Mono’s winless elims record vs Alab lights fire under Brickman

Photo from ASEAN Basketball League

STA. ROSA —Jason Brickman made an excellent account of himself in the first two games of the 2018 ASEAN Basketball Finals against Alab Pilipinas, and he had a simple motivation.

“We’re 0-3 against them this season,” said Brickman.

The Fil-Am guard, who averaged 10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 10.3 assists for the season, has showcased his full arsenal in the championship round, dazzling, with his playmaking wizardry while also serving as the undisputed leader of Mono Vampire.

On Wednesday, Brickman finished with 15 points, 11 assists, and six boards to spearhead the Thai team to a 103-100 Game 2 victory, which marked the first time this year that Mono Vampire has beaten San Miguel Alab Pilipinas, to level the best-of-five series to one game apiece.

Adding to Brickman’s motivation was the presence of his relatives, led by his Filipina mother Elizabeth, who flew in from the United States just to watch him play in front of their compatriots at Sta. Rosa Multipurpose Complex.

“It’s just a great environment to play, a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s awesome to play in front of my family and they got to experience this crowd. I’m really happy and excited we got the win in front of these fans.”

Brickman is hoping that this won’t be the last as he is looking forward on taking his act to the Philippines soon.

“Hopefully, I can get my papers done and play here. There are awesome fans here. It’s something I want to do. I want to play in the PBA. We’ll see what happens. We’ll see if we can get our paperwork done and get into the draft,” he said.

But for now, Brickman’s attention is solely on helping Mono Vampire win this season’s ABL title.

“It was great to get a win and tie the series here, and we’ll try to get some wins back home,” he said, as the series shifts to Bangkok for Games 3 and 4 at Stadium 29.