Iran Captures FIBA Asia 2013 Championship Crown

Yahoo! PH Sports/Czeasar Dancel (NPPA Images) - Iranian players celebrate after beating the Philippines in the gold medal match of the FIBA Asia Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Iran proved too much for an undermanned Gilas Pilipinas side, using its height and experience to run away with an 85-71  victory and capture the gold medal in the 27th FIBA Asia Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Without the injured Marcus Douthit, the Filipinos had trouble containing seven-foot-two Hamed Hadadi, Iran's NBA veteran who frolicked in the paint and scored a game-high 27 points to go along with 16 rebounds.

It's the third FIBA Asia title for Iran, which ruled this event in 2007 and 2009. The loss denied the Philippines a chance to win its first Asian crown since 1985. Iran, Gilas and Korea all qualified for the FIBA  Basketball World Cup to be held next year in Spain

Aside from the silver medal, the Philippines received some consolation after point guard Jayson Castro was named to the tournament's mythical team, along with Korea's Kim Mingoo, Chinese Taipei's Lin Chih Chieh, Iran's Oshin Sahakian, and Hadadi.

The Main Man: With Gilas Pilipinas walking wounded in the absence of Douthit, towering Iranian center Hadadi was simply too much, notably in the second half.

Waived by the Phoenix Suns in late June this year, the 7-foot-2 behemoth towered over his Filipino rivals with a game-high 29 points, 18 coming in the final 20 minutes, on top of 16 rebounds, two blocks and as many assists in 29 minutes of dominant play.

Proving he’s still the most intimidating inside presence in Asia, Hadadi–as expected–was named the tournament's most valuable player.

Honorable Mentions: Versatile Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, crafty playmaker Mahdi Kamrany and do-it-all Oshin Sahakian showed there’s more to Iran than just their prized center.

The 6-foot-6 Bahrami bucked a foul-plagued outing with 19 markers, most of them in the second half, plus seven assists while the 5-foot-11 Kamrany displayed an all-around outing of 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Not to be outshone was the 6-foot-7 Sahakian, who finished with a double-double outing of 12 points and as many rebounds, enough to earn for himself the tourney’s Best Power Forward award.

Game Turning Point: Kamrany’s buzzer-beating triple at the end of the third canto proved to the beginning of the Nationals’ end in the thrilling match.

After Jimmy Alapag canned two freebies that pulled Gilas within 53-59, the Iranians made the most out of the 5.8 seconds left in the third canto, hurriedly relaying the leather to a wide-open Kamrany, who coolly sank a right corner triple that restored their lead to nine.

It was all Iran after that. Hamed Afagh translated a lousy inbound pass by Larry Fonacier into an easy lay-in then Hamed Hadadi buckled down to work by scoring six of the team’s next eight points that put in full control going to the final 5:08 of play.

They Said It:

Iran coach Memi Becirovic: “Today’s game was the toughest game for us because we know 20,000 fans are behind the Philippine team. They played very good and they fight every time.”

Iran center Hamed Hadadi: “They missed their center Marcus (Douthit) but still they played very well. I think the best team we played were the Philippines.”

Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes: “Unfortunately, it ended the way it did. Still, if somebody told me last month that on August 11 we would have silver medals around our necks, we’ll be very, very happy. Ecstatic in fact. We came and achieved what we set out to achieve. Obviously, we wanted to win that gold but in the end, especially without Marcus, it was too difficult for us. I’m very, very proud of my players. They fought tooth and nail.”


Gilas Pilipinas guard Jayson William: “‘Yung goal namin, na-achieve namin (of making it to the FIBA World Cup in Spain). Pasalamat rin kami na nakaharap namin sila sa finals para sa experience.” 


SOURCE: ph.yahoo.com

NBA 2013-14 schedule's 10 games to watch

For all of the Los Angeles Lakers' storied history, Dwight Howard's return to L.A. will be a new experience for the franchise and its fans.

Dwight Howard hasn't had many nice things to say about the Lakers since his departure. (AP)Magic Johnson, Jerry West and James Worthy played their entire careers with the Lakers. So far, Kobe Bryant has done the same. Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired as Lakers. Shaquille O'Neal was traded. 

But Howard? He became the first elite free agent in the 16-time NBA champions' history to leave town when he signed a four-year, $88 million max contract this summer with the Houston Rockets.

When Howard returns to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Feb. 19, expect boos to rain down from all corners of Staples Center. Howard spent just one season in L.A., but the way he left might have made a bigger impression than anything he did on the court.

Howard's return to L.A. leads Yahoo! Sports' top-10 games for the 2013-2014 NBA season.

1. Dwight Howard returns to L.A. to face the Lakers, Feb. 19

Howard described his lone season with the Lakers as a "nightmare." He clashed with Kobe Bryant, played for two coaches named Mike in Brown and D'Antoni, didn't like D'Antoni's offensive system and didn't feel he received the proper respect for his return from back surgery.

After losing Bryant to an Achilles injury late in the season, the Howard-led Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. By departing to Houston to join the Rockets, who are led by James Harden, Howard turned down the opportunity to be the face of the Lakers once Bryant retires.

2. Kobe Bryant returns from injury for the Lakers, TBD

Bryant suffered a torn Achilles tendon injury April 12 against Golden State that caused him to miss the postseason for the first time in his career. He says his recovery is ahead of schedule; it's even possible he could return on opening night.

All eyes will be on Bryant whenever he gets back on the court. While six to nine months is the normal recovery time for such an injury, Bryant, 35, will be fighting Father Time. 

But if there is an athlete that could accomplish such a feat, Bryant is the one.

3. Derrick Rose returns to the Chicago Bulls, Oct. 29

The Bulls hope to see the Rose of old in their season opener. Prior to his knee injury, Rose was arguably the best point guard in the NBA. During the season he was sidelined, Rose worked strongly on his jump shot and his runner with his off-hand, which will likely make him a better shooter.

The big question: Will the athleticism that made Rose special also return? 

If Rose can get back to being himself – or an improved version of himself – the Bulls immediately become an Eastern Conference title defender that the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers should worry about. After such a long layoff and plenty of criticism in his hometown of Chicago, Rose has pressure to return as good as ever. 

4. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett return to Boston, Jan. 26

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce left behind a lot of good memories in Boston. (Getty Images)Pierce had spent all 15 seasons of his NBA career in Boston before he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets this summer. Garnett came to Boston in 2007 and promptly helped Pierce and the Celtics win a championship.

This time, however, Pierce and Garnett will be in the visitors' locker room. 

Pierce, who will one day have his No. 34 jersey hanging from the Boston Garden rafters, will likely be emotional as the Celtics faithful give him a heartfelt, loud and lengthy standing ovation. Garnett also should be well received.

5. Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers returns to face the Celtics, Dec. 11

Rivers spent nine seasons as the coach of the Celtics, winning one championship with them in two Finals appearances, before controversially exiting this summer to coach the Clippers. 

The Celtics say Rivers wanted out of rebuilding process. Rivers, however, has said the Celtics were open to him leaving if they could get a draft pick for him. 

What do the Celtics fans believe? Their opinion will be heard when Rivers is introduced prior to the announcing of the Clippers' starting lineup. 

6. Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks, Jan. 20

Any Knicks-Nets game is going to be intense, emotional and fun to watch. But the first one in Madison Square Garden this season will be even more special to attend: It will be the first time the Nets visit MSG with ex-Knick Jason Kidd as head coach and Pierce and Garnett in uniform. 

New York appeared to be the better team last season in this strengthening rivalry and has added tall shooter Andrea Bargnani. But after the Nets acquired Pierce and Garnett, there is legitimate debate about which team in the Big Apple is truly the best.

Barclays Center is one of the world's best venues, but there will be no greater stage than at the famed Garden. 

7. Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers, Nov. 27

Will LeBron James want to try to deliver a championship to Cleveland? (USA Today Sports)Speculation about LeBron James' possible free agency next summer will swell when the former Cavaliers star returns to Cleveland for the first time. Three years ago, it was laughable to think the Akron, Ohio, native would ever return to Cleveland after he left for the Heat. Angry Cavaliers fans burned James' jersey, cursed him and threw objects at a big sign near the downtown arena that showcased his image. 

Time, however, has healed much of these wounds. The up-and-coming Cavaliers now have the talent to be an attractive destination for James, should he decide to leave.

Cleveland's roster now includes the NBA's widely regarded top young point guard in Kyrie Irving, center Andrew Bynum, No. 1 draft pick Anthony Bennett, forward Tristan Thompson and forward-center Anderson Varejao. Even Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has tried to make nice. Heat president Pat Riley will certainly have some say and influence in the end. Stay tuned.

8. New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers, March 25

Will Carmelo Anthony's lone trip to face the Lakers at Staples Center serve as a precursor for him signing with the Lakers next summer?

Anthony will be a free agent at the end of the season. Yes, he was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., is tight with Knicks owner James Dolan and appears to enjoy playing for the Knicks. But 'Melo is also a good friend of Bryant's, spends much of his offseason in his L.A. home and has been playing pickup ball this summer at the Clippers' facility. Oh, and his wife, LaLa, is an actress. 

But if Bryant is close to retiring, arguably the best pure scorer to fill his void would be Anthony. Anthony recently told TMZ he doubts he'll leave New York for the Lakers, but if Bryant gives a strong sales pitch? It could get interesting.

9. San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat, Jan. 26

American Airlines Arena in Miami certainly has horrible memories for the Spurs, who blew a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals by losing Games 6 and 7 there. 

And if they need any other reminders, the Heat now have a big mural on the arena that celebrates their titles in 2004, 2012 and 2013.

10. Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers, Dec. 10

The Pacers took the Heat to a Game 7 in last season's Eastern Conference finals, and could again emerge as the two-time defending champions' toughest competition in the conference. 

The Heat's roster hasn't changed much, minus Mike Miller leaving and the addition of Greg Oden. The Pacers are expected to be much improved after adding forward Luis Scola, guard C.J. Watson, forward Chris Copeland and intriguing rookie forward Solomon Hill. All-Star swingman Paul George is expected to move to shooting guard with the return of injured forward Danny Granger. With guard Lance Stephenson moving back to the bench, the bitter Pacers are much deeper, bigger and possibly more talented than James and the aging Heat.

Each of the meetings between the Heat and Pacers will loom large in the battle for home-court advantage in the playoffs.

SOURCE: Yahoo.com

Usain Bolt on cruise control in 100-meter heat at world championships

After Day 1 in Moscow, Usain Bolt is on track to recapture the 100-meter gold medal he lost at the last world championships. 

Even if a false start in Bolt's heat was reminiscent of the one that disqualified him in the 2011 final, it was the runner next to him who was sent packing Saturday. On the second attempt, Bolt cruised to a time of 10.07 seconds. Americans Mike Rodgers (9.98) and Justin Gatlin (9.99) had the top times.

In the men's 10,000, double Olympic long-distance champion Mo Farah fought off Ibrahim Jeilan over the last 150 meters, winning in 27 minutes, 21.72 seconds. Jeilan was timed in 27:22.23.

Defending champion Edna Kiplagat won the women's marathon in 2 hours, 25 minutes, 44 seconds. She beat Valeria Straneo by 14 seconds. In sweltering heat only 46 of 70 entrants finished.

In the decathlon, Olympic champion Ashton Eaton led after five events -- 4,502-4,493 over U.S. teammate Gunnar Nixon.

SOURCE: Mercury News

FIBA ASIA CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 Final Ranking

Final ranking

Rank	Team	Record	FIBA World Ranking
			Before	After	Change
	Iran	9–0	20
	Philippines	7–2	45
	Korea	7–2	33
4th	Chinese Taipei	6–3	42
5th	China	6–3	11
6th	Qatar	5–3	36
7th	Jordan	4–5	30
8th	Kazakhstan	3–6	47
9th	Japan	3–4	35
10th	Hong Kong	1–6	71
11th	India	2–6	58
12th	Bahrain	2–6	75
13th	Saudi Arabia	1–3	69
14th	Thailand	1–4	85
15th	Malaysia	0–4	69

SOURCE: Wikipedia

FIBA Asia Championship 2013: South Korea takes 3rd

South Korea beat Chinese Taipei 75-57 in the bronze medal game at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship in Manila on Sunday, claiming the third bid from the continent for the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Iran and the Philippines had qualified for the World Cup on Saturday by winning their semifinal matches. Iran and the Philippines will play for the FIBA Asia title on Sunday.

Korea claimed its second straight FIBA Asia bronze and its 24th medal in 26 appearances in the tournament. The nation will be making its seventh World Cup appearance in Spain next summer. Korea has never medaled at the World level. Korea last qualified for the Worlds in 1998. It last won a game at the World Cup in 1994.

Chinese Taipei could still make the World Cup if it is granted one of the four wild card berths FIBA doles out as the tournament approaches. Historically, however, three of the four bids go to European nations. China -- which Chinese Taipei beat in the quarterfinals -- is ranked No. 11 in the world and may be seen as a stronger option than Taipei, which is ranked No. 42 in the world.

Tournaments to select World Cup contenders from Europe, the Americas and Africa will happen this summer, as well. The total count of teams that have already qualified for the 32-team team is seven: Korea, Iran, the Philippines, host Spain, Olympic champion United States, Australia and New Zealand.

SOURCE: SB Nation

2013 FIBA Asia Championship Standings

Team Standings

GROUP E

Team	Win	Lose
Chinese Taipei	4	1
Philippines	4	1
Jordan	2	3
Qatar	4	1
Japan	1	4
Hong Kong	0	5

GROUP F

Team	Win	Lose
Iran	5	0
Korea	4	1
Kazakhstan	2	3
China	3	2
Bahrain	1	4
India	0	5

2013 FIBA Asia Championship August 2 Highlights

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CHINA VS MALAYSIA
113 - 22

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CHINESE TAIPEI VS SAUDI ARABIA
90 - 67

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JAPAN VS HONG KONG
76 - 59

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SOUTH KOREA VS IRAN
65 - 76

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 JORDAN VS PHILIPPINES

71 - 77

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THAILAND VS INDIA
65 - 89

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2013 FIBA Asia Championship August 1 Highlights

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IRAN VS MALAYSIA

115 - 25

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JORDAN VS CHINESE TAIPEI

87 - 91

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JAPAN VS QATAR

71 - 74

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CHINA VS KOREA
59 - 63

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KAZAKHSTAN VS THAILAND
81 - 67

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SAUDI ARABIA VS PHILIPPINES
66 - 78

South Korea Win Over China

South Korea defeat China at the FIBA Asia Championship with the score of 63-59

KOREA		CHINA
63		59

KOREA		CHINA
Points 1. J. KIM 15 2. S. CHO 12 3. D. YANG 11 4. S. KIM 9 5. S. LEE 6 Rebounds 1. S. CHO 4 2. D. YANG 4 3. T. KIM 3 4. J. KIM 3 5. H. YOON 3 Assists D. YANG 4 2. S. CHO 2 3. J. LEE 2 4. T. KIM 1 5. S. KIM 1		Points 1.J. YI 23 2. P. ZHOU 8 3. X. LIU 6 4. Z. WANG 5 5. Z. WANG 4 Rebounds 1. Z. WANG 10 2. J. YI 10 3. X. LIU 3 4. F. ZHU 3 5. S. WANG 2 Assists 1 Y. SUN 3 2. S. WANG 2 3. P. ZHOU 2 4. J. CHEN 1 5. X. LI 1

First Win for Gilas Pilipinas Against Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Nice win for the Philippines against Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the score of 78-66

	PHILIPPINES		KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
	78		66

PHILIPPINES		KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
Points 1. L. FONACIER -12 2. L. TENORIO 12 3. M. DOUTHIT 10 4. R. DE OCAMPO 9 5. J. PINGRIS 8 Rebound 1. M. DOUTHIT-11 2. J. PINGRIS 9 3. R. DE OCAMPO 6 4. L. TENORIO 6 5. J. AGUILAR 5 Assists L. TENORIO - 6 2. L. FONACIER 4 3. R. DE OCAMPO 3 4. J. CHAN 1 5. M. DOUTHIT 1		Points 1. A. ALMUWALLAD 18 2. M. ALMARWANI 12 3. M. ALHWSAWI 11 4. N. ABO JALAS 9 5. M. ALMARWANI 8 Rebounds 1. M. ALMARWANI 12 2. M. ALHWSAWI 6 3. M. ALMARWANI 6 4. N. ABO JALAS 3 5. M. ALMUWALLAD 3 Assists 1. M. ALHWSAWI 2 2. M. ALMARWANI 2 3. M. ALMUWALLAD 2 4. F. BELAL 2 5. M. ALMARWANI 1

What a Close Game..Qatar Stands Against Japan for the Game 3

Game 3 of FIBA Asia Championship and Qatar beats Japan with the score of 75-74, what a close game.

QATAR		JAPAN
75		74

Former NBA Player Jarvis Hayes leads Qatar for the win against Japan he had 20 points with 6 rebounds and 1 assists. While his teammate Yasseen  MUSA dominates in rebounding he had 15 rebounds with 12 points and 4 assist.

In Japan Kosuke KANAMARU is the leading scorer, he had 27 points and 4 rebounds. His teammate Kosuke TAKEUCHI had 10 rebounds and 10 points

Close Game, But Still Chinese Taipei Win Against Jordan

Game 2 of FIBA Asia Championship and Chinese Taipei win against Jordan with the score of 91-87.

CHINESE TAIPEI		JORDAN
91		87

Great game for Chih-Chieh LIN, has was the leading top scorer for the Chinese Taipei. He score 27 points with 6 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the Chinese Taipei against Jordan. Quincy DAVIS III also contributes for the team with his 18 points, 11 rebounds and 1 assists. Chinese Taipei had 38 points in the paint and they had 7 points from turnover. The team also had 6 second chance points and 2 fast break points.

While in Jordan, Jimmy BAXTER is the leading scorer for the team, he had 30 points with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Wesam AL-SOUS also contributes for the team he had 18 points with 2 rebounds and 4 assist.

Iran Crushes Malaysia in FIBA Asia Championship Opening (First Game)

Iran win against Malaysia with the score of 115-25 in the FIBA Asia Championship Opening held in SM Mall of Asia Philippines..

IRAN		MALAYSIA
115		25

Iran top leading scorer is Hamed HADADI, he has 21 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists. Iran dominates the paint area with 70 points and also 14 second chance points in the paint area. The team got 16 fast break points and they 45 Points from Turnovers.

In Malaysia their top leading scorer is Hong Hoong GAN he has 11 points and 1 rebound.

Steve Nash to try out for Inter Milan

The two-time NBA MVP gets to become a soccer player again - if only briefly.

The Lakers guard who grew up playing soccer and still has deep ties within the sport will have a tryout of sorts with Inter Milan, before the storied team opens play in the Guinness International Champions Cup tournament that's coming to the U.S. next week. The tournament features eight club teams from around the world, with a winner to be crowned in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Aug. 7.

Tournament officials said the tryout will take place in New Jersey, two days before Inter Milan opens its portion of the Guinness event in Indianapolis against Chelsea. And Nash expects to be feeling a fairly ramped-up level of nervousness when he laces up his cleats for that training session.

The tournament begins Saturday when AC Milan visits Valencia. Juventus and Everton meet Wednesday in another first-round game, with the other opening matchups being the Inter-Chelsea game and Real Madrid taking on the L.A. Galaxy on Thursday.

The European clubs are primarily using the event as preseason training and the matches will allow for many more substitutions than normal, as is common with exhibition matches.

Nash played soccer and hockey as a child before starting his basketball career as an eighth-grader, primarily because most of his friends at the time were spending more time taking corner jumpers than corner kicks. His father, John, played professional soccer in South Africa and England, and Nash remains an avid soccer fan and is part of the ownership group for the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer.

Pistons Finally Adding Significant Help

Joe Dumars and the Detroit Pistons had been waiting a while for this offseason - and it showed.

The Pistons have finally been able to give their roster a significant makeover, adding Josh Smith, Chauncey Billups and Italian star Luigi Datome. It remains to be seen how much the team will improve, but for the first time in a while, there's a bit of a buzz surrounding this struggling franchise.

After four straight seasons without a playoff berth, Detroit entered the offseason with plenty of space under the salary cap. Dumars, the general manager, said this week he's accomplished what he wanted to via free agency.

Detroit's rebuilding process has been slow. First, Tom Gores became the team's new owner in 2011 following a drawn-out sale that added to the sense of gloom hanging over the team. Over the next couple years, the Pistons parted ways with Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon and Tayshaun Prince, giving themselves flexibility they would put to use in 2013.

Smith is the key free agent addition. The 6-foot-9 forward joins a front line that already includes promising big men Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond.

Detroit hired Maurice Cheeks as its new coach in June, but when the Pistons drafted guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope later that month, passing on local favorite Trey Burke of Michigan, it looked like they would again struggle to win back the support of an increasingly apathetic fan base.

The free agent moves have added some much-needed intrigue to the coming season.

The popular Billups was the MVP of the 2004 NBA Finals with the Pistons. He was traded four years later, and bringing him back as a free agent gives the team a veteran who may be able to help mentor young guard Brandon Knight.

The 25-year-old Datome, meanwhile, is a bit of an unknown commodity. The 6-foot-7 forward could give Detroit some quality outside shooting if he can adjust after arriving from Europe.

Dumars remained open to the possibility of more changes, but the roster that starts the season may look similar to what's already been assembled. Dumars said the team didn't use its amnesty waiver on forward Charlie Villanueva because Detroit didn't need more cap space. Dumars also said Villanueva's skill set - he's a 6-foot-11 forward who made 90 shots from 3-point range last season - could still be of use to the Pistons.

Pacers announce signing of Chris Copeland

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Indiana Pacers have officially announced they signed free-agent forward Chris Copeland, who spent last season with the New York Knicks.

Copeland averaged 8.7 points on 47.9 percent shooting, including 42.1 percent from 3-point range, and 2.1 rebounds per game while helping lead the Knicks to the Atlantic Division title.

Before signing with the Knicks in 2012, Copeland played overseas in Belgium, Germany and Spain. The former University of Colorado standout also played one season in the NBA Developmental League.

Larry Bird, the Pacers' president of basketball operations, calls Copeland ''a great addition'' because of his versatility. Coach Frank Vogel adds that Copeland has a ''great story of perseverance and he reached a level where he was a key player on a 54-win team last year.''

Knicks frontrunners to sign Metta World Peace

 

Metta World Peace is expected to meet with New York Knicks executives in Las Vegas within the next two days, pushing the free-agent forward closer to an eventual contract agreement with the Knicks, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Knicks are the strong frontrunner to sign World Peace to a contract worth almost $1.6 million for the 2013-14 season, sources said. A possible deal could include a second year with a player option, league sources said. The Knicks plan to give World Peace half of their $3.1 million taxpayer midlevel exception. The other half of the exception was used to re-sign guard Pablo Prigioni.

What Houston can expect next season.

The Houston Rockets introduced their "Superman" on Saturday with the official announcement they had signed three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard to a four-year free agent deal.

Howard, 27, said playing for the Rockets would bring a smile back on his face and help make Houston big winners, and team owner Leslie Alexander said the seven-time All-Star center could lift the team to great heights.

Houston clinched the last playoff berth in the Western Conference last season with a 45-37 record and lost in the first round to Oklahoma City.

The powerfully built Howard, who wore a Superman tee shirt and cape when he won the NBA All-Star Game slam dunk contest in 2008, said he was eager for a fresh start in Houston, where big men have thrived at the center position.

Howard was welcomed into the fold by a collection of former star centers for Houston, including Yao Ming, Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone and Ralph Sampson.