Alab Pilipinas bow to Slingers anew

Photo from the Asean Basketball League Facebook page

SINGAPORE — Alab Pilipinas still can’t seem to figure out the riddle that is the Singapore Slingers. 

Three weeks after the same team ruined their home debut, the Filipinos bowed to the Slingers, 68-71, again on Sunday in the 2016 Asean Basketball League at OCBC Arena here. 

American imports Xavier Alexander and Justin Howard carried the fight with 25 and 18 points, respectively, while Ng Hanbin, Mitchell Folkoff and Kwek Wei Ming also played solid for the Slingers, who improved to 4-1. 

It was Alab’s second loss in four games as they saw their two-game winning run snapped by a Singapore team that took control early. 

After averaging 35.5 points in his team’s last two victories against the Kaohsiung Truth, Ray Parks was held to just 15 points this time, matching the output of teammate Lawrence Domingo, who gave Alab the lead 43-41 early in the third period. 

Alexander fired nine of his output in the final period, including a breakaway dunk for a 70-65 lead with 27.5 seconds left.

The Slingers finished the third period with a 13-4 blitz to build enough cushion to quell off a late rally by Alab.

The scores: 

SINGAPORE SLINGERS 71 – Alexander 25, Howard 18, Ng 8, Kwek 7, Folkoff 7, Wong 4, Goh 2, Austria 0, Oh 0. 

ALAB PILIPINAS 68 – Lee D.J. 16, Parks 15, Domingo 15, Cawaling 8, Lee S.J. 6, Celiz 4, Mendoza 2, Gavieres 2, Fortuna 0, Knuttel 0, Acuna 0. 

Quarters: 23-16, 41-35, 56-48, 71-68