championships during his collegiate playing years in seasons 86 and 87. As the star setter and leader for the Altas Spikers, Clamor enjoyed a historic collegiate career where he was also awarded the league’s Most Valuable Player and Best Setter in season 87. Alongside teammates Marcelo Joaquin Jr., Jay Dela Cruz and Adam Daquer, the Altas Spikers swept the tournament at 14–0, securing the school’s seventh men’s volleyball title under the guidance of legendary coach Acaylar. Last year, Perpetual Help topped the elims in Group A with 10-3 win-loss record and earned the twice to beat advantage in quarterfinal round. The Carino-coached team, however, lost twice to Letran and failed to advance. Perpetual Help is the winningest team in NCAA volleyball with 14 championships under the guidance of Acaylar. The Altas Spikers last won the NCAA crown in 2024.

Are the Lakers a real Western challenger?

Oct 21, 2026

Are the Lakers a real Western challenger?

THE Western Conference is being appraised as a two-team conference as the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder are so tightly assembled, with young coaches and players on an upward trajectory, not to mention MVP-level leaders. Both teams have fulfilled the team-building paradigm, and with the punitive salary cap, it is now very difficult to assemble a quick-build superteam to challenge them. Having three max players will propel teams into the second apron which carries too many restrictions that the rest of the team will consist of mid-range to minimum players. So how can other Western teams catch up? The Thunder and Spurs are led by two top 5 players in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama, respectively. The teams were built around them, and it led to their seemingly invincible status. No one could beat them except each other. Then the New York Knicks emerged in the East and went all the way. It not only showed that it was possible to slay giants, the Knicks also made a blueprint of how to break a young superteam. How about the Los Angeles Lakers? The awkward transition phase is finally finished for the LA Lakers. This is now the team of Luka Doncic, and the front office made moves to build the roster as such. Nagging issues are now addressed, although there was a steep price to pay. They basically mortgaged their future for center Walker Kessler but that is a gamble the team has to make. On the surface, Kessler is an ideal pick-and-roll partner for Luka. They now have the same paradigm as the Spurs and Thunder: a primary playmaker, a secondary shooter/scorer and a defensive anchor-big man. For OKC, it’s SGA, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. For the Spurs, it’s Wemby, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. The Lakers have Doncic, Austin Reaves and Kessler. It’s a similar paradigm, but they also have veteran pieces that could complement them, just like the Knicks, albeit not on the same level. If all goes well for the Lakers, they could emerge as the possible third power in the West. It makes more sense than the arguments for the LaMelo Ball-Anthony Edwards backcourt pairing in Minnesota and the Houston Rockets crew built on Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun. At this new age of the NBA, this is the “superteam” that the Lakers can assemble. Other key pieces are Sandro Mamukelashvili (or Mamu), who has the European pedigree that jells with Luka. And then there is Quentin Grimes, who can also score in bunches. The hope is that some rookie contract and second-chance guys like Matisse Thybulle would emerge as hidden gems, although expectations should be tempered. An unexplored angle in the waiving of Dalton Knecht is that their camp may have actually welcomed it. There was controversy when Knecht was waived when Bronny James was still on the roster. Knecht was obviously a better overall player, and LeBron James was no longer on the team so they no longer needed to please him. However, reports state that Knecht himself may have approved the move, short of volunteering himself. The Lakers simply had better players at his position, specifically Reaves. Acquiring Grimes and drafting Cameron Carr practically closed the thin door. The Lakers appear more structured this season with players having more defined roles. They did not have the patience to experiment or wait on Dalton’s development, despite the clear potential. But there is interest with other teams, so it may be a blessing in disguise. Lakers fans are up in arms, as Knecht was seen as a smart pick, yet he went from the steal of the 2024 NBA Draft to getting waived. Are the Lakers too impatient, or was it tough luck for Knecht that the market yielded players from his position? Gilas update Positive news for Gilas Pilipinas on the November window. Mike Phillips has confirmed his commitment to play for the national team. The former La Salle stalwart has been balling in the B.League and his energy is much needed for the squad. However, what coach Tim Cone should resolve is the naturalized player slot. If Justin Brownlee can’t make it, perhaps Ange Kouame should be secured in time for the next window of the qualifiers. The Philippines could not afford to lose games anymore.