FILE – Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Buoyed by its sellout crowd at MABA Stadium, the Westports Malaysia doused red-hot San Miguel Alab Pilipinas, 90-89, Sunday in the 2018 ASEAN Basketball League in Kuala Lumpur.
Joshua Munzon sank the game-winning free throw off a foul by Lawrence Domingo with 8.0 seconds left as the Dragons ended Alab Pilipinas’ eight-game winning streak.
Alab had the last shot but Dondon Hontiveros misfired on a right corner 3-pointer as time ran out.
Still, it was a valiant effort from San Miguel Alab, which only suffered its second defeat in nine games on the road and fell to third place with its 11-5 card.
Renaldo Balkman carried much of the scoring load with 33 points that went with 19 rebounds, while fellow World Import Justin Brownlee chimed in 25 markers, five rebounds and seven assists and four blocks.
Unfortunately for Alab, fatigue got the better of Brownlee late as he missed two crucial freebies with 31.2 seconds remaining that could given the lead back to the Filipinos.
Reigning ABL Local MVP Bobby Ray Parks Jr. was limited to just 10 points and seven rebounds before picking up his fifth foul with 1:49 left to play.
Alab played a dangerous opponent in Westports Malaysia (5-10), which was in desperation mode to stay in playoff contention.
World Import Chris Eversley led the Dragons with 36 points and six rebounds before fouling out midway through the payoff period, while Munzon filled the stat sheet with 19 markers, eight boards, three assists, six steals and two blocks.
Kuek Tian Yuan shot 4-of-5 from three to wound up with 14 points and six rebounds, while Jawhar Purdy had 11 markers, six boards, and four dimes in the win.
The scores:
WESTPORTS MALAYSIA DRAGONS 90 — Eversley 36, Munzon 19, Kuek 14, Purdy 11, Davis 9, Wong 1, Teo 0.
SAN MIGUEL ALAB PILIPINAS 89 — Balkman 33, Brownlee 25, Parks 10, Domingo 7, Raymundo 6, Urbiztondo 6, Maierhofer 2, Hontiveros 0, Sumalinog 0.
Quarters: 24-26, 44-47, 65-69, 90-89.