RAIN OR SHINE AIMS FOR 3-1 LEAD
RAIN or Shine is aiming to notch a commanding 3-1 lead when it faces San Mig Coffee on Thursday in Game Four of the best-of-seven semifinals series of the 38th Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Rain or Shine won Game One (91-83) on December 19 but lost Game Two (82-106) on December 21. FRANK CALAPRE

ATENEO FOOTBALL COACH PREDICTS WARDS’ CONTINUOUS WIN STREAK
ATENEO de Manila University football team coach JP Merida said that he is optimistic that his team will able to maintain its winning ways in the second round of University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s football tourney. “As what I’ve said before, we will just take one game at a time,” said Merida. “We will just stick to our game plan and I’m very confident we can make it into the finals. The players are working very hard to win each game.” Ateneo, which won four consecutive matches after a draw in the opener, took the No. 1 spot with only a game left before the first round ends. The matches will resume on January 13 at the Erenchun field inside the Ateneo campus. JOSEF T. RAMOS

LEAGUE-BEST CLIPPERS STRETCH WIN STREAK TO 14
LOS ANGELES: Jamal Crawford scored 22 points and Matt Barnes added 20 as the NBA-leading Los Angeles Clippers stretched their winning streak to 14 games in a row by defeating the Denver Nuggets 112-100 on Tuesday. The Clippers, who have reached the playoffs only once since 1997, improved to 22-6, taking the best record in the league after Oklahoma City fell to 21-6 with a loss earlier Tuesday at Miami in a rematch of June’s NBA Finals. Chris Paul added 14 points and a game-high eight assists for the Clippers, the most of any Los Angeles starter as the hosts outscored Denver 42-22 in the second quarter for a 67-48 half-time lead and cruised through the second half. AFP

HEAT DOWN THUNDER IN NBA FINALS REMATCH
MIAMI: LeBron James scored 29 points, passed out nine assists and grabbed eight rebounds on Tuesday to spark the Miami Heat over the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-97 in a rematch of last June’s NBA Finals. The reigning NBA champion Heat won their fifth game in a row and improved to 19-6, the best record in the Eastern Conference, while the Thunder lost for the second game in a row after a 12-game win streak, falling to 21-6. AFP

VICK LOOKS TO START FOR EAGLES AFTER FOLES BREAKS HAND
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania: Michael Vick is expected to start again for the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s NFL season finale after the team said Monday that quarterback Nick Foles has suffered a broken right hand. Foles, who became a starter after Vick suffered a concussion seven weeks ago in a loss to Dallas, was hurt during the first half of last Sunday’s loss to the Washington Redskins. Vick, 32, was an NFL superstar with the Atlanta Falcons for six seasons before being sent to prison for his role in a dogfight gambling ring. He missed the 2007 and 2008 seasons before returning with the Eagles in 2009. AFP