Cousins’ triple-double lifts Pelicans over Bulls

one. However, I am willing to work for it,” he said.

Despite the rough road back to vying for the ONE Strawweight World Championship, Pacio is inspired to embrace the grind as he witnessed Team Lakay’s elder statesman Eduard Folayang endured a tumultuous period of uncertainty in his martial arts career before becoming one of the brightest superstars and most beloved titleholders in ONE Championship history.

“Before Folayang got the belt, he went through a lot of ups and downs in his career. He was beaten and was knocked out twice, but I saw the fight still burning in him,” he stated.

“Now, he still goes to the gym and tries to get better and better every day. He taught me a lot about life and its spiritual side, and he taught me positive attitudes that will bring me up in my career,” Pacio added.

Pacio said it has been his mantra to turn his heartbreaking losses into lessons that would give him the fresh perspective to persevere and push forward until he achieves his goal.

“My two losses in my career made me realize just how much more I had to improve so that I can become a better martial artist,” he disclosed. “I realized that there are a lot of holes in my game, and that the only way to get better is to recognize my weaknesses.”

His hunger to take things into another level showed in his most recent outing as he knocked out Doliguez in the second round with a spinning backfist last November.

Pacio has the chance to make it two in a row as he is set to duke it out with China’s Lan Ming Qiang on the undercard of ONE: Global Superheroes which takes place at the 20,000-capacity SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila on January 26.

Pacio was originally scheduled to square off with Pongsiri Mitsatit in the co-main event, but the undefeated Thai was forced to withdraw from the contest just a week out from the bout due to injury. Roderick Osis NEW ORLEANS — DeMarcus Cousins considered the most impressive statistical night of his career and only half-jokingly asserted that he was most proud of the stamina he needed to log a career high of more than 51 minutes on the court.

Cousins had 44 points, 24 rebounds and 10 assists, Anthony Davis scored 34, and the All-Star pair led a 17-point New Orleans comeback in the final five minutes of regulation before the Pelicans pulled out a 132-128 victory over the Chicago Bulls in double overtime Monday night.

“My strength coach had the nerve to ask me, do I want to lift after this game? I almost lost it. If I had some energy, we would have fought,” Cousins said. “I’m just glad it’s over. Seriously. I think (the Bulls) feel the same way, too.”

In between several moments of brilliance in the second overtime, Cousins’ body language suggested he could barely stand. His feet hardly left the floor on place in the PBA. It is totally unacceptable in our society and in sports in general. The PBA will not hesitate to act if the evidence so warrants," Marcial said.

"The PBA, its players and its officials are called upon to uphold the highest standard of respect that our youth can look upon as an example. Rest assured that any act that is racially derogatory and a 3-pointer that rolled around the rim and in. He also managed to hit a turnaround jumper and calmly made two free throws to ice the game with eight seconds left.

Davis, who fouled out in the first overtime, called Cousins’ performance “legendary,” adding that his fellow big man — more than anyone — earned the day off from practice the Pelicans were given on Tuesday.

When the game was finally over, an excited Davis jumped on Cousins and wrapped his arms around his neck.

“He played his heart out,” Davis said.

Cousins became the first NBA player since Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to have as many as 40 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Few others have done it.

Cousins’ assists included alley-oop lobs to Davis and a couple of long passes to him for breakaway baskets.

“You dream about moments like that as a kid — a game coming down to the line and pejorative in nature will be dealt with sternly by the league."

Meanwhile, the action in the Philippine Cup continues on Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Kia looks to begin a winning streak against slumping Meralco at 4:30 p.m., while San Miguel tries to go 5-0 in the team standings against GlobalPort at 7 p.m. PNA

ball-stuffed duffel bag each slung on their shoulders as they make their way to the arena of battle.

Or Tiger Woods, if not Jordan Spieth, lumbering into the first tee with a golf bag in tow, each cramped with 14 clubs. Simply unbelievable. But then this: Why do tennis players not do the same?

Meaning, why not utility guys, if not “caddies” too, hired to also carry the stuff of tennis players on their way from the lockers to the battleground?

I say this again because it pains me always to see the world’s tennis superstars entering/ exiting the Rod Laver arena and other courts in the ongoing Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

Seemingly, it’s been that way in all tennis

just making big plays down the stretch,” Cousins said. “I think we just willed our way through this game.”

And yet Cousins’ heroics nearly never happened. Even after the Pelicans’ stunning 23-4 run in the last five minutes of regulation gave them a 114-112 lead on Davis’ free throws with 3.2 seconds left, Chicago’s Justin Holiday was fouled by Darius Miller attempting a 3-pointer in the final second of the period.

Holiday’s first two free throws looked perfect. His last, for the win, rattled out.“It wasn’t meant to happen,” Holiday said. “I had the opportunity. I don’t miss free throws. Obviously after the game we can talk about things we did wrong, but when we get an opportunity like that, that’s what is on my mind right now.”

After Holiday had swished the second free throw, Davis recalled, “I looked at DeMarcus and we both just shook our head with sad faces, like, ‘We had this one.’

“And then he missed, and it was, ‘All right. Let’s go get it.’”

Jerian Grant had 22 points and 13 assists, and Robin Lopez also scored 22 for the Bulls, who appeared well on their way to their fifth victory in six games when they opened the fourth quarter with a 23-5 run to take their largest lead at 104-86.

“A lot of good things and obviously we had a chance to win it at the end,” coach Fred Hoiberg said. “A lot of things we can learn as well and grow from.” AP