No. 1 seed at stake for Alab PH, Formosa

In the midst of their toughest stretch of the season, San Miguel Alab Pilipinas has little time to sulk.

On the heels of their worst loss of the ABL Season 9, the reigning champions try to get back on track immediately as they battle the Formosa Dreamers on Sunday night in a matchup that could determine which team gets the top seeding in the playoffs.

Game time is at 8 p.m. at Santa Rosa Multi Purpose Sports Complex in Santa Rosa, Laguna, where Alab has not lost in nine games this season.

The long and exacting grind is taking a toll on Alab, which missed import Renaldo Balkman and key players like Brandon Rosser, Lawrence Domingo and JR Alabanza in an 84-114 loss to the Macau Black Bears in Foshan, China, on Friday night.

The Filipino ballclub got off to a blazing start, taking an 18-5 lead, but Macau’s Filipino-American guard, Mikh McKinney, and Dewarick Spencer combined for 12 of their team’s 16 triples as the Black Bears rolled over Alab in the next three periods to improve to 13-11.

McKinney waxed hot anew, exploding for 43 points, while Spencer poured 42 points for the Black Bears.

PJ Ramos finished with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Josh Urbiztondo tallied 16 points on five triples, but the Filipinos sorely missed Balkman’s all-around game as they fell to 18-6, just half a game behind the Dreamers.

A win by Formosa against Alab will push the Taiwanese team ahead in the race for the No. 1 seeding.