Parks explodes for 30 as Alab moves on brink of ABL crown

BANGKOK – Ray Parks made the biggest shots down the stretch as San Miguel Alab Pilipinas turned back Mono Vampire, 99-93, last Saturday night to regain the lead in the ASEAN Basketball League finals series at Stadium 29 here.

Three days after being named the league’s local Most Valuable Player for the second straight season, Parks scattered 30 points, including eight of Alab’s last 12 points, as the Filipino club kept its poise in front of a lively Mono home crowd to grab a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-five series.

Parks made six treys with his last two helping Alab weather a late surge by Mono.

Alab can become the third Filipino club to wrest the ABL crown with another win in Game 4 on Monday here.

Justin Brownlee caught fire in the second half to pump in 27 points, helping Alab build enough cushion to weather a late surge by Mono. Renaldo Balkman kept the Filipinos afloat with 18 of his 24 points in the first half, before Brownlee took charge in the third period.

Brownlee joined forces with Parks, Josh Urbiztondo and Pamboy Raymundo as Alab closed out the third quarter with a 15-2 run to turn a 60-65 deficit to a 75-67 lead heading into the final period.

Balkman looked to have taken the fight out of Mono by extending Alab’s lead to 87-78 with 3:28 left, but Mike Singletary willed the home squad back into the game with seven points in a 12-6 counter.

Parks hit two back-to-back treys to quell the fightback, before nailing a tough fadeaway over Paul Zamar with 55 seconds left to put away Mono, 95-90.