Sports Eye
Lakers championship victory in the offing
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
I’M sure that during these days we, basketball buffs, are closely following this year’s NBA championship games between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. We just watched the fourth game yesterday (I’m writing this piece on October 8) with the Lakers thumping anew the never-say-die Heat, 102-96, to boost their lead to 3-1, in the best-of-seven series. What the Californians need is just one victory to clinch the Larry O’Brien trophy, their 17th since they joined U.S.A.’s professional league in 11947.
The beleaguered Heat needs three tough consecutive victories to win their fourth coveted tiara which many say is now next to impossible. Yes, I have to agree but some diehard Heat fans say, “it’s not over, until it’s finally over.” I guess that can happen too.
“Bilog ang bola,” echoed Dante Domagas Soriano of Mangaldan told this writer.
Lakers clobbered the Heat twice consecutively, 116-98 and 124-114, but Heat avenged their twin losses in the third meeting with a convincing 115-104 conquest starred by the wily guard Jimmy Buttler scoring a triple-double figures with 40 points, 11 rebounds and 15 assists, his career high. But the six-foot-five Buttler unfortunately failed to duplicate his sterling performance in the fourth skirmish. The stifling defense of Lakers 6’11’ forward-center Anthony Davis gave Buttler a chance to score only 20 points. That I believe was one of the causes of Heat’s 102-96 defeat. Buttler did his best but his best was not good enough. I doff my hat to Davis, again.
Fifth game will be held tomorrow and I know that the Heat men of head coach the Fil-Am Erik Spoelstra will give their utmost best to stay alive to make it 2-3, for an extension of the games, possibly to six scheduled on October 12 (PH time). If that happens, that will be another monumental story. Let’s just wait and see.
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I was stunned to know that the town of San Fabian is being groomed to be the cycling capital of Pangasinan. Initiated by Fourth District Board Member Liberato “Riby” Villegas, he cites some reasons like the growing numbers of cyclists and aficionados from different parts of the province congregating every weekend in San Fabian town, and reasonably cited the mountain area with nice terrains for biking, and a scenic view of the Lingayen Gulf from the highest point of Barangay Inmalog, with biker’s lair to boot where the bikers can rest, eat, dine completed with comfort rooms. (The den concept was developed by Fourth District Rep. Christopher de Venecia).
Yes, if these are the criteria, I won’t disagree, notwithstanding the fact that San Fabian never produced a national cycling champ at all, unlike my hometown Mangaldan that produced four national Tour champs: this writer of Barangay Buenlag, the Cariño relatives Samson, Ruben and Joshua all from Barangay Landas, three-time first runner-up Cesar Catambay of Barangay Malabago. It also produced three national team members Alex Lopez, Renato Sembrano and Benigno Molina all from Barangay Guesang.
Manaoag has two champs, Rufino Gabot and Gonzalo Recodos while San Jacinto has one with Reynaldo Navarro. Obviously, the cycling heroes from the Fourth District were not included as criteria. Not logical.
So I suggest instead that the Fourth District be called, “The cycling district capital of Pangasinan,” (if not the Philippines). We are the only district in the entire archipelago that produced seven national Tour champs.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. ROMANS 5:12
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