PBA: San Miguel pulls off huge comeback vs NLEX but settles for No. 2

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.

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.

Oct 21, 2026

LeBron, Sixers spoil Knicks party

NEW YORK — LeBron James and his new Philadelphia 76ers teammates crashed the New York Knicks’ season-opening celebrations on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), beating the defending NBA champions, 106-100, on the night they raised their title banner at Madison Square Garden. James, 41, and entering a record-extending 24th NBA season with his fourth team, scored 14 points and handed out seven of the 76ers’ 28 assists in a tantalizing glimpse of how he will be a facilitator for younger teammates like Tyrese Maxey — who led all scorers with 28 points. “I could be a lot better,” James told broadcaster NBC. “Still getting my rhythm, obviously just a little bit over two weeks with the new squad. “But I like the way we played. I think we played exceptionally well, especially defensively.” Jaylen Brown, the former Boston Celtics star who arrived in Philly in a stunning trade for Paul George in July, scored 19 points with eight rebounds and six assists, and center Joel Embiid added 13 points and 11 rebounds for the 76ers. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 21 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 19 points with 12 rebounds, but after regaining the lead in the third quarter, the 76ers repelled every Knicks charge. The Knicks ended a 53-year title drought with their victory over the San Antonio Spurs in last season’s NBA Finals. Knicks legends including Bill Bradley, Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier handed out the Knicks’ championship rings in an emotional pregame ceremony at the Garden, where the crowd featured diehard celebrity Knicks fans like Ben Stiller and Spike Lee along with other famous faces including rocker Jon Bon Jovi and L commissioner Roger Goodell. Before the club’s third championship banner was raised to the rafters, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Brunson told fans the Knicks were “ready to turn the page as a team.” “But one thing I would like to say — the joy that this city had this summer we’d love to replicate that again,” Brunson said of a Knicks team aiming to be the first repeat champions since 2018. James, a four-time NBA champion and the league’s all-time leading scorer, admitted that winning on another team’s ring ceremony night was especially satisfying. “It’s pretty special,” he said. In the nightcap of the opening day triple-header, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rode a hot start to a 116-104 victory over Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. Wembanyama, widely tipped to end Gilgeous-Alexander’s two-year MVP reign, made just one basket in 13 attempts, an alley-oop dunk to end the third quarter. He made his presence felt with 13 rebounds and six blocked shots, and scored 12 points largely, thanks to 10 free throws. But the Spurs, led by 24 points from Stephon Castle, ultimately had no answer for an OKC outfit “hungry” after their title defense ended in a seven-game loss to San Antonio in last season’s Western Conference finals. Tempers flare “Obviously this is the team that eliminated us from achieving our goal,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But for us, I think it was more like we’re just happy to be back. It’s a longer summer when you don’t win, and we felt that this summer.” There was plenty of tension between the young teams tipped to duel for supremacy in the West for years to come. Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox was whistled for a flagrant foul after throwing Thunder center Chet Holmgren to the court early in the second quarter, sparking a shoving match that resulted in multiple technical fouls. The Spurs made a disciplined start to the third quarter and twice got the deficit to seven in the second half only for the Thunder to pull away again. The NBA’s 81st season tipped off in Detroit, where the Pistons used a fierce second-half fightback to spoil George’s 38-point Celtics debut in a duel of last season’s top two regular-season teams. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren scored 22 points each, and Duncan Robinson scored 15 of his 21 in the fourth quarter as the Pistons rallied for a 121-113 victory with the aid of a 23-0 scoring run. AFP

Oct 21, 2026

Rays 4 wins away from first WS crown

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Junior Caminero took bites from a massive bone-in tomahawk steak in between questions from reporters inside a beer-soaked clubhouse as teammates danced around, sprayed bubbly and celebrated the Tampa Bay Rays’ third American League (AL) pennant. The Rays and their low payroll and small-ball style are heading to the World Series seeking the first championship in franchise history. After a three-game sweep of the rival New York Yankees in their Division Series, the Rays eliminated the Cleveland Guardians in six games by winning three in a row to close out the AL Championship Series (ALCS). Next up is a matchup against the National League champion Milwaukee Brewers, another thrifty club from a small market that also has never won a World Series. Caminero, the All-Star third baseman who hit 42 homers during the regular season, finally connected for the first time in the postseason, launching a drive off the left-field foul pole to give the Rays a four-run cushion in the seventh inning of a 7-3 win on Monday (Tuesday in Manila). He savored every second of his home run trot, emphatically pounding his chest before reaching first base and imitating Randy Arozarena’s signature pose before crossing the plate while his former Tampa Bay teammate watched from the stands. “Tampa, this is for you!” Caminero shouted to fans after the game. “Come on now! Let’s go!” Veteran slugger Yandy Díaz, who guaranteed a Game 6 victory through an interpreter on Sunday, also blasted a two-run shot, going deep in the eighth after the Guardians closed to 5-3. Díaz also celebrated with a slow trot that wasn’t quite as demonstrative. Díaz held the tomahawk steak, a tradition he started when the Rays clinched the AL East title, and flexed his arms while taking sprays of sparkling wine from teammates. “Protein, medium well, big biceps,” Díaz said with a smile. The Rays have time to enjoy their victory before heading to Milwaukee to face the Brewers in Game 1 on Friday night. They got here by winning 98 games in the regular season, thanks to excellent pitching, strong defense and a group of unselfish hitters with a knack for bunting and playing fundamental baseball. They opened the season with a payroll of $90.5 million that ranked 26th in the majors. “These guys deserve it. It’s a special group,” Rays President of Baseball Operations Erik Neander said. “These guys did an unbelievable job coming together, exploding for 98 wins and building belief in one another. I’ve never seen a group come together like this one has with so many different ways to beat an opponent on a given night, so many ways to play to the scoreboard. They don’t bludgeon people; they just find ways to win and a lot of different ways to do it.” The Rays are in the postseason for the sixth time under manager Kevin Cash. They lost the World Series to the Dodgers in 2020 and the Phillies in 2008.