POC chief Tolentino expects more wins from PH athletes

PHNOM PENH—More medals are expected by Team Philippines in the last two days of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham Tolentino said as the Filipinos got ready to further improve their running tally of 46 golds, 72 silvers and 88 bronze medals early Monday.

“We will surpass our medal tally in Vietnam,” said Tolentino. “It’s achievable, God-willing it might (even) reach 60 (golds).”

I say humiliating because players with pride will not let themselves get massacred in a pivotal game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and lose by 24 points.

And the first to be held accountable is the man at the top of the pecking order.

Philadelphia finished third in the East and third overall. I’ve always believed that the Most Valuable Player award should be given to the best player from the best team.

Shouldn’t it be someone from Milwaukee, which won four more games?

Shouldn’t it be someone from Boston, which finished 57-25, still superior to Philly’s 54-28?

Look, if we’re not picking from the top team, then shouldn’t the award go to Nikola Jokic, a back-to-back MVP who finished first in player efficiency rating?

If it’s from Philly, then shouldn’t it be James Harden? He is number in the league in assists (10.7 APG) and his 45 points was the reason Philly took Game 1 in Boston despite Embiid not playing.

During the 31st SEA Games in Vietnam last year, Filipino athletes hauled 52 golds, 70 silvers and 105 bronzes.

Tolentino feels that sports where Filipinos will still see action, like kickboxing, taekwondo, arnis, weightlifting, judo, wrestling, dragonboat, beach volleyball, jet ski and sepak takraw, can still contribute to the Philippine cause.

“If you get one each (gold) on these sports, definitely we will surpass the 52 golds in Vietnam. We already surpassed the silver. We only have 70 (sil- vers) in Vietnam, we have now 72,” said Tolentino.

But it had to be Embiid, who had 15 points in Philly’s game 2 loss in Boston. He also finished with 26 points in their game 6 loss, tied with teammate Tyrese Maxey who was +1 in rating for that game while Embiid was -4.

Sure, he was number one in regular season scoring, but what about scoring when it matters? In game 7 versus Boston, Embiid, in 38 minutes, all 7 foot, 280-pound of him against a 6-foot-9, 240-pound Al Horford who is older by seven years, put up a laughable, ignominious, cursed, and stinking 15 points on a 5-of-18 shooting that includes 0-4 from three. He was -28 in rating and shot 27.8%. His four-turnover show is the red lipstick on the lips of those sporting a smirk of derision: MVP? Really?

More and more, it feels like the MVP selection has become a matter of opinion of select men and women, so here’s mine: Men are fallible, but fate is justice.

Basketball has been robbed. But the real riches went to those who are deserving.

“There could be surprises out there,” added Tolentino, making special mention of the Philippines’ soft tennis, team which became the games’ unofficial champion after delivering three gold, one silver and a bronze medal, to improve on its 3-0-1 finish in the 2019 SEA Games.

The POC chief also lauded the taekwondo team, which bagged 6 golds (led by the title triumph of Kurt Barbosa), a silver and 4 bronze medals.

Don’t tell me there is no basketball justice. Don’t tell me it isn’t punishment to give Embiid false hope by having Philly win Game 1 in Boston only for the Celtics to win Game 7 and expose Embiid for his ineptitude, failure in leadership, and total lack of value as the cornerstone of the 76ers offense.

Don’t tell me the humiliation and the agony is not punishment; the gods of basketball can be cruel but it does not mean those punished are undeserving.

There were murmurs of discontent when Embiid won the MVP. You expect a deserving MVP to silence the critics. Embiid only emboldened those who disapprove of his new hardware to speak louder.

There was a time when even those who are not a fan sang paeans to an MVP rightly enthroned. As basketball fans watch how Embiid was all but useful and material to stopping Boston behind the man who put a show expected of a true MVP, you can hear the dirge rising to a crescendo, emerging from the silence that blanketed the stunned Philly fans, to announce not just the death, yet again, of Philly’s championship hopes, but the demise of the value and esteem of the Most Valuable Player award as well.

But it won’t be easy against a souped-up Cambodian team of five naturalized American players, who handed the Filipinos a bitter 79-68 spanking in the elims.

There is, however, renewed optimism this time as the Philippines’ own naturalized player in Justin Brownlee looks to have finally adapted to the scorching heat and the linoleum flooring of the hardcourt.

Proof was his 15-point eruption in the fourth quarter against the Indonesians, including back-to back-to-back treys as Gilas, playing catch up most of the way, grabbed the lead at 76-74, and gained control the rest of the game.

The Philippines’ participation in the games was supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.

Gilas’ win also officially booted from their throne the Indonesians, who handed the Filipinos a stunning 81-85 crushing, last year in Vietnam to win their first basketball gold in the games. With Monday’s loss, they became the games’ shortest-lived cage champs at one year.

Meanwhile, the Cambodians, who haven’t medalled in the history of SEAG basketball, are already assured of their best finish after crushing Thailand, 76-66, in the other semifinal pairing.

They say trust the process, but where has it brought Philly? Coaches and teammates came and went, except for Embiid, who was the center of Philly’s third straight conference semifinals ouster and their fifth in the last six seasons.

Maybe Embiid will become a deserving MVP one day, and with him, maybe Philly will win a championship. But right now, Philly returns to the drawing board and Embiid is back to square one.

What can Embiid do right now, as he watches the same four teams that ruled the bubble season fight for the right to qualify for the Finals and waits for the 2023-24 season to commence?

A lot, I think, and let’s start with this: Return the MVP trophy, and return to humility, if ever he was once in a place without arrogance, which earned him nothing but disdain; he’s earned nothing yet, not even the MVP award people felt belongs to someone else.

NBS Kris, Milkers win NCR Leg openers

WITH Daniel Padilla showing the way, Letran Farm Fresh ripped Mapua 521 Trading 83-65 last Sunday to kick off its drive on a high in the Manila Bankers

Life-Pilipinas Super League Under-18

NCR Leg at the Central Recreational Facility in New Era, Quezon City.

Padilla notched 14 points for the Milkers, while Sebastian Reyes, a Gilas Pilipinas Youth Under-16 member, added 13 points and five rebounds.

Syrex Silorio also had 12 and two as Letran Farm Fresh, boosted by the core of reigning NCAA juniors’ champions Squires, got off to a rousing start in the cage wars copresented by SCD and Dumper party-list and supported by J Project Clothings, MDC, Bluesky Advertising, NET 25, Wcube Solutions Inc., Hotel SOGO, and Converge.

In the other game, NBS Kris whipped Magnificent Manila 87-68 to also launch its bid in emphatic fashion.

NBS Kris banked on the trio of Vhon Roldan (19 points and nine rebounds), Jaymark Lloren (14), and Jiro Mecha (12) to cruise to the runaway victory.

In the Luzon Leg duels, Luid Kapampangan turned back Bagong Cabuyao 79-72, while Pampanga Delta dismantled Calamba City 91-66.

Over at the Cebu City Sports Institute in the Visayas Leg, Sherilin Khalifa City of Naga waylaid Datu Omendig 76-59.

The Consolacion Sarok Weavers tripped the Consolacion Black Shama 81-72.