Latest news with #SGA
GMA Network
20 hours ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
Strong Group clinches back-to-back Jones Cup titles with rout of Bahrain ahead of final game vs UAE
Strong Group-Philippines dominated the second half to turn a close contest into a 92-68 rout of Bahrain in their virtual title clash at the 2025 William Jones Cup on Saturday in Taiwan. Andre Roberson led the way with a double-double outing of 25 points and 14 rebounds laced with three assists, two steals, and one block while Tajuan Agee posted 19 markers, eight boards, two dimes, one steal, and block as they soared to a 7-0 card. With that win-loss record, the Philippine representative is already assured of finishing at the top spot as Bahrain fell to a 6-2 slate. The campaign, however, isn't done yet for Strong Group as it will still take on the winless UAE on Sunday in bid to complete a title sweep. Against Bahrain, Strong Group showed no signs of slowing down as they turned a slim 54-43 halftime lead to a 60-49 cushion early in the third before Bahrain slowly found their groove and cut the deficit to six, 64-58. But Javi Gomez de Liaño, who was scoreless through the first two quarters, caught fire and buried nine of his overall points as part of an 11-6 run that stretched Strong Group's lead to 11 again, 75-64. Roberson delivered the finishing blow in the fourth quarter, cleaning up Kiefer Ravena's missed three before throwing down a powerful two-handed slam in transition, pushing SGA's lead to 86-64. Gomez de Liaño then knocked down another three-pointer that proved to be the dagger as SGA maintained their immaculate run so far. Gomez de Liaño led the local support with 12 points together with seven rebounds and two steals while Rhenz Abando chipped in 11 markers. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
NBA MVP to ESPYs Best: 5 historic accolades of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2025
Via Getty Images: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrates his NBA Finals win and a historic MVP season Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City Thunder's dynamic point guard, had a monumental 2025, cementing his status as one of the NBA's elite. His blend of scoring prowess, playmaking, and leadership propelled him to new heights, earning him a series of prestigious honors. Here are the five biggest accolades SGA achieved in 2025, showcasing a historic season. 1. NBA Most Valuable Player (2024-25 Season) Gilgeous-Alexander claimed the 2024-25 Kia NBA MVP award, a career-defining achievement. Averaging a league-leading 32.7 points per game on 51.9% shooting, alongside 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals, he edged out Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo with 71 first-place votes. His dominance guided the Thunder to a 68-14 record, the best in the NBA, making him the first Canadian since Steve Nash and the third Thunder player to win the award. This accolade solidified SGA as the league's top performer. 2. 2025 NBA Finals MVP SGA's brilliance shone in the 2025 NBA Finals, where he led the Thunder to their first championship since relocating to Oklahoma City. Averaging 30.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds against the Indiana Pacers, he earned the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award. He became the 11th player to win both regular-season and Finals MVP in the same year, joining legends like Michael Jordan and LeBron James. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Best Electric Scooters Electric Scooters | Search Ads Learn More Undo His 29 points and 12 assists in Game 7 were pivotal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's BEST PLAYS! | 2025 #NBAAllStar | 2024-25 Season 3. 2024-25 NBA Scoring Champion Leading the league with 32.7 points per game, SGA secured the 2024-25 scoring title. His efficiency, particularly in the paint with an overall 51.9% field goal percentage, and his knack for drawing fouls made him a scoring machine. He joined an elite group as the fourth player to win MVP, Finals MVP, and the scoring title in the same season, a feat last achieved by Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. 4. All-NBA First Team Selection For the third consecutive year, SGA earned a spot on the All-NBA First Team, recognizing his status among the league's top performers. His consistent excellence, blending scoring, playmaking, and defense, placed him alongside stars like Jokić and Antetokounmpo. This honor also made him eligible for a supermax contract extension, highlighting his growing financial and on-court impact. 5. ESPY Award for Best Athlete – Men's Sports Capping his remarkable year , SGA won the 2025 ESPY Award for Best Athlete in Men's Sports, beating out competitors like Josh Allen and Shohei Ohtani. Alongside that, he was also awarded the Best NBA Player. This accolade reflected his transcendence beyond basketball, earning recognition for his cultural and athletic influence after a championship-winning season. Also read: NBA 2K26: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reportedly named cover star after historic MVP season Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
Strong Group dominates Chinese Taipei White to go 5-0 in Jones Cup
Strong Group Athletics dominated Chinese Taipei White (ROC-B), 107-75, to notch its fifth straight win in the 2025 Jones Cup on Thursday in Taiwan. After leading 25-17 in the first period, SGA erupted for 36 points in the second period and limited Chinese Taipei B to 16 points to claim a 61-33 lead by halftime. This was enough for the Philippine team to hold off Chinese Taipei White (ROC-B) and remain undefeated in the tournament. Tajuan Agee had 25 points to lead SGA as he made 10 out of 12 field goal attempts, while Ian Miller and Javi Gomez de Liaño had 13 and 12 points, respectively. 'Played great today. Guys were locked in from the start,' said head coach Charles Tiu after the game. 'Tajuan Agee was great and dominated them from the start. Best offensive basketball for us.' The Philippines will play Malaysia next on Friday. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shane Gillis ESPYs monologue: Comedian's best jokes about Shedeur Sanders, Donald Trump, more at sports award show
The ESPYs are the biggest sports award show that isn't focused on just one sport. They're basically the Oscars, but all about sports. Similar to the Oscars, a host is tasked with presenting an opening monologue that introduces everyone to the show and then guides the program through the rest of the night. Previous hosts have included high-profile athletes and actors. The 2024 show was hosted by Serena Williams, while comedian Tracy Morgan hosted the 2019 ESPYs. The 2025 ESPYs were hosted by comedian Shane Gillis, who's known for his stand-up comedy career as well as the TV show "Tires," a comedy series starring Gillis as a mechanic. The second season premiered on June 5 of this year, and it has been picked up for a third season. Gillis has been known to push the envelope with his comedy, and his ESPYs monologue was no exception. 📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Here are the best jokes from Gillis' monologue to open the 2025 ESPYs. Shane Gillis ESPYs monologue The tough part about hosting an award show is that the host has to give a monologue. Later in the night, the show is carried by the award results and guest presenters. There are also usually sketches to entertain the crowd and keep the vibe light. The host, though, has to start the show with a monologue. Gillis is known for his edgy humor and wouldn't be considered politically correct. He mixed in jokes about athletes in the crowd, along with political humor that included a Trump impersonation. Some of his jokes landed, many didn't. Gillis saved face, joking that the crowd wasn't into his commentary and that they should have cut some of the jokes. Shane Gillis' best jokes Gillis was all over the place in his monologue. He took shots at Shedeur Sanders, Aaron Rodgers, Jake Paul, and Megan Rapinoe. While it doesn't seem like he landed with the audience with every joke, he had some pretty good commentary mixed in. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gillis started his monologue by pointing out some athletes in the crowd. He called out SGA and added, "And now, everyone sitting around him is in foul trouble." Donald Trump Gillis is known to have a great Trump impersonation. He brought up the President the first time in his monologue by talking about how he wants to host a UFC fight on the White House lawn. Gillis followed that up with, "The last time he staged a fight in DC, Mike Pence almost died." Later on in his monologue, Gillis came back to Trump. "Can we stop pretending that Donald Trump knows ball? He doesn't know anything about sports. Every time a team comes to visit the White House, he's like (in a perfect Trump impression), "And you must be the guy who catches. Look at these guys, big guys." Simone Biles "Simone Biles is 4-8 and has seven gold medals. She's short and has a lot of gold. When she isn't competing, she leads a quiet life at the base of a rainbow." Gillis then added, "If you tell Simone a riddle, and she can't answer it, she has to give you all of her gold medals." Aaron Rodgers "Aaron Rodgers did not take the vaccine because he predicted it would be bad for him. And then he joined the New York Jets." Shedeur Sanders "Shedeur Sanders had his jersey number retired at Colorado this year, and people are saying it was because of nepotism because of his father. And it's not. It's because he went 13-12 over his career and almost won the Alamo Bowl." Caitlin Clark "Caitlin Clark and I have a lot in common. We're both whites from the Midwest who have nailed a bunch of 3s." Gillis had another about her, saying, "When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she's going to work at a Waffle House, so she can continue doing what she loves most, fist fighting black women." Shohei Ohtani "Shohei Ohtani couldn't make it tonight. Man, I hope his interpreter didn't bet that he was going to be here." Gillis added, "Shohei is a once-in-a-generation talent; no one has been able to do what he does at so many positions — pitcher, hitter, and bookie." Bill Belichick Right after the second Ohtani line, Gillis went right into, "a bookie is what Bill Belichick reads his girlfriend before bedtime." Gillis started listing off fake book titles that the couple would read together and included, "The Little Engine That needed a pill first." Jake Paul "Sugar Ray [Leonard], you're the man. But in 10 years, Jake Paul is going to try to knock you out, so take it easy." Travis Hunter Gillis took inspiration from the late comedian Norm MacDonald for his final monologue joke of the night, who delivered a variation of this joke when he hosted in 1998. "Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy this year. He is the first defensive player since Charles Woodson to win the Heisman. Congratulations, Travis Hunter, winning the Heisman is something they can never take away from you — unless you kill your wife and a waiter, in which case, they can take it away from you."
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
PH's Strong Group dominates Japan Developmental Team to go 2-0 to start Jones Cup
Strong Group-Philippines rode a strong second half to complete a 79-67 win over the Japan Developmental Team and remain spotless so far in the 2025 William Jones Cup on Monday in Taiwan. Reinforcement Andre Roberson and DJ Fenner both churned out all-around outings to carry the Philippine representatives to a 2-0 start while the Japanese team went 1-2. Roberson dazzled with a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds to go with five blocks and one assist while Fenner backstopped him with 14 markers, eight boards, and one block as they followed up on their 67-56 win against Chinese Taipei Blue on Sunday. Roberson and Fenner led an 11-1 rampage that saw Strong Group turn a slim 44-41 lead into a 55-42 cushion late in the third period. Javi Gomez de Liaño and Ian Miller then closed out the frame to help the Philippine team enjoy a 61-51 lead before heading to the payoff period. Roberson then knocked down a tough corner triple to make it a 68-53 lead before Roberson converted back-to-back baskets for a 72-57 spread. SGA never slowed down from there with Rhenz Abando cleaning up a missed triple from Dave Ildefonso, who would then complete a three-point play to send SGA to a 77-59 advantage with 1:58 left to play. Fenner punctuated the win from the stripe, sinking two consecutive free throws as SGA got off to an impressive start in its title defense bid. Gomez de Liaño tallied 13 points while Abando finished with 11 markers to go with six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. SGA will look to capture its third win in a row on Tuesday when it takes on Qatar national team at 5 p.m. —JMB, GMA Integrated News
