May 31, 2009 (Part 2); The Magic silenced all doubters, wins the East

Almost everybody underestimated Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in this playoffs, because all the people wanted was a Kobe-LeBron final series.

But thanks to the Defensive Player of the Year...

IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.

LeBron James once again choked and did poorly from the field, and the Magic capitalized on that.

Howard finished the game with his best playoff performance by far, scoring 40 points on 14 out of 21 from the field, along with 14 rebounds and 4 assists to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers and win the Eastern Conference Final series in six games.

This will be the first time that the Orlando Magic will enter in NBA Finals in 14 years, with their last being in 1995, bowing down to the Houston Rockets.

This is almost the same thing as what Kobe Bryant and his Lakers have done last night against the Nuggets, as they exploited their counterparts on almost every aspect of the game.

And what I've said before the start of this series came true as well. The Cavs just cruised past the Pistons and the Hawks like they were nothing. But come the East Finals, they folded. It is because LeBron and his crew never had any challenge whatsoever from their oppositions, just like the Lakers last season.

They cruised past every opponent in the West, but later on folded to the stronger Celtic lineup in just six games.

The Magic were being counted out early on, and they've used it as a motivation. Good thing is, it payed off bigtime.

Along with Howard, four other Magic players scored in double figures, led by Rashard Lewis with 18 points on 6 out of 13 from the field, along with 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Mickael Pietrus had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists off the bench. Rafer Alston made 13 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, while Hedo Turkoglu capped off the night with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

The Cavs on the other hand were led by the regular season MVP LeBron James with 25 points, on 8 out of 20 from the field, along with 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Delonte West was the spark from the backcourt, finishing the game with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Mo Williams added 17 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists, while Anderson Varejao had 14 points and 8 rebounds.

The Finals will start on June 5th at 9:00 AM from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. And instead of the 2-2-1-1-1 format used in the previous series, it will be a 2-3-2 format, meaning Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 will be played in LA, while Games 3, 4 and 5 will be played in Orlando. Games 5, 6 and 7 are still "if necessary" games.

Congratulations once again to the Orlando Magic for being the new Eastern Conference Champs!

Game 6
East Finals
Cleveland 90
Orlando 103
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
CLE: LeBron James- 25 pts, 7 rebs, 7 assts.
ORL: Dwight Howard- 40 pts, 14 rebs, 4 assts.
Magic wins series 4-2
Magic will face the LA Lakers in the NBA Finals starting on June 5th at 9:00 AM from LA.

Here is the schedule for the upcoming NBA Finals series between the Magic and the Lakers!

Game 1- June 5, 2009 at 9:00 AM from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
Game 2- June 8, 2009 at 8:00 AM from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
Game 3- June 10, 2009 at 9:00 AM from the Amway Arena in Orlando.
Game 4- June 12, 2009 at 9:00 AM from the Amway Arena in Orlando.
Game 5, 6 and 7 if necessary.

There you have it! You guys have just been fed!

May you have a good day ahead of you!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

May 31, 2009 (Part 1); Chelsea's terrific comeback won them The Cup

It was indeed a silver send-off the Chelsea's temporary manager Guus Hiddink.

As they won over Everton last night to win the FA Cup, their fifth time overall.

Goals from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard sealed the deal for Chelsea.

Louis Saha of Everton struck the first salvo of the game in just 25 seconds, setting a new record for the fastest goal scored in FA Cup history.

Here are the complete details about the match last night.

FA Cup
Final
Chelsea 2
Everton 1
CHE: Didier Drogba (21"), Frank Lampard (72")
EVE: Louis Saha (1")
Chelsea wins their 5th FA Cup

Along with the trophy, Chelsea also received 2,000,000 British pounds, while runners-up Everton received 1,000,000 British pounds.

There you have it!

More updates to come!

The Wizard was here... :)

May 30, 2009 (Part 1); The Lakers are back to the NBA Finals

Photo courtesy of NBA.com/photos

For the second straight season and the 30th time overall in franchise history, the Los Angeles Lakers will be competing for the Larry O'Brien trophy in the NBA Finals, as they wrap up their series with the Denver Nuggets in Game 6, 119-92, to win the Western Conference crown.

That set up half of the glamorous Kobe-LeBron matchup that almost everybody is hoping for, but LeBron James and his gang should do everything to win two more games over Orlando to keep it from being a Kobe-Superman series, which in turn, isn't that much expected by the people for some reason.

Kobe in turn commended the performance shown by the Nuggets, saying that they (Nuggets) pushed the Lakers to the limit, which made them more aggresive and in turn, more ready for the Finals than anyone else.

Bryant led the Lakers with 35 points on 12 out of 20 from the field, along with 6 rebounds and 10 assists.

And just when you thought it was all Kobe, you got it wrong, as almost everybody contributed to the cause.


Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom came on top of their game to score 20 points each, with Gasol having 12 rebounds and 6 assists and Odom having 8 rebounds. Trevor Ariza finished with 17 points and 4 rebounds, while Luke Walton had 10 points, 3 assists and a block shot off the bench.


The Nuggets on the other hand, were led by Carmelo Anthony with 25 points on 6 out of 17 from the field, along with 2 rebounds and 2 assists. J.R. Smith came off the bench with 24 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal. Kenyon Martin had 13 points and 5 rebounds, while Chauncey Billups only had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 9 assists.


Nene broke his left forearm in the fourth quarter and will wear a splint in 3-4 weeks. He finished the game with eight points and six rebounds.


The Nuggets are now 0-5 when they face the Lakers in the playoffs. And the record still stands, that the Denver Nuggets still cannot enter the NBA Finals.


Once again, congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers on winning the Western Conference Championship.


Game 6
West Finals
LA Lakers 119
Denver 92
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
LAL: Kobe Bryant- 35 pts, 6 rebs, 10 assts, 1 stl.
DEN: Carmelo Anthony- 25 pts, 2 rebs, 2 assts, 1 stl.
Lakers win series 4-2
Moves on to the NBA Finals to face the winner of the CLE-ORL series.


Tomorrow's Game 6 between the Cavs and the Magic will be held at the Amway Arena in Orlando to be shown LIVE on BTV and C/S9 at 8:30 AM.


The NBA Finals on the other hand will start at June 5th.


If the Magic wins the East, the Lakers will have the homecourt advantage, but if the Cavs pulls up the improbable, they will have the homecourt by virtue of having the best record at the end of the regular season at 66-16.


There you have it! You guys have just been fed!


God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)


Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated :)

May 29, 2009 (Part 3); Wildcard!

It was indeed a tight race for the quarterfinals as two knockout games were played tonight at the Araneta Coliseum for the PBA Fiesta Conference. Here are the results from the said games!

May 29, 2009
Araneta Coliseum
Quezon City

1st Game
Sta. Lucia 94
Coca-Cola 88
SLR: Anthony Johnson- 42 pts, 24 rebs, 2 stls.
COK: James Penny- 33 pts, 17 rebs, 2 assts, 3 stls.

2nd Game
Talk 'N Text 123
Purefoods 126
Final/2OT
TNT: Rashad Bell- 29 pts, 10 rebs.
PUR: Kerby Raymundo- 33 pts, 10 rebs, 2 assts, 1 blk.

Therefore, Coca-Cola and Talk 'N Text are eliminated from playoff contention.

Sta. Lucia will face Burger King while Purefoods will face Rain or Shine in the best-of-three quarterfinal round starting on Sunday.

Tomorrow morning will be Game 6 of the West Finals between the Nuggets and the Lakers. It will be shown LIVE from the Pepsi Center in Denver at 9:00 AM on BTV and C/S9.

There you have it! You guys have just been fed!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

May 29, 2009 (Part 2); Staying alive

The Cleveland Cavaliers indeed stayed alive today.

As they defeated the Orlando Magic in Game 5 today, 112-102, to cut down the series lead of the Magic to 3-2, as they live to fight another day.

Game 6 will be played on Sunday, May 31 at 8:30 AM Manila time from the Amway Arena in Orlando.

The Cavs ended the 1st quarter on a high note, leading the game 35-18. But just when they thought that the Magic would give it away just like that, Coach Stan van Gundy drew up something that made LeBron and the gang think twice.

The Magic outscored the Cavs, 37-21 in the second quarter, and all of the sudden, the Cavs' lead was evaporated to just one.

The fourth quarter was pretty much owned by James, as he was part of 32 straight Cavs' points, whether in scoring of assists.

He ended the game with a triple-double, scoring 37 points on 11 out of 24 from the field, along with 14 rebounds and 12 assists. Mo Williams also had a good night with 24 points, 2 assists and 2 steals. Big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas capped off the night with 16 markers along with 6 rebounds. Delonte West chipped in 13 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, while Daniel Gibson came off the bench with 11 points on 3 out of 4 from beyond the arc.

The Magic on the other hand were led by the 29 point performance from Hedo Turkoglu, along with 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Dwight Howard, who fouled out of the game, finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Rashard Lewis had 15 points and 8 rebounds while Mickael Pietrus managed to pull in 13 points and 2 rebounds.

Rafer Alston, who played huge in Game 4, was only held to just three points on 1 out of 10 from the field. He was indeed the missing link for the Magic. If he would have scored more, they should have won the Eastern Conference trophy today.

But, as they say, it's better to wrap things up when your at home, 'cause there's no place like it.

Game 5
East Finals
Orlando 102
Cleveland 112
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
ORL: Hedo Turkoglu- 29 pts, 6 rebs, 2 assts, 2 stls.
CLE: LeBron James- 37 pts, 14 rebs, 12 assts, 1 stl.
Magic lead series 3-2
Game 6 on Sunday, May 31 at 8:30 AM from the Amway Arena in Orlando.

More updates coming up later on you guys!

The Wizard was here... :)

May 29, 2009 (Part 1); I'm back!

Finally, after some time of being sick, I'm back and better than ever!

It's good to feel better once again! Thanks God!

I started feeling oozy Tuesday morning. But now, I can say that I feel much better.

I will get back to work guys. Sports news will be on hand a little later on.

The Wizard is back! :)

May 24, 2009 (Part 3); Enter "The Dragon", the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champ!

A barrage of punches ended "Sugar" Rashad Evans reign as the king of the 205-lb division, as Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida delivered a terrific performance today from UFC 98 in beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada.

Both fighters entered the ring undefeated, with Evans having 18 wins and 1 draw and Machida winning all of his 14 previous fights.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was the original opponent for Evans, but due to an injury, Machida was asked to replace him. So, the winner of the match, who is Machida, will face Jackson for the title in the near future.

Now here are the other results from today's knockout action from UFC 98!

Preliminary card
Lightweight bout: Dave Kaplan vs. George Roop
Roop defeated Kaplan via split decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29).

Welterweight bout: Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Brandon Wolff
Yoshida defeated Wolff via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:24 of Round 1.

Light Heavyweight bout: Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Andre Gusmao
Soszynski defeated Gusmao via KO (punches) at 3:17 of Round 1.

Lightweight bout: Phillipe Nover vs. Kyle Bradley
Bradley defeated Nover via TKO (punches) at 1:03 of Round 1.

Heavyweight bout: Patrick Barry vs. Tim Hague
Hague defeated Barry via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:42 of Round 1.

Welterweight bout: Brock Larson vs. Mike Pyle
Larson defeated Pyle via submission (arm triangle choke) at 3:06 of Round 1.

Main card
Lightweight bout: Sean Sherk vs. Frank Edgar
Edgar defeated Sherk via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Middleweight bout: Dan Miller vs. Chael Sonnen
Sonnen defeated Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Middleweight bout: Drew McFedries vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam
McFedries defeated Foupa-Pokam via TKO (strikes) at 0:37 of Round 1.

Welterweight bout: Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra
Hughes defeated Serra via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida
Machida defeated Evans via KO (punch) at 3:57 of Round 2 to become the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

New champion in Lyoto Machida! UFC 99 will be on June 14 at 10:00 AM from the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany. It will be the first UFC event in Germany and in mainland Europe.

It features the catchweight (195 lb.) fight between former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich "Ace" Franklin and "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva.

It will be shown via delayed telecast on Balls Channel. It's delayed because it will be shown live at 3:00 AM Manila time.

There you have it guys!

The Wizard was here... :)

May 24, 2009 (Part 2); Kobe scores 41 to lead 2-1 against Nuggets

Kobe Bryant scored his 2nd 40-point game in this Playoffs as he led his Lakers past the Nuggets, 103-97, to regain the homecourt advantage in their best-of-seven West Finals series at 2-1.

Bryant finished the game with 41 points, with 13 of those coming from the fourth period on 41 minutes of playing time, meaning he scored a point in every minute that he played in. He also had 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

This is the first loss of the Nuggets in the postseason. And the Lakers also broke the 16-game unbeaten home record of the Nuggets dating back to the regular season.

Pau Gasol had 20 points on 7 out of 12 from the field, along with 11 rebounds and 2 assists. Trevor Ariza, who again did a vital role on defense for the Lakers, scored 16 points and had 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.

Everybody from the active Lakers lineup except for Luke Walton scored in this game. A total of 15 bench points were produced by the Lakers today.

The Nuggets on the other hand were led by Carmelo Anthony, who fouled out late in the fourth quarter, with 21 points on 4 out of 13 from the field, along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Chauncey Billups had 18 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Chris Andersen came off the bench with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Nene tallied 13 points and 6 rebounds, while Dahntay Jones and J.R. Smith both scored 10 points, with Jones having 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal and Smith with 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal.

Kenyon Martin just scored six points, on 3 out of 10 from the field, along with 7 rebounds and 1 assist, but became the second Nugget player to foul out in this game, going out just moments after Anthony fouled out.

Game 4 will be played on Tuesday, May 26 at 9:00 AM.

Game 3
LA Lakers 103
Denver 97
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
LAL: Kobe Bryant- 41 pts, 5 rebs, 6 assts, 2 stls.
DEN: Carmelo Anthony- 21 pts, 5 rebs, 3 assts, 3 stls.
Lakers lead series 2-1
Game 4 on Tuesday, May 26 at 9:00 AM from the Pepsi Center in Denver.

UFC 98 on-going! F1, Harlem Globetrotters and PBA action later on!

The Wizard was here... :)

May 24, 2009 (Part 1); Cavs tie series on LeBron's 3-point heave

I must say, that all the luck in the world was with the Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday.

Hedo Turkoglu of the Orlando Magic sank in a jumper with a second left in the clock, giving the Magic a two-point lead, 95-93.

The Cavs call for time. And guess who received the ball. Yes, you got that right, it's the league MVP, LeBron James.

Mo Williams inbounds it to James, who's outside the arc guarded by Hedo Turkoglu. He jumped, he took the shot, and bingo. He made a buzzer-beater to win the game, 96-95, tying their best-of-seven East Finals series at a game a piece.

That shot awakened the lonely crowd inside the Q after the shot from Turkoglu. And as an icing on the cake, the winning shot from LeBron was replayed as many times as possible for the crowd inside the venue and to the millions watching at home to see.

It was tough for the Magic, but carry-overs aren't expected for them. As we all know, the Magic have been recipients of some of the buzzer-beaters from this Playoffs alone, just like Andre Iguodala's shot from the East Quarterfinal round and the 21-footer from Boston's Glen Davis. But the Magic weren't that much affected to those. They both won those series (PHI at 6 and BOS at 7 games).

LeBron James led the Cavs with 35 points on 12 out of 23 from the field, along with 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Mo Williams tallied 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, while Delonte West and big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas both scored 12 points, while West having 5 rebounds and 1 assist and Ilgauskas having 15 rebounds and 2 assists.

The Magic on the other hand were led by Rashard Lewis with 23 points on 6 out of 15 from the field, along with 5 rebounds and 1 assist. Hedo Turkoglu made 21 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists. Rookie Courtney Lee finished the game with 11 points and an assist, while Mickael Pietrus and Dwight Howard both tallied with 10 points, with Pietrus having 1 rebound and Howard having a double-double with 18 rebounds and 4 assists.

Game 3 will be played tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM, with the series shifting to Orlando.

Game 2
Orlando 95
Cleveland 96
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
ORL: Rashard Lewis- 23 pts, 5 rebs, 1 asst, 2 stls.
CLE: LeBron James- 35 pts, 4 rebs, 5 assts, 1 stl.
Series tied 1-1
Game 3 on Monday, May 25 at 8:30 AM from the Amway Arena in Orlando.

The third game of the West Finals between the Lakers and the Nuggets is being played right now. But later on, for all you MMA fans, UFC 98 will be telecast LIVE at 10:00 AM on Balls Channel. Matt Hughes and Matt Serra will tangle up, and for the main event of the evening, it's "Suga'" Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida for the UFC Light Heavyweight crown.

Later on this afternoon, the F1 Monaco Grand Prix will take place and will be shown LIVE on Star Sports.

Another sports event will be held at the Araneta Coliseum which will feature the Harlem Globetrotters, which will be pitted against the Washington Generals. They will have 2 games today, one at 3:00 PM and another at 7:00 PM.

And finally, there will be two playoff games from the PBA. The first game will feature the Alaska Aces and the Coca-Cola Tigers for the number 8 spot at 4:00 PM and the main event will be against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and the Brgy. Ginebra Kings for the 2nd spot and the outright semis berth at 6:45 PM, from the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Yours truly will be there live to check out the action )

There you have it! I'll be back for more you guys!

The Wizard was here... :)

May 22, 2009 (Part 3); There will be games on Sunday!

Now here are the results from the PBA games held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City!

1st Game
San Miguel 89 (11-3)
Coca-Cola 105 (6-8)
SMB: Chris Williams- 24 pts, 11 rebs, 3 assts, 2 stls.
COK: Ronjay Buenafe- 30 pts, 5 rebs, 1 asst, 2 stls.

2nd Game
Alaska 76 (6-8)
Brgy. Ginebra 75 (8-6)
ALA: Willie Miller- 17 pts, 6 rebs, 7 assts, 1 stl.
BGK: Jayjay Helterbrand- 18 pts, 2 rebs, 3 assts, 1 stl.

And due to the victories of Coca-Cola and Alaska, there will be playoff game on Sunday to be held at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City. Here are the games!

1st Game
Playoff for the 8th Spot
Alaska Aces (6-8) vs. Coca-Cola Tigers (6-8)
4:00 PM

2nd Game
Playoff for the 2nd Spot and the Outright Semis Berth
Brgy. Ginebra Kings (8-6) vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (8-6)
6:30 PM

There you have it! You guys have just been fed!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

May 22, 2009 (Part 2); Denver steals one in LA, tying the series at 1

It was another close encounter at the STAPLES Center.

It was very close that the score after the first quarter of Game 1 and today's game was identical at 31-23, but the only difference was that the Lakers led today.

The Lakers dominated the first quarter, but the Nuggets countered in the second quarter, as they ended it with a 11-2 run, outscoring the Lakers, 31-24 on that quarter, and with Carmelo Anthony scoring the last 12 points for the Nuggets.

The third quarter was simply gut-wrenching, with shots falling from every angle. The Lakers led by seven, 71-64, but the Nuggets refused to go away, ending the quarter with a 16-10 run, cutting the Laker lead to just one, 81-80.

The fourth quarter was the most exciting part of the game. Linas Kleiza made a three-pointer from the left corner to give the Nuggets a three-point lead, and it was a seesaw battle afterwards, up until the very end.

Chauncey Billups made some crucial free-throws towards the end, which made the difference as the Nuggets cruised on to a 106-103 victory at the STAPLES Center, tying the series at one game a piece.

Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with the game-high 34 points on 12 out of 29 from the field, along with 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Billups ended the night with 27 points on 6 out of 15 from the field, with 2 rebounds and 4 assists. Kenyon Martin and Linas Kleiza both finished with 16 points, with Martin having 3 rebounds and 2 assists and Kleiza with 8 rebounds.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers on a losing effort with 32 points on 10 out of 20 from the field, with 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Trevor Ariza had another great game with 20 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Pau Gasol had a double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds, with 3 assists, while Lamar Odom came off the bench scoring 10 points and grabbing 9 rebounds.

Game 3 will be played on Sunday, May 24 at 8:30 AM, with the series shifting to Denver.

Game 2
West Finals
Denver 106
LA Lakers 103
STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, California
DEN: Carmelo Anthony- 34 pts, 9 rebs, 4 assts, 1 stl.
LAL: Kobe Bryant- 32 pts, 5 rebs, 3 assts, 1 stl.
Series tied 1-1
Game 3 on Sunday, May 24 at 8:30 AM from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

There you have it!

Later on tonight are PBA games from the Araneta Coliseum. Results will be posted after the games!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out!

The Wizard was here... :)

May 22, 2009 (Part 1); Williams, Thoss out of RP 5 for SEABA

Sta. Lucia's Kelly Williams and Alaska's Sonny Thoss will not be part of the final roster for the SEABA Men's Championships.

The announcement was made by PBA commissioner Renauld "Sonny" Barrios last May 21 on a press conference to announce the 12 players who will represent our country in the six-nation tournament which will be held in Medan, Indonesia on June 6-10.

And the decision was due to just one criterion, which is health.

Williams, who's also the reigning league MVP, was diagnosed with a condition in the blood known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura that has kept him out of the game for almost a month now, while Thoss is nursing a knee injury.

With the two out of the lineup, the lineup of the Powerade-Team Pilipinas looks like this.

4 TNT Jared Dillinger
5 PUR Kerby Raymundo (team co-captain)
6 PUR James Yap
8 COK Asi Taulava (team captain)
9 TNT Ranidel De Ocampo
10 ROS Gabe Norwood
11 ALA Willie Miller
12 BKW Arwind Santos
13 BGK Jayjay Helterbrand
14 BGK Cyrus Baguio
15 SLR Ryan Reyes
17 SMB Mick Pennisi

There you have it.

Guys, the Influenza A(H1N1) virus has entered the country, so let's all be cautious about it.

Wash your hands regularly and avoid crowded places to avoid having that deadly virus.

God bless you guys!

The Wizard was here... :)

May 21, 2009 (Part 2); Finally, a loss for Cleveland

Yes guys, the ever "invincible" Cleveland Cavaliers suffered their first loss in this year's Playoffs, at the hands of the Orlando Magic.

The Cavs were a super team during the first half, making shots from every angle. LeBron James even had some dunks to show the people inside the Q. But his teammate Mo Williams doesn't want to be left behind, as he did something good as well, making a buzzer-beating three-point shot from way beyond the midcourt line.

The game was pretty much the same as yesterday's from Los Angeles, in which the team was so close up until the very end. But the only difference is that this game was decided with a three-point basket courtesy of the 10-year veteran, Rashard Lewis.

With 25.4 seconds left in the game, the Magic called for time after LeBron made a three-point play on the other end, putting the Cavs on a precarious two-point lead, 106-104. Coach Stan van Gundy called a play which was designed for a long shot.

And the Magic delivered.

The ball was perfectly circulated by the Magic until Hedo Turkoglu found the cutting Lewis for a perfect 25-footer from the right wing, putting the Magic back in the lead, 107-106, with 14.7 seconds left in the game.

After the Cleveland timeout, of course, who other player from the Cavs would receive the inbound but LeBron. He handled the ball, kicked it out to Mo Williams, then to the open Delonte West from the corner for a three-ball, but he missed.

Then the ball was tangled between Marcin Gortat and LeBron, with a second left.

The ball was tipped to Williams, who tried to heave it, but no dice, as the Magic held on to win Game 1, spoiling the homecourt advantage that the Cavs had.

Dwight Howard even fouled out on the 25 second mark of the fourth, but he still led the Magic in scoring and rebounding. He finished the game with 30 points and 13 rebounds on 14 out of 20 from the field.

Rashard Lewis, who hit the game-winner, scored 22 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and had 3 assists. Hedo Turkoglu had another double-double night with 15 points and 14 assists. Mickael Pietrus added 13 points and 2 boards off the bench, while Rafer Alston had 11 points, 2 rebounds and 8 assists.

The Cavs were led by James with his new career playoff-high of 49 points, on 20 out of 30 from the field, along with 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals. Mo Williams finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Anderson Varejao had 14 points and 6 boards. Delonte West contributed with 11 points and 6 assists, while Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cavs are now, including the Playoffs, 43-3 in the homefloor. Game 2 will be on Saturday at 8:30 AM, still from Cleveland.

Game 1
East Finals
Orlando 107
Cleveland 106
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
ORL: Dwight Howard- 30 pts, 13 rebs, 1 asst, 2 stls.
CLE: LeBron James- 49 pts, 6 rebs, 8 assts, 2 stls.
Magic lead series 1-0
Game 2 on Saturday, May 23 at 8:30 AM from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

The game will be shown LIVE on BTV and C/S 9.

And in other news, the WWE has announced that this Monday night, instead of going to Denver for a show, which coincided with Game 4 of the West Finals between the Nuggets and the Lakers, they will roll their trucks to the home of the Lakers, at the STAPLES Center to hold Monday Night Raw. The show will start at 8:30 AM Manila time.

And due to the overwhelming support by the STAPLES Center, Los Angeles and the California WWE fans, WWE will hold back-to-back nights of action from the STAPLES Center, with the second event on Wednesday, May 27 at 9:30 AM.

The WWE and Kroenke Sports had a debacle about this for the past weeks, with WWE giving in to the demands of Stan Kroenke and his organization, but was labelled by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon as a "bad businessman".

There you have it! You guys have just been fed!

Have a great day you guys!

God bless! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

May 21, 2009 (Part 1); The "dark horse" is the new American Idol

After four months of singing infront of the whole country, and the whole world, a new American Idol was named.

Not Adam Lambert.

Yes, it's Kris Allen.

The small-town boy from Conway, Arkansas made it all the way to the finals and winning the eighth installment of this worldwide phenomenon.

Another world record was set due to a very large number of people who voted for the two finalists, which, according to the representative from Telescope, almost reached 100 million votes.

Some artists were on hand as well, as they performed along with the Idols. Among those artists were the Black Eyed Peas, rock bands Queen and Kiss, Carlos Santana, Steve Martin, Rod Stewart, Keith Urban, Cyndi Lauper, Queen Latifah and many more.

"Bikini Girl" and Norman Mitchell were also there in the Nokia Theatre. Bikini Girl was still in bikinis while Norman did his funny guy impersonation once again. Even Idol judeg Kara DioGuardi was caught in the act with Bikini Girl.

This is the third season of American Idol which featured an all-male finale, the second season being the first, and the seventh season being the second.

American Idol season 9 will emanate on January 2o10.

Another season has passed, and another winner is crowned.

Congratulations to Kris Allen, and to Adam Lambert, as well as the top 13 which did a good job throughout the competition itself.

Kris' new single, "No Boundaries", along with all the performances today will be available for download on iTunes starting tomorrow.

There you have it you guys!

The Wizard was here... :)

May 20, 2009 (Part 4); Dominating win for the Kings

Now here are the results from the PBA doubleheader from the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

May 20, 2009
Araneta Coliseum
Quezon City

1st Game
Brgy. Ginebra 122 (8-5)
Coca-Cola 85 (5-8)
BGK: Ronald Tubid- 20 pts, 2 rebs, 3 assts, 1 stl.
COK: Ronjay Buenafe- 21 pts, 3 rebs, 3 assts, 2 stls.

The win marked the biggest win by the Kings in more than 15 years and the most lopsided in this conference.

2nd Game
Talk 'N Text 115 (7-7)
Alaska 122 (5-8)

And now, here are the games for Friday!

1st Game
San Miguel Beermen (11-2) vs. Coca-Cola Tigers (5-8)
5:00 PM

2nd Game
Brgy. Ginebra Kings (8-5) vs. Alaska Aces (5-8)
7:30 PM

Game 1 of the NBA East Finals between the Cavs and the Magic will also be tomorrow at 8:30 AM from Cleveland.

There you have it! You guys have just been fed!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)

May 20, 2009 (Part 3); Lakers escapes Nuggets, leads 1-0

It was a neck-and-neck battle up towards the final buzzer.

But one team emerged victorious, and that's the Lakers.

The Lakers prevented an upset at home as they held on to defeat the Denver Nuggets, 105-103, to lead their best-of-seven Western Conference Finals series at 1-0.

The Nuggets were dominating the start of the game, making shot every shot. But the Lakers made a run which gave them the lead at halftime via a three-point shot from Derek Fisher.

But it was a shootfest between the two Olympic gold medalist, Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant.

Kobe makes a basket on one end, and Carmelo counters on the other end.

Carmelo finished the game with 39 points, while Kobe had 40, which made the difference.

The turning point of the game came with 30 seconds left in the game, when Kenyon Martin fouled Kobe Bryant, which gave the Lakers the one point lead, 100-99.

Chauncey Billups tried to make the game more interesting after making a three-point basket, reducing the Laker lead to just one, 103-102. But the Nuggets simply cannot handle Kobe tonight, as he's always the recipient of the ball, leading to foulshots.

Kobe calmly made every free throw shot down the stretch, much to the dismay of the Nuggets.

Kobe led the Lakers with 40 points, on 13 out of 28 from the field and 12 out of 13 from the charity stripe, along with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher both had 13 points, with Gasol having 14 rebounds and Fisher with 6 assists. Lamar Odom only had seven markers, while Trevor Ariza and Andrew Bynum had six points each.

Carmelo led the Nuggets with 39, on 14 out of 20 from the field, with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Chauncey Billups had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Kenyon Martin made 15 points and 8 rebounds. Nene had 14 points and 5 rebounds, while J.R. Smith and Chris Andersen both tallied with eight points, with Smith having 5 rebounds and 3 assists and the Birdman with 5 boards.

Game 2 will be on Friday, May 22 at 9:00 AM, still from Los Angeles.

Game 1
Denver 103
LA Lakers 105
STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, California
DEN: Carmelo Anthony- 39 pts, 6 rebs, 4 assts.
LAL: Kobe Bryant- 40 pts, 6 rebs, 4 assts.
Lakers lead series 1-0
Game 2 on Friday, May 22 at 9:00 AM from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

PBA games tonight guys! Results will be posted after the games!

The Wizard was here... :)

May 20, 2009 (Part 2); The final performance night of AI Season 8

The final performance of American Idol Season 8 has just concluded.

The final two contestants, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, each sung three songs, the first being their favorite song among their performances this season, second being Simon Fuller's choice, and the third being their debut single, "No Boundaries", which was co-written by Idol judge Kara DioGuardi.

Simon Fuller is the creator of the show, and is different from Simon Cowell the judge.

Now here are the songs which the Idols performed today!

1. Adam Lambert- "Mad World" by Tears for Fears
2. Kris Allen- "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers
3. Adam Lambert- "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke
4. Kris Allen- "What's Going On?" by Marvin Gaye
5. Adam Lambert- "No Boundaries"
6. Kris Allen- "No Boundaries"

You could catch the show later on tonight at 6:00 PM on QTV and Star World.

And tomorrow, the Season Finale will be shown LIVE on QTV and Star World, starting at 8:00 AM.

There you have it!

Lakers-Nuggets news to come!

The Wizard was here... :)

May 20, 2009 (Part 1); The Clippers drew Number One

The Los Angeles Clippers drew the top pick for this year's NBA Draft.

They drew number one for the third time in franchise history (1988, 1998).

Here are the teams in chronological order as they were picked randomly via lottery system.

1 Los Angeles Clippers
2 Memphis Grizzlies
3 Oklahoma City Thunder
4 Sacramento Kings
5 Washington Wizards
6 Minnesota Timberwolves
7 Golden State Warriors
8 New York Knicks
9 Toronto Raptors
10 Milwaukee Bucks
11 New Jersey Nets
12 Charlotte Bobcats
13 Indiana Pacers
14 Phoenix Suns

The 16 remaining teams will draw as via their win-loss record, with the lowest seeded playoff team drafting 15th and the team with the best record will draw 30th.

But some teams made some trades for their draft picks, which forfeited their chances of picking a player for the Draft. Here are the teams which will pick from the 15th to the 30th.

15 Detroit Pistons
16 Chicago Bulls
17 Philadelphia 76ers
18 Minnesota Timberwolves (from Miami)
19 Atlanta Hawks
20 Utah Jazz
21 New Orleans Hornets
22 Dallas Mavericks
23 Sacramento Kings (from Houston)
24 Portland Trail Blazers
25 Oklahoma City Thunder (from San Antonio)
26 Chicago Bulls (from Denver via Oklahoma City)
27 Memphis Grizzlies (from Orlando)
28 Minnesota Timberwolves (from Boston)
29 Los Angeles Lakers
30 Cleveland Cavaliers

There you have it!

More news later on you guys!

The Wizard was here... :)

May 18, 2009 (Part 3); NBA Draft Lottery Wednesday morning

On Wednesday, May 20, at 8:00 AM, the NBA will hold the annual Draft Lottery at the NBA TV Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.

It's time once again for the ping-pong balls to start rolling, as 14 teams will try to land the coveted 1st draft place for the NBA Draft on June 25 at The Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Fourteen ping-pong balls will numbered 1 to 14 will be placed in the drum. There are 1,001 different combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14, without regard to their order of selection. And prior to the Lottery, 1,o00 combinations will be assigned to the 14 participating Lottery teams by a computer.

The Sacramento Kings finished the season with the worst record in the league at 17-65, so they will be assigned to 250 combinations. The Phoenix Suns on the other hand, the best team on the lottery at 46-36, will have five combinations out of a possible 1,000.

Four balls will be drawn to the top to determine the four-digit combination. The team that has been assigned that combination will receive the number one pick. The four balls are placed back in the drum and the process is repeated to determine the number two and three picks. And take note, if the one unassigned combination is drawn, the balls are drawn to the top again.

The order of selection for the teams that do not win one of the top three picks will be determined in inverse order out of their regular season record. Thus, Sacramento can pick no lower than fourth, Washington (19-63) no lower than fifth and the L.A. Clippers no lower than sixth.

Now here's what's at stake for all 14 teams participating in the lottery, as well as their odds of coming away with the first, second, or third pick.

Data courtesy of NBA.com

Sacramento Kings
Record: 17-65
Chances: 250 out of 1,000
1st Pick 25%
2nd Pick: 21.46%
3rd Pick: 17.72%
On-Stage Representative: Chris Webber
Lottery Room Participant: John Kehriotis (minority owner)

Washington Wizards
Record: 19-63
Chances: 178
1st Pick: 17.80%
2nd Pick: 17.36%
3rd Pick: 16.45%
On-Stage Representative: Ernie Grunfeld (president)
Lottery Room Participant: Flip Saunders (head coach)

L.A. Clippers
Record: 19-63
Chances: 177
1st Pick: 17.70%
2nd Pick: 17.29%
3rd Pick: 16.41%
On-Stage Representative: Andy Roeser (president)

Oklahoma City Thunder
Record: 23-59
Chances: 119
1st Pick: 11.90%
2nd Pick: 12.57%
3rd Pick: 13.24%
On-Stage Representative: Scott Brooks (head coach)
Lottery Room Participant: Sam Presti (general manager)

Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: 24-58
Chances: 76
1st Pick: 7.60%
2nd Pick: 8.43%
3rd Pick: 9.46%
On-Stage Representative: Kevin Love

Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 24-58
Chances: 75
1st Pick: 7.50%
2nd Pick: 8.33%
3rd Pick: 9.36%
On-Stage Representative: Lionel Hollins (head coach)
Lottery Room Representative: Greg Campbell (president, basketball operations)

Golden State Warriors
Record: 29-53
Chances: 43
1st Pick: 4.30%
2nd Pick: 4.93%
3rd Pick: 5.76%
On-Stage Representative: Larry Riley (general manager)
Lottery Room Participant: Raymond Ridder (executive director, public relations)

New York Knicks
Record: 32-50
Chances: 28
1st Pick: 2.80%
2nd Pick: 3.26%
3rd Pick: 3.87%
On-Stage Representative: Allan Houston (assistant to president, basketball operations)
Lottery Room Participant: Donnie Walsh (president, basketball operations)

Toronto Raptors
Record: 33-49
Chances: 17
1st Pick: 1.70%
2nd Pick: 2.00%
3rd Pick: 2.40%
On-Stage Representative: Bryan Colangelo (president and general manager)
Lottery Room Participant: Jim Labumbard (director, media relations)

Milwaukee Bucks
Record: 34-48
Chances: 10
1st Pick: 1.00%
2nd Pick: 1.18%
3rd Pick: 1.43%
On-Stage Representative: John Hammond (general manager)
Lottery Room Participant: Jeff Weltman (assistant general manager)

New Jersey Nets
Record: 34-48
Chances: 9
1st Pick: 0.90
2nd Pick: 1.06%
3rd Pick: 1.29%
On-Stage Representative: Rod Thorn (president)

Charlotte Bobcats
Record: 35-47
Chances: 7
1st Pick: 0.70%
2nd Pick: 0.83%
3rd Pick: 1.01%
On-Stage Representative: D.J. Augustin
Lottery Room Participant: Josh Rosen (manager of basketball communications)

Indiana Pacers
Record: 36-46
Chances: 6
1st Pick: 0.60%
2nd Pick: 0.71%
3rd Pick: 0.87%
On-Stage Representative: Larry Bird (president)
Lottery Room Participant: David Benner (director of public information)

Phoenix Suns
Record: 46-36
Chances: 5
1st Pick: 0.50%
2nd Pick: 0.59%
3rd Pick: 0.72%
On-Stage Representative: Alvin Gentry (head coach)
Lottery Room Participant: Jeramie McPeek (vice-president)

So there you have it. You guys have just been fed!

God bless you guys! Stay safe! Peace out! The Wizard was here... :)

Comments, questions and suggestions are highly appreciated! :)