INQUIRER Sports

GAME TODAY
(Singapore Indoor Stadium)
4 p.m.?Singapore Slingers vs Indonesia Satria Muda BritAma
(Game 3 of best-of-three semifinals)

EITHER WAY, it?s going to be a tough grind for the Philippine Patriots.

The Singapore Slingers and Indonesia Satria Muda BritAma clash in a winner-take-all semifinals Sunday for the right to play the Patriots in the Asean Basketball League championship.

Game 3 of the Singapore-Indonesia duel is at 4 p.m. at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

But coach Louie Alas said it doesn?t matter which team the Patriots goes up against, noting that both teams boast plenty of firepower.

The Patriots, who claimed the first title berth after sweeping the Kuala Lumpur Dragons in the semifinals, own the homecourt advantage in the best-of-five Finals starting on Feb. 12.

Alas noted that the Slingers, who accounted for half of the top-ranked Patriots? four elimination losses, are an ?organized team.?

But Alas also pointed to Indonesia?s ?deep bench? and strong local cast despite sweeping Satria Muda in the three-round eliminations.

?The crowd is different during away games,? said Alas. ?We have to develop our mental toughness, especially in the road.?

Satria Muda forged a semifinal decider after posting a 74-45 Game 2 rout of Singapore at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta Wednesday night, just three days after the Slingers claimed the opener with an 87-68 victory at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The Patriots swept the semifinals at 2-0 as American import Jason Dixon delivered in the clutch and led the top seeds in rallying from 16 points down to slip past the Dragons, 70-65, and claim the first championship slot in Game 2 Wednesday night at the Maba Stadium in Malaysia.

In Game 1, though, the Patriots took full control from the get-go to coast to a 77-43 blasting of the fourth-ranked Dragons last Jan. 31 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.