NEW YORK–Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs were predicted to win the 2027 title with the French superstar taking Most Valuable Player honors in an NBA team general managers survey released on Thursday. In the 25th annual survey, general managers answered 48 questions and could not vote for their own team or personnel. READ:

LONDON— Serbian tennis player Stefan Milićević has been given a 24-year ban for allegedly fixing multiple matches and recruiting other players into a “corrupt network,” the International Tennis Integrity Agency said Thursday. The agency said the 29-year-old Milićević was charged with fixing six matches — including five of his own — and trying to fix

Four players scored in double digits for University of Perpetual Help as the red-hot Junior Altas win their seventh straight game in the NCAA Season 102 Juniors Basketball Tournament against Mapua, 82-80, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City, Friday, Oct.16. Team captain Loiue Rosales finished with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals to lead the Joph Cleopas-mentored squad to its seventh win in eight games.. Sizco Roquid contributed 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. Brian Orca Jr added 11 points and eight boards while Sam Villaruel had a near double double with 10 poibts and nine rebounds for the Group B leader. Chris Parame led Mapua Malayan School with 23 points,13 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Mapua dropped to a 4-4 win loss slate in Group A.

MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala said one of the most important lessons of her tennis career has been learning that her value as a person should not depend on whether she wins or loses a match. The world No. 18, who talked about the change in her mindset during Maria Sharapova’s “Pretty Tough” podcast, was responding to

TWO powerhouse squads — the Creamline Cool Smashers and the Nxled Chameleons — look to secure their second consecutive victories as they take on their respective opponents in the 2026-27 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference-Siklab Series on Saturday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City. Action begins at 1 p.m. with Farm Fresh facing Nxled, followed by a Spikers’ Turf match between the AEP Cabstars and Far Eastern University at 3:30 p.m., before Creamline and Galeries clash in the 6 p.m. main fixture. Creamline opened the new All-Filipino Conference in dominant fashion after sweeping the Akari Chargers, 25-18, 25-21, 25-18, last Saturday at the SM Seaside Cebu Arena. The league’s 11-time champions flaunted a complete and loaded lineup with veterans Alyssa Valdez, Jema Galanza, Jia de Guzman, Michele Gumabao, and Tots Carlos all healthy to play, eyeing another title for the franchise’s collection. The reigning 2025-26 All-Filipino Conference champions banked on Galanza, who led the opening-day victory with 16 points, eight excellent digs, and 14 excellent receptions. De Guzman served as the team’s main setter, orchestrating 16 excellent sets to activate Pangs Panaga, Gumabao, and Ishie Lalongisip, who chipped in seven, six, and five points, respectively. With the Cool Smashers displaying their caliber early, Galanza shared what playing in the PVL’s 10th anniversary means to her. “We enjoyed the game. And we are really grateful, so we will continue to work hard and not waste any opportunities, and we aim to be more consistent. Of course to be healthy too,” Galanza said in Filipino. However, Creamline must brace for a fortified Galeries squad looking for its first win of the conference. The Highrisers fell in straight sets against Farm Fresh, though Erika Jin Deloria posted a promising performance with 10 points and 10 excellent receptions. Galeries will need strong support from Jean Asis and Aiza Pontillas if they hope to upset the Cool Smashers. Before the Galeries and Creamline clash, a Trisha Tubu and Ces Molina-led Farm Fresh side aims to notch another win, though they must first get past a tough Nxled lineup. Nxled started its conference on a high note by sweeping the PLDT High Speed Hitters 25-16, 25-20, 25-18, with Van Sickle leading the charge with 11 points. Van Sickle, who missed the PVL On Tour while nursing an injury, proved fully recovered as she showcased her scoring prowess. The league’s three-time Most Valuable Player was backed by Jacq Acuña with nine points and Jonah Sabete with seven. The winner of the Farm Fresh and Nxled match will gain an early advantage in the marathon seven-month conference of the PVL.

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 championship.  “I will not expose that, but I did bring my laptop,” King said, when asked. “And, you know, I’m going to say the cliché: film does not lie.”  “And it does a lot of good for me, because obviously with me being an American, sometimes there’s a language barrier and sometimes they may not understand me. But that film speaks all languages and we understand that film,” he added. San Miguel will have several days to work further and improve its team chemistry before clashing with Group A leader NLEX in what could determine the two teams’ playoff seeding.

BROTHERS Carlos and Eldrew Yulo, along with Juan Miguel Besana, are set to take part in the qualification rounds of the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics events at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The Yulo brothers will compete in the men’s all-around, while Besana takes the horizontal bar. The men have already started their podium training on Thursday. Besana is expected to compete on Saturday at 6:10 p.m. (Philippine time), while the Yulo brothers take the podium on Sunday at 4 p.m. Haylee Garcia is also taking part in the women’s events as an All-Arounder.  All four members of the Philippine team were fresh off their stints at the 20th Asian Games in Japan. The Yulo brothers both brought home medals from the Asiad, with Carlos bagging two gold medals in the men’s floor exercise and vault events, while Eldrew won a bronze medal in the horizontal bar. Carlos also finished 4th in the parallel bars, while Eldrew finished 7th in the floor exercise. Meanwhile, Besana competed alongside the older Yulo in the men’s vault, finishing in 5th place, while Garcia finished 6th as part of the women’s all-around team event. The FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships runs from Oct. 17-25.

STAKEHOLDERS will now have a direct and stronger voice in the formation of the national volleyball teams heading into major international tournaments. Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Executive Director Atty. Miguel Carlos Pacifico Suarez announced on Friday that the federation is taking a highly collaborative approach by creating a dedicated National Team Commission. The five-man panel is designed to enable major stakeholders to air their concerns and align schedules before formally assembling the rosters for the Alas Pilipinas Men and Women squads. Suarez emphasized that the creation of the commission ensures the federation leadership moves away from the old practice of making unilateral decisions regarding national team selection, calendar management, and player availability. No less than PNVF president Frank Lao will chair the powerful body with key stakeholders like Sherwin Malonzo of the Premier Volleyball League, Dr. Ian Laurel of the Shakey’s Super League, Fr. Victor Calvo of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and Bo Perasol of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines as members. Malonzo and Laurel bring deep administrative experience from previous PNVF setups, while Calvo and Perasol oversee the nation’s top collegiate sports programs, ensuring full representation across all levels of Philippine volleyball. “The establishment of the National Team Commission is a major step in the right direction. By giving stakeholders a direct and stronger voice, we are ensuring a more inclusive, transparent, and collaborative approach to forming and supporting our national team,” Suarez said in an official statement. “With this special panel, we are removing the old practice of leadership making unilateral decisions without consulting key stakeholders on player schedules and availability. We are now giving everyone a unified voice to guarantee a far more collaborative and sustainable national team program.” Since taking the helm of the PNVF last August, Lao has prioritized integrity, transparency, and accountability. To stabilize the organization, the businessman-sportsman used his personal funds to settle outstanding financial liabilities and obligations inherited from previous administrations. Among his first major technical reforms was revamping the coaching staff of both national squads — bringing back head coach Dante Alinsunurin to lead Alas Pilipinas Men, and tapping veteran Italian strategist Angiolino Frigoni to steer Alas Pilipinas Women. Alinsunurin previously led the male spikers to a historic silver-medal finish at the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019, while Frigoni brings world-class pedigree, having guided the Italian women’s team to the 2000 Sydney Olympics and coached the Dutch women’s national squad. “Our president, Mr. Frank Lao, is delivering on his commitment to drive genuine reforms within the federation,” Suarez added.  “Giving the volleyball community a seat at the table is essential because we are expecting more changes to come as we move forward towards rebuilding the federation and leading it to greater heights.”

LOS ANGELES — Garrett Mitchell hit a go-ahead homer off reliever Tanner Scott in the sixth inning, Milwaukee’s bullpen slammed the door late and the Brewers rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-4, on Thursday (Friday in Manila) in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series to earn their first trip to the World Series since 1982. No. 9 hitter David Hamilton’s two-out solo shot off Edwin Díaz gave the Brewers a two-run cushion in the ninth. Hamilton had just four homers in the regular season. Shohei Ohtani’s first home run of the postseason helped put the Dodgers ahead 4-0 early before the Brewers came back to complete a four-game sweep of the two-time defending World Series champions a year after getting swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS. The Brewers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games in their only other World Series appearance, when Milwaukee played in the American League. With the score tied 4-all, Mitchell fell behind 0-2 before Scott threw three straight balls for a full count. Mitchell’s 409-foot leadoff drive to center field — the first homer of his career on an 0-2 count — put the Brewers ahead for the first time. Mitchell also homered in their 6-2 victory Wednesday. The Brewers’ bullpen coolly turned away multiple threats when the Dodgers had the potential tying run on base. JoJo Romero struck out Max Muncy with Kyle Tucker at third to end the sixth. Aaron Ashby, who worked the final three innings for a save, struck out Ohtani swinging and Mookie Betts grounded out with Andy Pages at third to end the seventh. Will Smith doubled to right and was safe at third when the ball got away from Sal Frelick for an error in the eighth before Ashby got Tucker to fly out and Teoscar Hernández to strike out. The Brewers tied it in the fifth, when the Dodgers bullpen issued four walks and Milwaukee stole two bases. Hamilton’s single chased starter Tyler Glasnow and scored Frelick, who walked and stole second, to pull Milwaukee to 4-3. Alex Vesia came in and promptly walked Brice Turang and William Contreras to load the bases. Vesia then walked Jake Bauers with two outs to force in Hamilton with the tying run. Glasnow retired his first 10 batters — six on strikeouts — before the Brewers got to him in the fourth. Turang walked, Contreras hit a ground-rule double and Bauers followed with another ground-rule double that closed Milwaukee to 4-2. Ohtani broke out of his postseason slump with a three-run homer after Pages’ RBI single in the second. The four-time MVP released weeks of pent-up frustration by raising his arms and yelling and the crowd of 49,104 joined him in celebration.

WUHAN, China — Iga Swiatek hit a new milestone on Thursday night as she stormed into a second consecutive Wuhan Open quarterfinal with a 6-1, 6-4 win over American lucky loser Ashlyn Krueger. The six-time Grand Slam champion recorded the 150th WTA 1000 victory of her career to continue her march towards a 13th title at this level. Since the Tier I/WTA 1000 format’s introduction in 1990, Swiatek is just the third player to claim 150 wins from her first 50 main-draw appearances in such events, after Martina Hingis (162) and Serena Williams (153). “I just wanted to focus on adjusting and being brave and, at the end, I’m happy that I was,” said the seventh-seeded Swiatek, who needs a title this week to strengthen her chances of qualifying for next month’s WTA Finals in Indian Wells. “For sure I feel like I am playing better than at the beginning of the season, so I’m ready to push and I’m happy to be in the quarters for sure.” The 25-year-old Pole, who awaits Ann Li or Janice Tjen in the quarterfinals, is one of just two top-10 seeds still standing in a draw that has witnessed a slew of high-profile exits. A day after the shocking departures of the top two seeds, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula, sixth-seeded Karolina Muchova and 10th-seeded Iva Jovic also bid Wuhan farewell. Maja Chwalinska, a finalist at the French Open this year, enjoyed a 6-4, 6-1 triumph over American world No. 11 Jovic to set up a quarterfinal with Greece’s Maria Sakkari. Diana Shnaider’s 7-5, 6-3 victory against Muchova was the Russian’s fourth career triumph over a top-10 opponent. The 22-year-old will next take on Jelena Ostapenko for a place in the final four. British world number 170 Sonay Kartal sent another seed packing after knocking out ninth-seeded Belinda Bencic in the second round.