Justin Brownlee. Photo from ASEAN Basketball League Facebook
STA. ROSA — Justin Brownlee carried San Miguel Alab Pilipinas to a thrilling 143-130 overtime victory over Mono Vampire to draw first blood in the best-of-five 2018 ASEAN Basketball League Finals Sunday at Sta. Rosa Multipurpose Complex here.
The do-it-all forward set the new ABL Finals record with his 46 points, 10 of which came in the extra period where Alab Pilipinas blew the game wide open after rallying back late in regulation.
With the home team staring at a 120-116 deficit in the last 19.3 seconds of the fourt, Brownlee showed his never say die spirit, first drilling a trey to cut the deficit to one with 15.1 on the clock.
His foul led to a Michael Singletary split which kept the door open for the hosts, 121-119, with 11.7 ticks left, and that was all Brownlee needed as he sent the behemoth Sam Deguara packing with his fifth foul after a gutsy drive in the final 4.2.
Though he wasn’t able to tie the game at the foul line, his misses paved way for Renaldo Balkman’s overtime-forcing tip at 121 with 1.3 seconds left in regulation.
In OT, Brownlee picked up where he left off, sparking the decisive 8-0 burst for 129-121 lead with 3:16 to play as Alab never looked back en route to the 1-0 lead.
The former Ginebra import also grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out nine assists, and got two steals.
Balkman also had another impressive performance with his 39 points, 15 boards, and four assists while Ray Parks left his mark with 27 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals, but had to watch his team get the job done from the bench after fouling out at the 4:42 mark of regulation.
Game 2 is on Wednesday, still in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, with the season’s best performers set to be feted before the game.
Lawrence Domingo added 14 points and six rebounds, as well as two big blocks on Deguara and Jason Brickman in the crucial moments of the fourth quarter.
Singletary kept Mono Vampire in the game with his 42 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, while Paul Zamar
shot 4-of-7 from threes to wound up with 25 in the defeat.
Deguara eked out 21 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks despite being in foul trouble all game long, while Brickman got 15 points, 14 assists, and eight rebounds before sitting out from the 2:48 mark of the fourth quarter due to cramps.
The Scores:
SAN MIGUEL ALAB PILIPINAS 143 — Brownlee 46, Balkman 39, Parks 27, Domingo 14, Raymundo 9, Javelona 8, Alabanza 0, Celiz 0, Hontiveros 0, Sumalinog 0, Urbiztondo 0.
MONO VAMPIRE 130 — Singletary 42, Zamar 25, Deguara 21, Brickman 15, Apiromvilaichai 14, Chanthachon 7, Klahan 6, Boonyai 0, Khukhandin 0, Phuangla 0.
Quarters: 26-32, 59-58, 87-87, 121-121, 143-130.