ALLAN THE MAN

The Nationals banked on 10-0 run in the second period to pull away before staving off a comeback try by the visiting Sharks. Members of Gilas' cadet training pool made a good account of themselves and blended well with pro players who are part of the national pool along with naturalized player Marcus Douthit.

Manny Pacquiao is going to get the chance to redeem himself when he takes on rugged puncher Brandon Rios in his much-awaited ring return on November 24 at The Venetian in Macau.

Coming off a sixth-round knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, the 34-year-old Filipino star will have to deal with the punishing fists of the 27-year-old Rios, who hardly takes a backward step whenever he is on top of the ring.

Runners, it’s time for you to gear up because Adidas is now opening the registration for this year’s Adidas King of the Road (KOTR), happening this July 7 at the Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

The Adidas KOTR 2013 edition will allow its runners to choose between the 16.8K and 10k race categories.

The 16.8K distance will have two sub-categories—Closed, which will be exclusive for Filipinos, and Open category for all nationalities. Male and female runners who will top the race from the Closed category will be crowned as the Philippines’ King and Queen of the Road and will represent the country in the Adidas KOTR Southeast Asia Championship in Malaysia later this year.

The NBA made it official Sunday, announcing Miami Heat superstar LeBron James was a near-unanimous choice as Most Valuable Player, earning the award for a second straight year and fourth time overall.

James’s victory in the voting had been widely reported since Friday, although when asked about it the player himself had urged reporters not to “jinx” him by jumping the gun.

He needn’t have worried.

James garnered 120 first-place votes from a possible 121 which included a 120-member media panel and a fan poll conducted on NBA.com that counted for one vote.

"Beat China." This was the advice given by former NBA star Yao Ming to the Philippine national basketball team, Smart Gilas Pilipinas, seeking an end to the decades-long World Championship and Olympic drought.

Yao made the statement at the press conference on Philippines-China Friendship Games on Sunday at the Grand Ballroom of the Solaire Hotel and Casino near the Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City.

The 7-foot-6 Yao, who played nine meaningful seasons with the Houston Rockets in the NBA, including the last few years where he was hobbled by various injuries, then withheld from giving more tips, saying it will end up spilling the beans to China's secret to success.

Philippine national men’s basketball coach Chot Reyes will tap members of the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas cadet pool to join PBA players when the squad takes on the Shanghai Sharks.

The Philippines will play the Sharks, a Chinese Basketball Association club co-owned by former NBA star Yao Ming, in exhibition matches on May 6 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena and on May 7 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Members of the senior pool from PBA clubs that are no longer in contention in the Commissioner’s Cup will banner the squad. Gabe Norwood and Jeff Chan of Rain or Shine, Gary David and Japeth Aguilar of GlobalPort, and June Mar Fajardo of Petron will be joined by senior pool members Marcus Douthit and Greg Slaughter.

The SMART-Gilas Pilipinas squad battled back from a double-digit fourth quarter deficit to force the tie in what was the first public appearance of the latest incarnation of the national team.

The PBA All-Stars promised to provide a challenge for the Gilas team preparing for the FIBA Asia Championship, and they made good on it. Arwind Santos, who won co-Most Valuable Player honors for the game, led the selection to a hot 9-2 start to begin the game.