The inaugural JamRockerz Basketball Classic made a spectacular debut at the Montego Bay Community College on Friday, with intense competition and nail-biting finishes setting the tone for the three-day event. The tournament, featuring a mix of overseas and local teams, has quickly established itself as a must-watch event in the Jamaican basketball calendar.
The six-team tournament includes three overseas-based teams: Team Takeover from Maryland, DC, the Hardwood Kings from Brampton, Ontario, Canada, and P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy International, which is composed of P.H.A.S.E.1 members from both the United States and Canada. Representing Jamaica are P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy teams from Kingston, Montego Bay, and Trelawny, making for a diverse and competitive pool play event.
Friday's action kicked off with a closely contested battle between Hardwood Kings and P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy International, where the latter edged out a 67-65 victory. Dwain Cummings led the way for International with 21 points, eight rebounds, an assist, and two steals. Meanwhile, Hardwood Kings' Elijah Harriott made a valiant effort with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks.
In the second game, Team Takeover claimed a narrow 56-53 win over Montego Bay. Clausell was instrumental in Takeover’s success, contributing 20 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block. Montego Bay's Daire Patterson stood out with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks.
Team International returned to the court later in the day for a dominant 65-46 victory over Trelawny. Anthony Ingeton was the star performer, scoring 20 points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out an assist, and recording two steals. Trelawny's Daniel Clarke put up a solid fight with 12 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block.
The final game of the day saw Team Takeover overpower Kingston with a decisive 52-23 win. Takeover’s 6’8” forward Elijah Flowers led with 16 points and five rebounds, while Kingston’s 5’10” guard Lebron Lewison managed eight points and a steal.
Mark Francis, coach of P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy International, praised the high level of competition at the Classic. "The competition is very strong. We are first in our side of the bracket. The other side of the bracket, we definitely have to give respect to. They look very strong and we are looking forward to the semi-finals tomorrow and see if we can win this championship,” Francis remarked. He also noted the impressive skill level on display, highlighting the athleticism and speed of the players, which he believes is comparable to what is seen in Canada.
Wayne Dawkins, global director and coach for P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of events like the JamRockerz Basketball Classic for the growth and development of basketball in Jamaica. "With the incredible support of our partners, we’re confident that this event will put Jamaica on the map as a global destination for competitive youth basketball,” Dawkins said.
As the JamRockerz Basketball Classic progresses, all eyes will be on the remaining matchups as teams battle for the coveted championship title. With strong performances from both local and international teams, the stage is set for an exciting conclusion to this inaugural tournament.
Spurs head coach Popovich out indefinitely
The San Antonio Spurs will be without head coach Gregg Popovich indefinitely after he reportedly suffered a health issue prior to the team’s last game.
The 75-year-old Popovich didn’t coach the Spurs (3-3) during Saturday’s 113-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves due to what the team said was an undisclosed illness.
Mike Johnson took over as head coach against Minnesota and will remain in the role while Popovich is sidelined.
“He's not feeling well,” Johnson said prior to Saturday’s game. “This has happened before.
“I think everybody's just always got to be ready for the next man up. We've had it with injuries and sometimes people get sick or don't feel well or things come up in life.
“He's just not feeling well.”
Popovich is the NBA's all-time leader with 1,391 victories and has won five NBA titles while coaching San Antonio since the 1996-97 season.
Bickerstaff: Pistons are 'getting better at everything' after big Nets win
J.B. Bickerstaff believes the Detroit Pistons are "getting better at everything" after bouncing back to beat the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
The Pistons suffered a heavy defeat to the New York Knicks on Friday but made it two wins from three with their 106-92 victory over the Nets after they lost their opening four games of the NBA season.
Detroit finished with six players on double figures, with Cade Cunningham leading the charge with 19 points. It was the second time this season they have had that many players score 13 points or more in a single game, after doing it just once last term.
And while their attack was impressive, they also held the Nets to just 15 points in the fourth quarter, showing a vast improvement to their defense.
Bickerstaff was impressed with how his team have grown already since the start of the season.
"The guys did a great job of bouncing back," Bickerstaff said. "The conversation around the group has been to be better than we were the other night.
"Every single night we step on the floor, we aim to improve. The guys, just from a grit standpoint, how hard they played and how they shared the ball, it was unbelievable.
"We're getting better at everything. I feel our guys have embraced the system. They're really competing on that end of the floor. Individually, everybody's taking the challenge.
"There are still small things systematically, we're going to continue to improve on things. I'm learning what guys are capable of, but guys' willingness to take the challenge has given us an opportunity to put ourselves in a position that now we have a foundation of that, and we can grow from there."
Malik Beasley, who was another to finish on double figures as he scored 18 points, including two critical 3-point shots, believes their more proactive approach to defending pushed them towards the win.
"We started the game physical," Beasley said. "Last game, New York came out and just got whatever they wanted to get to.
"We made a point today to be physical and if we get fouls called early, it is what it is. We need to be known for a grit team, the Bad Boys, that whole thing. We did that [on Sunday]."
The Pistons are in action again on Monday when they face the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fun returns for Doncic as Mavs ease past Magic
Luka Doncic hailed a "real fun" performance from the Dallas Mavericks after they bounced back from Thursday's loss to the Houston Rockets with a comfortable win over the Orlando Magic.
Coming off the back of their second defeat of the season, the Mavs downed a short-handed Magic side by a 108-85 scoreline to improve to 4-2 for 2024-25.
Doncic had 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while team-mate Daniel Gafford added a season-high 18 points and eight rebounds in just 20 minutes on court.
But it was a suffocating defensive performance that kept out an Orlando team deprived of injured star Paolo Banchero and won Dallas plaudits, and Doncic enjoyed his role.
"Today was real fun," he said. "We were guarding everybody, defending, rebounding, playing with a lot of pace. So that's fun for me."
Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson, who arrived from the Golden State Warriors during the offseason, had a quiet night with just nine points for Dallas.
However, head coach Jason Kidd was pleased with his all-round contribution, saying: "I thought he played a great game.
"I know we look at him for scoring and shooting threes, but I thought his playmaking, his energy was high. He was moving on both ends at a very high level."
Dallas are next in action against the Indiana Pacers on Monday, while the 3-4 Magic visit the Oklahoma City Thunder.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
