Sportscope

Mark Barroca (left) PBA PHOTO  Veteran guard Mark Barroca rescued Magnolia from collapse after scoring six of his team’s last eight points as the Hotshots overcame Converge’s fierce fightback via a 99-95 win in the main game of the PBA on Tour on Wednesday at the Ynares Arena in Pasig. …

Jimmy Butler AFP PHOTO  MIAMI: Desperate. Urgent. Maniacal. Psychotic. Incredible. Unique. World class. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has used an array of adjectives to describe Jimmy Butler over the course of his team’s remarkable postseason campaign. On Monday (Tuesday in Manila), Spoelstra was once again plundering his vocabulary …

Mac Belo (right) PBA PHOTO  Nearly two weeks after being acquired in a player swap with Meralco, wingman Mac Belo finally came to terms with Rain or Shine after signing a one-year contract with his new team on Wednesday. Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but Rain or Shine …

Nikola Jokic AP PHOTO  DENVER: Nikola Jokic can cap an improbable journey to the pinnacle of his sport by leading the Denver Nuggets to a first ever championship when the NBA Finals get under way on Thursday (Friday in Manila). Nine years ago, the softly spoken Serbian center barely caused …

The Miami Heat advanced to the NBA Finals on Monday by routing the Boston Celtics 103-84. Jimmy Butler had 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Caleb Martin added 26 points and 10 rebounds to spark Miami, which will visit Denver on Thursday to begin the best-of-seven championship final. — …

SOPHIA Shekinah Catantan, the youngest sister of fencing star Samantha, lived up to her family’s reputation by taking one of two golds that Filipino fencers won in the 1st Hefeng National Junior Fencing Championships in Taiwan over the weekend. The 13-year-old Sophia joined Canlas Fencing top bet Marcus Antonio Manuel …

Jolina de la Cruz (right) and Mars Alba UAAP PHOTOS  F2 Logistics deepened its rotation by signing three players who made their mark in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament. On Sunday, May 28, the Cargo Movers announced their signing of FEU Lady Tamaraws’ Jovelyn Fernandez as well as …

LA Tenorio (black shirt) PBA PHOTO  Barangay Ginebra’s veteran star playmaker LA Tenorio is itching to make his basketball comeback by the time the PBA kicks off its 48th season this October 15 at the the Smart Araneta Coliseum. But first things first, the 38-year-old Tenorio is focusing on his …

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO  As far as Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes is concerned, reaching the second round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup will be a “real success” given the strong opposition when the tournament begins on August 25 in Manila. “First of …

Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat battles Derrick White of the Boston Celtics during the third quarter in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Kaseya Center on Saturday, May 27, 2023, in Miami, Florida. AFP PHOTO  MIAMI: After an astonishing Game 6 finish that left the Boston Celtics …