ALLAN THE MAN

World number three Andy Murray may likely miss the rest of the 2013 season after it was revealed that he will be undergoing a “minor” surgery to resolve a lingering problem/injury in his lower back.

Murray has already pulled out of the Thailand Open 2013 tournament which begins on September 23 and is expected to skip the entire Asian swing of tournaments.

THE list of teams eyed for tune-up matches by Gilas Pilipinas in preparation for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup is widening, thanks to the goodwill the Philippines has generated from its successful hosting of the 27th FIBA Asia Championship last month.

Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes bared this on Thursday, posting on his Twitter account @coachchot: “RP FIBA hosting goes all the way to EuroBasket. NBA scouts, Euroleague officials, agents - have nothing but great feedback for Manila."

Floyd Mayweather’s win over Mexico’s Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez has been confirmed as the richest fight in boxing history with nearly $150 million in pay-per-view revenues, US cable network Showtime said Thursday.

The revenues for Saturday’s unified super welterweight championship in Las Veges surpassed the $136 million that was generated by Mayweather’s 2007 showdown with Oscar de la Hoya.

After Kobe Bryant's torn Achilles and the Dwightmare Part 2, the Los Angeles Lakers needed a change. And now they've got one.

No, Mike D'Antoni isn't going anywhere (yet). But his players will look different when they return to action in October—and not just for the plethora of new faces in the locker room.

WITH Barangay Ginebra fighting for position as the playoffs draw near, superstar Mark Caguioa said he can no longer afford to go on a shooting funk like he did against San Mig Coffee a couple of games ago.

“I just can’t shoot for 0-of-11,” Caguioa told SPIN as he recalled his awful shooting performance in an 86-89 loss to San Mig last September 8. “That was just my main thing, I mean, I’m not that type of player (who’ll just shoot woefully).

Two of the top title contenders at EuroBasket 2013 will face off in the Semi-Finals as two-time defending champions Spain and France each won their Quarter-Finals Wednesday - with the French also qualifying for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in the process.

Sergio Rodriguez and Rudy Fernandez combined for 41 points in Spain's 90-60 blasting of Serbia in the first Quarter-Final at Stozice Arena. (read full story and watch Spain vs Serbia game highlights video here)

France will have a chance for revenge of the EuroBasket 2011 final as they knocked off hosts Slovenia 72-62 to reach the semi-finals of EuroBasket 2013.

Tony Parker scored 27 points to lead the way for France, who also booked a spot in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup with the victory.