Source: The Philippine Star
-- A souped-up San Miguel Beermen side eyes revenge against tormentor Westports Malaysia Dragons as they tangle in an Easter Sunday encounter in the third AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League at the MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
The Beermen (11-4) parade a new import in 6-foot-11 Nick Fazekas in the 3 p.m. duel, determined to get back at the Dragons (7-7), who are on a five-game slide but seem to have SMB’s numbers all season long. The Dragons prevailed in their first two meetings, 83-77 (OT) in KL and 73-70 in Pasig.
“It’s kind of payback time for us,” said SMB coach Bobby Parks Sr., whose wards took an early flight to the Malaysian capital yesterday. “They beat us in both games and I’m sure they will be prepared for this one.”
Fazekas, who averaged 30.57 points, 18.43 rebounds, 2.29 blocks and 2 assists in seven games with Petron in the PBA, brings with him a wealth of experience and hot shooting hands. He teams up with another former PBA import in Duke Crews, who is playing in only his second game after debuting with 11 points and 11 rebounds in the Beermen’s 71-69 win over Indonesia Warriors on the road last Saturday.
“Nick (Fazekas) is a great player but it’s just a matter of how quickly he can jell with the team. I think he will be able to complement Duke Crews who is more of a scorer,” said Parks.
Dragons’ Filipino coach Ariel Vanguardia said he expects a game of adjustments against the Beermen, who in addition to changing imports, have beefed up their lineup with the acquisition of veterans Roger Yap and John Ferriols in the run-up to the playoffs.
“San Miguel is a tough opponent. They have made a lot of moves to get better. The Beermen will have extra motivation to beat us because we are 2-0 against them. We must hold up the fort because they will come hard at us. It will be a game of adjustments. Our goal is to stay close and have a chance to steal it in the endgame,” said Vanguardia.
Once the league’s top team, the Dragons have been on a struggle, their cause hurt further by injuries to original reinforcements Brian Williams and Tiras Wade. Devon Sullivan and Cheyenne Moore took the cudgels for Malaysia in its last outing, with Sullivan shooting 16 and Moore finishing with only seven.
Source: Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Patriots battled back from eight points down in the third quarter and fashioned out a 75-69 victory over Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma to stretch its win run to five in the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League Season 2 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City last Saturday.
Egay Billones, Benedict Fernandez and import Donald Little took over in the fourth quarter as the Patriots continued to buck the absence of Anthony Johnson to turn back the Indonesians.
The Patriots fell behind by eight points late in the third period, 51-59, but Billones, Fernandez and Little came through with clutch baskets, keying the hosts’ fightback.
The Patriots took the lead at 64-63 before Billones sparked another 6-1 run that pulled them away at 70-64, with only 51.5 seconds left in the contest.
Johnson failed to suit up again after he re-injured his hamstring during the team’s 54-48 win over the Chang Thailand Slammers last week. But the Patriots held their ground against the high-scoring Indonesian import in Marcus Morrison in a duel of last year’s finalists.
The win was the Patriots’ fifth straight as they firmed up their hold of the lead while dealing BritAma its fourth loss against a lone win in the six-nation tournament.
“We again played inconsistent, especially on defense. It seems that everyone wants to get the basketball and no one wants to go down on defense,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas.
Billones scored 10 points in the final period to finish with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting while Little made 11 points, 25 rebounds and two shot blocks.
Fernandez scored 12 points after making 4-of-7 from the field while adding three rebounds and four assists.
Source: RCJ, GMA News
-- Anthony Johnson returned with a bang, hitting clutch baskets down the stretch, to lift the Philippine Patriots past the Chang Thailand Slammers, 54-48, for the solo lead in the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Season 2.
Johnson, who missed the past two games due to a hamstring injury, knocked down 13 points, including eight in the final three minutes, as the Patriots notched their fourth straight win.
Trailing 42-43 with 3:36 left, Johnson buried a triple to spark a decisive 12-5 run that set the tone for the Patriots’ victory over the Thais, who suffered their first setback in four matches.
After Johnson’s triple, Egay Billones, the hero in the team’s 72-67 overtime win over the Brunei Barracudas last week, extended the margin to 47-43 with a jumper with under two minutes remaining.
The Thais moved to within two, 47-45, on Filipino Eric Canlas’ basket, but Johnson knocked in four consecutive points to quell their rivals’ comeback bid.
“Our defense was working as planned, but we just couldn’t convert our shots in the first three quarters," said Patriots coach Louie Alas. “But we strengthened our defense in the fourth quarter and our shots finally fell."
Johnson, who incurred his injury during their 71-62 win over the Brunei Barracudas three weeks ago, finished with 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting. He also added five rebounds in 30 minutes of action.
Donald Little, the Patriot’s other import, topscored with 14 points while adding seven rebounds, three assists and five blocks. Billones contributed 10 markers.
The Patriots struggled in the early goings, trailing by as many as eight points, but were able to charge back and tie it at 40-all on a triple by Warren Ybanez with six minutes to go.
Billones eventually put the Filipinos ahead for the first time by hitting a basket that made it 42-40 with 4:23 to go.
In the next play, former Patriot Froilan Baguion hit a trey to give the Thais their last taste of the lead at 43-42, with 4:02 left.
“The difference is that we practically shut them down in the fourth and we made the shots that we couldn’t make in the early goings," said Alas.
Jason Dixon, who like Baguion played against his former team for the first time, finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in 37 minutes while Sopon Pinipatcharalert had 13 points, highlighted by three triples, in the Thais’ losing cause.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- The Philippine Patriots asserted basketball supremacy in the Southeast Asian region after bagging the 1st ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) championship with a 3-0 sweep on Sunday.
The Patriots ended the best-of-five finals series against Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma, 75-67, at The BritAma Arena in Jakarta.
According to the ABL website, Jason Dixon led the Patriots with 28 points and 12 rebounds while Gabe Freeman made 17 points and 19 rebounds.
Patriots coach Louie Alas said it was defense that was crucial to his team’s triumph.
“The whole season we really emphasized on defense, especially this series,” he said in an article on The Philippine Star.
The Patriots kicked off the finals on February 12 by taking Game 1, 78-68, at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
They followed it up with another win, 72-53, at the Fil Oil Flying V Arena in San Juan City on February 17.
The ABL, meanwhile, is looking forward to its 2nd season after staging a successful inaugural season.
“We ‘re looking at adding more teams to the league and we are working closely with the South East Asian Basketball Association [in] making this league stronger in its second season that will start in October this year,” ABL CEO Kuhan Foo said.
The ABL was televised live across Southeast Asia and was streamed live online in North Asia, Europe and the United States.
Source: Philippine Star
-- The Philippine Patriots go for a sweep of the first-ever championship of the ASEAN Basketball League today against Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma here.
The opportunity to win the honor as the first champion team of the league looks big and enticing, after they took Game 1 (78-68) and Game 2 (72-53), but coach Louie Alas is not taking the mission easily.
Knowing the perils of playing before a hostile crowd, Alas is expecting nothing but a battle royale.
“It could be a bruising game,” said Alas.
No matter what the Indonesian club would do on the court, the Patriots, according to Alas, are all fired up for their 5 p.m. encounter.
“The hostile crowd is already a given factor,” said Alas. “Another thing is officiating. But if you think about it, nothing will happen to us here. Right now, we have a clear mindset. We have to focus on our game plan. If we allow ourselves to be distracted by those factors, then we have to stay here for few more days.”
Game 4 is scheduled on Wednesday also at the BritAma gym, and if necessary, Game 5 will be held on Sunday in Manila.
But don’t tell that to former PBA Best Import winner Gabe Freeman.
The 6-foot-5 Freeman, who sizzled for a tournament-high 39 points in Game 1, does not like the idea of staying here for three more days, saying: “I have to meet somebody in Manila, we have an important matter to discuss, so let’s go on and play hard on Sunday.”
If they can close the series today, it will give co-team owner Mikee Romero his eight straight championships, counting his record seven title run in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL)
“Winning the first championship is always sweet, so I hope we could bring home the crown,” Romero, who was expected to arrive here Saturday along with team manager Erick Arejola.
Business tycoon Tonyboy Cojuangco, Romero’s co-team owner, also challenged the Patriots to wage a war as if there’s no tomorrow since the country’s lofty status in the region is at stake in the series.
Just like Romero and Cojuangco, everybody in the team wants a piece of history.
“I decided to play for the Patriots because I want them to win the first championship of the league. If possible, I want to win it on Sunday,” said Freeman.
Again, Alas said defense holds the key to their success. Alas also expects that Indonesia’s import Alex Hartman and Nakiea Miller will attack the hoop at every opportunity in the hope of getting a foul from either Freeman or Jason Dixon.
Source: Joey Villar, Philippine Star
-- The Philippine Patriots rode on the strong performances of imports Gabe Freeman and Jason Dixon as they survived a stubborn Satria Muda Indonesia side, 78-68, to gain the headstart in their best-of-five title duel in the Asean Basketball League at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City Friday night.
Freeman, a former import in the PBA, came away with a league-high 39 points on an impressive 16-of-28 shooting in a solid offensive game he spiked with 14 rebounds, two steals, one assist and a block.
The bull-strong Dixon, another former PBA reinforcement, was equally impressive as he nailed his 14th double-double performance in 15 games in this fledgling league, finishing with 13 points and 17 rebounds. He also made three assists, two steals and two shotblocks.
But defense, particularly in the second half, keyed the victory for the hosts.
“We were very inconsistent in our defense because we were relying so much on outscoring our opponent,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas. “It would have been easier had we played consistently – defensively.”
The Patriots hope to raise the level of their game on Wednesday when they gun for a 2-0 lead in the series, which shifts to The Arena in San Juan.
Game Three is set in Jakarta, Indonesia on Feb. 21 while Games 4 and 5, if necessary, are scheduled on Feb. 24 and 28, respectively.
“We will use our defense as our barometer in Game Two,” said Alas.
Alas also warned his locals not to rely too much on their explosive imports.
“The boys have a tendency of relying on our imports too much. Thankfully, Gabe and Jason kept on encouraging the locals,” said Alas.
Fil-Am and former pro Rob Wainright led the locals with nine points.
Satria Muda imports Nakeia Miller and Alex Hartman paced their team with 22 and 12 points, respectively, but the two just had no answer to the prolific Patriots’ imports’ offensive.
The Indonesians, however, refused to give up as they battled back from nine points down in the first half to wrest a 56-50 lead in the third quarter.
But Freeman took over, scoring almost at will, while the rest backed him up with a gritty defense that took the sting out of the Indonesians.
Source: Jonas Terrado, Manila Bulletin
-- Satria Muda BritAma believes it can beat the heavily-favored Philippine Patriots in their title showdown in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) which starts Friday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Team imports Nakiea Miller and Alex Hartman, who spearheaded the Jakarta-based squad's upset of the Singapore Slingers in last weekend's semifinal series, said the Patriots are in for a big surprise.
"I think SMB (BritAma) is going to win," Hartman told The Bulletin. "Will it be easy? No way, but I'm confident we can step up to the challenge. Every game will be close. But my prediction is us winning the series 3-1."
"We are confident, trust me," added Miller. "We lost our first game (against Singapore) by 20 and came back and won at home by 30-plus points. We won a hostile game in Singapore. Do you think we're ready?”
The Indonesians are heavy underdogs, considering how the Patriots have won all of their three matches during the elimination round. But roster changes by both squads might make this series a guessing game.
"Our expectation is to take it one game at a time. We really want to steal a game in the Philippines to switch the home court advantage in our favor. It is no easy task since we never beat them this season,” said Hartman.
"But we also never played them with the full roster we have now. They have a different roster and we are playing the best basketball as a team right now. The season is almost over, now it’s just who wants it more. And we are hungry," said Hartman.
The 6-foot-6 Hartman, who averaged 18.2 points this season, expects a tough match-up with the high-leaping Gabe Freeman.
"It will be tough because he is athletic and is very aggressive. So I will have my hands full," he said. "I understand he rebounds hard. But I'm very confident in my defense. I always guard the other team's best athlete and I look at this no different."
Miller on the other hand, will play toe-to-toe with 6-foot-10 Jason Dixon in what will be expected to be a bruising battle inside. The lanky big man is also expecting a hostile crowd like he experienced in Singapore, when the war of words spilled into the league's official Facebook page.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- The Philippine Patriots made their way into the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) finals after sweeping their best-of-three playoff series against Malaysia’s KL Dragons.
According to the ABL website, the Patriots trounced the Dragons, 70-65, at the MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
They overcame the Dragons, 77-43, in Game 1 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City last Sunday.
Jason Dixon and Gabe Freeman duplicated their double-double outputs in Game 2. Dixon made 22 points and 11 rebounds while Freeman scored 17 points and 12 rebounds.
The Patriots will face the Singapore Slingers or Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma, who are tied at 1-1 in the other playoffs. Game 3 will be on Sunday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The Indonesian squad evened the series with a 74-45 victory in their home court, the BritAma Arena in Jakarta. The Slingers gained the upper hand in the playoffs when they won last Sunday, 87-68.
The best-of-five ABL Grand Finals series is scheduled to begin on February 12.
Source: Asean Basketball League
-- Today marked the third meeting between the Philippine Patriots and the Brunei Barracudas, with the match taking place at the Ynares Sports Arena, Manila Philippines. This was a crucial match for the Barracudas who needed a win here to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Their first meeting was at the Brunei Indoor Stadium on 13 December, where the weakened Philippine Patriots who were missing two of their star players feel to the Barracudas 70 – 95. But the Patriots soon had their revenge on 21 December when the teams met at the Ynares Sports Arena, and the Patriots emerge winners with a score of 70 – 56 against the Barracudas.
Today, the Patriots fielded a starting lineup of Jason Dixon, Erwin Sta Maria, Gabriel Freeman, Jerwin Gaco and Warren Ybanez to go up against Barracudas’ Francis Adriano, Celedon Camaso, Simon Conn, Leonidaz Avenido and Reggie Larry.
The Patriots won the jumpball against the Barracudas and quickly opened scoring to take an early lead, and with 7 minutes left to the first quarter, the Patriots were leading 10 - 5. The Barracudas quickly equalized and with 3:50 left to the quarter, they overtook the Patriots and ended the quarter 18 – 17.
In the second quarter the Patriots turned the tables on the Barracudas and continued to widen the gap and with 6:28 left the Patriots were holding a 6 point lead. The Barracudas fought back, but it was not enough, as the Patriots continued to dominate the match and ended the quarter 43 – 35 against the Barracudas.
After half time, the Patriots upped their defense and went all out, only allowing the Barracudas to score 9 points in the third quarter. The Patriots finished the quarter with a 19 point lead, ending 63 – 44 against the Barracudas.
The Patriots continued their lead in the fourth quarter, never giving the Barracudas a chance to catch up, and at the final buzzer, the Patriots emerge winners with a score of 87 – 65 against the Barracudas.
Today’s loss takes the Barracudas out of the playoffs, with the final four teams consisting of the Philippine Patriots, Singapore Slingers, Satria Muda BritAma and KL Dragons.
Source: Joey Villar, philstar.com
-- The Philippine Patriots have resumed their daily workout in an effort to stay in shape and keep their competitive form nearing the playoff phase of the Asean Basketball League.
ABL action resumes on Jan. 6 with the Patriots playing the Singapore Slingers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“We’ve resumed practice after taking a brief holiday break because we want to stay in shape and sustain our momentum going into our next game,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas.
The Filipinos walloped the Bong Ramos-mentored Brunei Barracudas, 70-56, at home last week to solidify their grip of the top spot with a 9-2 (win-loss) record.
The emphatic triumph put the Patriots, co-owned by Harbour Centre chief executive officer and president Mikee Romero and businessman Tony Boy Cojuangco, closer to clinching the top seeding and the home court advantage.
“The main goal is to finish the elimination round as top seeds and clinch the home court advantage which would be vital in our campaign,” said Alas.
The Patriots need only 3 more wins to secure the top seeding.
After their game against the Slingers, the Filipinos take on the Malaysians in Malaysia on Jan. 9 and then the Thais in Thailand on Jan. 17 before capping their elimination round stint with a home game against the Thais at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City.
Though distant second with a 6-4 record, the Slingers are still capable of surging past the Patriots, and this is why Alas isn’t leaving anything to chance.
The Barracudas and the Malaysians are at joint third with 4-6 marks while the Tigers are still in the semifinal hunt with a 3-9 slate.
In their last game, American import Jason Dixon came through 17 points and 13 rebounds, a performance that opened up the lanes for Rob Wainwright who knocked in four triples and a total of 16 points.
The Patriots avenged a 75-90 blowout they suffered at the hands of the Barracudas in their previous meeting last Dec. 13 at the Brunei Indoor Stadium.
Source: Jonas Terrado, mb.com.ph
-- The Philippine Patriots are atop of the ASEAN Basketball League season yet coach Louie Alas is far from satisfied.
Despite winning nine of its 11 games in the current campaign, the multi-titled mentor wants more offensive spark if the Patriots want to win the league's inaugural championship.
“I’m satisfied with our defense thus far but if we could be more consistent on offense then we’ll be a much better team,” said Alas, who accepted the job as the Patriots coach before the season began last October.
Aside from that, it has been all but positive for the Patriots of co-owners Mikee Romero and Tony Boy Cojuangco as they shrugged off a slow start to show the way in the standings.
After his Harbour Centre squad won seven straight championships in the Philippine Basketball League, Romero took this new challenge by adding the likes of Rob Wainwright, Froilan Baguion, Warren Ybanez, and imports Jason Dixon and Brandon Powell.
Assistant coach Bogs Adornado handled the reigns when Alas was still finishing up his chores as coach of the Letran Knights in the NCAA. With the Adornado at the helm, the Patriots beat Satria Muda BritAma, 76-69, in Jakarta to open their campaign on October 10.
However, the Filipino cagers suffered a speed bump the next week when the highly-touted Singapore Slingers, bannered by Americans Kyle Jeffers and Michael LeBlanc and Filipino guard Al Vergara, beat the Patriots, 74-69.
It was a perfect opportunity for the Patriots to retool their lineup by adding UAAP standouts Nonoy Baclao of Ateneo and Elmer Espiritu and Val Acuña from the University of the East and quickly it gave positive results for the team.
Behind these three youthful cagers, along with a rejuvenated Dixon, the team's 6-foot-10 American import, the Patriots coasted to six straight victories, including win over Singapore and twice over BritAma, and eight of the last nine to take the lead.
Their last win came at the expense of the Brunei Barracudas last Monday, 70-56, a victory that somehow avenged their humbling 95-70 setback. That was understandable as they sorely missed the services of Baclao and Espiritu.
During their last eight games, Dixon registered seven straight double-double performances while Powell averaged 15.0 points in the last two games, making up for his paltry three-point showing in their first encounter with Brunei.
Source: philstar.com
-- The Philippine Patriots got back at the Brunei Barracudas, fashioning out a 70-56 rout in the first ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Championship at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig late Monday.
The Patriots toughened up on defense and virtually settled the outcome right in the first half, holding the Barracudas to 22 points while pouring in 42 points of their own to coast to the victory and avenge their 25-point loss to the Barracudas in Brunei two weeks ago.
“We played very good defense,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas. “I told the team that if we compete with the Barracudas in a shootout, we’re bound to lose. And it’s good that we gave up only 22 points in the first half. It’s a sweet revenge.”
With the win, the Patriots, co-owned by Harbour Centre CEO and president Mikee Romero and businessman Tonyboy Cojuangco, hiked their record to 9-2 and boosted their bid for the No. 1 seeding in the Final Four.
Meantime, the home-and-away tournament takes a two-week yuletide break.
In what could be his best game since the team’s inaugural win over the Satria Muda BritAma of Indonesia last Oct. 10, Rob Wainwright went four-for-four from the three-point area and finished with 16 points.
“He was bound to hit those three-pointers after struggling the last few games,” said Alas as the Patriots avenged their 95-70 loss last Dec. 13 at the Brunei Indoor Stadium.
Import Jason Dixon re-imposed his strength in the shaded lane as he posted his seventh straight double-double game with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
The Barracudas, mentored by Filipino Bong Ramos, slipped to joint fourth at 4-6.
Wainwright scattered 10 points in the first half to underscore the Patriots’ impressive shooting where they posted a 50% shooting clip.
With Wainwright and Elmer Espiritu knocking down a triple each, the Patriots surged ahead, 32-16. They padded this to 20 at halftime.
Brunei’s Filipino imports Don Camaso, Kiko Adriano and Leo Avenido were limited to a combined 24 points after the trio teamed up for 49 points when the Barracudas snapped the Patriots’ league-best six-game winning streak.
Source: philstar.com
-- The Philippine Patriots relied on Nonoy Baclao and Warren Ybanez down the stretch to repeat over the Kuala Lumpur Dragons, 76-70, in the first ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Championship at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
Baclao, back in the fold after missing the team’s 70-95 loss to the Brunei Barracudas last Sunday, helped foil the Dragons’ offensive thrice before hitting a side jumper that gave the hosts a 66-63 lead.
The Dragons fought back at 66-68 but Ybanez buried after a triple after missing three attempts from the long range as the Patriots got back on the winning track with their eighth win against two losses.
“We failed to execute our plays, but in the end, we got the breaks,” said the RP Patriots coach Louie Alas. “Nonoy provided the intangibles again while our two imports also delivered.
The Patriots drew another double-double performance from Jason Dixon, who had 15 points and 15 rebounds, while Brandon Powell took charge in the first half and ended up with 20 points.
The Patriots now need just to win three of their last five games to clinch the No. 1 seeding in the semis.
Meantime, the Patriots try to get back at the Brunei Barracudas when they clash tomorrow, also at the same venue.
The Barracudas ended the Patriots’ six-game winning run with a rousing win in Brunei.
Source: gmanews.tv
-- The Philippine Patriots banked on the defensive muscle of Nonoy Baclao and a clutch three-point shot from Warren Ybañez down the stretch to repeat over the Kuala Lumpur Dragons, 76-70, in the 1st ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
After missing the team’s shocking 95-70 loss to the Brunei Barracudas last Sunday due to his commitment with Ateneo, the 6-foot-4 Baclao made his presence felt by helping the Patriots scuttle the Dragons’ offensive thrice before hitting a side jumper that gave them a 66-63 breather.
The Dragons threatened the last time at 66-68 but Ybañez – after missing his first three tries – buried a huge triple which turned out to be the push they needed to finally disarm the Dragons.
True enough, the Dragons disintegrated, bungling their next two offensive plays that enabled the Patriots to seal the win and ease the pain caused by their devastating setback to the Barracudas.
“We failed to execute our plays, but in the end, we got huge breaks," said the RP Patriots coach Louie Alas. “Nonoy provided the intangibles again while our two imports also delivered."
Brandon Powell atoned from a disappointing three-point performance the last time by drilling in 20 markers, most of them in the first half that prevented the Dragons from pulling away. He finished 3-of-5 from the three-point area aside from posting three rebounds and two assists.
Jason Dixon had 15 points and the same number of rebounds for his sixth straight double-double performance.
Baclao, who helped Ateneo win the Philippine Collegiate Champions League by beating Far Eastern University, had eight points, three rebounds and two blocks.
With the win, the Patriots improved to 8-2. They just need to win three of their remaining five games to clinch the No. 1 seeding in the semis.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
-- The Philippine Patriots will have the KL Dragons as their next assignment when Round 11 matches of the ASEAN Basketball League begins.
The Patriots (7-2), who recently lost to the Brunei Barracudas, 70-95, are looking to get back on track to keep their number one position in the league standings, especially now that Satria Muda BritAma (5-5) just a point behind.
Now back in ABL action against the Dragons are Patriots Nonoy Baclao and Elmer Espiritu, who were absent during their match with the Barracudas.
Baclao was then honoring a previous commitment to play for Ateneo Blue Eagles in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League Finals while the injured Espiritu was nursing a broken cheek bone.
The Patriots versus Dragons match will take place at 4pm at the Ynares Stadium in Rizal on Saturday.
The Patriots will also have the chance to avenge their loss to the Barracudas (4-5) when they face the Brunei-based dribblers on December 21 also at the Ynares Sports Arena.
Meanwhile, the Singapore Slingers (5-4) and Thailand Tigers (3-7) will have a rematch on Thursday, 8 pm at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Their previous meet on 7 December saw the Slingers fall to the Thailand Tigers, 65-62.
The Singers, who have just 6 more matches to go before the playoffs, will need to get back on winning track after losing their last 3 matches. The Slingers are currently third in the league standings with the Barracudas just a point behind.
Source: gmanews.tv
-- The Brunei Barracudas banked on a second-half surge to stun league-leading Philippine Patriots, 95-70, in the ASEAN Basketball League Sunday at the Brunei Indoor Stadium.
American imports Michael Pilgrim and Reggie Larry pumped in 20 points apiece as the Barracudas halted the Patriots' six-game winning streak.
Filipino reinforcements Don Camaso, Leo Avenido and Kiko Adriano also came out firing to help give the Barracudas a whopping 23-point lead, 89-66, heading into the final two minutes.
The Patriots, who remained on top of the team standings at 7-2, missed the services of key defensive players Nonoy Baclao and Elmer Espiritu.
Baclao skipped the game to suit up for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League finals last Sunday, while Espiritu is still nursing a broken cheek bone.
"We missed their defensive intensity," said Patriots coach Louie Alas. "We played very lousy. We never gave up this too many points."
Pinoy connection delivers
The Barracudas, mentored by Filipino Bong Ramos, rolled to their second straight victory to share fourth place with the Kuala Lumpur Dragons at 4-5.
Camaso finished with 18 points, including back-to-back triples in an 11-4 run at the start of the fourth that gave the Barracudas a 78-63 advantage with five minutes remaining.
Avenido similarly buried 18 markers, while Kiko Adriano chipped in 13 points for the Barracudas.
"Luckily we showed our shooting ability today," said Ramos. "I think we're improving. This is the first time we won back-to-back. There was an improvement in our defense and also in our shooting. Everyday in training, I really make sure that we practice our shooting."
Larry, who also delivered eight rebounds, six assists and three steals, shot seven points in a 14-0 run at the start of the second half to give the Barracudas their first double-digit lead at 57-47.
The scoring binge continued with Esmond Tan and Camaso opening the fourth period with three straight triples for a 76-63 gap.
"I told my players that if they have the patience to follow our game plan, we have a good chance to get a victory, and that's what happened," said Ramos. "Maybe the Patriots were also quite overconfident. But I give credit to our guys. They executed the game plan and they really wanted to win."
The Patriots will try to recover from their worst beating with back-to-back homecourt games against the Dragons on Saturday and the Barracudas again on Dec. 21.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
-- The Philippine Patriots remained the No. 1 squad in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) despite losing to the Brunei Barracudas, 70-95, on Sunday.
The Patriots, who have 7 wins and 2 losses (16 points), were not in full force when they met the Barracudas for the first time at the Brunei Indoor Stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan, the ABL website reported.
Nonoy Baclao played for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) finals decider game on Sunday against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamarawas. Baclao and his teammates got past FEU in the best-of-three series to take the PCCL crown.
Elmer Espiritu, on the other hand, was sidelined by a broken cheekbone.
Jason Dixon and Dino Daa led the Patriots with 14 points and 10 points, respectively, while Reggie Larry and Michael Pilgrim bannered the Barracudas with 20 points apiece. Celedon Camaso and Leonidaz Avenido contributed 18 points each for the Barracudas.
The Patriots and Barracudas were supposed to face off on October 31 but their game was postponed due to Typhoon “Santi” (international code name Mirinae). Their game was moved to December 21 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Meanwhile, the Barracudas’ victory on Sunday improved their standing to No. 4 with 4 wins and 5 defeats (13 points).
Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma trails the Patriots at No. 2 with a 5-5 win-loss record (15 points). Former top team Singapore Slingers slid to No. 3 with 5 wins and 4 losses (14 points).
Malaysia’s KL Dragons are currently in 5th place with 4 wins and 5 losses (13 points) while the Thailand Tigers are at the 6th spot with 3 wins and 7 losses (13 points). The top 4 teams will advance to the ABL playoffs next year.
Source: mb.com.ph
-- The Philippine Patriots trounced Indonesian side Satria Muda Brit-Ama, 81-69, at The Arena Saturday to snag their sixth straight win and remain on top of the ASEAN Basketball League.
After a sluggish first half, the Patriots picked up in the third quarter behind another stellar performance by 6-foot-10 Jason Dixon along with Rob Wainwright and point guard Jaypee Alcaraz for their seventh victory in eight matches.
Dixon survived an all-out battle in the paint with compatriot 6-foot-9 Nakiea Miller to produce his best game of the season with 23 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
The burly American cager stretched the host team's lead to 18 points for the third time on a dunk off an entry pass, 81-63, with 2:53 left.
“He (Dixon) was definitely challenged by the presence of Miller. So I’m glad that he played his best game of the tournament,” said Patriots coach Louie Alas.
Wainwright scored a season-high 15 points, including a buzzer-beating trey for a 65-54 lead in the third canto while the Patriots’ other American reinforcement, Brandon Powell, added 12 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
Alcaraz, a late addition to the team, had nine points, seven rebounds and five assists in 20 minutes as a starter.
Alex Hartmann led BritAma with 24 points, including a three-point shot that gave his team a 43-40 lead after being down 36-30 at the half. He shot 7-of-19 for the field in 39 minutes while Miller added 20 points and nine rebounds.
The lanky Miller highlighted a 7-2 start for the Indonesians with a dunk but later struggled against the Patriots' reserve frontline of Nonoy Baclao and Elmer Espiritu when he was blocked twice.
The scores:
RP PATRIOTS 81 — Dixon 23, Wainwright 15, Powell 12, Alcaraz 9, Ybanez 7, Baclao 6, Acuña 3, Gaco 2, Mirza 2, Espiritu 2, Baguion 0.
INDONESIA 69 — Hartmann 24, Miller 20, Achmad 10, Sitepu 8, Bajar 7, Sondakh 0, Frihantono 0, Gunawan B. Wijaya 0, Gunawan G. 0.
Quarters: 15-11, 36-30, 65-54, 81-69.
Source: gmanews.tv
-- The Philippine Patriots used a blistering 20-5 run at the start of the fourth period to secure their fifth straight win, a 77-61 thrashing of the Thailand Tigers, in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Championship Tuesday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Holding a 47-43 lead, entering the final 10 minutes of play, the Patriots backed up that scoring blitz with a choking full court defense that stunned the visiting Tigers, who only manage to score eight in the payoff period after keeping the game close for three quarters.
"Thailand was not a pushover team, they really made it hard for us but good thing we were aggressive on offense during the fourth quarter," said Alas, who chalked up win number six in seven matches to strengthen their hold of the top spot.
The Tigers dropped further at the cellar with a 2-6 mark.
RP import Jason Dixon imposed his 6-foot-10 frame inside the paint to walk away with a game-high 19 points while also grabbing 14 rebounds and blocked three shots, the last one thwarting a dunk attempt by Thai reinforcement Chaz Twain Briggs with 3:15 left in the match.
Elmer Espiritu came off the bench and supported Dixon with 10 points while Brandon Powell and Nonoy Baclao combined for 18 markers.
Briggs paced Thailand with 18 points but was held to just six in the first half. He also a grabbed 22 rebounds and issued four assists while regular started Attaporn Lertmalaiporn added 17 points.
Briggs’ defensive efforts kept he game close as his inside presence intimidated the Patriots.
Despite Briggs’ interior defense, the hosts still managed to post a 31-26 halftime lead despite shooting 37 percent from the field.
The Patriots gun for their sixth straight win when they face Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma on Dec. 5 at The Arena in San Juan then will visit the Brunei Barracudas at the Brunei Indoor Stadium on Dec. 13.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
-- The Philippine Patriots outhustled the Thailand Tigers, 77-61, to nab the top spot in the Asean Basketball League (ABL) at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
The Patriots sent in Jason Dixon, Froilan Baguion, Jerwin Gaco, Robert Wainwright and Warren Ybanez as their starting lineup, going up against Tigers’ Attaporn Lertmalaiporn, Ikenna Nwankwo, Axel Doruelo, Ratdech Kruatiwa and Chattipak Ruankam.
A repeat of their previous meet, the Patriots took a small lead in the first quarter which ended 15-13 against the Tigers. The Philippine squad extended this to a 5 point lead at halftime, 31-26.
In the third quarter, the Tigers pushed hard in an effort to hold off the Patriots from extending extend their lead, ending the quarter 47-43 with RP still ahead.
In the fourth canto the Patriots picked up the pace. With 6 minutes left on the clock, the Patriots were already leading by 12 points.
Dixon top scored for the Patriots with 19 points, followed by Elmer Espiritu with 10 points. Dixon also had 10 rebounds and team mate Warren Ybanez had 9 assists.
As for Thailand Tigers, Lertmalaiporn was once again their top scorer with 19 points followed closely by Chaz Briggs with 18 points and 17 rebounds.
The win improved the Patriots' record to 6-1. The Tigers, meanwhile, dropped to 2-6.
