GUIANS PLAYER OF THE MONTH OF MAY!! KG CANALETA

Name: Rommel Niño KG Canaleta

Nick Name: KGMonicker: the sultan of slam, the Da Vinci of dunk

Birthday: February 12, 1982

Height: 6’6″

Weight: 190lbs

Position: Small Forward

Second position: Shooting GuardJersey

No: 9

Year drafted: picked sixth in first round by Air21 in 2005

Years Pro: 3

College: University of the East

Hobbies: Playing basketball and watching DVDs

Hometown: Tarlac

Player’s note:When the Air21 Express picked three rookies in 2005, Canaleta was the last player selected after top pick Jay Washington and Marc Cardona, who were both traded immediately to Talk ‘N Text after the draft trade.
But it seems to be Air21’s good decision as Canaleta came up to the challenges not only the team’s show time maker but an effective guy for the Express’ potent running game.
Canaleta took Air21’s go-to-guy role in the last two seasons after franchise player and main gunner Renren Ritualo was shipped to Talk ‘N Text last year.
He scored 30 points above thrice last season, showing that he was the face of the new Air21 Express running game.
Aside from his rim-rattling dunks, Canaleta, known as a three-time PBA slam-dunk king, can also shoot beyond the arc, penetrates the lane and plays good defense especially in crunch time.Achievements: three-time slam dunk champion in UAAP-NCAA Bantay Bata, undefeated slam dunk king in PBA All-Star since 2005, one-time PBL slam dunk champion in 2003-2004.
Career-high: Canaleta matched his career-high 32 points in a 112-121 loss against Magnolia during the 33rd PBA season opener at the Araneta Coliseum.
He first established his career-high 32 points last June 2, 2006 to beat Talk ‘N Text, 111-106, and face forge a do-or-die game against Ginebra for the last quarterfinals seat.

More about the player:He made a serious run for the Rookie of the Year honors in 2005-06 with an impressive Philippine Cup campaign, where he averaged 16.2 points per game which was No. 1 among rookies and seventh in the tournament among locals.
But a so-so performance in the Fiesta Conference and two finals stints of Red Bull made Larry Fonacier a no-brainer for the award.
Canaleta had 15 points last February 9, 2006 to lead the Express to third place finish after beating Ginebra, 108-98.

Statistics: Last 32nd Fiesta Cup averages in 18 games played:Points per game: 12.1, Rebounds per game: 5.9, Assists per game: 0.9. Steals per game: 0.4, Blocks per game: 0.8

PBA Fiesta Conference!! LATEST UPDATES

TEAM STANDINGS as of May 15 ,2008
Team W L

RedBull 7 2

Talk N Text 6 3

Coca-Cola 6 3

Sta.Lucia 5 3

Air 21 4 4

Magnolia 4 4

Purefoods 3 4

Alaska 3 6

Welcoat 3 6

Ginebra 1 7

COCA-COLA EYES PAYBACK VS AIR21

When Coca-Cola plays its second game in three nights, redemption will be the top order of business for the Tigers, who squandered a golden opportunity Wednesday and lost their grip on first place.
Their current position doesn't require the Tigers to press the panic button. But the urgency to win has somewhat become a sacred task for the Tigers, who are aspiring to make the playoffs.
Friday night's game will be a good test of character for the Tigers, who haven't lost back-to-back games in the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference.
It's interesting to see though how they handle disappointment.
The Tigers rallied from a 30-point deficit Wednesday and were on the brink of completing an amazing comeback but came up short in the closing minutes of a 91-99 loss against the Alaska Aces.
That made them relinquish the co-leadership they shared with the Red Bull Barakos and fell into a tie for second place with the idle Talk N Text Phone Pals.
The Tigers' 4:50 p.m. engagement at the Araneta Coliseum will be a rematch against the Air21 Express – one of only three teams with a winning record against Coke this conference.
Air21 dealt Coke a 102-95 decision in their first meeting last April 13.
Their desire to get even and to redeem themselves from Wednesday's botched job serve as great sources of motivation for the Tigers, whose next scheduled game will be Friday next week against the Barakos.
The other duel between the Purefoods TJ Giants and the Magnolia Beverage Masters at 7:20 p.m. also promises to be an exciting encounter.
Both teams are surprisingly struggling this conference and unless they start playing consistently either or both of them could miss the playoffs.
Magnolia holds a 4-4 record and has lost two of its last three games, including a 92-106 defeat to Coca-Cola last Friday.
With a new import named Reda Rhalimi, Purefoods (3-4) snapped a three-game losing skid with an 88-78 win over Alaska last Saturday in Calape, Bohol that should boost the Giants' confidence. (DBC)