CHRIS Newsome readily admits it feels great knowing that Meralco has taken the lead over Magnolia in their PBA Governors' Cup semifinal series The Bolts hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series and can advance to the PBA Finals with another win in Game 4 on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

RAISING the level of his game in the quarterfinals, Barangay Ginebra do-it-all guard Scottie Thompson made a big jump from No. 6 to No. 2 in the PBA Governors' Cup stats race.

EVEN Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero couldn't figure out why the Hotshots are struggling to close out games of late. The Hotshots were nowhere close from the team that battled back from a 17-point deficit and went on to beat the Meralco Bolts, 94-80, in Game 1 of their PBA Governors' Cup semifinals series.

THE Philippine Basketball Association braces for its first foreign guest team in more than two decades as the Bay Area Dragons are set to come on board in next season's Governors' Cup. The Dragons, who are Hong Kong-based, will be composed of players from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Chinese Taipei, are expected to arrive in the country by August of this year and will make Manila as their temporary home base as they compete simultaneously as well in the East Asia Super League (EASL).

SIZZLING on a four-game romp in post-elims play, the Barangay Ginebra Kings are determined to keep on going, eyeing a semis sweep of NLEX for a shot at a fourth PBA Governors' Cup crown in five years.

SCOTTIE Thompson solidified his status as the new face of Barangay Ginebra with a performance for the ages in yet another chapter in the franchise's fabled 'Never Say Die' dictum. As the defending Governors' Cup champions faced elimination owing to a twice-to-win disadvantage, Thompson poured it all and led the Kings' amazing climb to clinch a berth in the best-of-five semifinals.

MAGNOLIA Ang Pambansang Manok coach Chito Victolero maintains nothing has changed as far as his outlook is concerned on his side's PBA Governors' Cup semifinals duel against Meralco.

END of a great era. The curtains finally fell on Alaska as one of the most storied franchises in PBA history played its final game Saturday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.