Demusis’ wife denies Ismael Romero apologized after Dubai clash

The camp of former PBA player Nick Demusis disputed claims that Ismael Romero had already apologized for the altercation between the two during a game in Dubai earlier this year.

Rizza Diaz, Demusis’ wife, issued a statement on Monday saying Romero never apologized and failed to fulfill a supposed settlement agreement following the incident.

Diaz spoke out after reports surfaced that Meralco Bolts had dropped Romero as its import for the upcoming PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

In earlier remarks on a radio program, Bolts team manager Paolo Trillo said Romero had already apologized to Demusis while they were still in Dubai, but the information allegedly went unreported.

Diaz rejected that claim and explained that the only meeting between the two players took place at a Dubai police headquarters after Demusis filed a complaint against Romero in connection with the incident.

According to Diaz, Demusis had sought an apology as well as compensation for medical expenses and the games he missed due to the injuries he sustained.

Diaz said there was supposed to be a follow-up meeting at a hotel to finalize a settlement, but Romero allegedly left Dubai for Manila on the same night the meeting was scheduled.

She added that another attempt to arrange a meeting in Manila, with the help of Meralco officials, also failed after Romero left for Puerto Rico before it could take place.

“It was clear deception on his part and he left us hanging,” Diaz said in her statement.

Diaz said she decided to address the issue publicly to defend her husband and clarify what she described as inaccurate claims about the situation.

“This is me speaking up this one time to set the record straight,” Diaz said. “I am simply protecting my husband and telling the truth on his behalf.” (AC)

The post Demusis’ wife denies Ismael Romero apologized after Dubai clash first appeared on Fastbreak.

Foggy start, storms possible tonight with a stronger front arriving later this week

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) -- Good Monday morning! We are getting the week started on a fairly mild note across the region, with mostly clear skies helping temperatures remain comfortable early on. However, if you are heading out the door this morning, you will want to keep an eye out for areas of patchy dense fog. [...]

Lakers hold off Knicks for wire-to-wire win

Luke Doncic scored 35 points as the Los Angeles Lakers weathered some shaky moments in the fourth quarter, along with LeBron James sitting out, and recorded a wire-to-wire 110-97 victory over the visiting New York Knicks on Sunday.

James sat out with a bruised left elbow he sustained in Thursday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets when he absorbed contact from Nikola Jokic. The Lakers also said the 41-year-old missed the game due to left foot arthritis.

Combined with missing Friday’s win over the Pacers, it was the first time James had been out for consecutive games since the first 14 games of this season due to sciatica in his back and leg.

Without James, Doncic scored 14 points in the third quarter when the Lakers outscored the Knicks 34-20. He shot 11-for-25 overall and made two 3-pointers during a 20-8 run over the final seven-plus minutes of the third, which turned a 68-61 lead into an 88-69 advantage entering the fourth.

After taking a big lead into the fourth, the Lakers slumped for most of the quarter until the final minutes. They missed 10 straight shots until Doncic banked in a layup for a 104-91 lead with 2:34 left and the star guard capped the scoring with another 3 with 65 seconds left.

Austin Reaves added 25 and had a pair of key defensive plays against Jalen Brunson in the final minutes. Rui Hachimura started for James again and contributed 13, while reserve Luke Kennard chipped in 12 as the Lakers shot 43.2%, including 7-for-24 in the fourth.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 25 points, including 11 in the fourth, to go along with 16 rebounds. Brunson added 24 points, six rebounds and seven assists, but shot 8 of 19 from the field and committed seven of New York’s 19 turnovers.

The Knicks shot 42.7% and were 8 of 34 from behind the arc after hitting 18 3s in their 12-point home win over the Lakers on Feb. 1.

Doncic scored 12 points in the opening quarter, which ended with the Lakers taking a 31-23 lead when Kennard sank a corner 3 with 13.9 seconds left. As Brunson rested, the Lakers opened a 45-33 lead on a 3 by Jarred Vanderbilt with 7:32 left in the half.

Following Vanderbilt’s 3, Los Angeles missed nine consecutive shots before Reaves beat the buzzer with an off-balance five-footer for a 54-49 lead at halftime. Los Angeles used a 12-2 run to build a 68-56 lead on a 3 by Reaves with 8:18 left in the third quarter and allowed the lead to shrink to seven on a basket by Hart less than a minute later before rallying again. (Reuters)

The post Lakers hold off Knicks for wire-to-wire win first appeared on Fastbreak.

Temperatures rebound and severe storms possible in the forecast for Monday

After a few showers earlier today, temperatures will rebound to near 80 degrees on Monday, followed by scattered storms in the evening and a strong cold front arriving on Wednesday, bringing widespread showers and storms and a big drop in temperatures.

Japeth Aguilar powers North to All-Star win, earns MVP honors

Japeth Aguilar delivered a standout performance to lead Team Solid North to a thrilling 147-142 victory over Team South in the PBA All-Star Game on Sunday night at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur.

Aguilar finished with 29 points, highlighted by a late three-point dunk that sealed the comeback win for the Leo Austria-coached North squad. His dominant showing earned him the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player honors.

Team North rallied in the fourth quarter behind the long-range shooting of Justin Arana and Adrian Nocum, who combined for 20 points in the final period as they erased a 10-point deficit.

Aguilar’s heroics also helped North extend its winning streak over Team South to six straight All-Star Games.

CJ Perez led North in scoring with 32 points, while Juan Gomez de Liaño and Nocum added 23 and 22 points, respectively.

Despite the competitive finish, Aguilar emphasized that the All-Star Game remained primarily about entertaining fans.

“PBA All-Star na lang talaga, enjoy lang talaga itong event na ‘to. Both North and South,” Aguilar said.

“Hindi naman masyadong seryoso. Para sa fans talaga.”

The Barangay Ginebra big man also thanked the Ilocano crowd for their warm reception during the All-Star festivities.

“Salamat sa Candon, salamat sa mainit na pag-support ninyo,” he said.

With the All-Star festivities wrapped up, Aguilar also called on supporters to continue backing the league as the PBA resumes regular competition.

“Sa lahat ng PBA fans, sana patuloy ninyo kaming suportahan at pumunta sa mga games,” he added.

The league returns to action this week as teams shift their focus back to the ongoing Commissioner’s Cup.

The post Japeth Aguilar powers North to All-Star win, earns MVP honors first appeared on Fastbreak.

Unsettled Weather Continues, But Midweek System Brings Drier Air & Cooler Temps!

TODAY:After some morning showers, we'll have a chance for some afternoon showers and storms as well, although nothing is expected to be severe. Highs today will be in the low to mid 70s. THIS WEEK:This unsettled pattern will continue for a few more days with isolated to scattered showers and storms around each day. Highs [...]

EJ Obiena captures gold in Berlin with season-best vault

Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena continued his strong indoor campaign after winning the gold medal at the ISTAF Indoor meet in Berlin, Germany.

The Olympic pole vault finalist secured the top spot after clearing his season-best of 5.78 meters on his first attempt, highlighting an efficient performance against a competitive international field.

Earlier in the event, Obiena needed two tries to successfully clear the 5.60-meter mark before raising the bar to his winning height.

Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen finished in second place after struggling with multiple attempts in his previous jumps, while the bronze medal was shared by the Netherlands’ Menno Vloon and Germany’s Bo Kanda Lita Baehre, who both managed to clear 5.70 meters.

The Berlin triumph adds another highlight to Obiena’s busy indoor season as he continues to compete in several international meets leading up to major athletics events later this year. (AC)

The post EJ Obiena captures gold in Berlin with season-best vault first appeared on Fastbreak.