Sports PH News | JS DEV Site

Tag: Juan Gomez de Liano

  • Tim Cone hails Juan Gomez de Liaño as a bright spot for Gilas despite loss to New Zealand

    Tim Cone hails Juan Gomez de Liaño as a bright spot for Gilas despite loss to New Zealand

    Even in defeat, Gilas Pilipinas found a promising storyline moving forward.

     

    Head coach Tim Cone singled out Juan Gomez de Liaño as one of the biggest positives from Thursday night’s narrow 69-66 loss to the New Zealand men’s national basketball team at the Mall of Asia Arena in the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

     

    While the result slowed the Philippines’ momentum in the tournament, Gomez de Liaño’s performance offered a glimpse of the national team’s evolving guard rotation.

     

    Inserted early in the first quarter in place of CJ Perez, the Converge playmaker wasted little time making an impact. He scored five quick points in just over three minutes, immediately injecting pace and confidence into the offense. By the end of the night, he tallied 10 points and two assists, highlighted by a pair of triples that kept Gilas within striking distance.

     

    Cone revealed that the performance did not come as a surprise. “He has been playing, you know, he was playing maybe one of our best, if not the best player in our whole practice camp that we had in preparation. So we’re not surprised by what he came out and did,” Cone said of Gomez de Liaño during the post-game press conference.

     

    For Gomez de Liaño, the outing marked a significant step in his return to the national setup. Though he was part of the training pool during the first window, he fell short of making the final roster. This time, his opportunity translated into immediate production—and potentially a longer stay.

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    “You know, he’s going to be a mainstay on this team, he’s going to be, he’s going to get a lot more, remember this was his first game in front of a big crowd and, you know, a lot of pressure,” Cone said.

     

    “He’s going to get comfortable and he’s going to do a lot more than he just did today and he did a lot today but he’s even going to do a lot more going forward, he’s a special talent,” he added.

    Cone emphasized that familiarity with the system will only strengthen Gomez de Liaño’s role as the campaign progresses.

     

    That projection aligns with the guard’s recent rise at the professional level. Playing for the Converge FiberXers, the former UP Fighting Maroons star delivered an impressive run in the last PBA Philippine Cup, averaging 19 points, 7.23 assists, and 6.7 rebounds per game. His breakout stretch included three triple-doubles—most notably in his debut—and a career-high 32-point performance against the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel that earned him Player of the Week honors.

     

    Those numbers reflect the all-around skill set that Gilas hopes can translate consistently to the international stage.

     

    Despite the setback against New Zealand, Gomez de Liaño’s emergence gives the coaching staff another reliable option heading into the team’s next test against the Australia men’s national basketball team on March 1, again at the Mall of Asia Arena—where Gilas will look to turn a tough loss into momentum for the rest of the qualifiers.

     

    Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

     📌 Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans!  

  • From semifinal foes to All-Star teammates as RJ Abarrientos, Juan Gomez de Liano face Adrian Nocum-led Juniors

    From semifinal foes to All-Star teammates as RJ Abarrientos, Juan Gomez de Liano face Adrian Nocum-led Juniors

    What the playoffs kept apart, the All-Star Weekend is about to bring together.

     

    After trading blows as opponents in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals between Barangay Ginebra and Converge, RJ Abarrientos and Juan Gomez de Liano are set to wear the same colors — if only for a night — as fan-chosen leaders of the Rookies-Sophomores squad in the Season 50 PBA All-Star side event.

     

    The unlikely pairing will take center stage during the March 6–8 festivities in Candon City, Ilocos Sur, where the revived Rookies-Sophomores vs Juniors clash returns as a prelude to the main All-Star Game.

     

    Fan voting made the reunion possible. Abarrientos topped all first- and second-year players with 42,862 votes, edging out Converge big man Justine Baltazar (38,022) and Gomez de Liano (37,802) to headline the youthful lineup. 

     

    On the other side, Rain or Shine’s Adrian Nocum emerged as the leading vote-getter for the Juniors with 38,710 votes, setting up a marquee showdown between the league’s rising present and its near-future stars.

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    The matchup carries a sense of unfinished business for the league. The format was meant to return during last year’s All-Star Weekend in Davao but was shelved at the last moment due to security concerns, with the event falling a week before the mid-term elections. Its last actual appearance dates back to 2019 in Calasiao, Pangasinan, when the Rookies-Sophomores edged the Juniors 141–140 on a dramatic Jvee Mocon putback.

     

    This year’s cast brings no shortage of intrigue. Joining Abarrientos and Gomez de Liano on the Rookies-Sophomores side are Sedrick Barefield (32,246), Jerom Lastimosa (31,208), Caelan Tiongson (30,840), Kai Ballungay (28,466), CJ Cansino (28,094), Sonny Estil (24,026), Dalph Panopio (23,136), Mark Nonoy (20,498), and Felix Lemetti (19,890) — a mix of creators, slashers, and athletic forwards.

     

    Standing in their way is a Juniors squad stacked with familiar names and rising stars. Alongside Nocum are Ricci Rivero (38,020), Holt (35,584), Zavier Lucero (35,120), Brandon Bates (28,008), Ralph Cu (27,806), Christian David (25,852), Kim Aurin (25,142), Kenneth Tuffin (25,576), Fran Yu (23,602), Deschon Winston (21,412), and Cade Flores (20,370).

     

    For Abarrientos and Gomez de Liano, the All-Star stage offers something rare — a chance to turn rivalry into rhythm, if only temporarily. And for fans, it’s exactly the kind of crossover the weekend was made for.

     

    Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

     📌 Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans! 

  • ‘I didn’t get the job done’ – Juan Gomez de Liano laments Converge’s quarterfinals exit to Ginebra

    ‘I didn’t get the job done’ – Juan Gomez de Liano laments Converge’s quarterfinals exit to Ginebra

    Converge FiberXers rookie Juan Gomez de Liano candidly acknowledged his frustration after the team’s heartbreaking defeat to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup quarterfinals.

     

    Converge entered the do‑or‑die clash at the Smart Araneta Coliseum holding a twice‑to‑beat advantage but saw that edge slip away after an unpredictable series. 

     

    Despite controlling much of the final game, the seasoned Ginebra side forced overtime and ultimately prevailed on Stephen Holt’s buzzer‑beating triple.

     

    Gomez de Liano, the No. 2 overall pick in the rookie draft, was one of Converge’s most consistent performers throughout the conference.

     

    In the decisive game, he scored 25 points and hauled in five rebounds, asserting himself as a central figure on both ends of the floor. But despite his strong showing, the young guard admitted he wished he could have done more in the clutch.

     

    “Of course, bitin. I didn’t get the job done,” Gomez de Liano said. 

     

    “My main goal was to help the team go past the next round. I feel like ever since Converge joined the PBA, they had a difficult time going past the quarterfinals. Now, we had the best chance especially we had the twice-to-beat. So pretty much sobrang bitin for me,” he said.

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    Converge appeared in control late in overtime when Gomez de Liano nailed a critical four‑point play with just over a minute remaining, pushing his team ahead. However, Ginebra clawed back behind timely shots from Troy Rosario and, ultimately, Holt’s deep triple that stunned the crowd and ended Converge’s season.

     

    The loss was especially difficult for Gomez de Liano, given Converge’s franchise history. 

     

    Since joining the league in 2022, the team has repeatedly fallen short in the quarterfinals, and this season’s twice‑to‑beat slip was a bitter twist for fans and players alike. 

     

    Despite the disappointing finish, the overall performance of Gomez de Liano and the youthful Converge squad has drawn praise from analysts, who view his emergence as a cornerstone for the franchise’s long‑term aspirations.

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

     

    👉 Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

    📌 Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and join the community of passionate basketball fans.